Gay Documentary Movies & Short Films

Fursonas

2016 Documentary

Follows a few groups of Furries, as a social commentary of this fandom, its stigmas and how it is perceived through sensational media coverage.

SHORT FILM

Young Man at the Bar Masturbating with Rage and Nerve

2015 Comedy, Documentary

Dance and night work intersect in Jonathan's body, exploring themes of physical expression and societal taboos through a provocative lens.

SHORT FILM

Brazil Carnival

2016 Documentary

This explicit film captures the hedonistic spirit of Rio's carnival, celebrating freedom of expression and sexuality through samba and uninhibited revelry.

SHORT FILM

Half a Life

2017 Animation, Documentary

Follows a young, gay Egyptian activist navigating Egypt's increasingly dangerous climate for LGBT individuals, facing a critical choice between safety and staying true to himself.

SHORT FILM

Penis Poetry

2017 Documentary

This poetic film explores the societal fascination with the penis, revealing it as both taboo and art in today's culture.

SHORT FILM

Inclinate

2018 Documentary

A performance that explores the tensions of contact, conflict, and violence, using a transparent tarp, blood, nudity, a military uniform, a fence, and movement to reimagine ideas of visibility, mortality, and entrapment.

SHORT FILM

Into the Streets

2013 Documentary, Drama

In a time when the gay community was discriminated and in fear of public persecution, partygoers took to the streets to show they would no longer hide. It was Sydney 1978, when Craig, a naïve teenager was swept up in the birth of a movement. Through a fragmented recollection, we revisit the chaotic events of the first Sydney Gay Mardi Gras.

SHORT FILM

Bomgay

1996 Documentary

Based on the gay poetry of R. Raj Rao, these six vignettes depict the underground and twisted nature of the gay identity in urban India. Part Genet, part Bollywood this film combines acidic verse and insightful imagery to reveal the emerging gay community in post-liberalized India of the 1990's.

SHORT FILM

Confessions

1972 Documentary

Curt McDowell, a graduate student at San Francisco Art Institute, opens his film with a confession to his parents, listing his sins of the flesh.

The Material Boy

2015 Documentary

An Italian American teenager from a strict Catholic family becomes pregnant and secretly gives birth in a convent run hospital. To avoid scandal, the nuns arrange for her son to be raised in Argentina under a false identity. Eighteen years later, he discovers that his biological mother is Madonna, who went on to become one of the world's biggest pop stars.

Undressing Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land

2012 Documentary

Adult film entrepreneur and political columnist Michael Lucas examines Israel's thriving gay community.

SHORT FILM

Machos

2017 Documentary

Explores the aggression within Mexican masculinity, blending interviews, dance, and intimate scenes to delve into this unique cultural dynamic.

SHORT FILM

The Battle of Amfar

2013 Documentary

When AIDS struck in the early 1980s, a scientist and a movie star did not have to respond - but they did. Dr. Mathilde Krim and Elizabeth Taylor joined forces to create amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. The fight against HIV has never been the same.

SHORT FILM

Carousel

2024 Documentary

During a vacation at the Dead Sea on October 7, 2023, a couple and their friend from London find themselves caught in the unfolding events of a day that changes everything.

SHORT FILM

Cruising in the Park

2018 Documentary

A married man's lunchtime cruises lead to illicit encounters in the park, exploring desire and ritual in a world where secrecy and fulfillment intersect.

SHORT FILM

Cruising Poetry

2018 Documentary

This film challenges stereotypes about cruising by portraying it as a sacred space where men connect intimately with nature and each other through ritual and sensuality.

SHORT FILM

Have We Met Before?

2019 Comedy, Documentary

Chronicles the history of the gay community from the 1970's to the present day, examining the evolution of meeting and dating online.

Nelson Sullivan’s World of Wonder

1994 Documentary

Explores the life and legacy of Nelson Sullivan, whose home videos captured the energy, creativity, and everyday moments of New York City's late-1980s downtown and LGBTQ+ communities from an intimate insider's perspective.

SHORT FILM

Homecoming

2017 Documentary, Drama

From his upbringing in a deeply religious Jewish settlement in the West Bank to becoming an EU citizen and a speechwriter for the Vice President of the European Commission, Dan's extraordinary transformation is examined through the eyes of his brother, who sets out to understand the journey that changed him.

Making Sweet Tea

2021 Documentary

Follows scholar and performer E. Patrick Johnson as he returns to the American South to revisit his roots and reconnect with the Black gay men whose stories inspired his acclaimed book.

Folsom Forever

2014 Documentary

Traces the rise of San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair from a small community gathering to the world's largest outdoor kink and fetish festival, exploring its cultural impact and the charitable legacy it has built over the years.

SHORT FILM

Haircut

1963 Documentary

Billy Name gives one of his notorious haircuts - and Warhol turns it into a homoerotic performance.

SHORT FILM

All in My Family

2019 Documentary

Documentarian Hao Wu navigates the complexities of creating a modern family in America while reconciling with his traditional Chinese parents' expectations.

SHORT FILM

One Day in May

2009 Documentary

Crowds gathered outside the California Supreme Court await the decision regarding validity of Proposition 8. Emotions run high on both sides, with the LGBT community taking to the streets to protest the decision.

Bottom

2012 Documentary

A man living in New York City is determined to have intimacy with as many men as possible in a year.

Sex Is…

1993 Documentary

Marc Huestis assembles candid interviews with 15 gay men in San Francisco, exploring sex, desire, and identity in the shadow of AIDS. Blending personal stories, archival footage, and porn clips, the film examines themes like first experiences, safe sex, intimacy, pain, race, and fantasy—all in pursuit of one question: how do we live fully with sex in our lives?

SHORT FILM

Too Disgusting to Be Confused

2025 Documentary

This is a story about a man who threw a party, which birthed a globally renowned event, which led to a film, which led to a lawsuit, which led to a legacy. Founded in 1972 by sculptor Andrew Logan, The Alternative Miss World is a celebration of transformation and unorthodox beauty.

Gay Documentary Movies & Short Films

All Gay Documentary Films

Fursonas

Young Man at the Bar Masturbating with Rage and Nerve

Brazil Carnival

Half a Life

Penis Poetry

Inclinate

Into the Streets

Bomgay

Confessions

The Material Boy

Undressing Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land

Machos

The Battle of Amfar

Carousel

Cruising in the Park

Cruising Poetry

Have We Met Before?

Nelson Sullivan’s World of Wonder

Homecoming

Making Sweet Tea

Folsom Forever

Haircut

All in My Family

One Day in May

Bottom

Sex Is…

Too Disgusting to Be Confused

Gay Documentary Collections

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