More than a Month: Celebrate Pride!

Our mission at Destiny City Film Festival is to use the power of vibrant cinematic storytelling to curate an engaged community audience for independent film. Part of that mission is providing a safe space for stories that have not historically received equal representation.

In the city of Tacoma, July is Pride Month – a time to honor the history, culture and contributions of LGBTQIA+ people in the South Puget Sound region. Though July has concluded, we believe that this recognition and celebration of these communities should be everyday. In our continued celebration of Pride, we’ve highlighted nine short and feature films in past DCFF programs that center LGBTQIA+ experiences. In addition to watching the below stories, we encourage you to uplift and offer support to LGBTQIA+ voices year-round. Happy Pride!

BAYARD & ME | Dir. Matt Wolf | DCFF 2018 | Watch Now

Bayard & Me is a short doc about how the openly gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, best known for organizing the March on Washington and advising Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., adopted his partner Walter Naegle in the 1980s for legal protections. In this intimate love story, Walter remembers Bayard and how they had to work around the system in an era when gay marriage was inconceivable. He also reflects on the little known phenomena of intergenerational gay adoption and its connection to the civil rights movement.

BECKS | Dir. Daniel Powell, Elizabeth Rohrbaugh | DCFF 2018 | Watch Now

After a crushing breakup with her girlfriend, a Brooklyn musician moves back in with her Midwestern mother. As she navigates her hometown, playing for tip money in an old friend’s bar, an unexpected relationship begins to take shape. Starring Mena Suvari.

BRIDES TO BE | Dir. Lindy Boustedt, Kris Boustedt| DCFF 2016 | Watch Now

Robin and Jenna are getting married. Robin is excited beyond words; Jenna is plagued by panic attacks and struggles to write her vows. But when they arrive at their secluded fairy-tale venue, sinister forces besiege them, threatening to tear them apart.

FLEX | Dir. Matt Porter | DCFF 2021 | Watch Now

After a break-up with his long time girlfriend, Charles explores parts of his sexuality that he never allowed himself to explore before.

THE GAY LIFESTYLE | Dir. Lindsay Trapnell | DCFF 2017| Watch Now

What is a “gay lifestyle”? Does it exist? This observational documentary explores this question by offering a glimpse into the lives and everyday moments of LGBTQ folks living in the heartland of Omaha, Nebraska.

MILLER & SON | Dir. Asher Jelinsky | DCFF 2020 | Watch Now

A transwoman mechanic lives between running her family’s auto shop during the day and expressing her femininity at night, until an unforeseen event threatens the balance of her compartmentalized life.

OUTDOORING | Dir. Maxwell Addae | DCFF 2020 | Watch Now

A young man, Kobby Ankrah, attends his new nephew’s Ghanaian baby-naming ceremony with a plan to steal the money collected from their family to run away and keep a deep secret hidden.