TIGLFF was originally founded in 1990 as a three-day extension of Tampa’s Pride celebrations by representatives of three LGBTQ+ organizations: the Tampa Bay Business Guild (TBBG), the Bay Area Human Rights Coalition, and the Tampa Bay Gay Men’s Chorus. In its first decade, the festival served as a fundraising event for local nonprofits and eventually came under the umbrella of Tampa Bay Arts.

Founding member Dorothy Abbott programmed most of the festivals through the 1990s, building industry relationships that put TIGLFF on the national map. She also coined the word “International” in the festival’s name. At every stage of the festival’s history, countless people stepped up—donating time, money, and energy—because they loved the festival and wanted it to thrive. Founders and early contributors include Mark Puig, Dorothy Abbott, Keith Roberts, Sunny Hall, Bob Pope, Richard Waugh, Chuck Wilhelm, Larry Fischer, Martin Padgett, Amy Nestor, Lex Poppens, Cathy Prance, Victoria Jorgensen, Brian Winfield, Robert Geller, Michele Greenberg, and many more.

By 1999, Tampa Bay Arts had accumulated significant debt, raising concerns that the festival’s funds could be lost. In response, the festival’s organizers created their own nonprofit, Friends of the Festival, Inc. (FOF), which became a 501(c)(3) entity doing business as the Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. In FOF’s first year, Board President Jim Harper contributed $30,000 of his own money to cover expenses until ticket sales and sponsorships came in, most of which he later recovered.

During this period, the festival developed a typical format of 11 days of films and events across Tampa Bay annually, centering queer storytelling, community, and media celebration. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of people attended or engaged with the festival, establishing it as a major cultural institution in the region.

Industry shifts, including the rise of streaming and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, required the festival to reevaluate sustainability and longevity in 2020. This period saw experimentation with virtual streaming, the creation of two separate festivals in St. Pete and Tampa, and the launch of the Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival. To learn more about the Trans Film Fest, visit here.

As the industry continued to evolve, TIGLFF reflected on its history, successes, and challenges, ultimately deciding to drop the full name of "Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival" and rebrand in 2026. The new identity, "TIGLFF", honors the festival’s legacy while signaling a more inclusive approach, expanding beyond film to celebrate diverse forms of queer art and media.