Frameline42: Everything you need to see at the San Francisco’s international LGBTQ festival
Frameline42 is the San Francisco International LGBTQ festival and it starts today, in you guessed it, San Francisco! The festival is entering it’s 42nd year and continues to go from strength to strength. Director of Exhibitions and Programming, Paul Struthers announced the program by proclaiming, “I’m thrilled with this years diverse and enriching slate that our exceptional programming team has curated.” The festival will be showing over 150 films from over 30 countries so, what’s on? As you might imagine with a festival that runs for 10 days (14th to 24th June) there’s a lot happening! Here’s some of the highlights we have to look forward to.
Frameline's Enduring Legacy
Frameline began in 1977 as the oldest and largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the world. It has grown to attract 60,000 to 80,000 attendees annually. The festival shifted names over decades to reflect inclusivity, adding Q in 2015.
Impact of Featured Films Post-Premiere
TransMilitary continues to support education and advocacy efforts around transgender military service. 50 Years of Fabulous has been screened at community events, including virtual showings in 2020. Studio 54 provided a closing night highlight exploring 1970s New York nightlife.
Evolution of Festival Programming
Recent editions feature films from approximately 40 countries. Programming includes juried awards, audience awards, and specialized honors like the Out in the Silence Award. The festival incorporates industry panels, parties, and networking alongside screenings.
Venue and Community Ties
The Castro Theatre has been a primary venue since 1981 and hosted screenings again for Frameline50 after renovation. The festival traditionally aligns with San Francisco Pride, closing on the last Sunday in June. Frameline expanded screenings to Oakland venues in recent years.
Featured Films
TransMilitary
The opening night documentary looks at the biggest employer of Trans people in America – the military. More than 15,000 active transgender military personnel face uncertainty as the commitment to the country they have made is now in peril and they are now actively threatened with a transgender ban. Filmmakers Fiona Dawson and Gabriel Silverman bring us vividly into the epicenter of the battle in this captivating, emotionally charged documentary. The film documents transgender service members facing policy uncertainty in 2018. Post-release, the documentary has supported ongoing education and advocacy.
Retablo
This Friday night you can catch Peruvian writer-director Álvaro Delgado Aparicio’s acclaimed debut feature film Retablo, which examines the relationship between a father and his young son in the mountains of Peru after the father discovers his sons homosexuality. Retablo looks to be a poignant coming-of-age story about an aspiring young artist coming to terms with the meaning of masculinity and the power of paternal love.
50 Years of Fabulous
Filmmaker Jethro Patalinghug’s (I Won’t Give Up) documentary captures what makes the City of San Francisco the totally unique, one of a kind, home for the LGBTQ community. It documents the vibrant history of the Imperial Council, the oldest LGBTQ charity organization in the world. The Imperial Council was founded in San Francisco in 1961 by José Sarria. It is recognized as the oldest LGBTQ charity organization in the world.
Studio 54
Directed by Matt Tyrnauer, the film explores the rise and culture of the legendary New York nightclub. It screened as a closing night selection at Frameline42.
