After almost two decades of paying homage to gay- and lesbian-themed cinema, the 19th annual Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival opens this year with a full roster of films that explores themes from teenage angst to baby drama (the funny kind) to transgender-identity issues to gay pageants.

The four-day festival kicks off Thursday evening at the Honolulu Academy of Arts' Doris Duke Theatre.

Winston Welch, executive director of the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation, the fest's parent organization, said moviegoers can expect a program packed with more than 20 must-see films, starting with opening night.

"This year we've chosen a wide range of films that will appeal to a wide variety of people," Welch said. "I would suggest starting with the opening night film and ending with the closing film."

The festival opens with "Shelter" (2007; review below), a coming-out, coming-of-age story of two young surfers who find themselves and each other against the odds; and closes with "Tru Loved," the story of young Tru, who realizes humanity's need for acceptance and understanding when she and her mother move from their gay-friendly community in San Francisco to conservative suburbia in southern California.

The foundation's annual fundraiser gala (or "gayla" as it appears on the fest's Web site) closes the festival with a cabaret-themed garden party on May 25 at the Academy Art Center at Linekona.

The festival also is making its Neighbor Island debut with an abbreviated double-feature film program May 31 at Hilo's Palace Theatre.

Welch said next year, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the fest will also make an appearance on Maui. He attributes the success and longevity of the film festival to strong and ongoing support from the community, which he says enables the foundation to continue its mission of raising awareness about gay and lesbian culture and lifestyle.

"Everybody realizes that this is their brother, their sister, their uncle, their parents, their children, their friends and their neighbors," said Welch.

"These stories are about them and their communities. The film festival just lets people know that we're just like everybody else — we just have different stories to tell."