Saturday Church - QFest St. Louis

Damon Cardasis, U.S., 2017, 82 min. Shy and effeminate 14-year-old Ulysses (Luka Kain) finds himself coping with new responsibilities as the man of the house after the death of his father. Living alongside his mother (Margot Bingham), younger brother (Jaylin Fletcher), and conservative religious aunt (Regina Taylor), Ulysses is also struggling with questions about his gender identity and sexuality in an unaccepting environment. Ulysses finds an escape by creating a world of fantasy filled with dance and music, and his journey takes a turn for the better when he finds a vibrant transgender community linked by a supportive inner-city church group. Ulysses manages to keep his two worlds apart — both appeasing his aunt and discovering his passion for the NYC ball scene and voguing — until his double life is revealed. Ulysses must find the courage to be who he truly is at the risk of losing those he cares about most. Shown with: “Uniform” (Ellie Foumbi & Michael Niederman, U.S., 2017, 11 min.): Parents are at odds over what to do when their 6-year-old son is sent home from school for wearing a dress.