Breaking Down the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival's Queer Offerings

Austinites and entertainment aficionados are bracing for another round of South by Southwest (SXSW), the annual festival that celebrates everything from music, movies, and television to technology. Beginning March 7 in Austin, Texas, the 2025 installment boasts an impressive lineup of blockbuster cinematic entries, long-awaited sequels, independent projects, and much-anticipated television premieres.

From conference panels that include the entire cast of "The Last of Us" to an opening night slate that debuts the latest Blake Lively/Anna Kendrick collaboration of "Another Simple Favor," South by Southwest promises another year filled with dynamic choices for festivalgoers. In addition to the newest Seth Rogen-led television series "The Studio," some A-list talent in attendance for the 2025 program will involve Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Nicole Kidman, Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Meghann Fahy, Aaron Paul, and Gael García Bernal, just to name a few.

At the top of any festival attendee's list this year should be movies and television shows premiering that appeal to LGBTQ+ audiences. The queer offerings for 2025 are nothing short of remarkable, and the programmers at South by Southwest have truly outdone themselves in giving viewers a lot of outstanding choices. From established filmmakers to up-and-coming performers, SXSW's 2025 queer offerings will undoubtedly make headlines this month.

Below are some queer films to look out for at the SXSW Film & TV Festival this year.

"Trans Memoria"

Director Victoria Verseau introduces "Trans Memoria" to South by Southwest, a Swedish documentary feature that explores Verseau's transition experience. Representing herself as the woman she's strived to become, Verseau turns the camera on herself and fellow trans women Athena Love and Aamina Larss. The three subjects look back at the people they once were while discussing who they want to be in the near future. Love, loss, trauma, and bonding help define their stories and give hope to others in similar situations.

"Sally"

After initially premiering at the Sundance Film Festival this past January, "Sally" comes to Austin to break down the life, career, and long-standing relationship of astronaut Sally Ride. Though Sally Ride passed away in 2012, her legacy as the first American woman in space lives on in this inspirational and intimate documentary from Emmy-winning director Cristina Costantini. But what wasn't known for many decades was the fact that the iconic Ride was involved in a relationship with Tam O'Shaughnessy, a secret hidden from the world that sheds light on a complicated figure in American history.

"She's the He"

High school can be an exciting time, but it can also be filled with anxiety, bullying, and the seemingly endless need to count the days until graduation. For besties Ethan and Alex (Misha Osherovich and Nico Carney), the last week of high school involves pretending to be trans women because they find it a more bearable existence than everyone in school believing they are gay. But pretending to be trans has its benefits and declines, especially when Alex wants to get closer to his all-time crush, Sasha. In the meantime, Ethan discovers that they might actually be trans, complicating a friendship on the heels of moving beyond high school rumors. Identity, acceptance, friendship, and mistaken moments crowd "She's the He," the latest from director Siobhan McCarthy.

"Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror"

When the off-beat musical "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" debuted in theaters in 1975, to say it was a hit would be exaggerating. The film is considered the greatest cult classic to date, in part because it wasn't a box office smash, but instead gained popularity during midnight screenings in the decades that followed. "Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror" explores the story's infancy stages as a play in London while taking audiences on the ride of a lifetime with interviews from creator Richard O'Brien and the film adaptation's stars Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon. But what "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" represents for queer and marginalized groups is at the center of this documentary, outlining why the film and its origins play into the pop culture themes spread throughout.

"Outerlands"

One-night stands don't often come with a lot of baggage, but for Cass, their one-night stand with a female coworker results in them having to babysit said coworker's 11-year-old daughter, Ari. Cass is a typical San Franciscan just trying to survive as they/them in an increasingly they/them-fearing world. Bouncing from several jobs in a gig economy, Cass bonds with their latest nanny assignment in Ari, harkening back to a time when Cass didn't feel supported in their own childhood. As memories flood Cass' brain, their devotion to Ari becomes apparent, even when Ari's mom cannot be tracked down again.

"On Swift Horses"

Much has already been written about "On Swift Horses," largely due in part to steamy sex scenes between leads Jacob Elordi and Diego Calva. The film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last Fall made waves, especially because almost every character in this period drama about siblings with varying degrees of gambling habits examines their own sexuality and confronts identity during a time in the 1950s when such a thing would be considered taboo. Directed by out filmmaker Daniel Minahan, the post-Korean War epic about family and the ties that bind us will close out South by Southwest this year, leaving a lasting impression on festival attendees looking to get a glimpse at a different side to Elordi, Calva, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Will Poulter.