One of the Southeast’s longest-running queer film festivals turns 30 this weekend, with four days of packed film programming. All of the lineup—a mix of shorts and full-length films—looks excellent, though a few stand out. These include documentary Velvet Vision: The Story of James Bidgood (and the Making of “Pink Narcissus”), a story about Bidgood’s legendary beefcake photos; horror-comedy Queens of the Dead, which stars Margaret Cho and Nina West; and All There Is, which was filmed in partnership with The Trevor Project.
With 27 films on deck, you’re bound to find something that fits your interests. As legislative and cultural pressure closes in on the LGBTQ+ community, there is no better time to lift up and immerse yourself in queer storytelling. Individual tickets are $15, and a $60 pass will give you access to the whole festival. –Sarah Edwards
Third Fridays activate Durham once a month, giving the shops, galleries, and restaurants downtown a chance to teem with life and lingering. This month’s Third Friday is particularly special: Downtown Durham, Inc., Weird Productions, and the Durham Art Guild are all collaborating to create a (you guessed it) weird art event that’ll take place in CCB Plaza. It’s a “high-energy, live art battle featuring 12 talented local artists,” with music from Azul and DJ Bre as a backdrop. Bonus: Make your way down to the Golden Belt Artist Studios, which is playing host to a show of work by artists whose studios in Saxapahaw were damaged and destroyed by Tropical Storm Chantal. –SE
The North Carolina Museum of Art loves anime and has demonstrated that this summer with a series of anime showings and events. While the anime bazaar it held earlier this summer has passed, you still have the chance to beat the heat by watching films at the museum. Just under an hour long, Hiroyuki Imaishi’s Promare is the story of a battle between fiery mutants and a firefighting group. Tickets are $10, or $5 for NCMA members. If you’re looking to spice it up with an anime-themed movie night, the NCMA also offers dinner before the show, with cocktails and entrees tailored to the evening’s film. For anyone feeling more casual, traditional moviegoing fare is available. -Eva Flowe
When Tropical Storm Chantal doused Saxapahaw earlier this summer and flooded the studio that Paperhand Puppet works out of, the catastrophe embodied one of the puppeteering company’s founding principles: The natural world needs protecting, and we are called to celebrate and take care of it.
Thankfully, Paperhand has been able to successfully fundraise tens of thousands of dollars to help recoup the substantial loss it suffered in the flooding, and carries on with its 2025 production, The Gift, which kicks off on August 15 and runs every weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) through September 28. Experience the immersive magic of illuminated puppets in Chapel Hill’s Forest Theater at this all-ages performance that includes collaborations with artists (Jaki Shelton Green, Dawn Landes, and Louise Omoto Kessel) and the work of water protectors (Claudia Lopez, Elaine Chiosso, and Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck) alike. –SE
If you’re looking for a good time in between showings at Durham’s OutSouth Queer Film Festival, drag queen Stormie Daie will be reading stories at the Carolina Theatre. Depending on how many of the festival’s 27 films you go see, you may want a breather. Daie is a member of the House of Coxx, Durham’s premier drag family. She also has a degree in ecological and environmental science, and is passionate about talking to North Carolinians about the wonders of nature. In Daie’s own words, whether she’s “on stage, in a class, at the library, or in these streets, it’s always a shockingly good time.” Story hour will be held in Cinema One of the Carolina Theater. -EF
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