NewFest Steps In After Arizona LGBTQ+ Film Festival Canceled by Diversity Ban

After a national uproar over the cancellation of Arizona’s only LGBTQ+ film festival due to anti-diversity initiatives at the college where it was held, the Desperado Film Festival appears to be spinning out on its own, with a little help from the nation’s largest queer film festival.

NewFest, the largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the United States, announced Tuesday its Arizona Queer Film Access Initiative. In collaboration with Desperado, the program will offer free virtual access to a curated selection of films from NewFest’s 37th Annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival to Arizona residents.

NewFest’s announcement followed LOOKOUT’s reporting that the long-running Desperado festival was forced to cancel its annual event in direct response to President Donald Trump’s January executive order seeking to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs at publicly funded institutions.

“As the country’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival, NewFest has a responsibility to show up when access to queer stories is threatened,” said David Hatkoff, NewFest’s executive director.

That cancellation became a national flashpoint, showing how Trump’s federal policies are reshaping local arts and cultural spaces, particularly in communities with limited queer representation, such as Paradise Valley, where the festival was hosted.

The festival’s rebound mirrors another recent comeback in the Valley. Earlier this year, Maricopa County Community College District dissolved Equality Maricopa, the state’s largest advocacy group for LGBTQ+ students, under the same anti-DEI guidance that shuttered Desperado. Within months, the group relaunched as an independent nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status and renewed community support, vowing to expand scholarships and advocacy across Arizona.

After Maricopa Community College’s DEI Crackdown, Equality Maricopa Returns

The nation’s largest community college system disbanded the group in February under new federal guidance. Now, Equality Maricopa is charting its own path statewide.

LOOKOUTJoseph Darius Jaafari (he/him)

For many advocates, the parallel stories of Equality Maricopa and Desperado show both the damage and resilience sparked by policy-driven rollbacks.

“It felt like a calling, in some ways, to step up. This is about visible, pragmatic solidarity — keeping queer stories available to Arizona audiences, honoring the work of partners like Desperado, and standing with communities who rely on these films for connection and visibility,” Hatkoff said. “It also means refusing to stand by in the face of attempts to silence queer voices.”

“Desperado is very grateful for this opportunity presented by NewFest,” said Dale Heuser, Desperado co-coordinator. “We are adapting to new challenges, but our vision remains the same and we look forward to gathering again in 2026 to celebrate queer film, build community, and support LGBTQ+ artists and audiences.”

Starting Oct. 9, Arizona residents will receive complimentary virtual access to a selection of 130 films from NewFest37 through the end of the festival on Oct. 21. NewFest will announce the full programming lineup Sept. 10.