Palm Springs Cinema Diverse film festival to kick off with LGBTQ+ rom-com 'Bros'

Palm Springs' LGBTQ+ film festival Cinema Diverse kicks off this Thursday and will celebrate opening night with a preview screening of the history-making romantic comedy "Bros."

"Bros," starring comedian Billy Eichner ("Billy on the Street," "Difficult People"), is the first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men falling in love. Eichner plays Bobby, a self-reliant, wildly intense, cynical podcaster who is happy on his own and doesn't need anyone else in his life. That is, until he meets Aaron, played by Luke Macfarlane ("Single All the Way"), who seems way out of his league. Sparks begin to fly between these two, but it's only just the beginning of this movie that dives into the complications and messiness that love often brings.

Eichner is the first openly gay man to co-write and star in his own major studio film (he also executive produced the project), and the film features an all-LGBTQ+ principal cast, which includes Ts Madison ("The Ts Madison Experience"), Monica Raymund ("Chicago Fire"), Guillermo Díaz ("Scandal"), Guy Branum ("The Other Two") and Amanda Bearse ("Married …with Children").

"Bros" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this past weekend and is set to open in theaters nationwide on Sept. 30.

Cinema Diverse Festival Director Michael Green said he had been in contact with Universal Studios for a few months to secure a screening of the film. Once the premiere date at the Toronto International Film Festival was finalized, the studio was willing to move forward with a screening at Cinema Diverse.

Green is "over the moon" that Palm Springs will be among the first cities to see the film, especially given its large LGBTQ+ population.

"We're just thrilled to have it to celebrate our 15th anniversary," Green said. "Given the amount of buzz and interest there has been nationwide around the movie, I think it's going to do really well."

Bearse is expected to be at the premiere on Thursday, along with potentially a few other stars, Green said.

Tickets are currently sold out online, but Green said there may be some spots open on Thursday night.

"It should be a really fun night and a busy night," Green said. "It's a great way to open."

Throughout Cinema Diverse, which runs Thursday through Sunday and Sept. 22 through 25, attendees can see a number of dramas, documentaries and shorts that focus on LGBTQ+ stories. Around 140 films will be screened in theaters during those eight days.

But it's not a film festival without filmmakers stopping by, and Green promised plenty of names during this year's event.

Film and television veteran Gregory Harrison, known for his roles in "Trapper John, M.D." and "Falcon Crest," will be joining audiences during the screening of "Jimmy and Carolyn." In the film, Jimmy, played by Harrison, and Carolyn, played by stage and television star Mary Beth Peil, decide to visit their son and his partner for Jimmy's birthday. Unfortunately, for all of them, their son James and his partner William are going through a tumultuous time in their relationship, making this a less-than-ideal family visit.

"Jimmy and Carolyn" will screen at 2:45 p.m. Friday and 12:30 p.m. Sept. 25.

Another film, "Loren & Rose," focuses on the indelible bond between Loren (Kelly Blatz), a promising filmmaker, and Rose (Jacqueline Bisset), a storied actress looking to reinvigorate her career. Bisset, who starred in the 1974 film "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Joan of Arc," will participate in a question and answer session following the screening at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24.

"She is one the classic actresses out of Hollywood," Green said of Bisset, "and we're excited to have her come out and be here for the film."

The documentaries that will be featured explore, among other things, decades of men in love ("100 Years of Men in Love"), the history and impact of lesbian fiction from the 1920s through the 1990s ("In Her Words: 20th Century Lesbian Fiction"), and nonagenarians (people between the ages of 90 to 99) discussing life, love, accomplishments and death ("The 90s Club").

Some films even hit close to home. The documentary "Desert Migration" focuses on long-term HIV survivors who moved to Palm Springs in hopes of finding a healing place to call home. The film, sponsored by the LGBTQ History Archive of the Desert and DAP Health, will screen at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

For a full list of films and screening times, visit https://psculturalcenter.org/filmfest/schedule-at-a-glance. Tickets cost $14.50 for single screenings, $79 for six films and $179 for an all-access pass.

Green, who has worked with the festival since 2009 through a variety of roles, said this year's festival feels the most back to "full recovery mode" since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He's looking forward to welcoming movie aficionados and filmmakers from all over the globe to Cinema Diverse

"It's exciting to be able to have folks come in for it again and to have that personalized experience and have filmmakers be able to talk about the films and answer questions," Green said. "The audiences in Palm Springs are so engaged because we have so many people who love film, so when they're able to sit and chat with the filmmakers, it's a really special moment for them."

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and film in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs Cinema Diverse film festival to kick off with rom-com 'Bros'