An LGBT film festival or queer film festival is a specialized film festival that has an LGBTQ+ focus in its selection of films.[1] [2] [3] LGBT film festivals often screen films that would struggle to find a mainstream audience and are often activist spaces for awareness-raising around LGBT rights as well as for community building among queer communities.
The first LGBT-focused film festivals were organized in the United States as part of the awakening LGBT movement in the United States in the 1970s. The longest-running film festival with an LGBT focus is the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco, which was established in 1977.[4] Until the 1990s, LGBT film festivals were mostly informal screenings in Western countries. In the 1990s, NGOs were founded to create and promote queer-focused film festivals and festivals became more commercialized. Around this time, more queer-focused film festivals began to emerge, especially in East Asia and Eastern Europe.[5]
LGBT film festivals use different labels to promote their focus on LGBT topics, for instance "gay and lesbian" (such as the Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival); "queer" (such as the Asian Queer Film Festival); "rainbow" (such as the Rainbow Reel Tokyo); "LGBT", "LGBTQ", and other variations of the acronym (such as the Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival); or they might not use a label in their name at all (such as the MIX NYC).[6]
In 2020, several queer film festivals—Los Angeles's Outfest, the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, Toronto's Inside Out Film and Video Festival, and San Francisco's Frameline Film Festival—partnered to launch the North American Queer Festival Alliance, an initiative to further publicize and promote LGBT film.[7]
| Name | Location | Established | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City or cities | State, province or region | Country | ||||
| &PROUD Yangon LGBTIQ Film Festival |  Myanmar | 2014 | Now part of Yangon Pride, yearly at the end of January | |||
| Abhimani Film Festival |  Sri Lanka | 2006 | Also known as Celluloid Rainbows, this is the oldest LGBT film festival in the South Asian region,[8] and the only LGBT film festival in Sri Lanka. | |||
| Amor Festival | Santiago de Chile | 2016 | ||||
| Aomori International LGBT Film Festival |  Japan | 2006 | ||||
| Asian Queer Film Festival | Japan | 2007 | ||||
| Asterisco Festival Internacional de Cine LGBTIQ |  Argentina | 2014 | ||||
| Atlanta Film Festival |  United States | 2008, 1976 (original festival) | Listed for the Pink Peach Prize LGBTQ Film Award, 2008 | |||
| Bangalore Queer Film Festival |  India | 2008 | ||||
| Bangkok Gay and Lesbian Film Festival |  Thailand | 2015 | Defunct in 2016 | |||
| Beijing Queer Film Festival |  China | 2001 | ||||
 United Kingdom | 1986 | |||||
| Budapest Pride LGBTQ Film Festival |  Hungary | |||||
| Cancún International Gay Festival | Cancún | |||||
| CinegailesAST | Gijón | 2006 | ||||
| Chennai International Queer Film Festival | India | 2005 | ||||
| Chéries-Chéris |  France | 1994 | ||||
| CINHOMO |  Spain | 2017 | ||||
| Cine Movilh |  Chile | |||||
| Cinema Queer International Film Festival |  Sweden | |||||
| CINEMQ | Shanghai | Shanghai(municipality) | China | 2015 | ||
| CineQ Queer Film Festival | Birmingham | West Midlands | United Kingdom | 2019 | ||
| Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival | Hartford | Connecticut | United States | 1988 | Produced by Out Film CT. Connecticut's longest-running film festival. | |
| Cuórum | 2019 | |||||
| Utah Queer Film Festival | United States | 2003 | Longest-running LGBTQ film festival in the Mountain West.[9] Formerly known as Damn These Heels LGBTQ Film Festival.[10] | |||
| Dayton LGBT Film Festival | Dayton | Ohio | United States | 2005 | ||
| DIGO |  Brazil | 2016 | ||||
| DIVERSA | Buenos Aires | 2004 | ||||
| DOTYK |  Belarus | 2015 | ||||
| Durban Gay and Lesbian Film Festival |  South Africa | |||||
| Ehime LGBT Film Festival | Japan | |||||
| ENDIMARIS Sitges LGTBIQ+ Film Festival | Sitges | Catalonia | Spain | 2021 | ||
| EQUAL Film Fest | 2019 | |||||
| FACE à FACE | France | 2005 | ||||
| Fancinegay | Badajoz | 1998 | ||||
| Faroe Islands International Minority Film Festival |  Faroe Islands | 2017 | ||||
| Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival |  Canada | 1999 | ||||
| FestDivQ | ||||||
| Festival de Cine LesBiGayTrans de Asunción | Asunción | 2005 | ||||
| Festival de cine Gay y Lésbico de Canarias | 2007 | |||||
| Festival de Cine Lésbico y Gai de Andalucía | 2006 | |||||
| Festival de Cine LGBTIQ - Asturias | Avilés | 2016 | ||||
| Festival Internacional de cine LGBT El Lugar Sin Límites | Quito, Guayaquil and others |  Ecuador | 2002 | |||
| Festival Mix Brazil de Cultura da Diversidade | Brazil | |||||
| Festival MIX Milano |  Italy | 1986 | Festival MIX Milano of GayLesbian cinema and Queer culture | |||
| Filmfest homochrom |  Germany | 2011 | defunct in 2019[11] | |||
| FilmOut San Diego | San Diego | California | United States | 2005 | San Diego's only LGBT film festival | |
| FFTG Awards Film Fest | Worldwide | United States | 2020 | International digital film fest | ||
| FICGLB – Festival Internacional de Cine Gay y Lésbico de Barcelona | Catalonia | |||||
| FIRE!! | Spain | |||||
| FiveFilms4freedom | Online | Online | United Kingdom | 2015 | World's first online, global and free 10-day LGBT film festival, created by the British Council and British Film Institute, and supported by the UN Free & Equal campaign | |
| Frameline Film Festival | United States | 1977 | ||||
| Gay Film Nights |  Romania | 2004 | ||||
| Gaze |  Ireland | 1992 | ||||
| Geelong Pride Film Festival |  Australia | 2017 | ||||
| GFest – gayWise LGBT Arts Festival | London | Greater London | United Kingdom | |||
| Glasgay! Festival | Glasgow | Scotland | 1993 | |||
| Hamilton Queer Film Festival | Hamilton | Ontario | Canada | 2021 | ||
| Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival | Central and Pok Fu Lam |  Hong Kong China | 1989 | |||
| Image+Nation | Canada | 1987 | ||||
| ImageOut | United States | |||||
| In & Out | France | 2009 | ||||
| Inside Out Film and Video Festival | Canada | 1991 | ||||
| Iris Prize Film Festival | Cardiff | Wales | United Kingdom | 2007 | ||
| International Queer Film Festival Playa del Carmen | 2013 | |||||
| Kagawa Rainbow Film Festival | Japan | |||||
| KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival | India | 2010 | ||||
| Kansai Queer Film Festival | Japan | |||||
| Korea Queer Film Festival | 2001 | |||||
| Kreivės |  Lithuania | 2014 | The festival is open to feature films, documentaries and short films focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex themes.[12] [13] | |||
| Leeds Queer Film Festival | Leeds | West Yorkshire | United Kingdom | 2005 | ||
| LesGaiCineMad | Spain | 1996 | ||||
| Lethal Lesbian | Tel Aviv |  Israel | 2008 | Screens independent films by and about women who love women. | ||
| LGBT Film Festival | Warsaw | 2010 | Largest festival of LGBT cinema in Central and Eastern Europe | |||
| LGBT+ Film Festival | Thailand | 2018 | Curated and hosted by Bangkok Screening Room | |||
| Ljubljana | Central Slovenia |  Slovenia | 1984[14] | Europe's oldest gay and lesbian film festival[15] | ||
| Llamale H |  Uruguay | |||||
| London Lesbian Film Festival | Canada | 1991 | ||||
| Lovers Film Festival - Torino LGBTQI Visions | Italy | 1986 | ||||
| Making Scenes Film and Video Festival | Canada | 1992 | Defunct in 2005; replaced with Ottawa edition of Inside Out. | |||
| Mardi Gras Film Festival | Australia | 1993 | ||||
| Massimadi Festival | Canada | 2009 | Centres on film and art relating to LGBTQ issues in the Black/African diaspora | |||
| Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival | Tunis | Tunis | Tunisia | 2018 | ||
| Melbourne Queer Film Festival | Australia | 1991 | ||||
| Merlinka Festival | Former Yugoslavia |  Serbia  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Montenegro | 2009 | Only queer film festival that is organized in several countries. | ||
| Mezipatra |  Czech Republic | 2000 | ||||
| MICGénero |  Mexico | |||||
| Milwaukee LGBT Film & Video Festival | United States | 1987 | ||||
| MIX Copenhagen |  Denmark | 1986 | ||||
| MIX NYC | United States | 1987 | ||||
| Movida Gay | 2007 | |||||
| Muestra Internacional de Cine Diversex Nicaragua | Managua, León, Jinotepe, Masaya, Matagalpa, Granada and others | 2008 | ||||
| Muskoka Queer Film Festival | Bracebridge, Huntsville | Ontario | Canada | 2020 | Launched online during the COVID-19 pandemic following the cancellation of its planned live inaugural edition[16] | |
| National Queer Arts Festival | United States | 1998 | ||||
| United States | 1988 | |||||
| North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival | United States | 1995 | ||||
| Notre Dame Queer Film Festival | United States | 2004 | ||||
| Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival |  Norway | |||||
| OUTeast Film Festival | Canada | 2012 | ||||
| Out in Africa | South Africa | 1994 | ||||
| Out and Loud Pune International Queer Film Festival | Pune | Maharashtra | 2017 | |||
| Out North Queer Film Festival | Canada | 2012 | ||||
| Out on Film | United States | 1987 | ||||
 New Zealand | 1995 | |||||
| Outburst Queer Arts Festival Belfast | United Kingdom | |||||
| United States | 1982 | |||||
| OutfestPerú |  Peru | |||||
| OutLove International Film Festival | United States | 2020 | ||||
| Outview Film Festival |  Greece | 2007 | ||||
| Paris Lesbian and Feminist Film Festival | Paris | France | France | 1989 | Women-only film festival featuring films by and about lesbians and feminism | |
| Pink Life QueerFest |  Turkey | |||||
| Philadelphia QFest | United States | 1996 | ||||
| Pink Apple |  Switzerland | 1997 | ||||
| Pink Lobster Film Festival | New Brunswick | Canada | 2017 | |||
| Pink Screens |  Belgium | 2002 | ||||
| Pride International Film Festival |  Philippines | 2004 | Films specialising in HIV and AIDS awareness | |||
| Puerto Rico Queer Filmfest | United States | |||||
| Q! Film Festival | Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) |  Indonesia | 2002 | Asia's largest LGBT film festival,[17] and the first in a predominantly Muslim country.[18] It was established in 2002 and closed in early 2017. | ||
| QFest | United States | 1997 | ||||
| Queer City Cinema | Canada | 1996 | ||||
| Queer Film Festival | Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Fürstenwalde, Halle (Saale), Leipzig, Magdeburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart & Vienna | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Vienna | Germany Austria | [19] | ||
| Queer Film Festival Oldenburg | Oldenburg | Niedersachsen | Germany | 2010 | ||
| Queer Kampala International Film Festival |  Uganda | |||||
| Queer Lisboa International Queer Film Festival |  Portugal | 1997 | ||||
| Queer Media Festival | United Kingdom | |||||
| Queer North Film Festival | Canada | 2016 | ||||
| QUEER-Streifen Regensburg | Regensburg | Bavaria | Germany | 2012 | ||
| Queer Vision Film Festival | Bristol | South West England | United Kingdom | |||
| Queer Voices: NYC Film Festival | New York City | New York | United States | 2023 | Queer Voices: NYC is focused on centering and celebrating LGBTQIA+ filmmakers of color. | |
| Queersicht | Switzerland | 1997 | ||||
| Rainbow Film Festival | United States | 1989 | ||||
| Rainbow Film Festival | Shrewsbury | Shropshire | United Kingdom | |||
| Rainbow Reel Tokyo | Japan | 1992 | 'Rainbow Reel Tokyo' is the official new name for the 'Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival' (since 2016). | |||
| Rainbow Reels Queer and Trans Film Festival | Canada | |||||
| Rainbow Visions Film Festival | Canada | 2015 | ||||
| Reel Affirmations | United States | 1991 | ||||
| Reel Out Charlotte | Charlotte | North Carolina | United States | 2008 | 'Reel Out Charlotte' is the new name for 'GayCharlotte Film Festival' (since 2018). | |
| Reel Pride | Canada | 1985 | ||||
| Reel Pride | Fresno | California | United States | 1989 | ||
| Reelout Queer Film Festival | Canada | 1999 | ||||
| Reeling | United States | 1981 | ||||
| Rio LGBTQIA+ Festival Internacional de Cinema | Brazil | 1995 | Originally known as Rio Festival Gay de Cinema, the festival adopted its new name in 2016. Rio LGBTQIA+ Film Festival is the new title of the festival. | |||
| RO Q DOC | Romania | |||||
| Roze Filmdagen |  Netherlands | 1996 | ||||
| San Francisco Transgender Film Festival | United States | 1997[20] | Originally named 'Tranny Fest' | |||
| Santo Domingo Outfest | 2010 | |||||
| Screened Out | Cablecast film festival | Nationwide cablecast | United States | 2007 only | ||
| SQIFF | Glasgow | Scotland | United Kingdom | 2015 | ||
| Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival | United States | 1996 | ||||
| Shanghai Queer Film Festival | Shanghai (municipality) | China | 2017 | New LGBT film festival, run by volunteers and as a not-for-profit community event;[21] opened in September 2017 | ||
| ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival | Shanghai (municipality) | China | 2015 | Originated from ShanghaiPRIDE film screening nights in collaboration with Beijing Queer Film Festival.[22] | ||
| Sicilia Queer filmfest | Italy | 2010 | International & New Visions filmfest | |||
| Side by Side | Saint Petersburg ('Federal Subject') | 2008 | ||||
| Slovak Queer Film Festival |  Slovakia | |||||
| Sunny Bunny |  Ukraine | 2023 | First Ukrainian LGBT film festival, expansion of an existing program within Kyiv International Film Festival "Molodist"[23] | |||
| Taiwan International Queer Film Festival | (R.O.C) | 2014 | ||||
| Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival | United States | 1989 | ||||
| Tels Quel Festival | Belgium | |||||
| Thessaloniki International G.L.A.D. Film Festival (LGBTI+) | Thessaloniki | 1998 | ||||
| TLVFest | Israel | 2006 | ||||
| Toronto Queer Film Festival | Canada | 2016 | ||||
| TranScreen Filmfestival Amsterdam | Netherlands | Netherlands | 2011 | |||
| Transition International Queer Minorities Film Festival | Austria | |||||
| Seattle | Washington | United States | 2006 | Films by, for, and about transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse people and the issues facing the community | ||
| Vancouver Queer Film Festival | Canada | 1988 | ||||
| Vinokino | Southwest Finland (or 'Finland Proper') and Uusimaa (or 'Nyland') |  Finland | 1991 | |||
| Way OUT West Film Fest | United States | 2003 | ||||
| Wicked Queer | United States | 1984 | Formerly known as the Boston LGBT Film Festival[24] | |||
| West Pride | Sweden | 2007 | ||||
| XPOSED Queer Film Festival | Germany | |||||
| Zinegoak | Bilbao | 2004 | ||||