Sundance Film Festival held its third annual “Cheers, Queers” event on Jan. 23, presented in partnership with Acura and co-hosted by IMDbPro.
The event was hosted by GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, and two prominent LGBTQ film festivals: Frameline, an arts media nonprofit which hosts the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, and NewFest, the largest queer film festival in the United States.
“Cheers, Queers” started as a continuation of Sundance’s Queer Brunch tradition, which began 30 years ago to celebrate queer storytelling in cinema and queer filmmakers. This year, on the occasion of the festival’s final year in Park City, Utah, it was MC’ed by Ryan Mitchell and featured hosts David Hatkoff from NewFest, Allegra Madsen from Frameline and Alex Schmider from GLAAD. Like the original Queer Brunch, this event provides a space for community members — filmmakers, industry leaders and audiences — to connect with one another and share authentic LGBTQ narratives in film.
“At a time when our community, our stories, and our ability to freely and safely exist are under siege, we remain steadfast in our commitment to artists, and the promise of changing culture through our stories,” Frameline, GLAAD and NewFest said in a joint statement about the event. “As Sundance moves from Park City, it was important for us to honor the legacy of LGBTQ storytellers who have indelibly shaped this festival, and toast the next generation who will keep championing our stories and futures forward.”
Programming for the event included participants from Sundance’s The Solidarity House, a collaborative activation made up of cultural organizations including Seed&Spark, The Transgender Film Center and the Center for Cultural Power, and its Impact Lounge, a curated space for thought leaders in film. The panel discussions for “Cheers, Queers” were moderated by Andria Wilson Mirza, and included special appearances from Sundance Film Festival director Eugene Hernandez, “Freakier Friday” director Nisha Ganatra and Ryan White, director of “Come See Me In The Good Light.”
Activists and LGBTQ filmmakers including “Barbara Forever” director Brydie O’Connor and “Paris is Burning” director Jennie Livingston spoke on a panel about their personal memories and visions for the future of the industry. The panel “The New & Next Queer Cinema: A Conversation with Queer Icons of Then and Now” included Christine Vachon and Cheryl Dunye, two filmmakers who shaped the New Queer Cinema movement. Their conversation was followed by a discussion between emerging filmmakers including Jamie Kiernan O’Brien, Nik Dodani and Paloma Schneideman about building on the legacy of New Queer Cinema.
This year, Sundance reports that 21 of its 90 feature films curated for the festival were directed by one or more LGBTQ filmmakers. For more information about “Cheers, Queers,” visit GLAAD’s website.
(Feature photo courtesy of Getty for GLAAD)
