The OUTShine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Spring Edition returns to South Florida April 23 – May 3. Acclaimed as one of the largest LGBTQ cultural festivals in the world, included are four international, nine North American, and six East Coast premieres from 20 countries. This year’s Centerpiece Film screening at the Koubek Center Theater, on April 30, will be Maspalomas (Spain, 2025), an intimate story of homosexuality in old age. Post-screening, the audience is invited for light bites, entertainment, and complimentary cocktails.
Beginning on April 27, screenings will be held in Fort Lauderdale with a block party spread out over three additional dates. On May 1, the action-crime thriller Lone Star Bull, starring Luke Macfarlane, Sebastian Roché, and D.J. “Shangela” Pierce, will be screened with an afterparty at J. Mark’s. Other star-studded films of note this year include Montreal, My Beautiful, starring Joan Chen; I Want Your Sex an erotic comedy thriller directed by Gregg Araki; and Rock Out, directed by Dustin Lance Black, an excavation of the queer roots of rock, punk, and metal. At the closing night block party at Savor Cinema on Sunday, May 3, audiences will be feted at an outdoor event featuring food vendors, filmmakers, live performers, and entertainment after the 6 p.m. screening of We’ll Find Happiness. For more information, or to buy tickets, go to OUTShineFilm.com.
SAIL AWAY
FLoatarama has announced that Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood will return as the presenting sponsor of its signature fundraiser, now recognized as the nation’s largest Pride-on-the-water celebration. This seventh annual FLoatarama, which celebrates unity, visibility, and inclusion while raising critical funds for LGBTQ youth-serving organizations, will take place Saturday, June 13, on Fort Lauderdale’s iconic Intracoastal waterway. More than 500 celebrants will set sail aboard the luxurious Sun Dream Yacht Catalina for an unforgettable 2.5-hour brunch cruise featuring a DJ, open bar, and high-energy entertainment. The voyage will be followed by a waterfront T-Dance celebration. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. at Bokamper’s Sports Bar & Grill’s spacious Intracoastal dock, where guests will enjoy a complimentary pre-departure mimosa. At 11 a.m., the 2.5-hour brunch cruise will launch, featuring a premium open bar, brunch, and music. When the yacht returns to dock, the celebration continues with a waterfront T-Dance on Bokamper’s patio.
THE WRITE STUFF
Stonewall Museum and Library hosts poet and memoirist Steven Reigns on Friday, April 10 at 6 p.m. for an intimate reading and conversation exploring queer history, personal storytelling, and the lives that shape his work. Reigns is a poet, memoirist, artist, and activist known for his poetry publications. He was West Hollywood's first City Poet. His book, A Quilt For David, explores the life of Florida dentist David J. Acer, who in 1990 was accused of infecting a patient (Kimberly Bergalis) with HIV. Reigns challenges the media narrative of the time, which was that Acer deliberately infected his patients. His most recent book, Outliving Michael, is a poetry collection exploring the author's friendship with Michael Church, who died of AIDS in 2000. Space is limited an RSVP is required to attend. Contact
