The 11th anniversary edition of the Tag! Queer Shorts Festival presents a vibrant perspective on queer life Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7 with 51 all new films coming to the big screen. Celebrating the work of both local filmmakers and directors from as far away as Tunisia and Iran, Tag! selections are thought-provoking, humanizing and often a bit disruptive to typical discourses around sex, gender and relationships.
Taking place at and sponsored by The Hollywood Theatre, Tag! features short-format film made by queer or trans-identifying creators in every genre. This year’s program offers four curated thematic blocks, each one with an eclectic mix of animation, music video, narrative fiction, dance and documentary. Festival attendees will have the chance to see dozens of unique films and interact with directors between screenings.
Shows start at 3 pm and 7 pm both days. The event opens with the #queerfam program, a collection of films about finding belonging and community. The first day ends with #bestcoast, an amazing display of local talent including projects from marginalized youth working with nonprofit Outside the Frame, a quirky horror short by Queer Screams festival director JT Seaton and a stop-motion gem by animator Nick Boxwell. Sunday explores queer resistance in the #actingup program, and the festival ends on a high note with #ensemble, a kaleidoscope of 15 high-energy films that draw from a range of queer identities and experiences.
According to founding director Juan Trujillo, one of two queer Latine-identifying organizers of the festival, Tag! is all about helping new audiences experience great queer film. Oh, and the name? Is it about graffiti? A childhood game? The scratchy fabric square sewn to your collar? Signaling your peeps on social media? It’s all of that and less! The festival name is a celebration of absurdism and a way to stay geographically unattached now that we are building a broader regional and international presence.
The festival takes place at Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. and a complete listing of films is at tagqsf.org. Full festival passes are $45 general admission/$40 students and seniors. Discounts and passes are available from the festival organizers for fans experiencing economic difficulty.