September 2025
Out Here Film Fest 2025
09/30/2025
Out Here Film Fest 2025: Twenty Years of Queer Cinema in Dayton
From October 9 through 12, 2025, Dayton’s downtown will once again transform into a hub of queer film and storytelling as the 20th annual Out Here Dayton Film Fest takes center stage at THE NEON. This milestone edition honors two decades of amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices on the big screen, while also pointing forward—curating new, bold work that reflects the evolving landscape of queer lives, culture, and resistance.
A Legacy of Visibility and Community
Since its founding, Out Here Dayton has aimed to provide not just film screenings, but a gathering space for queer minds and hearts in the Miami Valley. Over its first 19 years, the festival screened 337 films and hosted 57 guest artists.
The name “Out Here” itself signals a desire to bridge the margins—not simply “LGBT films in Dayton,” but a plural, expansive platform for narratives “out here” in the world, reflecting intersectional identities and lived experience.
According to Festival Director Jonathan McNeal, the festival is more than entertainment - it is community infrastructure. In a time when queer expression in many places faces pressure, Out Here Dayton’s 20th anniversary carries weight as both celebration and affirmation.
Programming Highlights: 24 Films, 9 Programs
This year features 24 short and feature-length films across 9 distinct screening blocks, weaving together documentaries, narrative features, experimental work, and short films from multiple nations.
The selections were chosen to evoke laughter, provoke reflection, and spark conversation, with stories that traverse race, class, gender, family, and activism.
Here are a few standouts from the announced schedule:
Opening Night, Thu, Oct 9, 7:30 PM - Highlights
Outerlands (Dir. Elena Oxman) — a 100‑minute film about a gig worker in San Francisco negotiating care, risk, and emotional labor.
Friday, Oct 10, 7:30 PM
Blue Moon (Dir. Richard Linklater) screens, preceded by a short film I’m the Most Racist Person I Know (Dir. Leela Varghese).
Beyond the screenings, the festival will host a Friday Night Party at Joui Wine (117 E. 3rd St.), offering a social gathering space for attendees after the films.
Saturday Highlights
Logistics, Access & Support
Venue & Seating: All screenings are held at The NEON in downtown
Dayton. Seating is open (not reserved), but “All Access” passholders and sponsors will receive priority seat selection. Tickets and passes are sold online via the festival website and the Neon Box office.
A festival pass grants entry to all 9 screenings and the opening-night party.
Single tickets for individual screenings are sold online and at The NEON’s box office.
Scholarships are offered so that cost is not a barrier for community members who wish to attend. Parking & Location: Free parking is available directly across the street from The NEON. The theater is surrounded by restaurants and amenities within walking distance.
Why This Year Matters
Reaching a 20-year milestone is no small feat for a regional queer film festival. For the organizers, it’s a moment to reflect on how stories have evolved—and how the need for gathering spaces endures. As McNeal told The Buckeye Flame, “building strong community is more important than ever… our community is more and more under attack.” The festival’s programming emphasizes not only representation, but connection: laughter, advocacy, emotional resonance, and critical engagement. This year’s lineup is notable for the diversity of voices and forms. From horror to documentary, experimental shorts to feature narratives—these works defy neat categorization and push viewers to reckon with complexity. The inclusion of local partnerships (like with Dayton Metro Library for The Librarians) also roots the festival in civic engagement. As attention to queer cinema continues to grow nationally, festivals like Out Here Dayton help maintain the vital ecosystem where emerging voices find an audience, and where local communities can see themselves reflected in stories that are not always shown on mainstream screens.
Final Thoughts & How to Participate
Whether you’re a longtime fan of queer cinema or a newcomer eager to engage, the 2025 Out Here Dayton Film Fest offers something for everyone: rigorous, funny, challenging, moving. It remains a space to gather, to resist, to celebrate.
Mark your calendar (Oct 9–12), secure your festival pass or single tickets, and plan to arrive early. Follow updates via the festival’s Facebook and Instagram for any last-minute changes or special events.
In a changing world, a film festival is more than a lineup—it’s a statement: that queer stories matter, that community endures, and that cinema can carry us through. Here’s to year 20—and many more.
From October 9 through 12, 2025, Dayton’s downtown will once again transform into a hub of queer film and storytelling as the 20th annual Out Here Dayton Film Fest takes center stage at THE NEON. This milestone edition honors two decades of amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices on the big screen, while also pointing forward—curating new, bold work that reflects the evolving landscape of queer lives, culture, and resistance.
A Legacy of Visibility and Community
Since its founding, Out Here Dayton has aimed to provide not just film screenings, but a gathering space for queer minds and hearts in the Miami Valley. Over its first 19 years, the festival screened 337 films and hosted 57 guest artists.
The name “Out Here” itself signals a desire to bridge the margins—not simply “LGBT films in Dayton,” but a plural, expansive platform for narratives “out here” in the world, reflecting intersectional identities and lived experience.
According to Festival Director Jonathan McNeal, the festival is more than entertainment - it is community infrastructure. In a time when queer expression in many places faces pressure, Out Here Dayton’s 20th anniversary carries weight as both celebration and affirmation.
Programming Highlights: 24 Films, 9 Programs
This year features 24 short and feature-length films across 9 distinct screening blocks, weaving together documentaries, narrative features, experimental work, and short films from multiple nations.
The selections were chosen to evoke laughter, provoke reflection, and spark conversation, with stories that traverse race, class, gender, family, and activism.
Here are a few standouts from the announced schedule:
Opening Night, Thu, Oct 9, 7:30 PM - Highlights
Outerlands (Dir. Elena Oxman) — a 100‑minute film about a gig worker in San Francisco negotiating care, risk, and emotional labor.
Friday, Oct 10, 7:30 PM
Blue Moon (Dir. Richard Linklater) screens, preceded by a short film I’m the Most Racist Person I Know (Dir. Leela Varghese).
Beyond the screenings, the festival will host a Friday Night Party at Joui Wine (117 E. 3rd St.), offering a social gathering space for attendees after the films.
Saturday Highlights
- The Librarians (Dir. Kim A. Snyder) — a timely documentary on librarians defending intellectual freedom amid waves of book banning.
- Top Drawer Shorts — a collection including Sweet Talkin’ Guy, Safety State, Thanks Babs, and more. •
- We Are Pat — revisiting the iconic SNL “It’s Pat” sketch in a trans lens.
- Queens of the Dead — a horror-comedy blending queerness and camp, featuring names like Margaret Cho. Sunday (Oct 12): • State of Firsts (Dir. Chase Joynt) — following the campaign of Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress.
- #300LETTERS — closing the festival with an Argentine film about love, absence, and communication.
- Also included: In the Best Interests of the Children, Lesbian Custody, Old Girl in a Tutu: Susan Rennie Disrupts Art History, among other shorts.
Logistics, Access & Support
Venue & Seating: All screenings are held at The NEON in downtown
Dayton. Seating is open (not reserved), but “All Access” passholders and sponsors will receive priority seat selection. Tickets and passes are sold online via the festival website and the Neon Box office.
A festival pass grants entry to all 9 screenings and the opening-night party.
Single tickets for individual screenings are sold online and at The NEON’s box office.
Scholarships are offered so that cost is not a barrier for community members who wish to attend. Parking & Location: Free parking is available directly across the street from The NEON. The theater is surrounded by restaurants and amenities within walking distance.
Why This Year Matters
Reaching a 20-year milestone is no small feat for a regional queer film festival. For the organizers, it’s a moment to reflect on how stories have evolved—and how the need for gathering spaces endures. As McNeal told The Buckeye Flame, “building strong community is more important than ever… our community is more and more under attack.” The festival’s programming emphasizes not only representation, but connection: laughter, advocacy, emotional resonance, and critical engagement. This year’s lineup is notable for the diversity of voices and forms. From horror to documentary, experimental shorts to feature narratives—these works defy neat categorization and push viewers to reckon with complexity. The inclusion of local partnerships (like with Dayton Metro Library for The Librarians) also roots the festival in civic engagement. As attention to queer cinema continues to grow nationally, festivals like Out Here Dayton help maintain the vital ecosystem where emerging voices find an audience, and where local communities can see themselves reflected in stories that are not always shown on mainstream screens.
Final Thoughts & How to Participate
Whether you’re a longtime fan of queer cinema or a newcomer eager to engage, the 2025 Out Here Dayton Film Fest offers something for everyone: rigorous, funny, challenging, moving. It remains a space to gather, to resist, to celebrate.
Mark your calendar (Oct 9–12), secure your festival pass or single tickets, and plan to arrive early. Follow updates via the festival’s Facebook and Instagram for any last-minute changes or special events.
In a changing world, a film festival is more than a lineup—it’s a statement: that queer stories matter, that community endures, and that cinema can carry us through. Here’s to year 20—and many more.