EXTRA! EXTRA! The Power and Pitfalls of LGBTQ+ Publications

Description

As we get ready to celebrate the premiere of Ahead of the Curve—a feature documenting the rise of the best-selling lesbian lifestyle magazine ever published—our panel will explore the place of LGBTQ+ publications in the media landscape and LGBTQ+ culture itself.

 Panelists:

• Martha Pontoni, Publisher, Gay People’s Chronicle
• Jose Rodriguez, Publisher, Outlook Magazine
• Moderated by: Ken Schneck, Editor, The Buckeye Flame

 Brought to you by Plexus LGBT & Allied Chamber of Commerce and The Buckeye Flame

About the Film: For the first 20 years of her life, Franco Stevens didn’t know lesbians existed, let alone that she herself was one. After coming out, she dove into San Francisco’s queer scene, but quickly noticed a lack of genuine lesbian media representation. Armed with maxed-out credit cards, cash from a lucky gambling streak, and a determination to increase her community’s visibility, in 1990 Stevens and a team of enthusiastic volunteers launched Curve (fka Deneuve), the first lesbian lifestyle magazine. With beautiful pictures and in-depth features that showed the vast diversity of lesbians, a three-issue project became a major publication and safe space for queer women everywhere. Decades later, the magazine’s future remains uncertain in the face of diminishing print media and our ever-expanding understanding of gender and sexuality. To preserve Curve’s legacy, Stevens must turn to today’s queer activists. Featuring interviews with Melissa Etheridge, Lea DeLaria, and Stevens herself, AHEAD OF THE CURVE is a hopeful and lively documentary that honors lesbian culture and community while looking forward to an inclusive, queer future.

This year's Cleveland International Film Festival will showcase 116 feature films and 182 short films during its extended 14-day run. Most films in this year’s lineup will be accessible nationwide, and they will be available on-demand, on a first-come, first served basis. Be sure to continue to check for program updates between now and April 20th.