The Indiana Cares Campaign to End Homophobia (ICC) will kick off its 12th annual LGBT Film Festival with a special “Music Upstairs at the Coney” on September 26, 2015, with a performance by Grist for the Mill from 7:00–9:00 p.m., followed by a disc jockey.

Cost for the benefit is $5 at the door.

The festival will be held on five Saturday evenings in October in Stouffer Hall's Beard Auditorium at IUP. Films will be shown starting at 6:00 p.m. Donations are welcome, but the festival is free and open to the community.

The festival begins on October 3 with Out to Win. This documentary film is an overview and examination of the lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes from all over the world. It includes interviews with Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Jason Collins, Brittney Griner, and Billy Bean. Three short subject films will be shown prior to the feature film: Tom Girl, Boy, and Kid on Gender.

On October 10, the festival will present The Mask You Live In. It follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America's definition of masculinity. Experts in neuroscience, psychology, sociology, sports, education, and media are included in this film, offering empirical evidence of the “boy crisis” and tactics to combat it. Short subject films for this evening are Bendik and the Monster, Reflections, and Homophonia.

Liz in September will be shown on October 17. Based on the play Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, the movie stars Latina mode Patricia Velasquez and is directed by Fina Torres, who also directed Woman on Top. Short subject films that night are Brave Spaces and For Francis.

On October 24, Girl King will be shown. Set in the 1600s, the film tells the story of Queen Kristina of Sweden and her quest to educate her subjects and end the bloody Thirty Years War between the Protestants and Catholics. Amidst all this, she struggles to come to terms with an irresistible passion for her lady in waiting. Pepper and Chance are the short subject films for this evening.

Two films will be shown on October 31: Kiss Me, Kill Me and Winning Dad.

Kiss Me, Kill Me is a twist on the classic film noir thriller. It features Gale Harold, Brianna Brown, Van Hansis, Craig Robert Young, Shangela, and Jai Rodriguez. Winning Dad is a story about a young man and his father.

The Indiana LBGT Film Festival is made possible with funding from various departments and organizations at IUP, PFLAG of Indiana, and ICC, and with the support of individual donors. IUP organizations cosponsoring the festival include IUP Pride, the Lively Arts at IUP, Cook Honors College, Women's and Gender Studies, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the departments of English, History, Political Science, and Sociology.

Beard Auditorium is located in Stouffer Hall at 175 Maple Street on the IUP campus.

For additional information about the Film Festival and other ICC events, write to ICC at indianacarescampaign@yahoo.com or visit the Indiana Cares Campaign.