In 2010, two friends grew tired of not seeing more trans representation at mainstream
LGBTQ film festivals and decided to start their own. Together, along with a group
of other trans and queer activists, began organizing and planning Gender Reel's first
film festival, which took place in the fall of 2011 at the University of the Arts
in Philadelphia. This first-time event attracted more than 200 people and featured
over 15 films about the trans/gender diverse experience.
Following the success of this event, organizers held another well-attended Philadelphia
based festival in 2012 at the William Way Community Center. During this same year,
Gender Reel's Founder and Executive Director, Joe Ippolito, moved to Saint Paul, MN,
bringing Gender Reel with him. From 2013 - 2016, Gender Reel expanded its reach hosting
festivals in 8 cities around the country: Portland, Oakland, Philadelphia, Boston,
New York, Houston, Durham, Omaha and Minneapolis. However, Houston and Minneapolis/St.
Paul are the only cities that currently host complete festivals annually, while Philadelphia
- as part of the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference - holds a yearly mini festival.
In addition to hosting festivals, Gender Reel, declared the Twin Cities its official
home in 2013, released its first documentary, "Growing Old Gracefully: The Transgender
Experience" in 2014 and established our non-profit status. However, in 2016, this
status was put on hold while additional paperwork was submitted. The Family Tree Clinic,
a local sexual health center in Saint Paul, MN, is our current fiscal sponsor.
2020 is our 10-year anniversary. However, due to COVID-19, we will be hosting this
festival online later this fall.
Gender Reel. “About,” October 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201021035757/https://www.genderreel.com/about.
