OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Miami, internationally acclaimed as one of the largest LGBTQ+ cultural festivals in the world, is proud to feature the East Coast premiere of “Backspot” (Canada, 2023), directed by D.W. Waterson, as its Ladies Spotlight Film on Saturday, April 27, at Regal Cinemas South Beach. 

Riley is the formidable backspot on her mid-level cheerleading squad until professional coach Eileen McNamara gives her an opportunity to join the Thunderhawks, a high-performance All-Star team. Young, ambitious, and fiercely in love with her girlfriend Amanda, Riley would be on top of the world if only she could get her crippling anxiety under control. Desperate to be heard and appreciated, two qualities her home life severely lacks, Riley will do anything to ingratiate herself to her new coach (Evan Rachel Wood). Overwhelmed, obsessive and with a competition looming, this young, queer athlete must decipher her own voice from the women around her and form a healthier relationship to the sport that she loves.

After the film, a ladies’ afterparty with free drinks and snacks will take place in the Lobby Bar at the Axel Hotel South Beach.

OUTrageous, OUTspoken, and OUTstanding, this year’s OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Miami is sponsored, in part, by Miami Dade County, the City of Miami Beach and Gilead.

Ticket subscription packages and individual tickets are on sale now for the 41st edition of the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival. For a full schedule of films, parties and special events or for more information, visit outshinefilm.com.