There are stories swirling all around us. From every moment, every interaction, and every person, a narrative can be found and extropolated into a film. Some carry the weight of a full-length feature; while others offer us momentary peaks into unique worlds, situations, or people beyond our everyday (or reflective of people who look, sound, or feel like ourselves).

These documentary short films provide such a window into queer and trans lives, from Rochester to elsewhere in the United States, to entire other countries. Two of the films included in this program are: Love, Jamie — winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Short at this year’s OutFest — about a trans artist incarcerated in Texas, and the enduring friendship that brought her art of liberation and pride to the world outside; and Big Sur Gay Porn where cult filmmaker Tom DeSimone revisits the production of a lost gay pornographic film and resurrects youthful adventures on the California coast. — MATT DETURCK

Note: This program contains graphic sex.

Our 2023 Shorts Programs are made possible through the generosity of long-time ImageOut supporters David D. Emert and Jon P. Templin.