Gilbert Baker Film Festival

Gilbert Baker Film Festival showcases LGBTQ+ narrative films, documentaries, animation, web series, and music videos once a year in honor of the late, great Gilbert Baker, the creator of the original rainbow flag.

The first festival came about because Aaron Casserly Stewart, Parsons City Commissioner in 2017, had wanted to honor Gilbert Baker, the creator of the Rainbow Flag. Gilbert conceived of the idea for the Gilbert Baker Film Festival, GBFF, with a group of his friends. The Festival was to be a celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride in his old stomping grounds of Parsons, KS. Knowing that Parsons is a town in rural Southeast Kansas, Gilbert wanted to have an event that could showcase the accomplishments of the LGBTQIA+ community without a parade. Unfortunately, Gilbert died in 2017 before the first film festival was held. The committee working with him proceeded to hold the first festival. It was a small festival but it was a beginning. The town responded to requests to fly the Pride flag and showed support through attendance. Labette Community College provided space and a picture of the flag raising ceremony graced the cover of the local paper, the Parsons Sun.

In 2018, a dedicated group of people who wanted Gilbert's dream to reach its full potential continued working towards having another Film Festival. It was their hope that this event would honor Gilbert's memory and worldwide legacy for years to come. In 2019, the GBFF Committee coordinated with the Parsons High School Class that Gilbert would have graduated with if he had stated stayed in Parsons. To enable Gilbert's classmates to attend the festival, GBFF was held in October of 2019 at the same time as their high school reunion.

GBFF2020 was held the third weekend of September at the Parsons Public Library in Parsons, Kansas.

GBFF2021 was held from November into December online/virtually to a global audience allowing LGBTQ+ film fans around the world to come together to celebrate authentic Queer stories on screen and honor Gilbert Baker's legacy.

GBFF2022 Celebrated Pride2023 and Streamed Virtually, Worldwide on Eventive from June 16 thru August 16, 2023
Culminating with our Best in Fest! GBFF2022 Celebration Collection-->thru August 2023

GBFF allowed a Global Audience to:
Watch All Four GBFF2022 Collections on your own screen at your own time.
Celebrate Virtual Pride from the Safety and Security of your own home.
And Celebrate Virtual Worldwide Pride by joining our GBFF Zoom Watch Parties and Discussion Groups.

GBFF2023 Streamed on Eventive from December 15, 2023 through January 15, 2024
Featuring:
Five Collections- of short films and one feature film, curated around a theme.

The GBFF Committee strongly believes in Gilbert Baker's vision to unite the LGBTQ+ community around the world so everyone feels seen, heard, valued, loved, and represented. The online/virtual format extends our reach and includes those in remote areas so that they may be able to attend and participate.

We hope to continue our filmmaker Q&A's , watch parties, and discussions for our LGBTQ+ film-loving community.

We look forward to seeing you there!!!