AdRespect Advertising Education Program | WHERE SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING MEETS LGBT EQUALITY - Print Ad Library: San Francisco 22nd International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival - SFILGFF

Company: San Francisco 22nd International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
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Brand: SFILGFF
Ad Title: Cinema
Business Category: Gay Businesses
Media Outlets: Cinema
Country: United States
Region: North America, Europe, US Regional
Agency: SFILGFF in-house
Year: 1998, 1999, 2000
Target: Mainstream

Two opposite sex couples sit in a movie theater, each holding hands and movie snacks.

The two women turn and notice each other and at the same time put their hands onto the shared armrest. One of the women then reaches out with her pinkie finger and rubs the other woman's pinkie. The second woman looks at what's happening with surprise but then responds as their hands intertwine.

Then both men notice what's happening and quickly put their arms around the two women in between them and, for a moment, their hands touch but quickly come closer to the women's shoulders. Each guy gives a macho head nod to the other acknowledging the friendly "accident."

But then one looks back at the other guy and their hands touch again behind the women, this time on purpose.

One of the women turns orgasmic as she closes her eyes and then so does the other. The popcorn tumbles out of the box.

The men look longingly at each other as their hands squeeze hard and one man squeezes his Coke, also in ecstasy.

The tagline is: "Movies that will change your life."

A clever, hilarious trailer.

Cliff , Ithaca, NY
While on one hand I find it cute and funny...I hate the implication that watching queer movies at the film festival could "change your life" by making you gay.

Danny , Memphis, TN
Clever, goofy, and just over-the-top enough. One of this site's best ads.

Angela , Providence, RI
I love this ad!! I think it's wonderful because it depicts bisexuality, and in a good way. True, it seems as though the implication is if you watch gay films, it will make you gay, or bring out a "gayness" that was already in you, but i don't really see that as the focus. As a bisexual, i really enjoyed the fact that this commercial showed bisexuality, it is so rare.

Ken G. Chin , NYC
These could also represent repressed individuals discovering themselves. From that angle, I enjoy it. (Although if most straight people could turn gay in real life, then the course of the world would have been rather different, I think.)

Guy Bertrand , Montréal, Canada
Superb ad! Of course, one should expect an ad for a gay and lesbian film festival to be gay-positive, but this one is particularly witty. And, I do believe that some movies can and will change your life.

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