Film Screenings / Programs / Series
THE CINEMA OF GENDER TRANSGRESSION
July 10 – July 13
July 10-13, 2026
An extensive, ongoing series exploring the ways in which cinema has intersected with the experiences, struggles, and ideas of transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming lives and communities, “The Cinema of Gender Transgression” showcases contemporary films and videos that explore concepts related to gender transgression as well as films that have had historical resonance within and beyond these communities.
Transgender and gender-nonconforming issues hold a more prominent place in the national conversation today than ever before, though gender transgression and the experiences of these individuals have always existed. This series aims to call attention to those films that dared to question gender norms in periods when even to broach the topic was controversial, and to provide a platform for the contemporary socio-political concerns of trans filmmakers and artists challenging the gender binary today.
The July installment begins with a special evening with acclaimed filmmaker, writer, and archivist Jenni Olson, who will present both her own 2005 film, THE JOY OF LIFE, and a film she has selected: the quirky, ahead-of-its time fantasy-comedy SOMETHING SPECIAL (WILLY/MILLY) (1986), which will be screening from an archival 35mm print (from Olson’s collection). The series continues with DESIRE LINES, the award-winning hybrid documentary by Jules Rosskam that transports us to an imaginary gay bathhouse in the past, reframing queer history through a trans lens. Rosskam, one of the preeminent contemporary documentarians of the transgender experience, will be here in person for the screening on July 11. And finally, brought to you all the way from Gothenburg, Sweden, filmmaker and founder/artistic director of the Swedish Archive for Queer Moving Images, Anna Linder will be here in person on Sunday, July 12 to present her own film SPERMWHORE alongside other short films from the SAQMI archive in a program (co-guest-curated by Joey Carducci) entitled “Frame Your Future.”
“The Cinema of Gender Transgression” is guest-programmed by Joey Carducci and Angelo Madsen.
Special thanks to Anna Linder; Jenni Olson; Jules Rosskam; Cali Guisto (Frameline); and Mark Johnson (Harvard Film Archive).
Upcoming Screenings
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Jenni Olson
THE JOY OF LIFE
July 10 at 6:30 PM
July 12 at 5:30 PM
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Paul Schneider
SOMETHING SPECIAL (WILLY/MILLY)
July 10 at 8:30 PM
July 13 at 6:30 PM
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Jules Rosskam
DESIRE LINES
July 11 at 7:30 PM
July 13 at 8:45 PM
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FRAME YOUR FUTURE: SHORT FILMS FROM THE SWEDISH ARCHIVE FOR QUEER MOVING IMAGES (SAQMI)
July 12 at 7:30 PM
