Double feature Queer Flipside storytelling comes to Jersey City Aug 7; one night only
On August 7, 2026, Art House Theatre in Jersey City will host a landmark double feature for one night only, celebrating queer Filipinx art, history, and identity.
The evening brings together two critically-acclaimed works: “Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo,” a documentary on queer Filipinx history, and “Anak ni Tapia: Leaving Mother,” a deeply personal solo theatrical performance exploring migration, identity, and queer experience. Both works have earned acclaim internationally, making this double bill a significant moment for Jersey City’s arts and LGBTQ+ communities.
“Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo” (directed by Barbara Malaran & Desireena Almoradie) is an archival documentary tracing the history of Kilawin Kolektibo, a pioneering collective of lesbian and queer Filipinxs who came together in New York City in the mid-1990s seeking community amid a racist and lesbophobic society. The film serves as an exhilarating memorial to the rebellion and nostalgia of the 1990s, and a love letter to today’s QTBIPOC community.
“Deliciously punky…deeply personal and vital,” writes MovieJawn. “A triumph and a testament to history and identity,” says Cinema Sugar.
“Anak ni Tapia: Leaving Mother” (written and performed by Lani T. Montreal) centers on the journey of an immigrant woman who grew up in the shadow of her celebrity mother in the Philippines. The title translates to “Child of Tapia,” a reference to the iconic character “Miss Tapia,” played by Lani’s mother, the late Mely Tagasa, on Philippine television throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Directed by Daisy Castro, visual design by Giau Truong, music collaboration with Tamey Mendoza and Panday Banale, and soundscape by Melanya Liwanag Aguila.
Blending comedy, kundiman, personal narrative, and audience participation, the show navigates themes of memory, immigrant experience, and queer identity in a performance that is both intimate and universal.
“If writing is therapy, performing is healing others. Lani made us laugh, cry, and reflect on cross-cultural complexities, sexual fluidity, mother-daughter relationships, and feeling secure in one’s skin,” says one audience member.
Queer Flipside is an official Jersey City Pride event, proudly supported by The Pride Center of New Jersey, Hudson Pride Center, Mango Tree Counseling & Consulting, and Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) – Metro New York Chapter.
Doors: 6:00 PM / Show: 7:00 – 9:30 PM Venue: Art House Theatre, 345 Marin Blvd, Jersey City, — Queer Flipside
