Frameline Distribution to release Indie Doc “Queer Genius” for Women’s History Month

The award-winning indie documentary “Queer Genius,” directed by Chet Pancake, screens in virtual cinemas nationwide starting on March 4 at San Francisco’s Roxie Theatre.

In addition to making the feature documentary available for virtual cinema bookings through June 2022, Frameline Distribution will release “Queer Genius” as a docuseries, available as 4 x 30 minutes segments spotlighting the featured individual artists on Vimeo beginning March 8th (Pre-order on Vimeo Here).

The episodic segments will become available to rent for a 72-hour period for $4.99 or available to stream anytime for $9.99. In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Frameline Distribution will make available one featured segment free on Vimeo on the late iconic and pioneering filmmaker, Barbara Hammer. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences restored more than 80 of her films, including her groundbreaking explicit “Dyketactics” (1974), the first lesbian erotic film made by a lesbian. Her archives have been deposited at Yale’s Beinecke library for students and the public to explore.

“Queer Genius” chronicles five visionary queer artists: Eileen Myles (Award winning American writer and poet), Barbara Hammer (Filmmaker and producer), Jibz Cameron (performance artist and actor), and Black Quantum Futurism (Rasheedah Phillips and Camae Ayewa A.K.A. Moor Mother, literary and artistic creatives) who unapologetically break down barriers in their creative fields outside of mainstream culture. The piece explores each artists’ “genius” – the makeup of their minds, creativity and experiences as expressed through their art and embraces communal possibilities of “Genius” from a queer and generational perspective. Director Chet Pancake said, "It features fine artist portraits of QPOC & LGBTQ Female experimental artists, examining each artist’s creative life, personal challenges, and asking the provocative question “what is genius?”

“Queer Genius” has won the Boundary Breaker Award at Buffalo International Film Festival (2020) and the Audience Award-Best Picture at Q-Fest Houston (2020).