Are there any public domain or open source LGBT films?

May 8, 2017 1:36 PM

I am interested in doing public screenings of LGBT-related films on a shoestring. Are there any such films that are in the public domain or open source? Thanks in advance for recommendations!
posted by mortaddams to Media & Arts (14 answers total)

I run a public library and have licences for lots of different movies that I can screen publicly. I'd love to partner with someone that wants to take care of the logistics/publicity and I just provide the space/rights. Perhaps ask if your public library (or post-secondary library if you have one) are willing to partner?
posted by saucysault at 1:50 PM on May 8, 2017 [3 favorites]

Flaming Creatures might be a good fit.
posted by munchingzombie at 1:52 PM on May 8, 2017

If you don't have luck with a public library partnership, you could probably put together a short summary of who you are and what you're doing, and send that info to either studios or film makers and ask them directly for their permission to show their films.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:58 PM on May 8, 2017

The Canadian NFB has films on minority sexualities. I am not sure about international rights but many of their films are free. They also offer movie rights for free around the world on days such as National Canadian Film Day. They love public viewings.
posted by saucysault at 2:12 PM on May 8, 2017

Her Story is a 6-episode new-media series that looks inside the dating lives of trans & queer women as they navigate the intersections of desire & identity.

Doesn't appear to be public domain but since they published it on Youtube perhaps if you contact them you could request agreeable terms for screening it in public.
posted by XMLicious at 3:24 PM on May 8, 2017

Also BTW Wikipedia has several lists of LGBT-related films by decade.
posted by XMLicious at 3:42 PM on May 8, 2017

Not sure if entirely public domain or thematically appropriate.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 5:04 PM on May 8, 2017

Without knowing you or your audience, I'm somewhat loathe to recommend something trans-related because I think a showing a lot of the trans films to a cis audience with no context is a recipe for disaster. So please think hard before undertaking this project at all if you're expecting a straight audience, but think extra hard about anything trans-related. However, the rights to Toilet Training are available on a sliding scale and it holds up well for being fifteen years old. (And maybe cis people need to see that we've been talking about bathrooms for fucking ever, they just weren't paying attention. Likewise trans youth.)
posted by hoyland at 5:30 PM on May 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Frameline makes a number of films available for low cost, including free for schools. Depends on your audience and what you're interested in, but they have a great catalog.
posted by gingerbeer at 6:01 PM on May 8, 2017

In college we wanted to show an older queer arthouse film as part of a public screening. When we contacted the distributor they were so delighted that we were given permission to screen the film for free. Maybe try reaching out to distributors directly? I'd guess that this has a better chance of working for older, more obscure films but you never know.
posted by forkisbetter at 4:35 AM on May 9, 2017

Response by poster: Thanks everyone for the suggestions for working with distributors and libraries. I would rather not say what organization I want to work with for screening, but the audience for this will be in the US, primarily LGBT, and outdoors. I only mention the latter because it probably means that films with nudity are out. It is too bad that Flaming Creatures has explicit sex, as it might have worked in a more controlled environment ... although its copyright status is also unclear.

Unfortunately I have still not identified any great candidates for LGBT-related films that are in the public domain or open source. Through independent research I see that Glen or Glenda is in the public domain, but given its reputation of being a terrible film I am reluctant to show it. Perhaps there are no public domain or open source films that are good for me, but I am still open to suggestions. I am not adverse to starting to work with organizations, but I was hoping for public domain and open source because it is logistically such low-hanging fruit.
posted by mortaddams at 5:38 AM on May 9, 2017

MAJOR!, which is a wonderful documentary about the life of trans activist Miss Major, allows "community-based organizations working for social justice" to screen the film free of charge.
posted by ITheCosmos at 9:38 AM on May 9, 2017

Response by poster: Major! might work! I just filled out their application... Cross your fingers for me.
posted by mortaddams at 10:56 AM on May 9, 2017

It's a short, and I don't know what terms the producers would let it go for because the contexts I've seen it screened in have been showings that included a lot of people in the movie, but I can't imagine it'd be too expensive to show Partners (a short documentary about gay square dancing, viewable free on Vimeo). And I'd imagine there are a ton of other similar shorts out there that'd be relatively cheap to screen...
posted by straw at 4:39 PM on May 9, 2017