We’re delighted to welcome all industry professionals to the 50th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival! An 11-day celebration of queer and trans cinema, Frameline50 will take place in person from June 17–27, 2026 in theaters and venues throughout the Bay Area.

This year, accredited Industry guests will gather with hundreds of other queer film professionals and our allies at Frameline’s first-ever Queer Programmer Summit, followed by an afterparty with Video Store.Age, on Sunday, June 21, and Industry Day on Monday, June 22. Trust Us: You won’t want to miss the original queer film festival’s celebration of five decades of LGBTQ+ cinema!

Please scroll down to the Frameline50 Industry Programming section to learn more about these events — or download this guide to industry programming at Frameline50:

The Frameline50 Print Source List can be downloaded here:

Frameline50 Industry Accreditation is now closed. Please reach out and we’ll try our best to accommodate late requests.

• Onsite, day-of entry to all Festival screenings, excluding sold-out shows. Please stop by an onsite Box Office and show your badge to receive a complimentary ticket. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR ENTRY; YOUR BADGE IS NOT A TICKET.
• Ability to request up to one (x1) ticket to a regularly priced screening in advance per day, using the ticket request form (tickets issued based on availability).
• Ability to request complimentary tickets to each of the Big Nights and parties (tickets issued based on availability).
• Ability to join the Rush Line and, if selected, receive a complimentary ticket with proof of badge to an At-Rush screening (tickets issued based on availability).
• Admittance to Industry Day and Queer Programmer Summit.
• Access and/or invitations to in-person filmmaker events and networking opportunities.
• Entry to the Festival Lounge.

Note: From May 4, 2026 onward, accredited guests must pay standard pricing ($100 per badge).

Fight Me on This | 11 AM—1 PM

Independent film, and queer film especially, is in the midst of an industry-wide restructuring—rattled by the ongoing political backlash following #MeToo, COVID-19, the labor actions of 2023, and a worsening political environment that has seen the wholesale dissolution of DEI programs that elevated queer people into new tax brackets, and something resembling sustainability.

As queer film workers and filmmakers, we are no strangers to uncertainty or threats on our artwork, rights, and bodies. In past eras of fear and oppression, queer filmmakers redefined cinematic language to expand what was possible in film. But we must also be honest with ourselves: the 90s are not coming back.

To celebrate Frameline’s 50 years of changing the world through queer cinema, we invite you to help imagine the next 50 years. At the first-ever Queer Programmers’ Summit, we offer space to propose bold, radical solutions to the problems facing our industry in a program we’re calling “Fight Me on This.”

How It Works

Frameline | frameline.org | San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film FestivalPresent a short, five-minute solution to an issue plaguing our industry and our festivals—either from the list we’ve provided, or choose your own. (That’s about 500–1,000 words—but passionate, off-the-cuff speechifying is equally welcome.)

Following your presentation, there will be five minutes for audience questions that engage with possibility rather than feasibility: how do we restructure our industry to make it more sustainable? After ten thought-provoking presentations, we will come together to discuss these ideas—or just enjoy a drink or a snack. Those are important, too.

2–4:00 PM

Frameline is partnering with Video Store•Age — a new physical media distribution company — to throw a short film MixTape Party at the Frameline50 Festival Hub. Grab a limited edition Frameline50 MixTape Drive loaded with your choice of shorts, support filmmakers, and mix it up with festival goers and industry folks. The party will be DJ’ed by our very own Allegra Madsen (unless she chickens out but she’s been practicing her late-night DJ voice). Come support filmmakers and MIX it up with festival goers and industry folks!

Mix + Mingle | 10 AM

Industry Day opens with a hosted brunch at the Chan National Queer Arts Center. Before the panels begin, filmmakers, programmers, distributors, and industry professionals are invited to eat, drink, and find each other. This is the room where introductions happen, collaborations start, and the conversations that matter most often take place before anyone sits down.

Welcome + Keynote Conversation | 11 AM

The morning culminates in a keynote conversation between Frameline Executive Director Allegra Madsen and filmmaker and cultural icon Lilly Wachowski. As we celebrate this historic anniversary, we must acknowledge that the industry that gave rise to New Queer Cinema is gone and it’s not coming back. But queer film is no stranger to tectonic shifts or inhospitable political landscapes. Together, Madsen and Wachowski will explore how we reimagine a film industry that more broadly reflects our communities and values, and that is sustainable for all who work within it.

SESSION 1 || 12:30—1:30 PM || BREAKOUT ROOMS

Session 1A | Unconventional Distribution: How Queer Filmmakers and Distributors Adapt to a New Landscape | Room 1

As filmmakers and industry come to terms with the shifting realities of distribution, many filmmakers are adapting to the moment with wild and weird (complimentary) distribution strategies to build a grassroots following and industry attention — because at a certain point the industry has to take over if a filmmaker is to sustain a national or international audience. This program features filmmakers who built an unconventional distribution plan (by choice or not) and independent distributors working with queer filmmakers. We want to better understand the adaptations each is making to make space for themselves in a crowded and confusing landscape, and give both the opportunity to understand how they can best serve each other.

• Louise Weard, Director, Castration Movie pts. i-iii
• Elizabeth Purchell, Founder, Muscle Distribution
• Jim Brunzell, Director of Festivals and Theatrical, Dark Star Pictures
• Kathy Susca, Director of Content and Operations, The Film Collaborative
• Naomi Bennett, Founder, Lesflicks
• Vera Drew, Director, The People’s Joker

Session 1B | Who Is a Critic When Everyone Has an Opinion? | Room 2

Film criticism is no longer confined to newspapers and established outlets. With the rise of platforms like FilmTok, Letterboxd, and independent Substacks, a new wave of voices is shaping how audiences discover and engage with film. This panel examines the evolving role of the critic in a space where anyone with a point of view and a following can influence the conversation. Panelists will dig into who audiences trust today and how tastemaking is being redefined across platforms—considering what might be gained or lost as the critical landscape democratizes, and how that shift is changing the way films are discussed, championed, and remembered.

• Alison Foreman, IndieWire
• Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
• Brandon Johnston, Hollywood History

SESSION 2 || 2–3 PM | BREAKOUT ROOMS

Session 2A | Where Is the Money Actually Coming From? | Room 1

As traditional financing avenues continue to tighten, filmmakers are being pushed to think more creatively about where their budgets come from. This panel explores the expanding landscape of alternative funding—moving beyond crowdfunding campaigns and small production companies to uncover less obvious but increasingly viable paths. From private equity and brand partnerships to grants, collectives, and international co-financing, panelists will break down how artists are piecing together support in a shifting industry. The conversation will also focus on how to identify and connect with individuals and organizations that are actively looking to invest in bold, artistic work—with practical strategies for building relationships, pitching outside the usual circles, and sustaining momentum.

• Sanjay Sharma, Founder & CEO, Marginal MediaWorks
• Joe Pirro, Head of Production, Symbolic Exchange

Session 2B | Frameline AMA | Room 2

In spite of Frameline50’s extraordinary line-up of films and industry programming, we begrudgingly acknowledge that there is a possibility that you might still have questions about queer film and the industry. Chances are good that someone in the Frameline community has the answers. That’s why we’re presenting FramelineAMA. Submit questions anonymously on a note card at the beginning of the program. Each participant will have 5 minutes to answer the questions chosen for them. In the second half, participants will come together as a group to respond to each other’s answers and the questions that were asked.

• Allegra Madsen, Frameline Executive Director
• Anthony Jiwa, OutTV
• Turney Hay, Divergent PR / Reach Global Events
• Pétala Lopes & Ana Squilanti, Filmmakers, Communion
• Valter Pereira, Filmmaker, The Pleasure Dome