The festival provides a unique opportunity for the celebration of lesbian and gay identity for a community too often misrepresented or ignored in mainstream film and television. The mission of Reeling is to recognize the important artistic contributions that lesbian and gay filmmakers have made to our culture; to educate the general population and sensitize them to lesbian and gay issues; to investigate the history of gays and lesbians in film, including the stereotyping that has been a major part of this history; and to counteract this stereotyping with valid, meaningful and diverse portrayals of gays and lesbians.