Frameline

We champion queer stories. You make it possible.

Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is threatening our communities now more than ever. 2021 saw a record 191 proposed anti-LGBTQ+ bills, and there were 238 such bills in just the first three months of 2022—nearly three per day.

For almost half a century, Frameline has been on the frontlines of the queer liberation movement, uplifting LGBTQ+ stories to each other and to our allies. We are grateful to our donors for sustaining all of our democracy-building programs, including Youth in Motion, Frameline Distribution, Frameline Encore, Frameline Voices, and Frameline Completion Fund.

We know that queer film changes hearts and minds. While much progress has been achieved, much remains ahead. Please consider a generous, tax-deductible gift today to ensure Frameline’s continued liberation of LGBTQ+ voices—for current and future generations.

"On the heels of the 2020s, there continues to be an urgent need for LGBTQ+ films and filmmakers to have institutional forms of support to get our work funded, exhibited and distributed. Frameline has been that go-to institution for us for over 40 years. We need to make sure that Frameline continues to thrive and remain vital for an entirely new generation of LGBTQ+ filmmakers and audiences." ~ Cheryl Dunye, Liberian-American film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, and actress

Who we are—and always have been.

Frameline's mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts charitable nonprofit, Frameline connects LGBTQ+ filmmakers to broad audiences in the Bay Area and around the world:

• Exhibition. Founded in 1977, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival ("Frameline") is the longest-running, largest and most widely recognized LGBTQ+ film exhibition event in the world.
• Distribution. Established in 1981, Frameline Distribution is the only nonprofit distributor that solely caters to LGBTQ+ film. In 2008, we launched Youth in Motion, a program that provides free LGBTQ+ films and curriculum resources to middle and high schools in all 50 states.
• Filmmaker Support. Since 1990, more than 150 films and videos have been completed with assistance from the Frameline Completion Fund. Once completed, these films often go on to receive international exposure.