We are an international LGBTQIA+ film festival based in Parsons, Kansas, USA.The first festival came about because Aaron Casserly Stewart, Parsons city commissioner in 2017, had wanted to honor Gilbert Baker, the creator of the Rainbow Flag.Gilbert conceived of the idea for the Gilbert Baker Film Festival.The Festival was to be a celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride in his old stomping grounds of Parsons, KS. Knowing that Parsons is a town in rural Southeast Kansas, Gilbert wanted to have an event that could showcase the accomplishments of the LGBTQIA+ community without a parade.Unfortunately, Gilbert died in 2017 before the first film festival was held. The committee working with him proceeded to hold the first festival.It was a small festival but it was a beginning.The town responded to requests to fly the Pride flag and showed support through attendance.A picture of the flag raising ceremony graced the cover of the local paper, the Parsons Sun. In 2018, a group of people who wanted Gilbert’s dream to reach its potential began working towards having another Film Festival. In 2019, the committee succeeded in having a great festival, featuring the festival premier of “The Whistle”, a documentary by director StormMiguel Florez.; We also screened a Kate Jessop Retrospective, well known for her web series “Tales from Pussy Willow”, the web series These Thems, the short film Spectrum, the web series Flunk, and the short film The Date. We started utilizing FilmFreeway’s submission platform in 2019. The 2020 Gilbert Baker Film Festival began the tradition of holding the festival the third week in September annually from 2020 on and having it as a online event.Each year we hope to grow and improve.We are also working with the Gilbert Baker Estate who have been a great help. The main goal of the Gilbert Baker Film Festival committee is to hold a festival worthy of Gilbert’s worldwide legacy.We hope to maintain this Festival as an annual event.