Newark LGBTQ Film Festival Now Accepting Submissions For Its Fourth Year, Celebrating Queer BIPOC Storytellers
With submissions open through February, the fourth annual Newark LGBTQ Film Festival continues its mission to uplift BIPOC voices in Newark and beyond.
Featured image courtesy of the Newark LGBTQ Film Festival
The Newark LGBTQ Film Festival has opened submissions for its fourth annual event, set to take place April 30 through May 4, 2026. Following a record-breaking year that saw audience participation double, the festival returns with a renewed commitment to highlighting Queer BIPOC films and filmmakers.
Since its founding, the festival has served as a creative space for LGBTQ+ artists to share their work and connect with audiences in New Jersey and beyond. The event showcases a range of genres, including short films, documentaries, experimental works, student projects, and select feature-length films.
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“The Newark LGBTQ film fest is such a great festival. The organizers were beyond welcoming. The audience was super receptive, there was amazing hospitality and really good vibes all around. I even made some industry connections which I did not expect. I’d absolutely recommend this festival to other filmmakers,” said Lisa Thomas, director of The Misadventures of Buckey and Beane.
That sense of connection is central to the festival’s mission. “We are excited to continue elevating the work of BIPOC Queer filmmakers, actors, and creatives from across our city, state, and country—right here in Newark,” said Denise Hinds, Festival Director. “This festival is a labor of love that beautifully brings together the queer community and our allies to uplift these artists’ work.”
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For filmmakers, the festival offers a platform to share work that reflects the triumphs, struggles, and creativity of LGBTQ+ life, especially from perspectives that are too often overlooked. Each year, audiences come together to watch films that celebrate the power of queer storytelling.
Submissions are being accepted via FilmFreeway. The Early Bird Deadline is December 18, 2025, followed by the Regular Deadline on January 21, 2026, and the Late Deadline on February 11, 2026. Filmmakers will be notified of selections by March 7, ahead of the festival’s five-day run in Newark.
More information, including submission guidelines, can be found at newarklgbtqcenter.org/newarklgbtqfilmfestival
