The history of LGBT cinema has always generally reflected the state of the LGBT community and its place in the world.
In the 80’s, movies dealing with AIDS were in no short supply and still resonate with the gay community today.
In the 90’s, as the U.S. became more accepting or simply tolerant of gays and lesbians, LGBT films broadened into more than just movies about AIDS, or being closeted, or dealing with an unaccepting culture.
These days the selection in LGBT cinema is huge, reflecting the wide range of diversity in its community. Topics branch out into transgendered issues, aging, marriage, relationship dramas, comedies and so on.
The 2014 Milwaukee LGBT Film and Video Festivalopens tomorrow at several venues. Carl Bogner, the festival's director, speaks with Lake Effect’s Dan Harmon about the types of films presented this year, and if there’s still a place for the coming out movie,or if that genre has become a relic.
"It may testify to just the different concerns of LGBT filmmakers and the issues they're pursuing and the stories they want to tell...we do have a share of coming out movies, but they might be different types of trajectories that the characters are coming out to that aren't normally represented," Bogner says.