History

In 1986 and 1991, the International Gay and Lesbian Filmfestival Holland took place; it was a grand event because it was only to take place every five years. The Pink Filmdays started in 1996 when it turned out that no third edition of the IGLFH would take place. The first edition of the Pink Filmdays Amsterdam took place in June 1996 in Filmhouse Cavia and Film Theatre Rialto. A number of the staff from both theatres thought that it was time for another festival specifically for feature films and documentaries about gay, lesbian and trans people. To be sure, a relatively large number of films featuring gays and lesbians were appearing in the regular movie theatres of the Netherlands. But the organisers found that quite a few films and documentaries were being ignored that had rarely or never been shown in the Netherlands. The supply of interesting work had increased over time, and there was an especially rich variety of short films.

On a small budget and limited means (think of a programme booklet made with WordPerfect), the organisers showed 4 days of films by Tom Kalin, Gregg Araki and Sadie Benning, among others. The Pink Filmdays were symbolically planned to coincide with the annual remembrance of Stonewall and Gay Pride. A very special guest at the first edition was the Serbian director Zelmir Zilnik. He had made the film Marble Ass in Belgrade during the Balkan War, about a drag prostitute who was trying to survive in the chaos. Ab van Ieperen interviewed Zilnik for Vrij Nederland, a prominent culture and politics weekly, which resulted in quite a nice article. At the same time, there was a representative of the Serbian gay movement present in Amsterdam who was able to speak about the largely underground scene.

The second edition was organised on a grander scale in 1997. Grants were applied for and the fact that a number of titles went on tour in the Netherlands meant that a larger public could see the films without having to travel to Amsterdam. Not only did ten cities across the country join the programme, but the recently founded Cinema De Balie in Amsterdam did as well. The content of the films shown was somewhere in between political statements and high-cultural productions with (or without) a sense of humour, which not every viewer will have appreciated. The Pink Filmdays always assembled an independent-minded selection of the films available, always with the aim of creating a programme outside of what could already be seen in the movie theatre, on television and at the rental shop.

The (straight) press did not always share this vision, which meant that  the festival was persistently misunderstood by ‘outsiders’. What use is a separate festival for gays, lesbians, etc.? Does such a thing as a gay film exist? The Pink Filmdays were always based on the notion that it’s fun to watch films together and that there is no such thing as a gay film, but rather that films can be interesting for gays and lesbians. And that it was better to not always make the easy choices, but instead choose productions of high artistic and cinematographic quality. And interested “straights” were always welcome to attend, which did happen regularly.

Grant foundations asked us many similar questions over the years. Everyone assumed that gay and lesbian emancipation had been achieved and that the necessity of having ‘our own’ festival was diminished. Time and time again, the organisers had to dispel these misconceptions, and in hindsight, they were proven right. Because it turns out that the position of sexual minorities has not made such a wonderful improvement in recent years, as more and more cases of discrimination and violence are being reported.

The fact that porn was presented may well have surprised some people, but this was the result of a conscious choice on the part of the organisers. What could be more fun than being in a packed, sweaty theatre and watching a (more or less) cultural erotic film for ladies or for gentlemen? But the first presentation of a transgender porn film in 1998 provoked mixed reactions. During the presentation of Alley of the Tranny Boys, a large part of the audience walked out. It is still unclear as to whether the taboo-breaking nature of the film went too far for some people.

In 1998, the organisers decided to move the festival to the month of November. The month of June turned out not to be the best month to attract attendees due to the nice weather outside and people going on holiday. That was also the year that the Film Theatre Rialto dropped out as a location for the festival due to staff changes and the fact that the regular Rialto programming made it impossible to host many festivals a year.

2001 was the first (and last, so far) year that an edition was skipped. Initially the idea had arisen of organising the festival every other year because a festival every year cost too much time and energy to organise. But because of the overwhelming response from the public, who much preferred an annual festival, it was decided to have the Pink Filmdays alternate between a larger and a smaller edition each year. As such, the smaller programme Pink Filmdays Goes Nordiq was presented in 2003, and the Long Weekend of Short Pink Film was presented in 2005.

During the larger editions, specific central themes were frequently featured that the organisation thought to be particularly urgent or interesting. In 2002, some of the themes were The Inevitable Downfall and Gay Arab; in 2004 Femmes en révolte and We’re Not Urban. Since 2000, the programming of quite a number of thematic programmes of short films (with gripping titles like Schoolboys and Indie Girls) can be said to be highly successful.

Critics of the Pink Filmdays frequently ask why they didn’t hear about the festival and conclude that the publicity must have been bad, or they ask why the festival always takes place in those little theatres with uncomfortable seats. Publicity has always been one of the most important objects of attention, but it is simply impossible to let everyone know. Even in 2004, when posters were put up on streetside boards and pillars throughout the entire city, and when the Pink Filmdays were announced every 15 minutes on the video monitors on the trams, a number of people still missed the festival.

As to why the Pink Filmdays always took place in smaller movie theatres like the Cavia, De Balie and the Filmmuseum, that has to do with the fact that there isn’t much to choose from in Amsterdam between film houses with an average of 130 seats and a Pathé multiplex that has to be rented in its entirety. The alternation between films that attract a larger audience and smaller art house productions is too risky to rent the entire City multiplex and is terribly expensive as well. Besides, you can create a more fun and intimate atmosphere in a shoebox like Filmhouse Cavia.

But that has changed! In 2010, finally the festival will take place in two locations only: the Public Library for the opening weekend, and after that the Ketelhuis Cinema on the Westergas cultural area. This means we will have more screenings, and all in an exciting location where it's also possible to grab a bite to eat or have a few drinks in a nice atmosphere.

Finally, organising a festival is not possible without contributions from lots of people and organisations. Every edition has been created with the tireless dedication of volunteers and a few temporary employees, and many organisations have made the festival financially possible by means of subsidies, donations and sponsoring. And of course, we can’t forget the attendees who keep coming back, who are sometimes disappointed but more often than not leave the festival satisfied. The 12th edition, to take place this year, will hopefully be better, more exciting and bigger than ever; and any help is always welcome.