Ganymede Premiere: Drag, Drinks, and Deep Conversations
Hey, everyone! We had an absolute blast last night at the Ganymede premiere during KINO’s drag and movie night! Yep, you read that right. KINO, our new favorite go-to streaming service that’s bringing movies straight to our couches, hosted the digital premiere of the queer dramatic thriller Ganymede, all in support of GLAAD.
The evening kicked off with a fabulous pre-show featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race legend Manila Luzon, who taught us how to whip up a spicy pineapple mojito—perfect for staying refreshed during our watch. Manila, along with queens Plane Jane and Glitteress, challenged us to a drinking gayme (yes, that’s gay + game). The rules? Drink every time the main character screams, you hear Jesus’ name, see damp footage, someone prays, someone pretends not to be gay, or two men touch. Let’s just say, we drank a lot!
Our hostesses then introduced us to the film. And KINO, making it feel like we were at the theater, gave us a preview of upcoming films and even featured the short film Daddy Issues before the main event.
Ganymede is a campy Southern Gothic thriller from life and creative partners Colby Holt and Sam Probst. The film made waves at the 41st Reeling International Film Festival, winning the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature Film, and also snagged the Pride Award at the Chattanooga Film Festival.
The story follows high school wrestler Lee Fletcher IV (Jordan Doww) as he develops a crush on his openly gay classmate Kyle (Pablo Castelblanco). As these new feelings blossom, Lee finds himself haunted by a creature that not only lurks in his bedroom closet but also invades his thoughts, all while trying to live up to the standards set by his ultra-religious father.
We don’t want to spoil the film just yet—our full review is coming soon, so stay tuned! But we can tell you that Ganymede checks all the boxes. The chemistry between the main actors is electric, and while the horror elements won’t have you screaming or hiding under a blanket, they will make you think and reflect. The way the film uses horror to explore our inner demons is just spot on.
But anygays…after the screening, our fabulous hostesses dove into a brief analysis of the film, discussing whether spirituality and religion can coexist within a queer person. They shared personal stories about feeling alienated from religion but also finding solace in their beliefs. They all agreed that horror is “so gay,” noting that LGBTQ+ folks often gravitate toward horror to process trauma and because horror itself is very camp—and we love camp!
They also touched on whether everyone should be allowed to play LGBTQ+ characters and imagined what their own closet monsters would look like. The chat ended with some heartfelt advice for struggling LGBTQ+ youth, emphasizing how beliefs shape perceptions and sharing their journeys of self-discovery. It was the perfect lead-in to the live Q&A with the film’s cast and crew.
Hosted by Stephen Tracey, the panel for the Ganymede premiere on KINO featured directors Colby Holt and Sam Probst, and actors Jordan Doww and Pablo Castelblanco, with a surprise appearance from Sofia Yepes, who plays Kyle’s mom, Kim.
Holt and Probst kicked things off by talking about their inspiration behind the film. They shared how they started brainstorming back in 2019 when anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric was ramping up with a heavy religious twist. “We started thinking: if this is your worldview and you’re growing up in a home where this is the ideology; if you view your own queerness or homosexuality as an evil entity, how does that affect your psyche? How does that begin to manifest in your life?” That’s how the story of Ganymede was born.
Doww and Castelblanco, the lead couple of the film, shared their excitement about Ganymede finally being out for everyone to see, hoping it sparks important conversations about the ongoing issues of conversion therapy and extreme religious views impacting the LGBTQ+ community.
Doww said, “I remember reading it [the script] for the first time and he [Lee] was so internal, which is the best way I can describe how anxiety feels. It’s like an internal war with your mind and your body.” He felt a strong connection to Lee’s character and found the project cathartic, using his own experiences to bring Lee to life.
About life on set, Castelblanco loved how the cast and crew bonded during the shoot. “This is what I love about indie filmmaking—you become a family.” He shared. “We were shooting in 2021, so we had restrictions for COVID that were much stronger, so we kinda also had to hang around in our own circle and that just made us all get super close.” The close-knit environment, despite the challenges of night shoots and the summer heat in Kentucky, made the experience memorable for him.
On that note, Holt and Probst highlighted how passionate everyone was about the project, which made overcoming the aforementioned challenges easier. Actress Sofia Yepes, though unable to attend the live panel, shared a heartfelt video message about how her role as a protective mother came naturally from her experience as a single mom.
“The voice and the power and the courage that I didn’t have for myself growing up or even as a young adult and then an adult… multiply by a thousand if not more when you have a child.” She said. “I was like, ‘I know who this person is,’ and, yes, I’m part her because of the fact that I’ve had to protect my son fiercely.”
Wrapping up the panel for the Ganymede premiere, Holt expressed his hope that viewers find a character they can connect with and come out of the experience changed for the better. “Whoever you are, I hope that you find a character to enter this issue through.” Probst added, “If people feel alone in some way, I hope this [film] helps them be less alone. If that’s the case. I know for myself, queer media it was hard to come by when I was closeted, and anything I did find, I really held on to because it helped me not feel alone.”
Castelblanco emphasized the importance of love in all its forms, hoping the film helps people feel more open to love and less cynical about it. “I feel like as I’m getting older, I’ve become more cynical and much more detached from love and those kinds of things, and this movie, stories like this, I hope it helps people to take that cynicism away, at least sometimes, and find love.”
Doww added that he hopes the film fosters empathy for queer people and queer youth. “If that’s something you can grow, it’s your superpower. Empathy can be your superpower. Whether you’re closeted, struggling with mental health, or a changed mom, you have a place here. So I just hope that it kind of opens people’s eyes.” He finalized, inviting everyone to be more empathetic and sensitive, spreading love and unity.
Don’t miss your chance to catch the Ganymede premiere on Kino until tomorrow, August 3, at 6 am PSD. This film is a must-see, so grab your tickets and stream it while you can! If you can’t make it, don’t worry—Ganymede will debut on Cable and Digital VOD on August 6, available on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Prime Video.
Get ready for a thrilling and heartfelt experience!
Ganymede will be available on VOD on August 6. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of VMI
