History

The Boston Gay & Lesbian Film Festival was started in the early 1980s by local film curator and theater owner George Mansour.

We date the official start of the festival to 1984, though gay film series were put on in the city a few years before that.

Advertisements for early festivals appearing in Gay Community News:

The festival has taken place at many venues around the city over the years, including the old Nickelodeon, the Somerville Theater, the ICA, and, for the past nearly 20 years, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

We are working with The History Project to put together a history of the festival. Their article will be published in our program this year.

In the meantime, what is your favorite film from the past 26 years?
Tell us on the blog.