Three Dollar Bill Cinema Announces A New Film Festival For 2025

Which is actually kind of sad because it means instead of having TWO festivals, as in the past, this year Three Dollar Bill Cinema, Seattle’s LGBTQ+ film society will combine the annual spring Translations Film Festival and the autumn Queer Film Festival into one much shorter festival to happen in July.

It’s a sign of the times. Non-profits, especially artistic ones, are suffering. People are worried about our current political and economic situation under the Illegitimate Reign of Donald Trumpf and are giving less. Corporations, despite most of them thriving due to record profits, are increasingly cheap asses when it comes to donating to non-profits…especially LGBTQ+ ones.

Not to mention, attendance is down for film screenings. Partly due to Covid concerns and fear of contagious diseases but society has radically changed how they get their entertainment and information with many people viewing films from the comfort of their own home. Younger audiences are especially less inclined to go to a cinema to experience filmed entertainment with the majority of them using phones and mobile devices to watch media. It’s hard out there for mainstream cinemas but especially difficult for ones that show artier fare like independent films, both fiction and documentaries, and non-English language films. Film festivals globally have been forced to cut budgets, festivals and programs offered. The Seattle International Film Festival used to be one of the longest festivals in the world running nearly a month; it now runs 10 days.

And, it’s even tougher for smaller non-profits that program to specific audiences. The fact that Three Dollar Bill Cinema is consolidating two festivals into a 3 day event is just a tad depressing to me. Not to mention the fact they decided to stage this abbreviated festival in July, not the most opportune time to screen arty films in the Pacific Northwest. Who wants to sit in a dark movie theater watching complex films about dyslexic, handicapable, homosexuals of color when it’s gorgeously warm and sunny outside, something that we really only get about 7 weeks a year? It’s a strange time to pick for a Queer film festival.

Sigh.

But, if you love cinema, and independent cinema, and QUEER cinema, please continue to support them.