a documentary short film

Gert’s Boys

about

Gert’s Boys introduces a unique window into San Francisco’s gay community (1981-1995) through the lens of one woman, Cindy “Gert” McMullin, an original volunteer and co-founder of The AIDS Memorial Quilt. The Quilt was launched in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood in 1987, the epicenter of the AIDS crisis, as a social action tool to demand a public and government response to AIDS. Today, the Quilt is the world’s largest piece of community folk art commemorating over 110,000 lives lost to AIDS. Gert, often referred to as Mother of the Quilt, continues to oversee the panels, which she refers to as her ‘boys’. The film explores Gert’s experiences caring for four of her boys – David, Roger, Jack and Joey – and becoming an activist in the process.

the film team

Cindy “Gert” McMullin
Subject

Sara L. Schwartz
Producer/Director

Michael Bodie
Producer/Editor

screenings

July 3 & 5, 2025

Marin County Fair Int’l Film Festival
San Rafael, CA

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August 3-7, 2025

Visible Evidence Conference XXXI
Philadelphia, PA

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August 21, 2025

Reel Queer Film Festival
Little Rock, AK

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August 23, 2025

San Francisco Queer Film Festival
San Francisco, CA

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September 5-October 6, 2025

Women Over Fifty Film Festival
Viewable Online

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September 26, 2025

Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs
LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Palm Springs, CA

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September 27, 2025

Healdsburg International
Short Film Festival
Healdsburg, CA

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November 1-5, 2025

American Public Health Association
Public Health Film Festival
Viewable Online

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November 19-22, 2025

Society for Visual Anthropology
Film and Media Festival
New Orleans, LA

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for press and screening inquiries, please contact —

Director/Producer, Sara Schwartz — saraschw@usc.edu

Editor/Producer, Michael Bodie — bodie@usc.edu