After one of the roughest years in recent history, the country is slowly but surely starting to heal and open up again, and one of the best things about that is getting to go to some of our favorite events and celebrate the things we love most — like queer-inclusive cinema at this year's Frameline Film Festival!
The full lineup of this year's Frameline45, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, was just announced, and in an unprecedented move to make the massive, film-centric event inclusive to so many people all over the country (that's right, you don't need to be in SF to attend!), the 17-day extravaganza will offer both in-person and virtual events, including four drive-in screenings, two screenings at Oracle Park in partnership with San Francisco Pride and the San Francisco Giants, as well as over 50 virtual film screenings!
Two of this year's most highly-anticipated musical film titles, Jon M. Chu and Lin Manuel Miranda's In the Heights and the on-screen adaptation of West End's Everybody's Talking About Jamie, are included in the star-studded, jam-packed lineup that will feature something for LGBTQ+ cinephiles with all sorts of tastes!
To delve more into the importance of queer representation, visibility, and inclusivity in pop culture and media, Frameline45 will also be hosting a series of celebrity virtual panels that are set to debut over the course of the festival, which will be free to stream nationwide through Frameline's Facebook page, their YouTube channel, and their streaming platform! One of the panels includes PRIDE's very own editor-in-chief Raffy Ermac in conversation with screen legend and Star Trek: Discovery star Wilson Cruz, whose groundbreaking portrayal of openly gay character Rickie in the 1994 TV series My So-Called Life inspired whole generations of LGBTQ+ youth to see themselves and live in their truth!
"We are beyond thrilled to present the world’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival," James Woolley, Frameline's executive director, said in a statement. "The past year has shown us the value and importance of connections with one another. As the world begins to reopen and revitalize, so too is Frameline45 with a unique combination of in-person and virtual events. We look forward to celebrating the power of queer storytelling and sharing in a collective experience together."
"The theme of this year’s festival is 'All Kinds of Queer' and our lineup certainly reflects that," Allegra Madsen, Frameline's director of programming, added, talking about the festival's wide-ranging and inclusive selection of films and shorts. "Representing 30 countries — from Argentina, Egypt, and India to Nigeria, Taiwan, and South Africa — this year’s slate of films will touch on themes ranging from the American Dream and gentrification to trans resilience and gender and race identity. Through these films, we believe we can cultivate a more compassionate and empathetic world."
Frameline45, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, runs from June 10–27! Tickets and streaming passes are available! For more information, including the full lineup and schedule of panels, make sure to check out Frameline's official website!