Local and national filmmakers and movie lovers came together in Philadelphia earlier this month for the annual LGBT film festival, which this year saw several important successes.
The 16th annual QFest enjoyed a boost in the number of films showcased, as well as the number of people who filled the seats, during the 12-day festival.
QFest, now in its second year under its new name, highlighted 125 LGBT-themed films, an increase of about 25 flicks from last year’s festival.
Ray Murray, artistic director of the Philadelphia Cinema Alliance, which stages the annual event, said the festival also saw a 10-percent increase in attendance over last year, with 18,160 tickets sold and 25 of the films selling out.
This year, QFest also sold 118 badges and 3,000 passes, an increase from last year’s 91 and 2,600, respectively.
Last summer’s festival was shown at The Prince Music Theater in Center City and Ritz East in Old City, but festival organizers decided this year to screen all of the films in Old City, with movies shown at Ritz East and Ritz at the Bourse.
Murray said that while the move was an adjustment, it ultimately was a welcomed one.
“People ended up loving being able to walk across the lobby or walking two blocks instead of up and down Broad Street. But we did miss the drama and the theatricality of the Prince,” Murray said, noting that special guests like Mayor Nutter and actors Kelly McGillis and Wendie Malick had to wait in the parking garage at the Ritz, instead of the green room like they would have had at the Prince, before their appearances. “It did lack a little in the professional presentation in that way, but other than that, people seemed to have no qualms about moving over to Old City. And it was really nice walking around Old City and seeing all these same-sex couples walking around holding hands. I work in this area and I don’t get to see that that often here.”
Murray added that the audiences this year tended toward the comedies, although dramas like “Eyes Wide Open” and “The Owls” were also big hits.
“Films like ‘You Can’t Have It All,’ ‘Is It Just Me?’ ‘BearCity’ and ‘Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!’ were all fun little gay comedies and they did really well,” he said. “I think the heat may have had something to do with people skewing toward the comedies and wanting something light and fun.”
Audience members cast their votes for the best of the best throughout the festival, with the winners announced at the closing-night festivities July 19.
Winners include “You Can’t Curry Love” and “Bedfellows” for Best Short Film; “Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement” for Best Documentary Feature; “Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!” for Best Feature Comedy; and “The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister” for Best Feature Film.
A jury of film aficionados also picked their favorites in the Jury Awards: “Edie & Thea” for Best Documentary, “My Name Is Love” and “Evelyn Everyone” for Best Short Film, “Undertow” for Best Feature Film and Javier Fuentes-León for Best Director for his work on “Undertow.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].