Reviews & Quotes | AHEAD OF THE CURVE
Yale School of Art | A.L. Steiner, Senior Critic
“The screening in our Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking at Yale was incredibly enriching and revealing of the extraordinary and innovative work behind Ahead of the Curve. The team’s dynamism and commitment to process, equitability and advocacy in storytelling and producing is unique – a model template for the future of doc filmmaking. "
School of Cinema, San Francisco State University | Johnny Symons, Associate Professor and Director of Queer Cinema Project
"Intersectionality and visibility, bringing lesbian history into the present and underscoring the importance of ongoing activism. The film has strong educational potential and will be a great tool in college classes focused on gender studies, history, journalism and community activism.”
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill | Dr. Ariana Vigil, Chair, Women’s and Gender Studies
"We held a very successful on-campus screening that attracted a group of interested and engaged students. Students loved having a cast member join for a Q&A and the event facilitated conversations that bridged academic interests with discussions about popular culture and queer media.”
Bonnie J. Morris, Ph.D.,author, Gender Studies professor | Georgetown University, George Washington University, and University of California, Berkeley
"The film is a great gift to a generation inheriting the sacrifice and risks undertaken by whip-smart 1990s dykes."
California State University Fresno | Lillian Faderman, Lesbian Historian; Professor Emerita of English at Fresno State
"Ahead of the Curve is a moving tribute to a hugely important time in lesbian history and the brave magazine and publisher that captured it all.”
Los Angeles Times | Tracy Brown
"As outlandish as the best urban legends. Ahead of the Curve celebrates lesbian triumph while trying to find new purpose in uncertain times".
Women in Higher Education | Lois Elfman
"It’s so rare that we are learning about queer women when we learn about queer history and culture. This film can make a more equitable experience about who is represented in those classes.”
BUST Magazine | Melody Heald
"A Must-See Documentary that people of all backgrounds will genuinely enjoy, especially those who are interested in learning about the intricacies and history of lesbian and queer media. This documentary is an eye opener, educating viewers on the struggles of LGBTQIA+ folks and their battles for acceptance and representation."
The Boston Globe | Peter Keough
"A vivid portrait of a resilient and inspiring figure as well as a microcosm of three decades of social and cultural change"
The Hollywood Reporter | Inkoo Kang
“ZIPPY INSIGHTFUL AND DEEPLY MOVING… First-time director Jen Rainin's portrait of Stevens, Curve's achievements and blindspots, lesbian progress during the Clinton era and the uneasiness with the "lesbian" label among many queer women today is accomplished, resonant and deeply moving.”
Little White Lies (magazine) | Laura Venning
"An unexpectedly insightful look at a piece of lesbian history. Exuberant... told with so much heart."
The Guardian | Peter Bradshaw
"A valuable portrait of a great risk-taker."
POV (Point of View Magazine) | Pat Mullen
"A page of queer history gets its due. An engaging portrait of the fight for visibility and the work that still needs to be done."
The Film Experience | Glenn Dunks
"Welcome levity and a smart fusion of history and biography...it is that youthful zest for queer rebellion (and an adult desire to recreate it) that carries AHEAD OF THE CURVE most of all”.
TIME Magazine | Lindsay Lee Wallace
"Ahead of the Curve Tells the Story of an Iconic Lesbian Magazine...where visibility coupled with connection can be alchemized into community."