Houston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

The Houston Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (HGLFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the media arts as a powerful tool for communication and cooperation among diverse communities by presenting films, videos, and programs by, about, or of interest to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community.

History of the Houston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Organizations closely associated with movies helped garnish the first HGLFF in 1997. The HGLFF does not use a curator; instead, each venue books its own films from submissions and projects they pursue independently. An advisory board facilitates organization of the films and events - an undertaking that begins almost a year in advance. Striving to make the Festival accessible to the entire population of the greater Houston area, the two-week festival has screenings at Landmark Theatres, Angelika Film Center, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Rice Cinema (at Rice University), DiverseWorks Art Space, and Aurora Picture Show.

Outreach and educational programming
In addition to showing feature films, documentaries, and short videos, the Festival hosts a series of panel discussions, public forums, and other special events in conjunction with screenings to examine such topics as hate crimes; the Media's Influence on Homosexual Perception; and the unique way in which Houston’s gay and lesbian community has developed over the last few decades.

Board of directors
2005 9th Annual Houston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Board of Directors: Margaret Zigman, President; Ernie Manouse, Vice President, PR/Marketing; Stephanie Atwood, Treasurer; D.L. Murphy, Festival Administrator/Secretary; Sixto Wagan, Programming Committee Chair; Ray Ramirez, PR/Marketing Committee Chair; Blasé DeStefano, at-large member

Past screenings
Director: Jeremy Simmons
 * TransGeneration (2005)

Director: Angela Robinson
 * D.E.B.S. (2004)

Director: Lionel Baier
 * Garcon stupide (2004)

Director: John Waters
 * Pink Flamingos (1972)

Director: Todd Stephens
 * Gypsy 83 (2001)

Director: Stanley Kwan
 * Lan Yu (2001)

Director: Robert Lee King
 * Psycho Beach Party (2000)

Director: Mark Robson
 * Valley of the Dolls (1966)