GLBT Film Festivals

According to Inside Film Magazine Online, there are over 600 film festivals scheduled each year throughout the United States. If you apply the 10% statistic, there should be at least 60 gay and lesbian film festivals, right? PlanetOut.com reports 77 gay and lesbian film festivals in the USA. So if you want to spend the summer and fall on the GLBT Festival circuit, read on for useful, trip-planning information.

Several festivals are now in their second, and yes, third decade of operation. What courage it took to start a lesbian and gay film festival in the political/social climate thirty years ago.

You’ve missed the 23rd Annual Boston Gay and Lesbian Film/Video Festival. It was held May 9–20 and featured 21 programs of features, shorts, and documentaries.

The next stop may be to NewFest, the 19th New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Film Festival, May 31–June 10. (Hopefully whoever answers the phone just says NewFest). Like the Annual Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival, it appears that you will be able to enjoy the convenience of seeing most films at one theater, the AMC Loews 34th Street Theater. However the ticket price of $13 will make you appreciate Rehoboth’s Festival even more.

A trip across the country will get you to Frameline 31 (June 14–24), the San Francisco International GLBT Film Festival. Founded in 1977, this Festival is the longest-running, largest, and most widely recognized GLBT film exhibition event in the world. Nearly 70,000 people attend this event each year and you should be one of those attendees at least once.

While you are in California, you may want to stay for OutFest 2007, the 25th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, (July 12-23). Not only does California have the bragging rights of producing the most Festivals in one state (at least 32), it also is home to two of the oldest and largest annual events.

A trip back to the east coast can include twelve days of films at the 13th Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. In the City of brotherly and sisterly love, at least 200 films can be enjoyed at this Festival, in between eating cheese steak sandwiches and soft pretzels of course.

Other Festival circuit stops could include the 20th Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (June 1–9), the 20th Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (Sept 28–Oct 6), the 18th Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (Oct 4–14), and there are still many more. The second oldest lesbian and gay film festival in the United States is the 26th Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival which runs from Nov 8–18. While this is probably a great event to attend, do you want to miss the Tenth Annual Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (Nov 7–11)?

Are there enough gay and lesbian films to show a different selection of films at each Festival? There are sure to be some repeats. However, there is a growing niche of distributors who specifically serve these festivals, including Wolfe Video, TLA Releasing, Strand Releasing, Here TV, and Picture This Entertainment. As the market demand increases, the production of gay and lesbian films is on the rise as well.

Whereas the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival is not classified as solely a gay and lesbian film festival, this event’s programming does include some of the best and most current GLBT films available. Hopefully this Festival is included in your plans.

With the great support it receives from the community and beyond, hopefully the Rehoboth Beach Film Society and its annual Festival will reach its 20th anniversary.

Right now, it is very grateful and proud to be able to prepare for its tenth anniversary celebration (Nov 7–11).

Note: The inclusion or omission of any film festival in no way represent any opinion about the quality of the event.