One of the most established LGBTQ+ film festivals in the world returns to Chicago today.
Reeling44 begins on September 17 and runs through September 27, 2026. The festival traces its history back to 1981, when the first Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival was held in a 90-seat screening room operated by Chicago Filmmakers. More than four decades later, Reeling describes itself as the second longest-running LGBTQ+ film festival of its kind.
La Bola Negra opens the festival
This year’s Opening Night film is La Bola Negra, which Reeling selected to launch its 44th edition. Local coverage ahead of the opening reports that the Opening Night screening has sold out.
The festival’s wider programme continues Reeling’s long-standing focus on LGBTQ+ cinema across different forms and genres. Its programming ranges from international narrative features and documentaries to shorts and more experimental work, reflecting a festival mission centred on LGBTQ+ filmmakers and stories that have historically been underrepresented in mainstream cinema.
Eleven days of queer cinema
Screenings during Reeling44 are taking place across several Chicago venues, including the Music Box Theatre, Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema and Chicago Filmmakers.
For Queer Film Hub, festivals such as Reeling are particularly interesting because they demonstrate how important dedicated queer film festivals remain even as LGBTQ+ cinema becomes increasingly visible on major streaming platforms and at larger international festivals.
Reeling’s history also makes the event something more than another stop on the annual festival calendar. The organisation says its mission includes recognising the artistic contribution of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender filmmakers, examining LGBTQ+ representation throughout film history and presenting more diverse portrayals of queer communities.
The 2026 edition runs through September 27.
