Ahead of the Curve

In celebration of San Francisco Pride Weekend, Frameline has announced it will host its virtual Frameline44 Pride Showcase taking place from Thursday, June 25 through Sunday, June 28, 2020. Presented in partnership with the Castro Theatre, this four-day virtual event includes a sneak preview of the highly-anticipated new documentary Ahead of the Curve, as well as the return of perennial favorites Fun in Boys Shorts, Fun in Girls Shorts, and Transtastic short film programs, a raucous showcase of the finest in short films. A special screening of Ahead of the Curve will also take place at the West Wind Drive-In Theater in Concord. The full programming lineup for Frameline44 will be announced Wednesday, June 3, and tickets will be on sale at www.frameline.org beginning Thursday, June 4.

“While we continue to make plans for a larger festival in the Fall, we will not let COVID-19 prevent us from celebrating Pride as we have done each June,” said James Woolley, Frameline Executive Director. “We are working on a wide range of creative programming initiatives that will evoke the powerful community experience of the festival format our audience knows and loves. We can’t wait to join in the celebration with four days of inspiring queer cinema.”

Directed by Jen Rainin, Ahead of the Curve is the story of one of the most influential women in lesbian history most people have never heard of and the impact her work continues to have today. Growing up, Franco Stevens never saw any representation of queer women—she didn’t even know it was possible for a woman to be gay. When she realized she was a lesbian, it changed the course of her life. In 1990, Franco created a safe place for lesbians in the form of Curve magazine and helped build a foundation for many of today’s intersectional movements. Ahead of the Curve depicts what happens when Franco, faced with the imminent demise of her magazine bearing down, turns to young, queer activists to determine how best to support her community in the face of accelerating threats to the LGBTQ community now. Ahead of the Curve will be shown online as well as at the West Wind Solano Drive-In Theater in Concord, California (1611 Solano Way, Concord, CA) during the showcase. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

“In this moment, so many wonderful films that were set for their festival premieres this year are stuck in limbo. Ahead of the Curve is taking a page from Franco Stevens’ playbook and engaging with the community to celebrate our lineage and our future. We are thrilled to partner with Frameline to share this sneak peek during the 50th anniversary of Pride,” said Rainin.

Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline’s integrated programs connect filmmakers and audiences in San Francisco and around the globe. Frameline provides critical funding for emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers, reaches hundreds of thousands with a collection of over 250 films distributed worldwide, inspires thousands of students in schools across the nation with free films and curricula through Youth in Motion, and creates an international stage for the world’s best LGBTQ+ film through the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and additional year-round screenings and cinematic events. For more information on Frameline, visit www.frameline.org.