Chicago’s Reeling fest: The second-oldest LGBTQ+ film showcase in America looks to a new era
Published by Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — In April 1981, a year before “Making Love” and “Personal Best” ventured, cautiously, into the realm of mainstream studio dramas involving queer and bisexual characters, Chicago Filmmakers executive director Brenda Webb launched a festival known as Reeling. By most accounts, it’s the second-oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in the U.S., […]
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — In April 1981, a year before “Making Love” and “Personal Best” ventured, cautiously, into the realm of mainstream studio dramas involving queer and bisexual characters, Chicago Filmmakers executive director Brenda Webb launched a festival known as Reeling. By most accounts, it’s the second-oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in the U.S., after San Francisco’s, which began in 1977. At that time, Webb says, “mainstream films portrayed homosexuality in either a negative or basically pathetic light. Everyone was a victim. You always knew the gay character was going to die. The stereotypical impr…
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