OutfestNEXT is officially returning for its second year, bringing four days of queer films, filmmaker conversations, and community events back to Los Angeles from July 23 to July 26.
Hosted at the LA LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza, the event may only be entering its sophomore year, but it’s quickly carving out a space of its own within Outfest’s larger legacy. Rather than functioning as a traditional film festival, OutfestNEXT feels more like a gathering place, one where established queer icons, emerging creators, and audiences can all share the same room.
And honestly, that feels especially important right now.
In an era where LGBTQ+ stories continue to be challenged, restricted, and politicized, spaces dedicated entirely to queer creativity feel less like entertainment and more like acts of preservation.
Fortunately, this year’s lineup is bringing plenty to celebrate.
Gregg Araki Returns to the Outfest Stage
Few filmmakers have shaped queer cinema quite like Gregg Araki.
The filmmaker’s newest feature, I Want Your Sex, will make its way to OutfestNEXT with a cast that feels tailor-made for internet obsession: Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Chase Sui Wonders, Margaret Cho, and Charli XCX.
For Araki, the event also represents a full-circle moment.
“My long history with Outfest dates back to when I was a baby queer filmmaker in the ’80s/’90s and festivals like Outfest and Frameline provided a crucial platform for voices like mine to be heard,” he said in a statement. “Thank you, Outfest, for supporting queer culture in this awful age when it is needed more than ever!”
That sense of legacy is woven throughout this year’s program.
New Stories, Familiar Faces, and Plenty of Queer Joy
The 2026 lineup spans generations, genres, and perspectives.
There’s Test, a sports drama starring Matthew Morrison that explores ambition, identity, and complicated family dynamics through the world of competitive bodybuilding.
Documentary lovers will have Barbara Forever, an intimate look at the life and impact of legendary lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. Directed by Outfest alum Brydie O’Connor and executive produced by Kristen Stewart, the film arrives in Los Angeles following its Sundance debut earlier this year.
There’s also Maspalomas, a heartfelt Spanish drama centering an older gay man whose life is disrupted when he’s forced to leave his beloved queer community in the Canary Islands.
Meanwhile, Something You Should Know About Me, executive produced by Lilly Wachowski, puts trans joy front and center through a coming-of-age romantic comedy starring EJ Marcus and Morgan Sullivan.
And for those who love discovering hidden gems before everyone else, Can’t Go Over It offers a quieter, intimate story about friendship, nature, and the messy emotions that can emerge when two queer friends spend a little too much time together while hiking through the Adirondacks.
More Than Just Screenings
Part of what makes OutfestNEXT stand out is that it isn’t solely focused on what’s happening on screen.
Throughout the weekend, attendees can participate in filmmaker workshops, industry conversations, and panels hosted inside the Outfest Microcinema.
The goal isn’t simply to showcase finished projects but to create opportunities for queer artists and audiences to connect with one another in meaningful ways.
“The Outfest programming team can barely contain our excitement when it comes to sharing the work of these visionary filmmakers with theaters full of movie-loving Angelenos,” Senior Programmer Daniel Crooke said in a statement.
He added that OutfestNEXT exists at “the convergence of defiant expression and community power,” two values that have long been at the heart of queer storytelling.
Here’s When Tickets Go On Sale
Outfest members will get first access to tickets beginning June 29, while tickets for the general public become available July 1.
If last year’s response is any indication, waiting until the last minute probably isn’t the move.
For one weekend in July, Los Angeles will once again become a meeting place for queer artists, audiences, and stories that deserve to be seen, proving that queer cinema isn’t just surviving. It’s continuing to evolve.