When an annual event reaches a major milestone, as the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival did last year with its 20th anniversary, it's always a challenge to follow up. Couple that task with a crippled economy, which has led to slashes in arts funding across the country, and it's no wonder that TIGLFF Director of Programming Margaret Murray wasn’t quite sure what to expect for this year’s festival.
“I was worried for a while,” she said. “But I was surprised that we had more entries than last year. The economy can affect the arts before it affects any other areas.”
But Murray is confident that this year’s TIGLFF is bringing some compelling, interesting and current LGBT films to the Tampa Bay area Oct. 7-14. From documentaries to lighthearted romantic comedies, the festival offers diverse programming with something for everyone, man or woman, gay or straight.
“The cool thing about Tampa is the wide variety of people that are here,” Murray said. “So we need to really reflect this in our programming.”
