Nicholas Snow welcomes two special guests for a preview of Cinema Diverse 2026!

Cinema Diverse Executive Director Michael Carroll Green takes us inside the 19th annual Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival, returning to the Palm Springs Cultural Center September 17–20 and September 24–27.

Comedian Mina Hartong also joins Nicholas to celebrate her debut stand-up concert film, Miss Personality, filmed before sold-out audiences at Revolution Stage Yen in Palm Springs. Mina discusses bringing the show to the screen, its worldwide streaming premiere across digital and streaming platforms beginning September 15, and its World Premiere presentation at Cinema Diverse on Friday, September 25 at 2:15 PM.

This year’s festival offers more than 50 feature films and nearly 100 shorts during eight days of LGBTQ+ cinema, including documentaries, narratives, comedies, dramas, filmmaker appearances, Q&As, special events and numerous premieres.

Opening Night — September 17 at 7:00 PM

Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders, from Emmy-winning filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz, revisits William Friedkin’s controversial film Cruising, the real-life murder case connected to its inspiration, the queer-community protests surrounding its production and its complicated place in LGBTQ+ history. A Q&A and reception follow.

Miss Personality — September 25 at 2:15 PM

Award-winning comedian Mina Hartong draws upon her Connecticut upbringing, Dutch heritage, life as a lesbian and years as a public-school teacher for a special filled with razor-sharp wit, heartfelt storytelling and hard-earned laughter.

Directed by Lisa Ginsburg and created with an entirely women and LGBTQIA+ production team, it is the first comedy special filmed in Palm Springs.

Other festival highlights include Punkie, featuring comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Punkie Johnson; Mickey & Richard, featuring legendary model and Palm Springs resident Mickey Squires; Surviving Voices: AIDS Caregivers; Julian; and Barefoot Boy.

World Premieres include Learn the Words, Bitch!, celebrating Los Angeles drag and lip-sync culture; The Queerdos; Pole Are Opposites; and Karen Williams: I Had to Laugh, chronicling the career of the groundbreaking Black lesbian comedian.

Closing Night — September 27 at 7:00 PM

Cinema Diverse concludes with the West Coast Premiere of Love Loaded, a sultry mystery set inside a glamorous 1958 Los Angeles nightclub, where romance, rivalry, betrayal and murder collide.

Individual screening tickets, Six Pack passes and All Access festival passes are available now.

Full schedule, tickets and passes: www.CinemaDiverse.org

About Notes From Hollywood®

Reports and profiles of individuals passionately pursuing careers across the entertainment industry, offering insight into creative journeys, professional development, and industry visibility.

Created by Nicholas Snow in 1990 as a syndicated column, Notes From Hollywood® began as a platform to examine and strengthen the relationship between the entertainment industry and the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. Over time, the brand expanded from print into multimedia entertainment journalism, with the column reaching publications as far away as Australia.

Today, Notes From Hollywood® lives on as a signature series on PromoHomo.TV®, where Nicholas Snow spotlights actors, filmmakers, producers, publicists, authors, and other creative professionals whose work helps shape the cultural conversation. Blending thoughtful interviews with industry visibility, the series continues a long-standing mission: to celebrate creative purpose, amplify meaningful voices, and connect entertainment storytelling with community impact.

AI-Assisted Journalism & Authorship Disclosure

My work is created through a human-led process in which I develop all story ideas, conduct all reporting, shape the narrative voice, and retain full editorial control. I also use advanced AI tools as part of my workflow—for research support, organizational assistance, drafting, and editing. These tools help streamline production, but the creative direction, original insights, lived experience, and final decisions remain entirely my own. All content ultimately reflects my voice, perspective, and professional standards as a journalist, storyteller, and media creator.