On the 10th anniversary of the screen adaptation of And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts' acclaimed chronicle of the early days of the AIDS crisis, the Festival looks back at the tragedies and victories of this vital chapter in the history of the LGBTQ+ community.

HBO's adaptation of And the Band Played On succeeds by bringing a narrative focus to the wide-ranging facts of the book and focusing on the drama and characters of the story instead of scientific details. From the infa­ mous "patient zero" through the rapid and con­ fusing growth of the disease to the politically charged race for a cure, _And the Band Played On _deftly captures the zeitgeist of the times. The film gives voice to the diverse factions affected by AIDS and provides a sense of urgency as the number of AIDS cases and deaths quickly rises.

Told through the point of view of CDC researcher Don Francis, played by Matthew Modine, the film also stars Sir Ian McKellan as Bill Kraus, Lily Tomlin as San Francisco Public Health Officer Selma Oritz, and Alan Aida as the controversial Dr. Robert Gallo.

The film is also a time-capsule portrait of San Francisco and its leading role in the AIDS crisis. We're reminded of the devastation and activism in the Castro, the closing of the bath­houses, and the regular people like Kraus and Oritz who were forced into noticeably public and sometimes heroic roles. With no end in sight, the AIDS outbreak remains a story worth telling­ and retelling.