The Queer Lounge is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

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 ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

straight Straight may refer to: Slang * Straight, slang for heterosexual ** Straight-acting, normal person * Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture Sport and games * Straight, an alternative name for the cross, a type of punch in boxing * Str ...

, 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 The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

. However, they do also host gay centric events including parties known as Glamdance and Homos Away From Home.A Brokeback Sundance : Rolling Stone
/ref> 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 Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

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Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer compo ...

Plantronics Plantronics, Inc. is an American electronics company producing audio communications equipment for business and consumers. Its products support unified communications, mobile use, gaming and music. Plantronics is headquartered in Santa Cruz, Cal ...

Monster Energy Drink Monster Energy is a brand of energy drinks that was created by Hansen Natural Company (now Monster Beverage Corporation) in April 2002. In 2022, Monster Energy had a 30.1% share of the American energy drink market, the second-highest after Red ...

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, and Dell Computers. 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 John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is an American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film), Hedwig and t ...

. 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 The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

(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 ''Shortbus'' is a 2006 American erotic comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in an early 2000s New York City. ...

'' 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'', the mainstream ''

Eye Weekly ''Eye Weekly'' was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the ''Toronto Star'', and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The followin ...

'', and the national publications ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...

'' and ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

''.

References

External links

Queer Lounge Website

Video interview: The Queer Lounge at Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival 501(c)(3) organizations LGBTQ organizations based in the United States