HARTFORD ― A lot has changed in the Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival’s 38-year history.

The festival began in 1987, the year homosexuality was no longer considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. It wasn’t until three years later, in 1990, that the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases.

Massachusetts was the first state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage, on May 17, 2004. The festival was already 17 years old.

Now in its 38th year, festival director Shane Engstrom says a lot has changed for the event.

“I remember when I first started, we would go to the post office weekly to pick up VHS tapes that had been mailed to us,” said Engstrom, who has been involved with the festival since 2000 and has served as its director since 2008.

“We used to sit in the same room and watch movies on the TV as a group, but now we get so many submissions that we can’t possibly watch it all together, so we have to divide and conquer,” he said.

Engstrom and fellow board members Wendy Peek, David Kirk, Peter Michelsen and Jaime Ortega, together with a 35-person committee, had the monumental task this year of screening more than 700 films.

Ninety-ones were ultimately chosen for this year’s festival, which begins its eight-day run June 20. The event comes as President Trump targets the LGBTQ community.

“This administration is trying to take voices away from the LGBTQ community, and our festival is a way to let people hear those voices and to provide a safe space for the community to come together,” Engstrom said.

The festival opens June 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Cinestudio on the campus of Trinity College in Hartford. The short film “Die Bully Die” will precede a screening of “Four Mothers” by director Darren Thornton. The film follows Edward, a shy gay man who is left to care for his elderly mother and his friends’ mothers after his friends take off for a Pride weekend getaway.

Following the screening, one of the film’s writers — flying into Hartford from Dublin, Ireland – will host a question-and-answer session with the audience. An afterparty to celebrate the launch of the 2025 festival will follow.

The following days will feature films that range from romantic comedies like “Sauna” on June 21, documentaries like “Row of Life” on June 22 and animated features like “Lesbian Space Princess” on June 27. Each full-length film will be accompanied by a short.

“Mancrush Monday,” a gay shorts program, will be offered on June 23 at 7:30 p.m. (available virtually from June 24-July 6). “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” a lesbian shorts program, will be held on June 24 at 7:30 p.m. (available virtually from June 25-July 6).

The centerpiece film, which comes midway through the festival on June 25, is a timely snapshot of the fight for transgender rights.

“Heightened Scrutiny” is told through the eyes of Chase Strangio, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union and the first openly transgender person to argue before the Supreme Court. He is fighting in court to overturn Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case later this month, making its screening at the festival especially timely.

“It’s a great opportunity for people who don’t know a lot about transgender struggles with the courts (to learn more),” Engstrom said.

“Heightened Scrutiny” will be screened in-person at Cinestudio starting at 7:30 p.m. and will be available to watch virtually from June 26-July 6. A centerpiece reception will precede the film at 6:30 p.m. — attendance is free with tickets to the film.

Bridgeport connections

One documentary on the roster this year, “A Culinary Uprising – The Story of Bloodroot,” chronicles a Bridgeport business, Bloodroot, one of the longest-running feminist restaurants and bookstores in the U.S.

Bloodroot was founded in 1977 by Selma Miriam and Noel Furie. More than 46 years later, it still operates several days a week. The film follows the two women and their working partnership over the years as they navigate homophobia, sexism and a changing society.

To this day, Bloodroot describes itself as “a feminist restaurant & bookstore with a seasonal vegetarian menu” on its website. The venue, at 85 Ferris St., serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday, as well as lunch on Saturday.

But there has been a change in management, including the death this year of one of its founders, Selma Miriam.

A post on the @culinaryuprising Instagram page reported Miriam’s death on Feb. 6, 2025. Dozens of tributes poured in, including one from Emmy-nominated Chef Plum, which read: “What this woman did for women in the hospitality industry, her lessons for anyone in the industry, should never be forgotten, I will never forget her kindness and warmth.”

“A Culinary Uprising” will be screened at Cinestudio on Sunday, June 22 at 4 p.m., followed by a free reception.

The film festival closes on June 28 at the Connecticut Science Center with “Perfect Endings,” a Portuguese romantic comedy directed by Daniel Ribeiro. The film follows João, an aspiring filmmaker who tries to break into the industry but ends up directing amateur erotic films instead. The full-length film will be preceded by the short film “The Exchange,” starting at 7 p.m. A closing night party will follow the screening – attendance is free with tickets to the show.

Single-show tickets and festival passes can be purchased online. An all-access “Festipass,” priced at $125 for individuals and $200 for a two-person household, includes access to all the festival’s screenings (both virtual and in-person) as well as opening and closing night shows.

A five-show pass, which can be used to attend any five screenings excluding the opening and closing night shows, can be purchased for $50 for individuals and $90 for a two-person household.

Single-day passes are $13 general admission, $11 seniors, $30 for opening/closing show tickets (including afterparties) and $25 for opening/closing show senior tickets (including afterparties). Students are admitted free to any showings with a valid student ID.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the festival’s website.