Specular, planar semipolar gallium nitride films were grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy. This is the first report of high quality semipolar GaN films that could be used for device growth. Planar films of (10-1-1)GaN have been grown on (100)MgAl 2 O 4 spinel, and planar films of (10-1-3)GaN have been grown on (110)MgAl 2 O 4 spinel. The in-plane epitaxial relationship for (10-1-1)GaN on (100) spinel was [10-1-2] GaN ∥[011] spinel and [1-210] GaN ∥[0-11] spinel . The in-plane epitaxial relationship for (10-1-3)GaN on (110) spinel was [30-3-2] GaN ∥[001] spinel and [1-210] GaN ∥[-110] spinel .