From the theatre to the living room: comparing queer film festival patrons and outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT As a strategy for survival from the COVID-19 pandemic, festivals and events have been conducted virtually to provide this form of leisure from home. Replicating transformative outcomes such as social interaction, community building, and fostering of culture in a virtual setting is essential, particularly for traditionally underrepresented communities. Often considered transgressive to broader normative society, LGBT2Q+ festivals offer leisure experiences that provide a platform for history makers, storytellers, and community gathering. Given the unprecedented shift to virtual festivals, it is important to understand whether a virtual platform can achieve these same outcomes for LGBT2Q+ people. The current research examined the attendees and outcomes at the in-person Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) in August 2019 (n = 362) and the virtual VQFF in August 2020 (n = 211). An analysis of socio-cultural impacts of VQFF on the local community and resident attendees’ expectations showed similarities and differences between the in-person and virtual versions of VQFF.