AIDS may have been snubbed at this year’s Academy Awards—even Mo’Nique failed to mention the virus as she accepted an Oscar for her role in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire—but the virus knows the celluloid spotlight. Everyone’s seen Philadelphia, Rent, Longtime Companion and Angels in America, right? Then check out these lesser-viewed gems. You can buy them from our online store at poz.com/bookstore.

Parting Glances (1986)
Gay New Yorkers (most memorably Steve Buscemi) struggle to make sense of love, life and death.

Black Is…Black Ain’t (1994)
Marlon Riggs explores the black experience—including gays, AIDS and his own deathbed.

Jeffrey (1995) A romantic comedy? Yes! Because positive people love and laugh too.

3 Needles (2006)
This global drama follows a gay porn actor in Canada, a nun in South Africa and a black-market blood vendor in China.

Frontline: The Age of AIDS (2006)
PBS profiles the history, culture, science and stigma of the virus. (Watch it for free at pbs.org.)

Out of Control: AIDS in Black America (2006)
This documentary examines the rise of HIV/AIDS in the black community.

Life Support (2007)
Queen Latifah plays a based-on-real-life HIV-positive mom working at a Brooklyn ASO.

Pedro (2008) A movie biopic of the 1994 MTV reality star who, indeed, brought the reality of AIDS to millions of viewers.