About Us

PORTLAND LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL
ABOUT US
About Us Through a partnership with Film Action Oregon, The Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival is a non-profit arts group that annually showcases feature, documentary and short films from all over the world that are made by, about or of interest to the lesbian, gay, bi and trans community.
History The Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (PLGFF) has been in existence in various forms since the early '90s. Its current incarnation took shape in 1996 when Tom Raineri of Cinema 21 recruited Amy Duddleston and Darla Moyer-Sims to take over what was then called Oregon Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. Amy and Darla produced their first festival in September of 1997 at Cinema 21. Celia Lyon, a local real estate agent, was the festival's first local sponsor who, along with a handful of excited financial donors, helped get the festival off the ground. Amy and Darla moved on after the first festival leaving the festival in the capable hands of Debbie Caselton and Maura King. Again, collaborating with Cinema 21, Debbie and Maura worked intensely with their all-volunteer based group to present the Second Annual Portland LGBT Film Festival, which took place in September of 1998. Word was out about the success of the prior Festival. Dozens of filmmakers submitted films from all over the world. Absolut Vodka also approached the group, becoming the first major corporate sponsor. The festival also secured the support of David DeCoteau, director of Leather Jacket Love Story. With the financial help of Absolut, David DeCoteau, and Celia Lyon, the Festival was able to program films like the critically acclaimed The Brandon Teena Story, and the Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, Steam. The Third Annual Portland LGBT Film Festival was a powerful and important year for the LGBT community. The festival began with a sold out screening of Bedroom & Hallways, directed by Rose Troche (Go Fish). Another highlight was the world premiere of Journey to a Hate Free Millennium (a documentary about hate crimes, including Matthew Shepard). Dennis Shepard, Matthew's father, was in attendance to speak about the film. Following the film was a forum, which included the film's director, John Dye, along with local politicians and religious leaders. The forum brought the audience to its feet. The festival closed with Boys Don't Cry. The film went on to win Oscar and Golden Globe awards. In 2000, the core group of volunteers, Maura King, Debbie Caselton, John Campos, and Gabriel Mendoza, organized The Fourth Annual Portland LGBT Festival at Cinema 21. Held over two consecutive weekends, the Festival opened with a huge party at The Gypsy sponsored by Absolut Vodka. The opening night films, What's Cooking? and The Broken Hearts Club, got rave reviews from the sold-out audiences. Aimee & Jaguar, Urbania, Chutney Popcorn, and Gypsy Boys, were a huge success, along with sold out screeening of Margaret Cho's I'm The One That I Want, which closed the festival. The tradition continued in 2001, but this time for nine consecutive days. Opening The Fifth Annual Portland LGBT Film Festival, were the successful Monkey's Mask and All Over the Guy. Big stars such as, Courtney Love and Lilli Taylor starred in the captivating film Julie Johnson, and Arye Gross starred in Big Eden (which won the C1TV Audience Award for 2001). The haunting films Come Undone and L.I.E., and must-see documentaries such as, Trembling Before God, and Southern Comfort, helped make the festival an outstanding one. The festival closed with a sold out screening of the hilarious Iron Ladies. After the successful 2001 season, Festival Director, Maura King, moved on to a career at Frameline in San Francisco. In 2002 Portland LGBT Film Festival, incorporated as a non-profit organization Sensory Perceptions with John Campos as Executive Director, Gabriel Mendoza as Artistic Director, and Debbie Caselton as Development Director. The Sixth Annual Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, included eight short film programs and many significant documentaries such as, Daddy and Papa, Georgie Girl, Some Real Heat, Beyond Vanilla, and Ke Kahuna He Mahu. New in 2002 were three Audience Awards and the inaugural New Directors Showcase Award. Selected by the votes of Festival attendees, The Audience Award for Best Feature went to Km. 0 (Kilometer 0), the Spanish sex comedy co-directed by Yolanda Garcia Serrano and Juan Luis Iborra. The Audience Award for Best Documentary went to Daddy and Papa, a film about the experiences gay male couples have adopting and raising children in the USA. The Audience Award for Best Short went to You 2, a coming of age film about a Surinamese girl dealing with her sexuality. For the New Directors Showcase, festival programmers selected films by first or second time directors that show an emerging talent for filmmaking. The films were selected based on their uniqueness of voice or style, quality of narrative, and overall craftsmanship. The winning feature of the First Annual New Directors Showcase was Happy Birthday, Yen Tan's quiet, sensitive black and white film about five people in crisis, all of whom share the same birthday. The winning short was The Parlor, a clever look at human interaction in the high-tech age. The First Annual New Directors Showcase was juried by Lisa Bradshaw, arts and entertainment editor of Just Out newsmagazine; Byrd McDonald, a Portland producer and filmmaker; Mike Broder, a Florida-based distributor and consultant; and Roger Paulson, art film booker for Regal Cinemas. The winning feature received a $500 cash prize and the winning short received $250. Highlights of the Festival included, P.S. Your Cat Is Dead with director Steve Guttenberg in attendance, Francois Ozon's 8 Women, and Far From Heaven, which closed the festival, with director Todd Haynes in attendance. Over the years, The Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival has continued to grow and evolve. In 2007, PLGFF formed a partnership with Film Action Oregon. 2008 marks the festival's 12th anniversary and runs September 26 - October 5 at Cinema 21.


BACK

History

The Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (PLGFF) has been in existence in various forms since the early '90s. Its current incarnation took shape in 1996 when Tom Raineri of Cinema 21 recruited Amy Duddleston and Darla Moyer-Sims to take over what was then called Oregon Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. Amy and Darla produced their first festival in September of 1997 at Cinema 21. Celia Lyon, a local real estate agent, was the festival's first local sponsor who, along with a handful of excited financial donors, helped get the festival off the ground.

Amy and Darla moved on after the first festival leaving the festival in the capable hands of Debbie Caselton and Maura King. Again, collaborating with Cinema 21, Debbie and Maura worked intensely with their all-volunteer based group to present the Second Annual Portland LGBT Film Festival, which took place in September of 1998. Word was out about the success of the prior Festival. Dozens of filmmakers submitted films from all over the world. Absolut Vodka also approached the group, becoming the first major corporate sponsor. The festival also secured the support of David DeCoteau, director of Leather Jacket Love Story.

With the financial help of Absolut, David DeCoteau, and Celia Lyon, the Festival was able to program films like the critically acclaimed The Brandon Teena Story, and the Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, Steam.

The Third Annual Portland LGBT Film Festival was a powerful and important year for the LGBT community. The festival began with a sold out screening of Bedroom & Hallways, directed by Rose Troche (Go Fish). Another highlight was the world premiere of Journey to a Hate Free Millennium (a documentary about hate crimes, including Matthew Shepard). Dennis Shepard, Matthew's father, was in attendance to speak about the film. Following the film was a forum, which included the film's director, John Dye, along with local politicians and religious leaders. The forum brought the audience to its feet. The festival closed with Boys Don't Cry. The film went on to win Oscar and Golden Globe awards.

In 2000, the core group of volunteers, Maura King, Debbie Caselton, John Campos, and Gabriel Mendoza, organized The Fourth Annual Portland LGBT Festival at Cinema 21. Held over two consecutive weekends, the Festival opened with a huge party at The Gypsy sponsored by Absolut Vodka. The opening night films, What's Cooking? and The Broken Hearts Club, got rave reviews from the sold-out audiences. Aimee & Jaguar, Urbania, Chutney Popcorn, and Gypsy Boys, were a huge success, along with sold out screeening of Margaret Cho's I'm The One That I Want, which closed the festival.

The tradition continued in 2001, but this time for nine consecutive days. Opening The Fifth Annual Portland LGBT Film Festival, were the successful Monkey's Mask and All Over the Guy. Big stars such as, Courtney Love and Lilli Taylor starred in the captivating film Julie Johnson, and Arye Gross starred in Big Eden (which won the C1TV Audience Award for 2001). The haunting films Come Undone and L.I.E., and must-see documentaries such as, Trembling Before God, and Southern Comfort, helped make the festival an outstanding one. The festival closed with a sold out screening of the hilarious Iron Ladies. After the successful 2001 season, Festival Director, Maura King, moved on to a career at Frameline in San Francisco.

In 2002 Portland LGBT Film Festival, incorporated as a non-profit organization Sensory Perceptions with John Campos as Executive Director, Gabriel Mendoza as Artistic Director, and Debbie Caselton as Development Director. The Sixth Annual Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, included eight short film programs and many significant documentaries such as, Daddy and Papa, Georgie Girl, Some Real Heat, Beyond Vanilla, and Ke Kahuna He Mahu. New in 2002 were three Audience Awards and the inaugural New Directors Showcase Award.

Selected by the votes of Festival attendees, The Audience Award for Best Feature went to Km. 0 (Kilometer 0), the Spanish sex comedy co-directed by Yolanda Garcia Serrano and Juan Luis Iborra. The Audience Award for Best Documentary went to Daddy and Papa, a film about the experiences gay male couples have adopting and raising children in the USA. The Audience Award for Best Short went to You 2, a coming of age film about a Surinamese girl dealing with her sexuality.

For the New Directors Showcase, festival programmers selected films by first or second time directors that show an emerging talent for filmmaking. The films were selected based on their uniqueness of voice or style, quality of narrative, and overall craftsmanship. The winning feature of the First Annual New Directors Showcase was Happy Birthday, Yen Tan's quiet, sensitive black and white film about five people in crisis, all of whom share the same birthday. The winning short was The Parlor, a clever look at human interaction in the high-tech age.

The First Annual New Directors Showcase was juried by Lisa Bradshaw, arts and entertainment editor of Just Out newsmagazine; Byrd McDonald, a Portland producer and filmmaker; Mike Broder, a Florida-based distributor and consultant; and Roger Paulson, art film booker for Regal Cinemas. The winning feature received a $500 cash prize and the winning short received $250.

Highlights of the Festival included, P.S. Your Cat Is Dead with director Steve Guttenberg in attendance, Francois Ozon's 8 Women, and Far From Heaven, which closed the festival, with director Todd Haynes in attendance.

Over the years, The Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival has continued to grow and evolve. In 2007, PLGFF formed a partnership with Film Action Oregon. 2008 marks the festival's 12th anniversary and runs September 26 - October 5 at Cinema 21.