Ahead of the Curve
The most influential women in lesbian history you’ve never heard of.
With a fist full of credit cards, a lucky run at the horse track, and chutzpah for days, Franco Stevens launched Curve, the best-selling lesbian magazine ever published. The film tracks the power of lesbian visibility and community from the early ‘90s to the present day through the story of Franco’s founding of Curve magazine. Decades later, in the wake of a disabling injury, Franco learns that Curve will fold within the year and questions the relevance of the magazine in the face of accelerating threats to LGBTQ+ community. To forge a path forward, Franco reaches out to women working in today’s queer spaces to understand what queer women need and how Curve can continue to serve the community.
Director
Jen Rainin & Rivkah Beth Medow
Producer
Rivkah Beth Medow
Runtime
94 minutes
Rights Represented
Educational Rights
Captions Available
English
Language
English
Press
“ZIPPY, INSIGHTFUL AND DEEPLY MOVING… First-time director Jen Rainin’s portrait of Stevens, Curve’s achievements and blindspots, lesbian progress during the Clinton era and the uneasiness with the “lesbian” label among many queer women today is accomplished, resonant and deeply moving.”
- The Hollywood Reporter
“A vivid portrait of a resilient and inspiring figure as well as a microcosm of three decades of social and cultural change.”
- The Boston Globe
“‘Ahead of the Curve’ celebrates lesbian triumph while trying to find new purpose in uncertain times.”
- The LA Times
“Welcome levity and a smart fusion of history and biography…it is that youthful zest for queer rebellion (and an adult desire to recreate it) that carries AHEAD OF THE CURVE most of all.”
- Film Experience
Festival & Awards
San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2020
Outfest 2020
Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival – Audience award for Best Documentary 2020
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