For 25 years, Mark Gilbert, affectionately known as “MarkyG,” has dedicated his entrepreneurial spirit and marketing expertise to elevating LGBTQ+ visibility and bringing South Florida’s community together.
His journey began with the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
“The festival was my coming out, a place where I felt comfortable, could contribute and most of all, be proud being me,” Gilbert says.
When he discovered the organization was struggling financially and facing bankruptcy, Gilbert joined community leaders and supporters to eliminate its debt and secure its future.
Breaking Radio Barriers
Gilbert approached South Florida dance station Party 93.1 and convinced management to support the festival, helping bring the word “gay” into mainstream FM radio advertising.
Cox Media subsequently offered him the opportunity to create what he describes as the nation’s first gay-focused program on a major commercial FM station.
“Issues Over the Rainbow” featured LGBTQ+ personalities, organizations and entertainment, with guests including Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Sir Ian McKellen, Margaret Cho and casts from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Queer as Folk.
Gilbert also volunteered as master of ceremonies for community celebrations, including Fort Lauderdale PrideFest and Miami Beach Gay Pride.
Building OUTshine
Gilbert’s greatest passion remained the film festival.
Today, as Board Chair and Executive Director, he oversees OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival, producing two 11-day festivals annually across Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
OUTshine has expanded to include year-round Cocktails & Cinema screenings, special events and OUTshine At Home.
Gilbert credits longtime Marketing Director Alexis Bosch Altamar and programmer Joe Bilancio with helping build the festival.
“My personal career has, for reasons I can’t entirely explain, always taken a back seat to the festival,” Gilbert says. “But that’s because the festival is my passion. It’s what I truly love.”
OUTshine 2026
Following its spring festival, OUTshine returns October 15–25 for its fall edition.
The schedule includes:
- Fort Lauderdale: October 15–22
- Miami: October 19–25
- OUTshine At Home: October 26–November 1
The festival will feature international films, documentaries, special screenings, filmmaker appearances and community celebrations.
Programming and tickets are available through OUTshine’s official website.
Business and Community
Gilbert arrived in Florida at 18 and launched his first company, Bong City, at 19. By 22, he was operating a million-dollar distribution business.
His career included sales and marketing ventures representing rock-and-roll merchandise brands, professional sports organizations and collegiate institutions.
Away from the spotlight, Gilbert is a proud father of two and grandfather of three. He also speaks joyfully about discovering a new relationship later in life.
As OUTshine approaches its 47th edition, his enthusiasm remains strong.
A Lasting Legacy
Gilbert has spent 25 years helping shape South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community.
He helped save a struggling film festival, broke barriers in mainstream broadcasting, amplified LGBTQ+ voices and transformed OUTshine into an internationally recognized cultural institution.
But his legacy extends beyond festivals and broadcasting.
It lives in the young LGBTQ+ person who sees their story represented on screen, the filmmaker who finds an audience and the community that comes together to celebrate its diversity.
Mark Gilbert has not simply witnessed the evolution of South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community. He has helped shape it.
And for that, our community owes MarkyG an extraordinary debt of gratitude.
Bobby Blair is a former professional tennis player in the 1980s. Blair is a LGBTQ media pioneer, Executive Director of the Community Media Advocacy Network, and Publisher of Hotspots Magazine and Perks Plus VIP community mobile APP. He lives in Fort Lauderdale with his partner, Brian Neal. A Fort Lauderdale, Florida native.
