Queer Lounge
Encyclopedia
The Queer Lounge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that establishes hospitality suites at the top film festivals in the world. Its primary function is to provide information and to educate those attending the film festival about the films with gay content (storylines, plots or characters) or created by gay filmmakers.
They do this by creating an upscale hospitality suite and event space during the film festival where anyone, gay
or straight
, can stop by and learn about the films. They hold press conferences and panel discussions in their space for films they support. The space is one of the few truly public spaces during a film festival without being invite only. At night, the space becomes a top venue for film premiere and VIP parties- especially at the Sundance Film Festival
. However, they do also host gay centric events including parties known as Glamdance and Homos Away From Home.
The Queer Lounge was started at the January 2003 Sundance Film Festival
by former film executive Ellen Huang who saw a need for a space for gay people. She based the idea off a Cannes Film Festival event called the West Hollywood Lounge, which wasn't about gay and lesbian people, but was created by the West Hollywood Convention and Visitors Bureau. The idea evolved into the Queer Lounge. The Queer Lounge is supported through corporate sponsorship. Past sponsors include: Showtime, Absolut, Intel, Plantronics
, Monster Energy Drink, Perrier
, Aquafina
, Dell Computers and many other mainstream sponsors.
The Queer Lounge has successfully promoted such Sundance Film Festival hits like Tarnation
, The Education of Shelby Knox
and Quinceanera
(the first winner of both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival
) with much success. Queer Lounge support can really make the difference to help a film's presence during the Sundance Film Festival.
The Queer Lounge revived in 2003 a famous Sundance Film Festival party known as Homos away from Home with publicist Mickey Cottrell and John Cameron Mitchell
. This party is now considered to be one of the top parties at the Sundance Film Festival, secretly attended by straight celebrities and film executives. It traditionally happens on the second Thursday of the Sundance Film Festival. Queer Lounge rents out their space at Sundance to non-gay films and have hosted premieres for films such as Rize
and Wristcutters: A Love Story
.
In 2006, Queer Lounge successfully created its events during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and became a sanctioned event of the Festival- the first-ever organization to be dubbed a "TIFF Exra." Queer Lounge panels were listed officially on TIFF's site. Some of the highlights of Queer Lounge's events at TIFF included an 1,100 person party for the film "Shortbus" at the Phoenix Theatre with 44 performers on-stage. Queer Lounge also held two panels and the first-ever queer and queer-friendly professional networking brunch at the Anglican, Church of the Redeemer at the intersection of Bay Street and Bloor Avenue. A phenomenon in Toronto in its inaugural year, Queer Lounge drew cross-over press from Toronto's gay/lesbian newspaper - Xtra!, to the mainstream Eye Weekly and the national publications, Macleans and the Globe and Mail.
They do this by creating an upscale hospitality suite and event space during the film festival where anyone, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
or straight
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
, can stop by and learn about the films. They hold press conferences and panel discussions in their space for films they support. The space is one of the few truly public spaces during a film festival without being invite only. At night, the space becomes a top venue for film premiere and VIP parties- especially at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. However, they do also host gay centric events including parties known as Glamdance and Homos Away From Home.
The Queer Lounge was started at the January 2003 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
by former film executive Ellen Huang who saw a need for a space for gay people. She based the idea off a Cannes Film Festival event called the West Hollywood Lounge, which wasn't about gay and lesbian people, but was created by the West Hollywood Convention and Visitors Bureau. The idea evolved into the Queer Lounge. The Queer Lounge is supported through corporate sponsorship. Past sponsors include: Showtime, Absolut, Intel, Plantronics
Plantronics
Plantronics is an electronics company producing audio communications equipment for business and consumers. Its' products provide unified communications, mobile use, gaming and music...
, Monster Energy Drink, Perrier
Perrier
Perrier is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated...
, Aquafina
Aquafina
Aquafina is a brand of bottled water products produced by PepsiCo, Inc., consisting of both unflavored and flavored water. The Aquafina brand name is also licensed for use on multiple skin care products, including lip balm and wrinkle cream...
, Dell Computers and many other mainstream sponsors.
The Queer Lounge has successfully promoted such Sundance Film Festival hits like Tarnation
Tarnation
Tarnation is a 2003 documentary film by Jonathan Caouette.The film was created by Caouette from over 20 years of hundreds of hours of old Super 8 footage, VHS videotape, photographs, and answering machine messages to tell the story of his life and his relationship with his mentally ill mother Renee...
, The Education of Shelby Knox
The Education of Shelby Knox
The Education of Shelby Knox is 2005 documentary film that tells the coming of age story about the public speaker and feminist, Shelby Knox, a teenage girl who joins a campaign for comprehensive sex education in the high schools of Lubbock, Texas. It was an official selection of the Sundance Film...
and Quinceanera
Quinceañera
Quinceañera , sometimes called "Fiesta de quince años", "Fiesta de Quinceañera", "Quince años" or simply "quince", is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America and elsewhere in communities of immigrants from Latin America...
(the first winner of both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
) with much success. Queer Lounge support can really make the difference to help a film's presence during the Sundance Film Festival.
The Queer Lounge revived in 2003 a famous Sundance Film Festival party known as Homos away from Home with publicist Mickey Cottrell and John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell is an American writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his motion pictures Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus and Rabbit Hole.- Early life:...
. This party is now considered to be one of the top parties at the Sundance Film Festival, secretly attended by straight celebrities and film executives. It traditionally happens on the second Thursday of the Sundance Film Festival. Queer Lounge rents out their space at Sundance to non-gay films and have hosted premieres for films such as Rize
Rize
Rize is the capital of Rize Province, in northeast Turkey, on the Black Sea coast.-Etymology:The name comes from Greek or Ριζαίον , meaning "mountain slopes". In modern times, its name in Greek was usually Ριζούντα . Its Latin forms are Rhizus and Rhizaeum...
and Wristcutters: A Love Story
Wristcutters: A Love Story
Wristcutters: A Love Story is a 2006 comedy-fantasy-romance film written and directed by Goran Dukić, starring Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, and Shannyn Sossamon. It is set in a strange afterlife way-station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.It is based on Etgar Keret's...
.
In 2006, Queer Lounge successfully created its events during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and became a sanctioned event of the Festival- the first-ever organization to be dubbed a "TIFF Exra." Queer Lounge panels were listed officially on TIFF's site. Some of the highlights of Queer Lounge's events at TIFF included an 1,100 person party for the film "Shortbus" at the Phoenix Theatre with 44 performers on-stage. Queer Lounge also held two panels and the first-ever queer and queer-friendly professional networking brunch at the Anglican, Church of the Redeemer at the intersection of Bay Street and Bloor Avenue. A phenomenon in Toronto in its inaugural year, Queer Lounge drew cross-over press from Toronto's gay/lesbian newspaper - Xtra!, to the mainstream Eye Weekly and the national publications, Macleans and the Globe and Mail.