Frameline, the world’s longest-running and largest showcase of queer cinema, is pleased to announce its first slate of high-profile programs and pre-sales for member tickets to the Opening, Closing, and Centerpiece films at Frameline41: San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, which takes place June 15-25, 2017 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The complete Frameline41 program will be unveiled on Tuesday, May 23.

“Frameline41’s Opening, Closing, and Centerpiece films shine a light on LGBTQ heroes in every sense of the word, while showcasing the full representation of global queer content at its finest,” says Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace. “Whether it be the fascinating story of San Francisco gem, Armistead Maupin, the bold Chavela Vargas, iconic macha chanteuse and sexual outlaw, or Alan Cumming capturing the duality between queer generations – Frameline41 presents a Festival that has something for everyone!”

OPENING NIGHT FILM & GALA:
THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN – Thursday, June 15

• Directed by Jennifer Kroot, editor/co-director Bill Weber
• West Coast Premiere
• For decades, Armistead Maupinhas deftly conjured the enchantment of San Francisco and its denizens in Tales of the City. In this charming documentary, Maupin is shown to be just as endearing, funny, vulnerable, and bold as his popular protagonists. Includes interviews with Sir Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, Amy Tan, Jonathan Groff, and Neil Gaiman.

Immediately following THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN, Frameline41’s festivities continue at the Opening Night Gala at Terra Gallery in SoMa. Enjoy signature cocktails and snacks, take star-studded selfies, and talk up everything in store for Frameline41.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM, FRAMELINE AWARD PRESENTATION, & PARTY:
AFTER LOUIE – Sunday, June 25

• First feature from director Vincent Gagliostro
• West Coast Premiere
• Struggling with survivor’s guilt from the early years of HIV/AIDS, Sam (Alan Cumming, in one of his best performances to date) is bewildered by a younger generation of carefree gay men with their social media, sexting, and seeming political indifference. But when he meets the seductive young Braeden (Zachary Booth) at a bar, their pants quickly come down and, eventually, so does Sam’s ossified guard.
• AFTER LOUIE star Alan Cumming is also being honored with the 2017 FRAMELINE AWARD. The award, established in 1986, is given every year to a person or entity that has made a major contribution to LGBTQ representation in film, television, or the media arts.

After the program, toast to a phenomenal Frameline41 at the Closing Night Party at  Oasis. Be the first to hear the winners of the Frameline41 Festival Awards and catch a performance from drag queen extraordinaire Heklina.

CENTERPIECE PRESENTATIONS:
BECKS – Centerpiece US Feature – Wednesday, June 21

• Directed by Daniel Powelland Elizabeth Rohrbaugh
• Bay Area Premiere
• After dropping everything to move west for her girlfriend’s career, Becks (Tony-award winner Lena Hallof Hedwig fame) discovers she’s been replaced by a “younger, hotter, LA set of tits.” Retreating to her Midwestern hometown, she moves back in with her ex-nun mom (Academy Award nominee Christine Lahti), and she might just find some romance, and herself, in the most unexpected of places.

CHAVELA – Centerpiece Documentary – Tuesday, June 20

• Directed by Catherine Gundand Daresha Kyi
• Bay Area Premiere
• This is a larger-than-life portrait of one of the toughest, most talented singers of her generation, the iconic chanteuse and sexual outlaw Chavela Vargas—a favorite of filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. She was a macha lesbian who forcefully played by her own subversive rules.

I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE (Sueño en otra idioma) – Centerpiece World Cinema – Monday, June 19

• Directed Ernesto Contreras
• Bay Area Premiere
• The mysterious circumstances surrounding a fifty-year feud between two of the last speakers of a dying indigenous language in Mexico are artfully intertwined with bittersweet remembrances of the past in this enchanting feature, winner of an Audience Award at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

FRAMELINE MEMBER-ONLY PRE-SALES:
Opening Night: THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN & Gala

• Film (7:00pm) + Gala (10:00pm)
• Frameline Members: $75
• Pre­-sale tickets available to Frameline Members­ only. General Public may purchase Opening Night Film & Gala tickets on June 2at a price of $90

Closing Night: AFTER LOUIE , Frameline Award Presentation & Party

• Film (7:00pm) + Gala (9:30pm)
• Frameline Members: $50
• Pre-­sale tickets available to Frameline Members­ only. General Public may purchase Closing Night Film & Party tickets on June 2at a price of $60

Centerpiece Film Prices: US Narrative: BECKS; Documentary: CHAVELA; World Cinema: I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE

• Frameline Members: $15
• Pre-­sale tickets available to Frameline Members­-only. General Public may purchase Centerpiece tickets on June 2at a price of $18

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW – BECOME A MEMBER:
Frameline members are vital to our year-­round work in creating change for LGBTQ people everywhere. When you join as a member, your generous gift supports emerging  filmmakers, our youth education programs to create safer and more accepting communities, and the exhibition of thought­-provoking films documenting LGBTQ lives and experiences both online and at the Festival. By joining the most respected LGBTQ media arts organization in the nation, you invest in our future and also receive an array of exciting benefits. For more information about how you can be a part of the Frameline family, please visit us at www.frameline.org/join

About Frameline41: San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival:
Frameline41, San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, June 15-25, 2017, is Genre Queer. The 41st Festival celebrates the spectrum and intersection of identities that make up the worldwide LGBTQ community. Join filmmakers and festivalgoers alike at the largest showcase of queer cinema on the planet. Info and tickets: www.frameline.org

About Frameline:
Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline’s programs connect filmmakers and audiences in San Francisco and around the globe. Frameline’s integrated programs provide critical funding for emerging LGBTQ filmmakers, reach hundreds of thousands with a collection of more than 250 films distributed nationally, inspire thousands of students through Youth In Motion, which sends free films and curricula to schools across the nation, 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. Learn more at www.frameline.org