Frameline49, San Francisco’s LGBT Film Festival, Is Back This June
Frameline49 will host the California premiere of ‘Heightened Scrutiny,’ starring Elliot Page and Laverne Cox.
Calling all queer film lovers and creators! Frameline, the longest-running nonprofit for LGBTQ+ film, announced it will host the 49th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival (Frameline49) from June 18-28.
Kicking off the festival during Pride Month, the first Friday film will be the premiere of Heightened Scrutiny, directed by Sam Feder, which follows Chase Strangio, the first transgender lawyer to argue before the Supreme Court, highlighting the fight for trans rights. The film also features appearances from activist and Oscar-nominated actor Elliot Page, Emmy winner and activist Laverne Cox, drag queen and activist Miss Peppermint, and journalist Phillip Picardi.
When purchasing a ticket for Heightened Scrutiny, you can participate in Frameline’s Pay-It-Forward Initiative, which allows members of the queer community and allies to cover the ticket cost for trans and nonbinary attendees. This history-making initiative ensures that no member of the gender-expansive community will have to pay to watch the film or to be in community. Trans and nonbinary people planning to attend must reserve a space by selecting the complimentary ticket option in the checkout process, where you would purchase tickets on the website.
“We’re asking our audience and allies to show up and take real, tangible action,” said Allegra Madison, Frameline’s Executive Director in a release statement. “Paired with the First Friday Party, Heightened Scrutiny really captures the spirit of Frameline49 by centering on both queer resilience and joy. With resources and support for LGBTQ+ people drying up, it’s time for queer people to show up for each other and, in particular, trans folks. When I think of using the past as a roadmap for navigating the challenges ahead, it’s clear that community care, in all its forms, is the answer.”
The festival will pay tribute to the recipients of the 2025 Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grant. The 2025 winners, Remi Gabriel for Barbie Boy and Carmela Murphy and AJ Dubler for A Bird Hit My Window and Now I’m a Lesbian, will have their films screened at the Frameline49 festival.
The festival has also collaborated with CAFILM, which will host a series of Frameline49 film screenings in the North Bay from June 13-15. The CAFILM Pride picks are Outerlands, Four Mothers, Dreamers, The Nature of Invisible Things, and In The Best Interests of the Children. And with a partnership with NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ+ film festival, they will present Sophie Hyde’s Sundance hit, Jimpa.
Stay updated on the nonprofit’s website for the full festival lineup and schedule that will be announced soon. In the meantime, get excited for a roster of the latest groundbreaking LGBTQ+ films and media.
