Strong. Proud. United. The 28th Annual OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Last year’s OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festivals drew more than 12,000 attendees from the Greater South Florida area, as well as virtual viewers statewide.

“OUTshine was created to entertain, educate, and inspire film-loving audiences of all persuasions by presenting the best of emerging international, national, and local LGBTQ+ oriented films to South Florida,” said Mark Gilbert, Interim Executive Director, OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival. “We strive to enrich our audiences while encouraging a sense of community by presenting international and culturally diverse films that offer historical and contemporary perspectives on the LGBTQ+ experience. Our message is that when you come to the festival, you’re with friends.”

Starting the 2026 Spring Edition off on a glamorous, outdoor note, OUTshine is thrilled to present its opening night film, The Dinner (La Cena) (Spain, 2025), a delicious blend of tension, history, and irreverent humor, on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, located at 2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139. Set in the turbulent aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, a grand dinner is planned to celebrate the nationalist triumph of Franco in the iconic and luxurious Hotel Palace in Madrid. But what the victors don’t know is who's in the kitchen. Directed by Manuel Gomez Pereira, the film stars Mario Casas (The Goldsmith’s Secret) and Alberto San Juan (Cristobal Balenciaga). Opening night tickets are $75 and include reserved lawn seating, entertainment, open bar cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a filmmaker Q & A.

“With so many new universal stories yet to be discovered, selecting this year’s Spring Edition features was truly a labor of love,” said Joe Bilancio, Director of Programming, OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival. “Our Miami run has a strong focus on Latin America, international and foreign language LGBTQ+ films geared toward a strong multicultural audience while Fort Lauderdale features many American independent films. We are proud to share these empowering stories by today’s foremost and emerging directors whose creative visions urge us to embrace our differences and foster a sense of unity and belonging.”

The Men’s and Ladies Latin Spotlight Night will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 25th, 2026 in Miami at the SilverspotCinema, located at 300 Southeast 3rd Street, Suite#: 100, Miami, Florida 33131. This year’s films include the romantic comedy An Island Away From You (A Una Isla Deti) (Spain, 2025) and the award-winning drama Jone, Sometimes (Jone, batzuetan) (Spain, 2025).

Monday, April 27th, 2026 Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 and Wednesday, April 29th, 2026 OUTshine will present its Cocktails & Cinema™ nights in BOTH Miami and Fort Lauderdale. At 7:00 p.m., at the historic landmark Tower Theater, located at 1508 Southwest 8th Street, Miami, Florida 33131, OUTshine brings the magic of local shorts to Calle Ocho and at 7:00 p.m., at the historic Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale, located at 1820 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304, a Trans Spotlight film will debut.

This year’s Centerpiece Film screening at the Koubek Center Theater, located at 2705 Southwest 3rd Street, Miami, Florida 33135 at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 30th, 2026 will be Maspalomas (Spain, 2025), an intimate story that delves into the subject of homosexuality in elder age through the journey of a 76-year-old man confronting fears and dilemmas that cross generations. Set in the iconic town and beaches of Maspalomas, on the beautiful island of Gran Canaria, the film thoughtfully explores universal themes such as family, identity and sexuality in later life, with extraordinary honesty, depth and sensitivity. The film was directed by Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi. Post-screening, audiences are invited for light bites, entertainment and complimentary cocktails.

On Monday, April 27th, 2026 OUTshine travels north to Fort Lauderdale with a host of exclusive screenings, fun-filled evenings and a brand-new block party spread out over three additional dates.

On Friday, May 1st, 2026 Men’s Spotlight and Ladies Spotlight films, co-hosted by Wilton Women’s Week, will grace the big screen at the historic Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale, located at 1820 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304. Broward filmgoers will be treated to the action-crime thriller Lone Star Bull (USA, 2024) starring Luke Macfarlane, Sebastian Roche, and D.J. “Shangela” Pierce, and Erupcja (Poland, 2025), a romantic comedy-drama starring Charli XCX followed by an afterparty at J. Mark’s Fort Lauderdale restaurant.

Other star-studded films of note this year include Montreal, My Beautiful (Montreal, Ma Belle) (Canada, 2025) starring Joan Chen as a Chinese immigrant who begins a secret affair with a young Quebecoise, I Want Your Sex (USA, 2026), an American erotic comedy thriller directed by Gregg Araki starring Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Daveed Diggs, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho and Charli XCX and Rock Out (USA, 2025), directed by Dustin Lance Black, an excavation of the queer roots of rock, punk and metal featuring Roger Daltrey, Dolly Parton, John Reid, Danny Fields and more.

On Sunday, May 3rd, 2026 OUTshine is proud to present its first-ever Closing Night Community Block Party at Savor Cinema, located at 503 Southeast 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301. Audiences are invited to the 6:00 p.m. screening of We’ll Find Happiness (Canada, 2025) followed by an outdoor soiree featuring food vendors, filmmakers, live performers, entertainment and more from community partners. We’ll Find Happiness, directed by Lea Pool, tells the story of Saad, a young Moroccan exile in Quebec, who will do anything to save the man he loves, an Iranian refugee facing deportation and likely death. In a desperate move, Saad tries to seduce a high-ranking spokesperson from the Ministry of Immigration. This risky gambit sets off a chain of events that are as intimate as they are political, where every decision carries consequences far beyond matters of the heart.

OUTshine At-Home viewing will be available from Monday, May 4th, 2026 - Sunday, May 10th, 2026.

“While others might retreat, OUTshine forges forward with an even more robust schedule proving that strength, courage, and solidarity can turn even the fiercest storms into a path toward hope and pride. We will continue to showcase the bold storytelling, diverse voices, and unforgettable cinematic moments that define our community,” added Gilbert.

This year’s OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival spring edition is presented by CAN Community Health and The Warten Foundation. Premiere sponsors are Gilead and Comcast; Presenting Media are HotSpots! Media and It’s Happening Out; Grand sponsors are Google, Wilton River Suites, Silverspot Cinemas, Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale, Major Prevention 305, Fast Printz, Tito’s and Commissioner Damian Pardo; Supporting sponsors are Latino Salud J. Mark’s, Miami Beach Botanical Gardens and Media partners includeCultural Owl, The Bulletin, I Love Gay Movies, Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, MOCHEE, TampaBayGay.com, OUTFRONT MEDIA, OUT SFL, OutClique, queerguru.com, wireman, Skirt South Florida and GPR | Goodman Public Relations.

The full film schedule for OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Spring Edition will drop on Friday, March 27th, 2026. Ticket subscription packages and individual tickets starting at $17 go on sale at the same time. OUTshinepassholders and Producer Circle members receive priority advance ticket purchase opportunities.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.outshinefilm.com.

About OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival

The OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival, celebrating its 28th year and 45th edition, is a bi-annual film festival with a mission to inspire, entertain, and educate; encouraging a sense of community through international and culturally diverse film, video and other media that offer historical, contemporary and entertaining perspectives on the LGBTQ+ experience. Launched separately - in 1998, as The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and in 2008, as the Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival - both were brought together under one brand to become OUTshine Film Festival, underscoring its brightness, broad appeal and dynamic multicultural locations, the nonprofit festival is critically and internationally acclaimed as one of the largest LGBTQ+ cultural arts happenings in the world. OUTrageous. OUTspoken. And OUTstanding in what we deliver.

For more information and tickets, visit: www.outshinefilm.com and follow us on Facebook @OUTshineFilmFestival, on Twitter @OUTshineFilm and on Instagram @OUTshineFilm.