Mark Finch

Mark received his B.A. with honors in film and literature from Warwick University. While writing about camp and gay aspects of Hollywood cinema for various journals and periodicals including Screen, The Monthly Film Bulletin and City Limits, he also began working as a programmer and co-founded London's showcase for independent cinema, The Piccadily Film Festival. He worked in various capacities for the British Film Institute, and went on to handle London's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival before moving to the States to take on what was to become the highlight of his career, the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (SFILGFF). As Festival Director at the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, all of Mark's qualities came together as he expanded and diversified the Festival, and further established its reputation in the international film community. Mark shaped the event into a unique combination of world class film festival and local happening. He was known and admired for his fantastic organizational and administrative talents; his sense of style and attention to detail; his personal warmth, charm and humor; his giddy and boyish personality; his gracious respect for his colleagues; and his intense dedication to this form of cultural activism in which he so strongly believed. Always supportive of independent filmmakers, he encouraged young artists and showcased the work of emerging filmmakers--facilitating access to works that would not otherwise have been seen. In his earlier work at the British Film Institute, Mark championed gay and lesbian film and video makers, launched England's first gay home video line (The Gay Connoisseur) and brought gay and lesbian cinema to the rest of England with a touring package of films from London's Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. He moved to San Francisco in 1991 to begin Frameline's Distribution program, bringing many lesbian and gay filmmakers broad national exposure through the first U.S. distribution company dedicated solely to gay and lesbian film and video. In his other work at Frameline, Mark organized a variety of year-round screenings, oversaw Frameline's Fund for Film & Video Completion, programmed gay and lesbian works for KQED's The Living Room Festival, served as advisor, consultant and juror to many, many film festivals and was a trusted friend and supporter to hundreds of independent film and video makers. Mark also wrote extensively about gay and lesbian film. His writings have appeared in periodicals and anthologies including: The Guardian(London), The Listener, Bay Area Reporter, Bay Times, Montage, Cineaste Political Companion to American Film, Queer Looks, The Media Reader, Warhol's Film Factory, ICA Video Directory, and In the Pink.