12/10/2025
This Thursday at the SVA Theater in Manhattan NewFest, New York’s largest presenter of LGBTQ+ film and media kicked off its 37th edition. No Rest for the Weekend was on the red carpet where we caught up with the festival’s Executive Director, David Hatkoff.
When asked about what this year’s festival has in store, Hatkoff spoke about the variety of projects showcased this year including the opening night feature, Blue Moon directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke who plays legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart on the opening night of Oklahoma!, Blue Film a story about a cam boy and his client directed by Elliot Tuttle, the festival’s centerpiece documentary, Come See Me in the Good Light about the late poet Andrew Gibson which we reviewed earlier this year at Sundance, and a comedy about trans high schoolers titled She’s The He.
When asked what he wanted people to take away from this year’s experience, Hatkoff replied “I want people to be reminded that they are part of something bigger than themselves and that community can be really healing particularly in times when the political winds are very much against us. And that telling our stories is the best way to fight against efforts to, in some cases, erase our identities. And so you may feel alone. I may feel alone sometimes especially when I’m doom-scrolling, but NewFest is a place where you can be reminded that you have a community that you can lean into, that can really give you strength and even joy in these difficult times.”
With more than 1,200 submissions, NewFest will screen a total of 130 films, which includes 28 narrative features, 7 documentary/nonfiction features, 8 legacy retrospective features, 7 episodic series, and 12 shorts program screenings, with the full program featuring work from 29 countries. The festival will run until October 21st. Find out more about NewFest including ticket information on the festival website.
This Thursday at the SVA Theater in Manhattan NewFest, New York's largest presenter of LGBTQ+ film and media kicked off its 37th edition. No Rest for the Wee...
