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.

Alexander Demin and Vassa Druzhinina fell in love with each other in their school years. In the thirties, due to the unjust arrest of her father, Vassa left a small Volga town. They later met, but the war kept them apart until the spring of 1945.
Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.
The original Mothra is a fun monster movie that has way stronger lore, music, and special effects than most of its contemporaries.
It’s fun, it’s energetic, but it’s also understated and vicarial. Zola is a modern black fairytale and future of black movies.
Films about casinos have long been a favorite of Hollywood. This is unsurprising, as they're often tied to magnetic characters whose lives revolve around luxury, spectacle, and even danger.
The film does not add anything to its own conversation or genre, and falls flat once it’s about to end and must declare some sort of conclusion.
Have a Good Trip offers a rather balanced look at psychedelic use. While its main narrative is the stories of recreational use by celebrities, it does delve into the medical history of psychedelics and its use in psychotherapy.