After seeing attendance double between its 2024 and 2025 events, the Newark LGBTQ Film Festival shows no signs of slowing down. The festival will return for for its fourth year from April 30 through May 3, 2026 for more powerful visual media.
Featuring a wide range of content — including short films, artistic experimental media, documentaries, and feature-length films — the festival aims to amplify underrepresented filmmakers and stories often overlooked by the mainstream.
That mission is especially evident in its Sakia Gunn Legacy Program, which awards two members of the local community a $7,000 grant in remembrance of Sakia Gunn, a young lesbian woman who was brutally murdered on the streets of Newark in a hate crime. Launched during the 2024 festival, the grant is a partnership with Express Newark’s Community Media Center, which also provides recipients with vital resources throughout the filmmaking process to help them create an outstanding film.
The fellowship honors Sakia’s life and legacy by empowering filmmakers who are LGBTQ people of color, whose work highlights the importance of radical safety and acceptance for all. It also seeks to challenge hatred as an unnecessary and destructive force. Recipients are selected based on their ability to create visual media that amplifies underrepresented voices and demonstrates excellence in storytelling.
This year’s winners include Oluwademilade Omoregie, a nonbinary, queer Nigerian black artist from New Jersey. With experience across multiple art forms — including filmmaking, photography, and acrylic painting. Oluwademilade’s work is rooted in a deep sense of curiosity, with each medium offering a fresh approach to storytelling. Their dreamlike creations draw inspiration from comic books, film, and their spiritual lineage.
For Oluwademilade, art helps transform memory into something lasting and serves as a celebration of everything they love in life.
The other winner is Abigail Espinal, an award-winning queer transgender actress, writer, and filmmaker with an expansive body of work spanning film, theatre, and television. Her experience includes both short and feature-length films as well as Off-Broadway productions. Most recently, in 2025, Abigail wrote directed and starred in the short film Queer Study.
A versatile artist, Espinal’s skills range from method acting to physical comedy, showcasing the breadth of her creative range. She is also a dedicated performing arts instructor, further reflecting her commitment to creative expression. Espinal lives in New Jersey and hopes to continue telling stories for the rest of her life.
Audiences will have the opportunity to experience the work of these talented artists at the upcoming Newark LGBTQ Film Festival. The event will celebrate the award winners while also showcasing a diverse lineup of filmmakers, creating a meaningful space for community and artistic expression. Over several days, attendees can immerse themselves in creative visual stories that highlight queer voices and perspectives, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of visibility, authenticity, and pride.
newarklgbtqcenter.org/newarklgbtqfilmfestival
