With both online and in-person screenings, Frameline's 45th annual LGBTQ International Film Festival welcomed 89,000 attendees who watched films at home, at drive-in theaters, and at both the Roxie and re-opened Castro theaters. The 18-day festival included 134 film screenings and 16 world premieres.
The hybrid festival provided both in-person and virtual offerings, a series of thought-provoking talks. The festival expanded its viewership by streaming films nationally for the first time, with viewers in 45 states enjoying the selection of movies.
Size isn't everything, but for fun scale, Frameline45 produced their largest-ever screenings of In the Heights and Everybody's Talking About Jamie, both presented in partnership with SF Pride and the SF Giants on the 10,000 square foot jumbotron at Oracle Park.
After a 15-month hiatus, the re-opening of the Castro Theatre was a highlight. Alongside David Hegarty's fabled organ performances, the standing ovations at Castro Theatre screenings signaled a return to cultural events missed over the past year.
Awards were given to several films. Outstanding First Feature (selected by the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle) was Milkwater, directed by Morgan Ingari. Jury Honorable Mentions included Firebird, directed by Peeter Rebane, and Language Lessons, directed by Natalie Morales.
The Audience Award for Best Feature was given to Lola (Lola vers la mer), directed by Laurent Micheli. The Audience Award for Best Documentary went to Invisible, directed by T.J. Parsell. The Audience Award for Best Short went to Sheer Qorma, directed by Faraz Arif Ansari.
Find out about these and more films, including continued online screenings, and the upcoming Fall Festival, at www.frameline.org
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