At this year’s Tribeca Festival, fans of LGBTQ cinema might experience something unexpected while watching queer programming: a reason to smile.

“We’re so used to, as queer viewers, being triggered by the stories we’re watching and seeing so much negative content,” said Lucy Mukerjee, the festival’s senior programmer. “I wanted to ensure that mainstream audiences could see positive representations of our experiences.”

She added, “None of the characters are coming to terms with their identity; they’re simply living their lives.”

The annual event, formerly the Tribeca Film Festival, will feature more than just films. This year’s lineup, which began on Wednesday and runs until June 19, includes podcasts, television programs, and star-studded panels.

One of the festival’s highlights is the world premiere of Three Headed Beast, the debut feature film from Austin, Texas, natives Fernando Andrés and Tyler Rugh, both 24 years old. This poetic drama explores the dynamics of a long-term bisexual couple in an open relationship in Texas. As they consider closing their relationship, its foundation begins to show cracks.

Another film exploring the complexities of a polyamorous relationship is Ruth Cadeli’s fourth feature, *Petit Mal.* It follows three charismatic women—Martina, Laia, and Anto—in a “throuple” relationship. When Laia is called away for a long-term project, Martina and Anto are unexpectedly forced to navigate their feelings for each other as a couple rather than a trio.

“We have been inundated with stories about the same segment of our community—primarily stories about white gay men—at the expense of those about queer women or trans and nonbinary individuals,” Mukherjee said. “It’s time to make space for those stories, and it feels like a radical act to feature films about polyamory in a mainstream festival. It feels good. I’m excited.”

Lesbians, Mukerjee noted, will “love” the international premiere of *Attachment,* a horror romance film written and directed by Danish filmmaker Gabriel Bier Gislason. The story follows Maja, a Danish actress past her prime, and Leah, a young Jewish academic from London. Their love takes a dark turn when Leah experiences a mysterious seizure, prompting the couple to move to London and live with Leah’s overbearing—and sinister—mother.

Another theme LGBTQ cinema lovers can expect at this year’s festival is intersectionality, said Shakira Refos, an associate programmer of documentaries and panel programming.