29 Queer Film Festival returns to hi-desert

After a successful inaugural year, the 29 Queer Film Festival returns to the hi-desert for three days starting on Friday (September 19) and running through Sunday (September 21), and it will bring screenings of queer-themed features, shorts, documentaries, and performances to our sunny community. We spoke with festival founders Graham Kolbeins and Jonathan Andre Culliton, who also have films featured in the line up, about what audiences can expect in the festival’s second year.

“We had an amazing first year,” said Kolbeins. “We had a great turnout and we wanted to improve upon the things that worked this year and expand the festival in new directions. In addition to doubling down on local desert stories, we are bringing in a lot of new international voices”

“We noticed last year people really liked drag films,” said Culliton. “People really loved anything having to do with the desert and they wanted to celebrate the local people. So we basically took those lessons and in the second year made them their own blocks, made them galas. 

“We’ve got a couple of world premieres of desert films,” said Kolbeins. “‘Gummy Worms’ starring Lachlan Watson is a post-apocalyptic desert story. And then we’ve got ‘Nova’ which is sort of a pre-apocalyptic desert story with a lesbian couple wandering the desert with a dog that they found. They’re exes.

Kolbeins directed a short called “Outage,” set in the hi-desert and featuring me as co-starring voice talent.

The duo then discussed their documentary about their own nuptials, called “Minister Chucky.”

“That’s in the horror block, weirdly enough, because we got married by a minister dressed as Chucky,” said Culliton. “Our documentary will be in the horror block along with some other great programming.

“The we’ve got a great after party at the Tiny Pony,” said Kolbeins. “It’s a collaboration with the Monthly Drag Party Horse Girl hosted by Obsidienne Obsurd. We’re going to be screening films there. There’s going to be a whole bunch of drag entertainers.

And the festival will be celebrating actor Brian Michael Smith with their Golden Coyote Award. “He is the star of 9-1-1 Lone Star,” said Culliton. “A lot of people know Brian in the trans and queer communities. I think a lot of people know him outside of that because he’s on network TV. You’ll see him and his film Deep Dish Dimples.”

Finally, Kolbeins mentioned a fan-favorite screening. “There’s also the 30th anniversary screening of Showgirls by Paul Verhoeven. It’s a camp classic and we’re really excited to screen it as our after dark film this year.”

Happening this Friday (September 19), Saturday (September 20), and Sunday (September 21), the film festival’s offerings will be screened at Theatre 29 in Twentynine Palms.

For more information and tickets, visit 29QFF.com