Arthur J. Bressan Jr. — May 27, 1943-July 28, 1987 (Image via Facebook) The following is an appreciation of pioneering gay filmmaker Arthur J.
Bressan Jr. (May 27, 1943-July 29, 1987) written by LGBT historian Michael Bronski: Editor’s Note: One of the pioneers of independent gay cinema in the 1970s and ‘80s, Arthur J.
Bressan Jr. is best known for his devastating 1985 drama, Buddies (the first feature film about AIDS) and his groundbreaking 1977 film Gay USA (the first documentary by and about LGBT people).
Working across multiple genres including documentary, narrative, adult and short-form filmmaking, Bressan’s boldness and artistry as a writer-director earned him both acclaim and controversy over the course of his decade-long