A Queer Review of the Austin Film Festival (2023)
Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.

Big Time, the visual counterpart to Angel Olsen's album of the same name, is the story of light versus shadow told through a non-linear surrealist dreamspace that poses one central dilemma. ‘What lengths must one go through to let go of the past in order to step out of the darkness and accept one’s true self?’ It’s a story that targets deep rooted complexities such as how our unconscious deals with repressed sexual identity, the hardships of letting go of our past selves in order to step into self actualization, and the guilt we hold when dealing with loss.
Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.
'Hollywood Stargirl' (2022) is a teen romantic drama film that centers around the title character's experiences in Los Angeles. This film serves as the sequel to the 2020 film 'Stargirl', but unlike the previous film, the events in this movie are shown from the title character's perspective instead of Leo Borlock's.
Disney's newest Latine animated musical, 'Encanto', features a super colorful cast, fun music, and a surprising conflict about intergenerational trauma.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is the most human movie of the year. It is based on the 2010 short of the same name that follows a big-hearted, little shell named Marcel as he navigates through life in a human-sized world.
An in-depth discussion about anti-Black discrimination in college and professional football.