The Austin Peay State University’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance club lit up campus and downtown Clarksville this weekend with Lavender Riot: An Unapologetic Queer Film Festival, a two-day celebration of LGBTQ+ storytelling through cinema.
The festival showcased local and international short and feature films. There were multiple screenings at different venues, including Heydel Hall in the Art + Design Building, the Sundquist Science Complex, the Customs House Museum and Strawberry Alley, with films for audiences of all ages to experience a vivid blend of queer narratives spanning comedy, drama, romance and documentary film.
The festival organizer and SAGA president, Carlie Button (she/they), shared that she and her team began planning during the summer.
“A lot of time went into planning the film festival,” Button said. “We started by taking submissions from filmmakers all over the world.”
SAGA utilized the FilmFreeway platform to receive submissions from independent directors and producers from around the world.
“Some of the filmmakers were from different countries, such as Brazil, France, Germany and some were even more local, like Nashville, Tennessee.” Button said.
With support from volunteers and SAGA’s executive board, the team carefully reviewed films, ensuring that the festival showcased diverse and influential stories.
“We wanted to make sure these were films people would want to come out and see,” Button said.
The film lineup reflected a wide range of queer experiences, including stories of self-discovery, love, identity and resilience. From Argentina’s Transvestite Love to Brazil’s Double Booking and Colors in the Darkness and Germany’s Butterfly Kiss, audiences traveled across cultures and emotions through films.
In their pamphlet, they recognized standout works:
- Best Featured/Documentary Film: Riot in Bloom (United States)
- Honorable Mention – Featured/Documentary: Double Booking (Brazil)
- Best Short Film: Butterfly Kiss (Germany)
- Honorably Mentions – Short Film: The Blame Silence (Brazil) and Leather Graves (United States)
Button credited SAGA’s faculty advisor, Heather Tillewein of the Department of Health and Human Performance, for first proposing the idea.
“As soon as I heard it, I knew it was something we had to do,” Button said. “It’s about showcasing queer culture, queer joy, queer family and it sheds a lot of light on who the queer community is.”
The event was made possible with support from local organizations, including Clarksville Q, which helped fund the festival to promote queer visibility in the community.
SAGA isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Button shared that the group already has more events in the works.
“We’re trying to plan a drag show and another movie event in the spring,” said Button. “We’re all about showcasing queer culture and queer art.”
Event information and updates for SAGA can be found on Govs Connect, where students can join upcoming meetings and celebrations.
