A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Storytelling: FilmOut San Diego Returns for Its 26th Year

By Cesar A Reyes

FilmOut San Diego’s 26th Annual LGBTQ Film Festival returns August 20–23, 2026, bringing four days of inspiring films, meaningful conversations, and community connection to San Diego’s historic Balboa Park. This year’s festival will feature 41 films representing a wide range of LGBTQ+ experiences, voices, and perspectives from filmmakers around the world.

Screenings will take place at two celebrated Balboa Park cultural destinations: The San Diego Natural History Museum(THE NAT) and the Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA). Throughout the festival, audiences will have the opportunity to meet visiting filmmakers, directors, and cast members, with special appearances and Q&A discussions offering a deeper look into the stories behind the films.

For more than two decades, FilmOut San Diego has provided an important platform for LGBTQ+ filmmakers to share stories that reflect the complexity, resilience, joy, and diversity of the community. By bringing these narratives to the big screen, the festival continues to create space for representation and connection.

For this year’s festival preview, we spoke with four directors and creative talents from the lineup about their films, inspirations, and the importance of telling LGBTQ+ stories through cinema. (click on the image to read our full interview with Five of the Film Directors showcasing at FilmOUT 2026)