A still from KJ’s favorite, “Tom of Finland.” Credit: Helsinki-filmi

One reason the Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (Oct. 6-14) continues to be one of the region’s best film festivals is the discerning eye of Programming Director KJ Mohr, who consistently finds films that make the fest a a must not just for gay audiences but for film buffs of all persuasions. So, when KJ says, “I know we say it’s a great festival every year, but this year I mean it” (as she did in a recent email), I take her at her word.

Though she loves all of this year’s films (well, most of ‘em), she agreed to share her top 5 picks with CL. See sidebar below for showtimes and venues for her top picks, or go to tiglff.com.

1. Tom of Finland: “My favorite.”

2. The Constitution: “My other favorite.”

3. Princess Cyd: “Wonderful film from Stephen Cone who did Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party and The Wise Kids, this time about women and teenage fluid sexuality and a crush-worthy Jessie Pinnick in the lead role.”

4. Torrey Pines: “A rare, queer punk, stop-motion animated feature that’s so beautiful — and fun!”

5. Abu: “I love docs and I love autobiography and I love learning about stuff through lives that are foreign to me — this one has it all!”

And…. “Of course, I also got a lot out of many others, like Julia Solomonoff’s latest Nobody’s Watching, the Armenian trans film Apricot Groves (above) and deeply moving Santa Y Andres from Cuba… But if I had to pick…”

This article appears in Oct 5-12, 2017.