Outfest is an

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...

-oriented nonprofit that produces two

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...

s, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the

Frameline Film Festival The Frameline Film Festival (aka San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival) (formerly San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival; San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival) began as a storefront event in 1976. The first ...

, the

New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival put on by The New Festival, Inc., is one of the most comprehensive forums of national and international LGBT film/video in the world. Founded in 1988, The New Festival, Inc i ...

, and the

Inside Out Film and Video Festival Inside may refer to: * Insider, a member of any group of people of limited number and generally restricted access Film * ''Inside'' (1996 film), an American television film directed by Arthur Penn and starring Eric Stoltz * ''Inside'' (2002 ...

, in launching the North American Queer Festival Alliance, an initiative to further publicize and promote LGBT film.

History

In 1979, John Ramirez and Stuart Timmons, two students at the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...

(UCLA), founded a gay film festival on campus. By 1982, it had become known as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference." The name was changed to Outfest in 1994. In September 2016, Outfest held its first traveling film festival in

Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence and Leeds) was 29,571. Northampton is known as an a ...

, at the Academy of Music Theatre. In June 2020, Outfest partnered with Film Independent to launch the United in Pride digital film festival. Outfest was also one of the key partners, alongside the

, the

and the

, in launching the North American Queer Festival Alliance, an initiative to further publicize and promote LGBT film.Jeff Ewing
"Major LGBTQ Film Festivals Partner To Create The ‘North American Queer Festival Alliance’ (NAQFA)"
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Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'', June 17, 2020.

Programs

* Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival – Eleven days of world-class films, discussions and parties. * Outfest Fusion LGBTQ BIPOC Film Festival – Spotlighting the diversity of the LGBTQ community. * Outfest UCLA Legacy Project – The only program in the world dedicated to protecting LGBTQ films for future generations. * Outfest Forward – Developing the next generation of artists and filmmakers through education and mentoring.

Initiatives

Youth Outfest supports youth through education, mentoring and access to meaningful LGBTQ stories. It also includes: * Free memberships to youth age 21 years and younger * OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project a Collaboration between Outfest and LifeWorks * Emerging Leaders Council Alumni Outfest promotes works by its alumni and encourages them to help educate new and upcoming filmmakers.

Outie awards

Outfest gives annual "Outie" awards in 16 categories. Awards are given by grand juries, festival audiences and the Program Committees. Jury awards are given for: * US Narrative Feature * Screenwriting * Actor in a Feature Film * Actress in a Feature Film * International Feature * Documentary Feature Audience awards are given for: * First Narrative Feature * Narrative Feature * Lesbian Narrative Feature * Documentary Feature * Narrative Short Film * Documentary Short Film * Soundtrack Programs awards are given for: * Freedom Award * Outstanding Emerging Talent * Outstanding Artistic Achievement Outfest also presents the Outfest Achievement Award, the Outfest Honors, the Outfest Screenwriting Lab Award and the Screen Idol Award.

References

External links

*
Outfest UCLA Legacy Project
at

UCLA Film & Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...