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Boys in the Dark: Gay Film Fests 2008
Cultural tourism at its best. Gay film festivals let you meet directors, watch premieres with the actors themselves, mingle with budding filmmakers, and see yourself on the silver screen.
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Gay and lesbian film fans start packing your suitcases. Every year across the country gay film festivals unreel the latest work from today's emerging and established GLBT filmmakers. For the film buff or the arts traveler, it's the perfect excuse to plan a trip.
The festivals are mainly scheduled in June, to coincide or dovetail with gay pride parades, and also in the fall close to October's Gay History Month festivities. Click on the interactive map below for details on dates, locations, and links to the web sites of film fest organizers. It's a fun way to find a festival near you or plan an excursion to include one.
Part of the fun going to the film festivals, instead waiting for these films to appear on Netflix, is bragging rights that you saw the movie first. Films from Paris is Burning, The Notorious CHO, Another Gay Movie, High Art, and RuPaul's Starbooty all got a start on the festival circuit. The energy in the theatres during premieres is palpable and the group experience of laughter and catharsis unbeatable. You can even catch red carpet action. Directors and the films' stars are often on hand to introduce screenings and answer questions.
East coast, West coast and cities in between, most major US cities host an LGBT film festival. New York and San Francisco actually have several. The radical gays there founded festivals like Mix (NYC) and Trannyfest (San Francisco) for their more experimental and edgier roster.
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"We got a call before the show to tell us that Tennessee Williams and his entourage would be attending..."
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 We created an interactive map so you can explore details on fests, large and small,
across the country. You don’t have to travel to a major metropolis to get your gay
film on. Cities from Raleigh, NC to Royal Oak, MI host annual LGBT film festivals.
The world's oldest gay and lesbian film festival is Frameline, San Francisco's International LGBT Film Festival. Begun in 1977, the 32-year-old festival screened over 260 films from 32 countries last year. Festival Artistic Director Michael Lumpkin notes that his festival is also the "largest LGBT film festival in the world" and that "Frameline's annual event is the showplace for the newest in international LGBT cinema."
As a bonus to the gay traveler, this festival screens at several venues in the beautiful and historic Castro District. In fact, the city of San Francisco embraces the festival and is its largest funding source. You'll have no trouble filling your non-movie time with great sights. Frameline coincides with the city's annual Pride Celebration. Lumpkin proclaims, "We are a major cultural event of 'America's favorite city' and one of the best reasons to visit San Francisco." Indeed, the festival attracts an audience of 60,00 film fans over its ten day June run.
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[Diva moments]
Chicago's festival director, Brenda Webb, recalls a funny screening story. In 1982 Reeling screened some films by pioneering gay filmmaker Kenneth Anger. "We got a call before the show to tell us that Tennessee Williams and his entourage would be attending the show and to hold seats for them."
Tennessee and his group were rather boisterous during the screening and "we later found jugs of cheap wine under their seats, which helped to explain their rowdiness."
Webb's recollection of the unofficial private after party hosted by one of William's friends in a lakefront high rise is even more enticing. "I arrived there, was greeted at the door by a young man with a silver platter serving every kind of pill you can imagine. I took a pass."
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New York City is home to NewFest, another ten day June event. NewFest Artistic Director Basil Tsiokos states that "Newfest serves as an unofficial kick off" for Pride month in New York City with most Pride events occurring later in the month. The 20-year-old festival offers over 250 films from 30+ countries with simultaneous screenings throughout the day and evening in a midtown multiplex. Tsiokos notes the increase in films from outside the U.S. at his festival. More than one festival director mentioned that some of the most interesting work over the past decade in LGBT cinema has come from such countries as South Korea, Argentina, China and Thailand. These voices reveal experiences not witnessed in US or European film.
 Above: Blind Trust, an interactive film and photo installation at last year's Mix Festival - New York City's fest for the radical queers.
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In the middle of the country, Chicago plays host to the second oldest GLBT film festival in the US. Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival, is held in November. Festival Director and founder Brenda Webb feels that the quality of her programming is improved by its late season. "We have the opportunity to view what most of the other LGBT film festivals have screened and choose what we think is the best from across several festivals." Webb also notes that the festival "hosts several special events and artist receptions, so out of town guests have plenty of social opportunities to meet people as well as mingle with directors, actors, producers and others."
You don’t have to go to the biggest US cities, however to get your gay film groove on. Cities from Raleigh, North Carolina to Royal Oak, Michigan to Fort Lauderdale, Florida host annual LGBT film festivals that are often among the largest cultural events held each year in their respective locales. Try some cultural tourism this year and hit one of the country's LGBT films festivals while taking some time away from the screenings to explore some of the other splendors the host city offers.
Good To Know
[Networking]
After parties are common post-screenings. The festivals, many of them top drawing events in their locales, likewise serve as a prime meeting ground for other film buffs. If you are an emerging filmmaker, the festivals are a good place to meet and seek advice from those more established in the industry.
[Tickets]
Festivals screen films over several days, some with simultaneous screenings at various theatres and multiplexes around town. The largest gay film festivals screen literally hundreds of films over just a few days. Ticket prices are on par with regular movie tickets in the host city and most festivals offer package or subscription deals allowing you to book an entire schedule of films you wish to see weeks in advance at discounted prices.
[Support for Emerging Artists]
Be sure to check out the web sites of individual festivals. They often have screenplay competitions, workshops, and labs for nascent filmmakers and writers. Submission deadlines close well before the festival dates. This can be a great way to gain recognition and attempt to secure funding. Financial support for the festivals themselves often come from City Councils and state and local government agencies.
[Categories and Prizes]
Most offer prizes for best film in a range of categories—best animated short, documentary, foreign, erotica, to take a few examples—demonstrating the breadth of films to be seen. Outfest in Los Angeles has the most extensive awards program bestowing over 17 awards for excellence including a $5,000 HBO Outstanding First Narrative Feature Award.
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Top: The Strange One, Jack Geiger's 1957 political allegory with gay subtext about a warped military school student. Middle: Swimsuit, a short film which screened at Atlanta's "Out on Film" festival. Bottom: Entrevue, also featured in Out on Film last year.
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