The 20th Portland Queer Film Festival has a lot of those things!
Now in its 20th year, the Portland Queer Film Festival—formerly known as the Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival—has a goal that’s at once clear and sprawling: to showcase “feature, documentary, and short films from all over the world that are made by, about, or of interest to the lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and questioning community.”
This year, the fest’s selections include three films that approximate a triptych of French gay romance: Paris 05:59 (screens Thurs Sep 22), Closet Monster (Mon Sep 19), and Being 17 (Tues Sept 20). Paris 05:59 unfolds like a super-hot (and gay!) Before Sunset, with its romance unveiling almost in real time. (The first 15 minutes take place in a basement sex club, where, fittingly enough, there’s no dialogue; by the 30-minute mark, our two main characters finally exchange names and walk to a bike-share spot. Just like Portlanders!)