100 Queer Films Since Stonewall

100 Queer Films identifies 100 films that shaped the trajectory of queer cinema, connected with larger movements, and showcased the artistry of queer filmmaking. In addition to those films that already hold significant places in queer film canons, this volume examines often-overlooked titles. By highlighting hidden gems alongside well known classics, this book makes a valuable, accessible contribution to queer film studies.

While queer films have existed since the beginning of cinema, this book focuses on films released after the Stonewall uprising in 1969. Stonewall is considered a turning point for queer politics and representation, and the 50 years since that event have generated an explosion of queer creativity.

The book describes significant formal elements of each film and connects them to their interrelated contexts. By moving in chronological order, it introduces a contemporary history of queer film and provides an overview of major developments in LGBTQ communities, cultures, and politics. This volume presents a framework for understanding the value of queer film.

Chelsea McCracken is an Assistant Professor of Media Studies at SUNY Oneonta. She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Communication Arts. Her research interests include LGBTQ media, American independent cinema, and media industries, and she has published work in Screen, Media History, and Asian Cinema.

Matt Connolly is an Assistant Professor of Film Studies in the Department of English at Minnesota State University, Mankato. His scholarly work on LGBTQ cinematic history has been published in Cinema Journal and Spectator. He is currently revising his dissertation, which analyses the early career of queer filmmaker John Waters.