Pittsburgh’s Queer Film Fest

Tuesday, September 30th, 2025 // Forbes Avenue

For this episode of Forbes Avenue, we spoke to T. J. Murphy and Em Voelker about ReelQ – Pittsburgh’s longest running film festival and the the 6th oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in the world! ReelQ will run from October 3 to October 11 in 2025, and have 14 screenings of various films from the animated comedy Lesbian Space Princess to a documentary on the activist organization ACT UP.

T. J. and Em shared about the history of the festival, which started in 1982 when films were still on reel to reel tape. They also discussed the relevance of keeping up this work in the modern day, as well as the importance of representation and film media overall. Tune in to hear more about the best parts and challenges of holding such a long-running festival!

Listen to the episode: T. J. Murphy and Em Voelker

Riona Duncan, host, audio editor, audio engineer, researcher
Recorded September 26, 2025; WRCT debut September 30, 2025