San Francisco Queer Film Festival – All the colors of the LGBT rainbow at the Roxie

On Friday August 22 the fifth annual San Francisco Queer Film Festival will commence for a three-day run at the Roxie Theater. During that time short films and features, documentaries and narrative films, representing the full spectrum of the LGBT rainbow, will be presented on the big screen.

The stated mission of the festival is, in part, “to provide an inclusive platform for LGBTQ+ filmmakers to share bold, innovative, and authentic stories. We aim to foster a creative space where filmmakers are celebrated for their unique perspectives, regardless of premiere status, budget or industry connections.”
Looking over the festival schedule one can indeed see a diverse mix of storytelling. Opening night offers a double feature, the short documentary “Babaylan,” a San Francisco story about a group of drag queens who are reclaiming and celebrating their queer Filipino heritage. This is followed by a feature length documentary “Love Me, Bait Me,” which explores the relationship between Hollywood, television, and the authentic portrayals of diverse LGBTQ experiences across the past century.

Day two, August 23, features six programs, some of which will be seen in the Big Roxie, some in the small Roxie. Scheduled to be shown in separate programs are films which celebrate the trans and bear communities. There’s also a program that shares stories of people who live with HIV/AIDS, among other programs.

Day three, August 24, also features six programs. The day begins with a program of short foreign films in the Small Roxie. In the Big Roxie there will be another program of short films, all of these run under thirteen minutes. These include “Baby Hummingbirds,” the latest work by former Castro Theater impresario Marc Huestis, who has a shocking story to tell. Huestis recounts his experience as a survivor of a violent sexual assault, and how a family of hummingbirds in his backyard gave him the strength to carry on.

As the day continues, there will be a program of lesbian short films and a feature length documentary on Dean Johnson, a New York drag queen and escort who died mysteriously.

It is indeed a diverse mixture of films. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Director of Programming Kevin Thomas spoke about the festival.

David-Elijah Nahmod: Please tell me why you and your colleagues are doing this festival. We already have Frameline. Do we need another?
Kevin Thomas: You’re right, there is Frameline. The mother of all LGBTQ+ film festivals. When SF Queer Film Fest was created five years ago, the co-founders felt that the amount of LGBTQ+ content had grown so much that Frameline can’t cover it all.

What kind of response have you gotten from the general public?
Our following keeps growing and we are thrilled. We seem to have a lot of repeat guests who have come year after year. Sometimes, though, the content is the driving force to a particular screening.

What do you look for when choosing films to screen at the festival?
We look at so many factors in the content and have a committee rate the titles we receive. We always try to ensure that we have a variety to include all aspects of the LGBTQ+ community. We have always had a trans segment, and this year is no exception as we have put together a shorts program entitled “Smash the Cis-Team” that has some amazing content. Also, as a bear myself, we didn’t get any submissions from bear filmmakers or about the bear community, so I sought out content and found the adorable “Bear Week Diaries,” which is a documentary about Bear Week in P-Town but seems more like a narrative feature with a developing love story. The Italian filmmaker is excited to attend.

You have a lot of trans-themed films this year. Can you say something about the importance of giving trans filmmakers a platform given the anti-trans backlash currently going on?
While we have always had trans programming, now more than ever it’s very important for their voices to be heard. It’s a shame what the current political climate has done to our community, especially trans people. I am so proud that we have received quality content representing our trans families. I think sometimes people focus on the L and the G of the acronym and we try to represent all the colors of the rainbow.

What do you like about holding the festival at the Roxie?
We are so excited to bring our festival to the Roxie Theater. It’s home to so many other festivals and is in a cool neighborhood for pre/post dinners and snacks. It seems this will be a good fit. 

SF Queer Film Festival, August 22-24, Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, $13.63-$300.
https://www.sfqueerfilmfest.com/