Documentary - LGBT and gay theme
by ausrick | created - 02 Oct 2011 | updated - 20 May 2016 | PublicA list of favorite LGBT and gay theme documentaries. Join the discussion to recommend others.
I keep a lists of favorite gay theme feature films, short films and television in separate lists.
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1. Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
79 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A collection of profiles of people dead from AIDS who are remembered in the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Sara Lewinstein, David Mandell, Suzi Mandell, Sallie Perryman
Votes: 1,080
2. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.
Director: Rob Epstein | Stars: Harvey Fierstein, Harvey Milk, Anne Kronenberg, Tory Hartmann
Votes: 6,573 | Gross: $0.01M
3. Paragraph 175 (2000)
Not Rated | 81 min | Documentary, History, Romance
Historian Klaus Müller interviews survivors of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals because of the German Penal Code of 1871, Paragraph 175.
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Rupert Everett, Klaus Müller, Karl Gorath, Pierre Seel
Votes: 2,192 | Gross: $0.07M
4. The Celluloid Closet (1995)
R | 102 min | Documentary, History
A documentary surveying the various Hollywood screen depictions of homosexuals and the attitudes behind them throughout the history of North American film.
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Lily Tomlin, Tony Curtis, Susie Bright, Arthur Laurents
Votes: 7,509 | Gross: $1.51M
5. We Were Here (I) (2011)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis.
Directors: David Weissman, Bill Weber | Stars: Ed Wolf, Daniel Goldstein, Guy Clark, Eileen Glutzer
Votes: 2,281
6. Trembling Before G-d (2001)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary
A cinematic portrait of various gay Orthodox Jews who struggle to reconcile their faith and their sexual orientation.
Director: Sandi Simcha Dubowski | Stars: Shlomo Ashkinazy, Steve Greenberg, Nathan Lopes Cardozo, Naomi Mark
Votes: 948 | Gross: $0.62M
7. Out in the Silence (2009)
Not Rated | 56 min | Documentary, Comedy, Family
The announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson's wedding to another man ignites a firestorm of controversy in his small hometown and a plea for help from the mother of a gay teen being tormented at school.
Directors: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson | Stars: C.J. Bills, Diane Granley, Linda Henderson, Roxanne Hitchcock
Votes: 545
8. For the Bible Tells Me So (2007)
Unrated | 95 min | Documentary, Romance
An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.
Director: Daniel G. Karslake | Stars: Imogene Robinson, Victor Robinson, Gene Robinson, Isabella 'Boo' McDaniel
Votes: 4,519 | Gross: $0.31M
9. Tying the Knot (2004)
Unrated | 81 min | Documentary, History, Romance
A look at the debate over same sex marriage in the USA. The reasons behind it are illustrated with real life couples that have run afoul of current laws despite varying levels of planning. ... See full summary »
Director: Jim de Sève | Stars: Bob Barr, Mary Bonauto, Brian Brown, Martin Bubbly
Votes: 312 | Gross: $0.04M
10. One Nation Under God (1993)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary
Focusing on the contemporary religious Right Wing proliferation of curative therapies for homosexuality, this riveting documentary offers historical context as well as a political analysis of this frighteningly large movement.
Directors: Teodoro Maniaci, Francine Rzeznik | Stars: Ralph Blair, Pat Buchanan, Michael Bussee, Robert Cabaj
Votes: 210
11. Before Stonewall (1984)
Unrated | 87 min | Documentary, History
The history of the Gay and Lesbian community before the Stonewall riots began the major gay rights movement.
Directors: Greta Schiller, Robert Rosenberg | Stars: Rita Mae Brown, Bruce Nugent, Henry Otis, Donna Smith
Votes: 1,190 | Gross: $0.02M
12. After Stonewall (1999)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Documentary/Historical retrospective of the Gay Rights movement from the 1969 Stonewall riots to the present.
Director: John Scagliotti | Stars: Craig Rodwell, Melissa Etheridge, Mike Carney, Barney Frank
Votes: 675
13. Family Fundamentals (2002)
75 min | Documentary
What happens when religiously conservative Christian parents have children who "become homosexual?" FAMILY FUNDAMENTALS is filmmaker Arthur Dong's personal attempt to answer that explosive question.
Director: Arthur Dong | Stars: Brian Bennett, Kathleen Bremner, Paul Bremner, Guy Foti
Votes: 140
14. Silverlake Life: The View from Here (1993)
99 min | Documentary
A documentary about two gay men as they live through their last months of life with AIDS.
Directors: Peter Friedman, Tom Joslin | Stars: Liane Bonin, Tom Joslin, Mark Massi
Votes: 523
15. Paris Is Burning (1990)
R | 78 min | Documentary
A chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.
Director: Jennie Livingston | Stars: Brooke Xtravaganza, André Christian, Dorian Corey, Paris Duprée
Votes: 17,594 | Gross: $3.78M
16. TransGeneration (2005– )
272 min | Documentary
A look at the lives of four college students undergoing gender transition.
Stars: Andrea Gabrielle Gibson, Staci Ignacio, Lucas Cheadle, Katherine A. Baker
Votes: 419
17. Red Without Blue (2007)
Not Rated | 74 min | Documentary
The intimate bond between two identical twin brothers is challenged when one decides to transition from male to female; this is the story of their evolving relationship, and the resurrection of their family from a darker past.
Directors: Brooke Sebold, Benita Sills, Todd Sills | Stars: Clair Farley, Jennie Farley, Mark Oliver Farley, Scott Farley
Votes: 504
18. Gendernauts: A Journey Through Shifting Identities (1999)
Not Rated | 87 min | Documentary
Monika Treut explores the worlds and thoughts of several transgender individuals. As with Treuts first film, Jungfrauenmaschine, Gendernauts, enters a minority sector of San Fransisco ... See full summary »
Director: Monika Treut | Stars: Susan Stryker, Texas Tomboy, Annie Sprinkle, Jordi Jones
Votes: 189 | Gross: $0.01M
19. Out of the Past (1998)
R | 97 min | Documentary
In 1995, Kelli Peterson started a gay and straight club at her Salt Lake City high school. The story of her ensuing battle with school authorities in interspersed with looks back at the ... See full summary »
Director: Jeff Dupre | Stars: Stephen Spinella, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cherry Jones, Edward Norton
Votes: 199 | Gross: $0.01M
20. 8: The Mormon Proposition (2010)
R | 80 min | Documentary
A scorching indictment of the Mormon Church's historic involvement in the promotion & passage of California's Proposition 8 and the Mormon religion's secretive, decades-long campaign against LGBT human rights.
Directors: Reed Cowan, Steven Greenstreet | Stars: Spencer Jones, Tyler Barrick, Dustin Lance Black, Linda Williams Stay
Votes: 1,273 | Gross: $0.10M
21. This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Unrated | 98 min | Documentary
Kirby Dick's exposé about the American movie ratings board.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Kirby Dick, Kimberly Peirce, Darren Aronofsky, Atom Egoyan
Votes: 28,620 | Gross: $0.30M
22. Daddy and the Muscle Academy (1991)
55 min | Documentary, Biography
Tom of Finland is one of the gay world's few authentic icons. His drawings have had an enormous influence on gay identity. Tom's ultimate leather men are known and seen everywhere. They are... See full summary »
Director: Ilppo Pohjola | Stars: Tom of Finland, Robert Henry Mizer, Nayland Blake, Durk Dehner
Votes: 485 | Gross: $0.11M
23. Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)
81 min | Documentary
A chronological look at films by, for, or about (or 'by, for, and about') gays and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to 2005, from Kenneth Anger's "Fireworks" to Ang Lee's "Brokeback... See full summary »
Directors: Lisa Ades, Lesli Klainberg | Stars: Randy Barbato, Dan Bucatinsky, Jonathan Caouette, Ash Christian
Votes: 840
24. This Filthy World (2006)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
Jeff Garlin's documentary on the work of John Waters.
Director: Jeff Garlin | Star: John Waters
Votes: 1,742
25. China Dolls (1998)
30 min | Documentary, Short
Aussie boys of Asian descent candidly discuss their status as a "minority within a minority".
Director: Tony Ayres
Votes: 33
26. 101 Rent Boys (2000)
78 min | Documentary
101 Rent Boys is shot on location in various motel rooms situated on the length of the Santa Monica Boulevard, and features 101 different hustlers. Although the film features 101 different ... See full summary »
Directors: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato | Stars: David Anthony, Gary Barry, Scott Black, Bo
Votes: 382
27. How Gay Sex Changed the World (2007 TV Movie)
50 min | Documentary
Director: Mark Turnbull | Stars: Andy Bell, Paul Burston, Simon Callow, Michael Cashman
Votes: 41
28. A Jihad for Love (2007)
Unrated | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims across the Muslim and Western worlds.
Director: Parvez Sharma | Stars: Muhsin Hendricks, A.K. Hoosen, Mazen, Abdellah Taïa
Votes: 713 | Gross: $0.11M
29. The Perfect Penis (2006 TV Movie)
48 min | Documentary
A look at how the quest for the ideal penis has driven some men to have surgery.
Director: Krishna Govender | Stars: Trevor Ward, Nim Christopher, Oliver James, Mister Mark
Votes: 85
30. Männer, Helden, schwule Nazis (2005)
90 min | Documentary
It's no secret that the most active homophobes are usually hidden homosexuals. And what environment could be more homophobic than the neo-Nazi environment? It is the phenomenon of ... See full summary »
Director: Rosa von Praunheim | Stars: Ewald Althans, Winfried Bonengel, Jörg Fischer, Rainer Fromm
Votes: 148
31. Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride (2009)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Before the 30th anniversary, Vancouver's Gay Pride Parade director examines relevance of Pride celebrations internationally. He travels to places where Pride is steeped in protest to ... See full summary »
Director: Bob Christie | Star: Ken Coolen
Votes: 142
32. Witches, Faggots, Dykes and Poofters (1980)
45 min | Documentary
In 1978 the police attacked demonstrators at the Sydney (Australia) Mardi Gras celebrations. This film details the communities response.
Director: Digby Duncan | Stars: Jude Kuring, David Stiff
Votes: 36
33. Feed Them to the Cannibals! (1993)
63 min | Documentary
Documentary about the history of Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a great event happening once a year in Sydney, Australia, a celebration of gay sexuality.
Director: Fiona Cunningham-Reid
Votes: 15
34. Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World (2003)
Not Rated | 62 min | Documentary
Documentary presenting the realities of coming out in lesser developed countries.
Director: John Scagliotti | Stars: Janeane Garofalo, Maher Sabry
Votes: 164
35. The Education of Shelby Knox (2005)
Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary
A 15-year-old girl's transformation from conservative Southern Baptist to liberal Christian and ardent feminist parallels her fight for sex education and gay rights in Lubbock, Texas.
Directors: Marion Lipschutz, Rose Rosenblatt | Stars: Yvonne Caudillo, Shelby Knox, Rene Maquilleur, Amanda Noble
Votes: 443
36. Keeping It Real: The Adventures of Greg Walloch (2001)
Documentary
Director: Eli Kabillio | Stars: Tony Albanese, Stephen Baldwin, Jeff Bond, Paul Borghese
Votes: 34
37. Bear Nation (2010)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary, Romance
Malcolm Ingram introduces us to gay men who dig big dudes who are stockier and hairier than the airbrushed ideal served by up lifestyle magazines and underwear ads.
Director: Malcolm Ingram | Stars: Douglas Langway, Kevin Smith
Votes: 214
38. Ptown Diaries (2009)
90 min | Documentary
Chronicling the amazing history of Provincetown a small Ma. town where the pilgrims first landed to the present day Gay Mecca. Ptown diaries weaves the story of the New England Yankees, ... See full summary »
Director: Joseph Mantegna | Stars: Alan Cumming, Michael Cunningham, Lea DeLaria, Norman Mailer
Votes: 33
39. Gone (II) (2011)
PG-13 | 85 min | Documentary
A veteran New York police officer embarks on a harrowing search to find her son, when he disappears under suspicious circumstances in Austria.
Directors: Gretchen Morning, John Morning | Star: Kathryn Gilleran
Votes: 155
40. Free Havana (2012)
58 min | Documentary
Gay Rights is an issue heard around the world, including Cuba. Free Havana paints a vivid picture of what it has been like to be gay in Cuba through the candid stories of six gay and ... See full summary »
Director: Eliezer Pérez Angueira
Votes: 19
41. The Advocate for Fagdom (2011)
Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary
The Advocate for Fagdom unites the puzzle pieces one by one. Testimonies are combined with rare archive images. Art galeries present movie extracts that are succeeded by images shot on ... See full summary »
Director: Angélique Bosio | Stars: Bruce La Bruce, Glenn Belverio, Bruce Benderson, Jürgen Brüning
Votes: 112
42. Hollywood to Dollywood (2011)
81 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
Twin young men from North Carolina riding on the fumes of a dream to meet their idol, Dolly Parton the 'Backwoods Barbie', find more than what they bargained for in an RV named Jolene.
Directors: Gary Lane, John Lavin | Stars: Chad Allen, Dustin Lance Black, Michael Bowen, Beth Grant
Votes: 99
43. Out in the Open (2013)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary
Out In The Open will, for once and for all, destroy the misconceptions, fears, and myths about the LGBTQ community. This documentary is aimed for at risk youth across the world, as well as ... See full summary »
Director: Royce Christyn | Stars: Cleo Anderson, Lamar Billups, Patrick Burke, Hunter Chapman
Votes: 50
44. Love Free or Die (2012)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
A documentary on Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop who set a precedent in New Hampshire state politics, and the battle for LGBT people to receive full acceptance in the faith.
Director: Macky Alston | Star: Gene Robinson
Votes: 110
45. Vito (2011)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story of Vito Russo, founding father of the gay liberation movement, author of "The Celluloid Closet," and vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s.
Director: Jeffrey Schwarz | Stars: Phyllis Antonellis, George Bancroft, Richard Barrios, Edmund Bergler
Votes: 772
46. The Case Against 8 (2014)
TV-14 | 109 min | Documentary, Biography, News
A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Directors: Ben Cotner, Ryan White | Stars: Ted Olson, Christopher D. Dusseault, Jeffrey J. Zarrillo, Paul T. Katami
Votes: 1,157
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