Honolulu film FestThe Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation was founded in 1997 as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to educate and raise awareness of the community-at-large about gay & lesbian culture, arts, and lifestyle.

The Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation (HGLCF) is honoured to produce the 30th Annual Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival (HRFF30). It will be at the Doris Duke Theatre from August 8 – 18.

22 screenings and panel discussions will culminate with a signature Red Carpet Gala on August 17.

HRFF30 is presented by the Bank of Hawaii Foundation; legacy sponsor Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand; platinum sponsors Hawai`i Tourism Authority, Hawaiian Airlines, Honolulu Magazine, and Honolulu Museum of Art; and Red Carpet Gala venue and hospitality sponsor ‘Alohilani Resort.

HRFF30 Festival Director Brent Anbe sums up the festivities, saying, “In honour of our big 3-0 birthday we have our most colourful and fierce VIP delegates for you, Hawai‘i, like VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars DJ “Shangela” Pierce and Gia Gunn; HRFF alumnae and Filipino- American comedian Alec Mapa to emcee our Red Carpet Gala on Saturday, August 17 at ‘Alohilani Resort’s new Longboard Club; rising star actors including Hannah Pearl Utt, Jen Tullock, and Nick Neon; award-winning filmmakers; and Hawai‘i’s elite local film creators and talent!”

This year’s festival also marks the world premiere of “Shangela is Shook.” Shangela is the only contestant to compete on three separate seasons of the Emmy-award winning reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her new stand-up comedy show is compiled from several performances on her 2018 global tour.

“Our society has made great strides in accepting the LGBTQ community and its richly diverse culture into the mainstream, but it’s so important to continue to advance this message. That’s the mission of the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation, and why we host HRFF every year. We’re excited to hit a milestone year, and we are looking forward to sharing our aloha with the community,” added HGLCF President Walter Kinoshita.

The Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation was founded in 1997 as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to educate and raise awareness of the community-at-large about gay & lesbian culture, arts, and lifestyle. HGLCF presents the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival annually in honour of Hawai‘i LGBT pioneer Adam Baran.