CAFILM is proud to present our third Pride series, this year in partnership with Frameline49! Join us as we celebrate exceptional LGBTQ+ films that are thought-provoking, insightful and entertaining – A celebration of the varied and vibrant community they reflect. Our goal is to promote LGBTQ+ understanding, provide a safe space for queer individuals, families and allies, and foster an inclusive community for all.
CAFILM Pride programmed by MVFF World Cinema Programmer João Federici
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
SCREENING + CONVERSATION
SPECIAL GUESTS: DIRECTOR, TALENT, PRODUCER, CREW
Cass (they/them) juggles jobs as a nanny, restaurant server, and party drug dealer in order to make ends meet and pay for their tiny San Francisco apartment. After a one night stand with Kalli, a co-worker they have a crush on, Cass agrees to watch her 11-year-old daughter, Ari, while she goes out of town. But as days pass without word from Kalli, Cass and Ari form a bond that spirals Cass back to their own difficult childhood and the pain they’ve been running from.
Director: Elena Oxman (she/they) (US 2025) 100 min.
FRIDAY, JUNE 13 • 7:00
$15 General | $13 Seniors & Youth | $10 CAFILM members
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
SCREENING + CONVERSATION
SPECIAL GUEST: DIRECTOR RAFAELA CAMELO
Gloria, a 10-year-old girl, is spending her vacation in the hospital with her mother, a working-hard nurse. While exploring the facility, Gloria meets Sofia, a girl convinced that her great-grandmother’s worsening health is a result of her hospital admission. Bonding over their shared desire to leave, the two girls find solace in each other’s company. As departure becomes inevitable, the girls and their mothers head to a countryside retreat to spend the final days of an unforgettable summer.
In Portuguese with English subtitles
Director: Rafaela Camelo (Brazil 2025) 90 min
SATURDAY, JUNE 14 • 5:00
$15 General | $13 Seniors & Youth | $10 CAFILM members
After living illegally in the UK for two years, Nigerian migrant Isio is caught and sent to Hatchworth Removal Centre, where she hopes her plea for asylum will be given a fair hearing. Isio is convinced that the only way out is to play by the rules, even when her charismatic new roommate, Farah, warns her otherwise. As Isio adjusts to life in the removal centre, she finds herself falling for Farah, and becoming close to her group of friends, Nana and Atefeh.
Her faith begins to wane as her asylum pleas are rejected, but as her feelings for Farah deepen, Farah suggests a plan to escape so that their love can survive. A stubborn Isio refuses, still fixated on doing things the right way, but when events beyond their control threaten the promise of a new life together, Isio realises that the only way forward is to create her own playbook. Freedom is elusive, but love is eternal.
Director: Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor (UK 2025) 78 min
SATURDAY, JUNE 14 • 7:30
$14.50 General | $11 Seniors & Youth | $9 CAFILM members
SUNDAY, JUNE 15
Edward, a novelist who cares for his elderly mother, finally finds himself on the brink of literary success. Busy with the demands of his upcoming book tour, the last thing Edward needs is his friends leaving their mothers on his doorstep!
Over a chaotic weekend, he juggles his burgeoning career with caring for four eccentric, combative, and wildly different ladies.
Director: Darren Thornton (Ireland/UK 2012) 89 min.
SUNDAY, JUNE 15 • 3:00
$14.50 General | $11 Seniors & Youth | $9 CAFILM members
VIEW TRAILER
SCREENINGS + CONVERSATION
SPECIAL GUESTS: DIRECTORS FRANCES REID & S. TOPIARY LANDBERG
IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN
A groundbreaking work of feminist filmmaking, In the Best Interests of Children offers a rare and deeply humanizing portrait of lesbian motherhood in the 1970s. Directed by the Iris Films collective—Frances Reid, Elizabeth Stevens, and Cathy Zheutlin—this pioneering documentary follows eight diverse lesbian mothers and their children as they navigate the legal and emotional battles of custody in an era rife with homophobia and misogyny. Through candid interviews, family scenes, and group discussions, the film powerfully illuminates the strength and tenderness of queer families, while exposing the unjust psychological scrutiny and discrimination these women endured in their fight to be seen as fit parents.
Featuring voices like writer-activist Margaret Sloan-Hunter, her daughter, and community leader Pat Norman, the film bridges the gaps between race, class, and sexuality to paint a multidimensional picture of love and resilience. Initially created to influence family court perceptions, the documentary soon found wider acclaim, screening at festivals worldwide and winning a Blue Ribbon at the 1978 American Film Festival. Now recognized as a landmark in queer cinema and LGBTQ+ civil rights history, the film continues to resonate, reminding us of the personal costs of justice—and the joy found in chosen families.
Directors: Frances Reid, Elizabeth Stevens, Cathy Zheutlin (US 1977) 53 min.
LESBIAN CUSTODY
A video essay about the personal and political context of the landmark lesbian documentary In the Best Interests of the Children. As a nearly forgotten period of LGBTQ+ history, this documentary short introduces us to Frances Reid, a now-retired filmmaker and award-winning cinematographer and director, and her “step-daughter,” Julie Stevens, as they browse through the film’s archives, discuss the making of the film, and share their relationship. Ultimately, the film raises awareness of this history, placing it in dialogue with the present-day political situation.
Directors: S. Topiary Landberg, M. Francis Skonieczny (US 2025) 18 min.
SUNDAY, JUNE 15 • 5:30
$15 General | $13 Seniors & Youth | $10 CAFILM members
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
