As the snow settled on the final Sundance Film Festival in its historic Park City home, the queer cinematic community gathered for one last mountain toast. On Friday, Jan. 23, GLAAD, Frameline, and NewFest hosted the third annual “Cheers, Queers” celebration, marking the only public LGBTQ-centered event of the 2026 festival.
Held at the Acura House of Energy, the gathering was more than a cocktail hour; it served as a defiant rally for storytellers. With Sundance preparing to move its base to Boulder, Colorado, next year, the atmosphere was a mix of nostalgia and urgent advocacy.
A Legacy Thirty Years in the Making
While “Cheers, Queers” is a relatively new branding, its roots stretch back three decades. The event honors the tradition of the “Queer Brunch,” launched in 1997 by Jenni Olson and Morgan Rumpf.
“This is a huge extension of history,” noted MC Ryan Mitchell. The room was packed with the architects of the New Queer Cinema movement, including Christine Vachon and Cheryl Dunye, alongside the next generation of directors and producers.
Urgent Pleas for Cultural Protection
The festive mood was tempered by the sobering reality of the current political climate. Opal Bennett, a producer at POV, delivered a stirring reminder to the crowd about the fragility of safe spaces.
“I don’t want us to take for granted the ability to be gathered in this room as who we are,” Bennett said. She noted that with shifting political tides, such assemblies might face challenges in the future. “We have no idea what’s going to happen… this could be a very different country. We must do what we need to protect this.”
Filmmaker Jenni Livingston, who brought the legendary Paris Is Burning to Sundance in 1991, drew parallels between the AIDS crisis of the nineties and today’s legislative attacks on the trans community. She emphasized that film remains the primary tool for building the “heart to fight the fight.”
Looking Toward a Colorado Future
Despite the bittersweet goodbye to Swede Alley, Sundance Director Eugene Hernandez assured attendees that the festival’s soul isn’t tied to a specific zip code.
“We aren’t just moving the festival; we are building a festival in Boulder,” Hernandez explained. He stressed that the mission, supporting marginalized voices and bold independent art—remains the priority as the organization transitions to its new Colorado home.
The 2026 lineup featured a robust selection of LGBTQ narratives, from Brydie O’Connor’s documentary Barbara Forever to restorative screenings of classics like Go Fish. As the glasses clinked for the final time in Park City, the message to the industry was singular: Keep going.
