It’s been an open secret for weeks that the COVID-shuttered Castro Theatre would be reopening for this year’s Frameline LGBTQ+ film festival, but with no additional info on what dates or for which films. That Frameline will span an exceptionally long period of June 10-27 this year made speculation even more difficult. But Frameline released its full 2021 schedule Tuesday, and we do now know that the Castro’s first screenings in 15 long months will be on Saturday and Sunday, June 26-27.
We are thrilled to announce the North American premiere of #FirebirdMovie at @framelinefest.
— Firebird Movie (@FirebirdMovie) May 25, 2021
With the director and some of the cast in attendance, #FirebirdMovie will have its screening at the iconic Castro Theatre!
Stay tuned for more details at https://t.co/Ht5AKKaven pic.twitter.com/htYqq2F1V5
Both days’ lineups begin with a collection of short films at 11 a.m. Saturday then carries onward with an afternoon screening of the lesbian country music documentary Invisible, and an evening feature of the late Cloris Leachman starring in the drag comedy Jump, Darling. Sunday also features the cold War romantic thriller Firebird, and the comic and zine documentary No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics.
Saturday, June 26
11:00am: Fun in Shorts
3:00pm: Invisible
6:00pm: Jump, Darling
Sunday, June 27
11:00am: Homegrown
2:30pm: Firebird
6:30pm: No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics
While that’s your Castro lineup, the full Frameline schedule of in-person screenings includes shows at the Fort Mason drive-in, Oracle Park, the Roxie, and an Opening Night at Solano’s West Wind Drive-in.
Thursday, June 10
9 p.m. FANNY: The Right to Rock
WEST WIND SOLANO 9PM
Friday June 11
6:30 p.m. In the Heights
ORACLE PARK
Saturday, June 12
6:30 p.m. Everybody's Talking About Jamie
ORACLE PARK
Tuesday, June 15
9 p.m. Potato Dreams of America
FORT MASON FLIX
Wednesday, June 16
9 p.m. Summer of 85
FORT MASON FLIX 9PM
Saturday, June 19
9 p.m. Ailey
FORT MASON FLIX
Sunday, June 20
3 p.m. Genderation
ROXIE
Sunday, June 20
6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Baloney
ROXIE
Don’t expect normal screenings, or even popcorn, for these return in-person shows. “They won’t be full houses, I can guarantee that, and we’ll still ask that people wear masks, and we’re not looking at selling concessions,” Frameline director of programming Allegra Madsen told the Chronicle. “We’re still very much conscious that this isn’t over.”
The vast majority of this year’s Frameline films are streaming online, and not mentioned in this post. There are some real gems in there, so check out the full Frameline 2021 lineup for more information.
