May 17, 2012 – Chicago, IL Chicago Filmmakers, the not-for-profit media arts organization that produces Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival, is announcing that the festival will go on hiatus in 2012, with plans for the festival to return in 2013 stronger than ever.
The second oldest LGBT film festival in the world, Reeling marked a milestone with its 30th anniversary festival in 2011. Chicago Filmmakers is proud of the festival’s achievements over these past 30 years and is committed to continuing the festival in the years to come.
Time off from producing Reeling this year will afford the organization the opportunity to strategically plan for Reeling’s future. CF will undertake such considerations as: a change in the time of year that the festival takes place; how the festival might expand or evolve to better address the changing needs of LGBT filmmakers; and what impact the conversion to digital cinema technology will have on our exhibition options. This kind of strategic planning has been difficult to achieve while maintaining the production timeline for the festival each year.
Chicago Filmmakers will also be using this time to conduct a national search for a new Festival Director in order to allow festival founder and director, Brenda Webb, to devote her full attention to her primary position as Executive Director of Chicago Filmmakers. To that end, Chicago Filmmakers’ board will be focusing its attention on fundraising over the next year in order to support this new staff position, as well as to develop the resources necessary to sustain and grow the festival in the coming years.
We welcome feedback from the public on how they would like to support or be engaged with Reeling. We encourage those who would like to be involved with Reeling as a donor, sponsor, advisor, volunteer, or fundraising committee member to contact us at reeling@chicagofilmmakers.org. Or, please email us if you have general comments or suggestions for Reeling’s future development.
Chicago Filmmakers looks forward to Reeling’s return in 2013 with the resources and renewed vision necessary to build upon the success of past festivals with a festival that is more vibrant than ever.