Kathy Wolfe, founder and CEO of Wolfe Video, has been named as the second annual recipient of Philadelphia QFest’s prestigious Barbara Gittings Award. Philadelphia QFest takes place from July 8 through July 19.

Wolfe will be presented the award on Saturday, July 10 with the screening of “My Normal,” a film released this year by her production company.

“Barbara Gittings was such an amazing woman,” Wolfe said, “to receive an honor in her name is truly humbling. I couldn’t be more grateful to be named as this year’s recipient.”

The largest exclusive distributor of LGBT movies in the world, Wolfe Video celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with Wolfe at the helm. Although much has changed since its inception, Wolfe Video remains committed to promoting the best lesbian and gay films to a wider audience and generating maximum revenue for the filmmakers they represent.

Wolfe Video, and its theatrical arm Wolfe Releasing, have released hundreds of films over the past 25 years.

The company’s milestone releases include: “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” (1991) starring Lily Tomlin; “Big Eden” (2000); “Loving Annabelle” (2006); as well as more recent titles, like “Hannah Free” (2009) starring Sharon Gless; “Pornography: A Thriller” (2010) starring fellow QFest 2010 Honoree Matthew Montgomery.

“We are all great fans of Kathy,” says Carol Coombes, Managing Director of Philadelphia QFest, “and on the occasion of 25 years of Wolfe Video/Wolfe Releasing, Philadelphia QFest believes Kathy is a fitting recipient for our 2010 Barbara Gittings Award.”

Barbara Gittings was an LGBT community activist who helped organize some of the first demonstrations for gay and lesbian civil rights. Her efforts are credited with helping to lay the groundwork for the Stonewall Riots and the LGBT civil rights movement. There is a Historic Marker across from Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center commemorating her efforts.

Gittings also helped convince the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, and helped persuade libraries to include gay content. Gittings who died in 2007, is survived by her longtime partner Kay Tobin Lahusen.

About Wolfe Video

Started in 1985 with barely a dozen titles, the company has grown to become the leader in providing the best new gay and lesbian entertainment to consumers and retailers across the United States.

Wolfe has a large and growing loyal customer base and strong relationships with major national companies including Blockbuster, Amazon, Netflix, Borders, Barnes & Noble and Best Buy. Now, with more than 150 titles on the Wolfe label, the company has launched a force of independent filmmakers and greatly expanded lesbian and gay visibility. In 2010, Wolfe will be releasing more than 25 films. For more information about Wolfe Video, please visit www.wolfevideo.com