by Kevin Sparrow

In 1981, few films exploring queer themes had broken through to the mainstream. The exploitation flicks produced by Andy Warhol in the ‘70s were the purview of the high-art crowd, and directors like William Friedkin who were willing to tackle queer subject matter were alternately pioneering (The Boys in the Band) and frustratingly moralistic (Cruising). Amidst a burgeoning underground queer film scene, Chicago’s Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival began at Chicago Filmmakers, playing to a small but devoted crowd that has seen tremendous growth over the last 27 years.

To that end, Chicago Filmmakers’ Executive Director Brenda Webb sees Reeling as “the marriage of culture and community. We see this as an opportunity to reach out to new audiences that may not be on our radar.” Reeling reaches out to communities across Chicagoland with programming aimed at diverse viewers. A co-presenter program that works with local community groups, such as Asians and Friends, meshes with sponsorship organizations, like the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, to foster cultural diversity at all levels. Representations of Black, Latino and Asian lifestyles are a refreshing focus at Reeling. “You can see how significant that representation is for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of color who are not represented well in mainstream media,” says Webb.

While filmmakers from across the globe commit their personal stories to the festival to create a compelling tableau, this year’s theme is “All American Queer.” Traditionally, Reeling is held on the first Thursday of November, which means it has been preceded by many elections in its history. Following the election results of November 4th, many at the festival have responded that they “feel proud to be Americans.” This year’s festival features more American-made films than previous years, including a feature documentary from Chicago, Just as We Are, and two native short films—Dolls and Trophy—playing in the shorts programs. Submissions for a music video category were included this year for the first time, and the festival is also featuring the music program “Rock Reeling” in order to “try to reach out to new audiences and recognize that queer music is a burgeoning field,” according to Webb.

Starting at its roots as a venue for media-hungry queer audiences and building to a weeklong event that inspires numerous communities, Reeling shows no signs of slowing. Its history proves that this boutique festival has something to offer everyone.

The 27th Annual Reeling Film Festival is currently ongoing until Sunday, November 16th, with the closing night presentation of documentary Eleven Minutes. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ReelingFilmFestival.org.