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.

The film evokes the career of boxer Luis Ángel Firpo.
Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.
A code adopted by gay men and LGBTQ+ individuals in general to subtly disclose your identity to another, “friend of Dorothy” is widely considered to originate with Judy Garland.
The film centers around two young women, Becca and Sam, who were once high school sweethearts until they reconnect in their town.
The plot could’ve really been interesting if the elements of lycanthropy was integrated with perhaps the struggle of identity of being LGBTQ+. It's an experience for so many that as they’re starting to realizing their true selves, they feel like a monster, especially if they come from unsupportive homes or communities. Instead, the horror and transformation elements seem thrown in without contemplation of how this could deepen the narrative.
Unfortunately, People We Meet on Vacation didn’t hold up quite as well as I’d hoped.
Amanda Riley gets the opportunity to travel to Vietnam for the experience of a lifetime.