Cece Asuncion on Launching CinePride: A New Home for Queer Cinema in Los Angeles
This September, a brand-new film festival will light up Los Angeles with bold, unapologetic LGBTQ+ storytelling. CinePride Film Festival, running September 11–14 at Landmark Theatres Sunset, marks its inaugural year with a lineup of 31 films from across the globe, spanning intimate dramas, experimental shorts, outrageous comedies, and boundary-pushing documentaries. But for Executive Director Cecilio “Cece” Asuncion, CinePride is more than just another film festival.
“This actually comes from a place of grief,” Cece told us when we sat down with him. “I lost my husband a year and a half ago. It’s always good to turn something really sad into something beautiful, and memorialize him by doing something positive for everyone.”
That personal drive merges with Cece’s long history in film, television, and trans representation. As the founder of Slay Model Management—the world’s first transgender-exclusive modeling agency—and a GLAAD Media Award-winning producer, Cece knows firsthand how representation opens doors. “Now that I’m fifty, I’ve always wanted to afford other people the opportunities that were granted to me, especially as a person of color and an immigrant. Michelle Obama said this one thing before that really resonated with me, which is, ‘…When the doors of opportunity open for you, you bring others, and you don’t close that door.’”
For Cece, CinePride is about more than programming films; it’s about building community in a way that resists the competitive energy he remembers from his early festival days. “When I did the film festival rounds when I was younger, it felt very much like that [a competition],” he said. “That’s done nothing but hurt us in the long run. We should be celebrating each other’s geniuses and creativity, and not see each other as a threat.”
That sense of unity feels especially urgent in today’s political climate. With anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation on the rise, Cece sees CinePride as both an artistic event and an act of resistance. “When we come together as a community, and there are more of us, they [people] see our numbers in how we are unstoppable when we’re all together. Again, instead of turning against each other, it’s really about coming together and supporting one another versus seeing each other as the enemy.”
And that just adds to the overall mission he and his team have, because the festival isn’t only for LGBTQ+ audiences. “It’s not just for us to see ourselves,” Cece emphasized. “What’s more important is for our allies and the community at large to see these stories. Otherwise, it’s an echo chamber, and we’re just telling each other the same thing over and over.”
CinePride’s debut lineup reflects that range of voices, from A Life Inside Me, a moving drama from India, to the outrageous Filipino short Lip Sync Assassin, to the campy horror-musical Prom Party Massacre. “It’s wonderful,” Cece said with a smile. “I’m equally honored that they submitted to our film festival. Even those who submitted and didn’t make it—I’ll always be grateful to them.”
He credits Programming Director Miguel Santos and the screening committee with shaping such a wide-ranging program. “I don’t necessarily make the choices,” Cece explained. “I support what my team does. What’s important is that these films resonate. Whether you’re gay, bi, trans, nonbinary—we’re all just getting through life, and there’s always something we can relate to.”
And CinePride is more than just screenings. The festival also includes panels, workshops, networking events, and the CinePride Awards. Categories range from Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary to Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing, with special honors like the Trailblazer Award, Emerging Filmmaker Award, and the Audience Choice Award. For Cece, these aren’t just trophies; they’re tools for visibility. “Social media can only take you so far. You can’t buy groceries with likes. It’s really about a human experience, it’s about sharing a space knowing and understanding that we all have shared experiences. And celebrating the hardships that come with it.”
That philosophy runs through everything Cece envisions for CinePride, from the Directors Breakfast to the mentorship-focused panels. “Independent filmmaking is not easy,” he reminded us. And leading by example, he’s created a film festival that’s proof that when we come together, listen to one another, and really support each other, it makes a difference.
When asked what feeling he hopes people leave with after the final screening, Cece didn’t hesitate. “I want people to feel hopeful,” he said. “I want people to feel happy, I want them to feel celebrated and seen, and…I want them to take Ubers because they might be drunk.” He added with a laugh. And we agree, safety first, of course.
Before wrapping up, Cece shared one last message: “Please do support us…we’re very excited to see you at the Landmark and also the Godfrey Hotel.” CinePride, he reminded us, isn’t just a weekend of films, it’s about creating a home for queer stories all year long.
Tickets for the festival will be available soon at cinepride.org. Check out our full chat with Cece in the video below:
Visit cinepride.org for more information about the festival. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of CinePride Film Festival
