For more than two decades, Studio One, a club in a former camera factory in West Hollywood, was the first gay disco and THE place for men and the town’s elite to see and be seen by others like them. Filled with lively graphics, archival footage, interviews, and, of course, great music, the film touches on the many celebrities who frequented the club such as Liza Minnelli, Rock Hudson, and Cary Grant while addressing issues of racism and it's heart-wrenching days during the AIDS plague. With actual footage from its 19 years of existence, STUDIO ONE FOREVER simultaneously traces the history of the gay scene in L.A. while also remaining relevant to LGBT communities throughout the U.S. At its peak, L.A.’s Studio One was on par with New York’s Studio 54. Many will remember the freedom and excitement of those places in this highly energetic trip through the last half century of gay life.

Stick around after the festival for a special Q&A with director Marc Satarelli!

Co-Presented with Gerber/Hart!

Gerber/Hart is a LGBTQ+ library and archives located in the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago. Founded in 1981, Gerber/Hart is one of the largest repositories of LGBTQ+ content in the world. Gerber/Hart focuses on collecting, preserving, and making accessible the LGBTQ history and culture of Chicago and the Midwest. Learn more at gerberhart.org or by following @gerberhart on Instagram and Facebook. And for a deep dive into some of the amazing collections at Gerber/Hart, listen in to their 2022 podcast Unboxing Queer History!