Welcome From the Festival Directors

Welcome to the fourth annual "it's not a gay film" film festival! Even though more gay films are playing in theaters than ever before, we often hear from distributors that they don't want their films to play in a queer festival for fear of the films being "pigeonholed" as queer. At times, they insist that their films, chock full of gay characters and story lines, made by gay actors, writers, and directors, "aren't really gay."

As gay film-goers, we need to convince distributors that they don't need to downplay a film's queer content ("it's universal!") in order for the film to be successful. Building a strong market for gay films will ensure that more gay films of better quality are made; that more gay films get picked up and marketed as they deserve; and will challenge the idea that some films are "too gay" for mainstream release.

Here's where you fit in: At a recent conference of gay festival directors, we decided to implement a Queer First Weekends Club. A film's first-weekend grosses determine its commercial viability. So the next time a gay film opens, especially one that premieres in our festival, buy your ticket early and join First Weekenders around the country in showing distributors that gay audiences are a force to be reckoned with.

There's other exciting news on the festival front: We've outgrown the Harvard Exit, graduating to the larger, and newly-renovated Egyptian Theatre. This year the festival is entirely wheelchair accessible and parking will be easier with a lot across the street. We've also added a second venue: a dozen programs will screen at the Little Theatre - perfect for more intimate fare. Other innovations include expanded access to tickets: for the first time you can purchase tickets and passes over the web and by phone. Lastly, we're pleased to offer childcare for two of our parent-oriented programs.

In our efforts to attract the best new queer film, we're offering three cash awards this year - Absolut Vodka, Toys in Babeland, and Scarecrow all stepped up to the plate in support of excellence in filmmaking. Speaking of sponsors, we'd like to extend a special thanks to all of our local sponsors - your support this year is unprecedented.

And it's not just for corporations any more - individual support is important too! Over the years, many of our loyal supporters have inquired about memberships - and this year there is one! Please contact us for more information on how to join.

Thanks to Seven Gables/Landmark and the Little Theatre for giving this festival a home. We'd also like to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our staff and volunteers. Several thousand volunteer hours go into producing this event. We extend our most heartfelt gratitude to those members of our community who share their time and talents in everything from graphic design to sound engineering. It's inspiring to work with such a dedicated group.

Enjoy the festival!

Kirsten Schaffer

Justine Barda