FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: aGLIFF announces name change, Queer Youth Media Project, and Call For Entries at SXSW Queer Filmmaker Brunch

On Saturday, March 10, aGLIFF hosted a boisterous filmmakers brunch at Austin’s The Iron Bear bar to celebrate LGBTQ+ films and filmmakers at SXSW and utilized the occasion to formally announce the festival has changed its name from the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival to the All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival, as aGLIFF looks to their 31st edition in September of this year (September 6-9). Attending filmmakers represented buzzworthy SXSW titles like THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA, THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES, TRANSMILITARY, and WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY, as well as the short films RUKUS, THE THINGS YOU THINK I’M THINKING, and last year’s festival hit, SIGNATURE MOVE.

Paul Rowley (PROD), Gene Graham (DIR/PROD) (THIS ONE'S FOR THE LADIES) 3.10.18 (Photo by Scot Maitland)
Paul Rowley (PROD), Gene Graham (DIR/PROD) (THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES) (Photo by Scot Maitland)

 

Director Sherren Lee and producer Charlie Hildago (THE THINGS YOU THINK I'M THINKING) 3.10.18 (Photo by Scot Maitland)
Director Sherren Lee and producer Charlie Hildago (THE THINGS YOU THINK I’M THINKING) (Photo by Scot Maitland)

 

Brett Hanover (DIR/SCR), Katherine Dohan (AD), Alanna Stewart (AD), Layee Safa (Crew) (RUKUS) 3.10.18 (Photo by Scot Maitland)
Brett Hanover (DIR/SCR), Katherine Dohan (AD), Alanna Stewart (AD), Layee Safa (Crew) (RUKUS) (Photo by Scot Maitland)

 

Producer Casper Andreas (WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY) (Photo by Scot Maitland)
Producer Casper Andreas (WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY) (Photo by Scot Maitland)

Also announced at the brunch were the expansion of aGLIFF’s Queer Youth Media Project from a one-week long program to two weeks due to the popularity of the program last year, as well as the approaching regular deadline for the festival’s Call for Entries.

Co-directors Donal Mosher and Mike Palamieri (THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA) sandwich aGLIFF's Jim Brunzell (Photo by Scott Maitland)
Co-directors Donal Mosher and Mike Palamieri (THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA) sandwich aGLIFF’s Jim Brunzell (Photo by Scott Maitland)

 

Last year's critical and festival faves, Fawzia Mirza, Lisa Donato (SIGNATURE MOVE) (Photo by Scot Maitland)
Last year’s critical and festival faves, Fawzia Mirza, Lisa Donato (SIGNATURE MOVE) (Photo by Scot Maitland)

 

Director Madeleine Olnek (WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY) pitches her film to the crowd with aGLIFF's Jim Brunzell there for moral support. (Photo by Scott Maitland)
Director Madeleine Olnek (WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY) pitches her film to the crowd with aGLIFF’s Jim Brunzell there for moral support. (Photo by Scott Maitland)

Regarding the name change, the President of aGLIFF’s Board of Directors, Ashley Marshall, said that during last year’s 30th Anniversary edition of the film festival, the board and festival staff had discussions about “who are we now and what do we represent?” Ultimately, aGLIFF, which is the longest running film festival in Austin and the 4th longest running LGBTQ+ film festival in North America, decided it was appropriate to update what the letters in the festival literally stood for in order to reflect and make a statement pointing to their true inclusiveness. Marshall said, “We are proud of the diversity of our programming, our membership, and the filmmakers who contribute to aGLIFF – we showcase art that represents experiences across the LGBTQ spectrum and we want to ensure that our name reflects that.”

aGLIFF Festival Director Jim Brunzell listens as aGLIFF's President of the Board of Directors, Ashley Marshall delivers the big news (Photo by Scot Maitland)
aGLIFF Festival Director Jim Brunzell listens as aGLIFF’s President of the Board of Directors, Ashley Marshall delivers the big news (Photo by Scot Maitland)

 

aGLIFF's Board and staff members at the brunch (Photo by Scot Maitland)
aGLIFF’s Board and staff members at the brunch (Photo by Scot Maitland)

 

Jenna Dufton, Andria Wilson (Inside Out - Toronto's LGBTQ fest) Charlie Hildago, Sherren Lee (THE THINGS YOU THINK I'M THINKING) (Photo by Scott Maitland)
Jenna Dufton, Andria Wilson (Inside Out – Toronto’s LGBTQ fest) Charlie Hildago, Sherren Lee (THE THINGS YOU THINK I’M THINKING) (Photo by Scott Maitland)

 

Fest Heads - Opal Hope Bennett (DOC NYC), Megan Leonard (SIFF), Jim Brunzell, Ryan Watt (Indie Memphis) (Photo by Scott Maitland)
Fest Heads – Opal Hope Bennett (DOC NYC), Megan Leonard (SIFF), Jim Brunzell, Ryan Watt (Indie Memphis) (Photo by Scott Maitland)

Marshall also announced that due to the popularity of aGLIFF’s Queer Youth Media Project (QYMP) film education program, it will be expanded to two weeks with the first week of classes (June 11-15) devoted to documentary filmmaking, and the second week (June 18-22), focused on narrative filmmaking.
QYMP is offered free-of-charge in collaboration with the Austin School of Film, and is open to aspiring filmmakers ages 12-20. The students will spend five days immersed in learning the filmmaking process and participating in various roles to complete a short film project which will be screened at this year’s film festival in September. Students will learn not only the entire movie making process, but will also be introduced to theater, acting, casting calls, how to enter films into festivals, market their films and find distribution.
To apply, visit the Austin School of Film’s website at http://austinfilmschool.org/youth-programs/queer-youth-media/. For more information on the Queer Youth Media Project, go to: http://agliff.org/qymp/.

Fiona Dawson (Co-DIR), Jamie Coughlin (PROD), Gabe Silverman (Co-DIR)(TRANSMILITARY) 3.10.18 (Photo by Scott Maitland)
Fiona Dawson (Co-DIR), Jamie Coughlin (PROD), Gabe Silverman (Co-DIR)(TRANSMILITARY) 3.10.18 (Photo by Scott Maitland)

 

Kristen Ireland, Laila Ireland, Debbie Reim (TRANSMILITARY) (Photo by Scot Maitland)
Kristen Ireland, Laila Ireland, Debbie Reim (TRANSMILITARY) (Photo by Scot Maitland)

 

TRANSMILITARY's filmmakers, subjects and friends (Photo by Scot Maitland)
TRANSMILITARY’s filmmakers, subjects and friends (Photo by Scot Maitland)

 
aGLIFF’s Call for Entries details are as follows:
Regular Deadline:   May 12, 2018
Late Deadline:                     June 2, 2018
Extended Deadline:            June 30, 2018
 
Juried Competitions include:
Best Narrative Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best Narrative Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Student Made Short
The “Hum” dinger Award (Audience Award), named after aGLIFF founder, Scott Dinger.
Submissions can be made exclusively at Film Freeway: https://filmfreeway.com/AustinGLIFF.
For more information on aGLIFF, go to http://agliff.org.