LGBTQ Management of Film Festivals
Film and documentaries are an important medium for the LGBTQ community to tell its stories and document its history. In addition to the mainstream international film festivals, there are a large number of LGBTQ-specific film festivals organized around the world to participate in this process. In both cases, there are LGBTQ individuals as founders, organizers, board members, Artistic Directors, Executive Directors, and more.
Since the first gay film festival opened in San Francisco in 1977, queer film festivals have flourished. Their content has diversified from the original classical films and often pornography, to activism and documentary. Film festivals can serve as safe havens and celebratory occasions for the local LGBTQ community, and are often an important part of the education and stepping out process for many individuals. A lot of today’s avante-garde directors and producers got their start in the LGBTQ film festival circuit.
Film festivals also serve the purpose of archiving and maintaining LGBTQ cultural memory. Many videos and films of the past are carefully stored, restored, and often digitized to be available for future generations.
We have identified the following LGBTQ individuals involved in film festivals around the world. They hail from Canada, South Africa, Norway, the Netherlands, China, the United States, Romania, Belgium, France, Israel, Great Britain, and Russia. Simply click on their names to access their biographies.
- Matthew Breen, United States - Sundance Film Festival
- Patrice Chereau, France - Cannes Film Festival
- John Cooper, United States - Sundance Film Festival
- Manny de Guerre, Russia - Bok o Bok Film Festival
- Stijn Deklerck, Belgium - Beijing Queer Film Festival
- Lucian Dunareanu, Romania - Gay Film Nights Film Festival
- Alonso Duralde, United States - USA Film Festival
- Turid Eikvam, Norway - Norwegian gay film festival
- Evelien Eshuis, Netherlands - Netherlands Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
- Scott Ferguson, Canada - Inside Out Film Festival
- Marcia Friedman, Israel - San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
- Stephanie Goodwin, Canada - Out on Screen, Vancouver Queer Film Festival
- Matthew Hays, Canada
- Gert Hekma, Netherlands - Netherlands gay film festival
- Yair Hochner, Israel - TLVFest
- Chris Kelly, Canada - Toronto International Film Festival
- Christopher Lee, United States - San Francisco Transgender Film Festival
- Andrew Murphy, Canada - Inside Out Film Festival
- Fan Popo, China - China Queer Film Festival
- Christopher Racster, United States - Outfest
- Berwyn Rowlands, Great Britain - various film festivals
- Rajendra Roy, United States - Sundance Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival
- Kirsten Schaffer, United States - Outfest
- Gulya Sultanova, Russia - Bok o Bok Film Festival
- David Vella, Canada - Toronto International Film Festival and Inside Out Film Festival
- Shawna Virago, United States - San Francisco Transgender Film Festival
- Xiaogang Wei, China - Beijing Queer Film Festival
- Kim Yutani, United States - Outfest and Sundance Film Festival
