Raising a beer for a milestone: London Lesbian Film Festival turns 30

Members of the Reeling Spinsters raised a can of celebratory Anderson’s Cream Ale to mark the 30th anniversary of the London Lesbian Film Festival on April 6, 2023. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

They raised a glass for a London, Ont. cultural milestone Thursday evening. Or, in this case, a can of beer.

Members of the local group Reeling Spinsters gathered at Anderson Craft Ales to mark the upcoming 30th anniversary of the London Lesbian Film Festival.

To help celebrate the occasion, the brewery produced a custom ‘Reeling Spinsters Cream Ale’ beer can.

The festival is the only one of its kind in Canada, and the oldest lesbian film festival in North America. It is recognized around the world.

Reeling Spinsters’ president Debbie Demille said the group goes through a rigorous process to choose films for the festival, watching 161 movies before narrowing it down to a weekend’s worth.

“Every one of my team watches the film. We rate it from anything from insufficient lesbian content, to all the way up to, like, this is a ten out of ten. They got it, they nailed it, they hit it out of the park,” said Demille. “Then we do a little film selection meeting. We put it all together, piece the puzzle together, and launch it out there.”

The 30th edition of the London Lesbian Film Festival runs May 5-7, with film screenings at Wolf Performance Hall, along with various social events at venues throughout the city.