Reel Q Pittsburgh 41st LGBTQ+ Film Festival: Teen Shorts

Stories of queer young people navigating first loves, growing pains, family, friendship, and finding yourself. Carnegie Mellon University, McConomy Auditorium 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 October 10, 2026 2:00, 4:00 PM My Dear Watson When he receives a mysterious love note, a teenage Sherlock Holmes must step outside of his comfort zone in order to uncover the identity of his secret admirer. April April is a witch preparing a surprise birthday party for her girlfriend, Liz. Unfortunately, her girlfriend’s cat, Limón, has other plans. Moved by jealousy, he will do anything to ruin it and mess with April, who will try to stop him with her magic, only to make things worse. It isn’t until chaos spreads through that he realizes he has gone too far. We’re Still Here Originally presented as “a documentary outlining the Queer experience and its variation in individuals” and simply an archive of queer lives and experiences” in my first college film production course, We’re Still Here was the first film I made after coming out and, in turn, my first film containing queer content. It isn’t everything I wanted it to be, in part due to the limitations I faced in needing to present it to a room of my straight classmates and professor, but it was my first experience tailoring my identity to a “presentable” format to those around me. Think about what’s missing from this film, what’s included, and what might’ve been cut. Today, this film isn’t just an archive of queer voices; it’s an archive of my queer filmmaking voice from its very inception. Wildflowers After discovering a love letter in his teenage son’s bedroom, a single father confronts him about his sexuality. A coming-of-age story… of the father. First Date When the new kid gets asked out on his first date, he must navigate how to stay true to himself amidst the pressure to fit in. Out of Checklist Out of Checklist, a Czech film, follows 12-year-old, hyper-rational David, who pays an unannounced visit to his father’s Prague apartment. Following a divorce, his father lives alone and already has weekend plans. In a pinch, he convinces the only person available, a hook-up from Grindr, to look after David for the weekend. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, and is there drag in it too? Maybe!