Ahead Of the Curve

2020 | USA | 97 min

DIRECTOR: JEN RAININ

CO-DIRECTOR: RIVKAH BETH MEDOW

The best-selling lesbian publication ever was Curve magazine. This documentary tells the story of FrancoStevens, who launched Curve with a fist full of credit cards, a lucky run at the horse track, and chutzpah for days. She’s one of the most influential women in lesbian history you’ve never heard of. Ahead of the Curve 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. Franco’s magazine was different than all of the other lesbian magazines. It was completely inclusive and diverse and its production standards were well above most other indie magazines. Most importantly, it was the first magazine to have the word Lesbian on the front cover.  BUT is there a place in the future for Curve given the modern views of lesbianism? To forge a path forward, Franco reaches out to women working in today's queer spaces to understand what queer women need today and how Curve can continue to serve the community.

“This compelling documentary is another crucial part of the story of our community’s history and one of its most important players”  Queerguru