CHANGING THE GAME

Co-Founders/Co-Directors Ben McCarthy and Megan Garbayo got it right with OUTstream Film Fest when it came to seeking inclusion with their debut virtual LGBTQIA+ film festival

By John Wildman 6 years ago

To quote McCarthy when the OUTstream Film Fest was first announced, “We have created OUTstream Film Fest to bring people together all across the country, of any sexual identity, to view these films, which we feel will entertain, touch, enlighten, and affect all audiences. Thanks to COVID-19, everyone in the world has received a stark reminder that we are all together and similar in many more ways than we are not. We believe this has the potential to bring people together virtually via this shared event – because art offers a rich opportunity to connect us all.”  He then added, “OUTstream Film Fest could reach people that want to have an understanding about LGBTQIA+ people or appreciation for queer cinema. It’s all about inclusivity. Films are made to tell someone’s unique story and if it’s only being seen by people that have “lived” that story, then it’s not reaching everyone that could legitimately connect with and be touched by that story.”

Michael Barnett’s CHANGING THE GAME Opens OUTstream Film Fest rolls out initial lineup of films for debut of virtual LGBTQIA+ film fest

By John Wildman 6 years ago

OUTstream Film Fest Co-Founder and Co-Director Ben McCarthy, said, “We are thrilled to announce these first 11 films, which come to us from all over the world, to bring people together all across the country, of any sexual identity, to be entertained, touched, enlightened, and affected – as one. While we can not be in a theatre together yet, we can still connect virtually through the shared experience of watching a film and then experiencing and participating remotely in a Q&A with the filmmakers, actors, and/or subjects of the films. The virtual film festival allows us to bring a wider cross section of people from greater distances all together via this shared event; in some ways, in a more substantial way than is available with a physical event.”

Lisa Zi Xiang’s A DOG BARKING AT THE MOON leads wins at Austin’s All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) Awards and Wraps Honoree-rific Fest

By John Wildman 7 years ago

aGLIFF Board President Ashley Marshall, added, “This year’s festival was such a wonderful representation of our “prism” theme, as we got to celebrate with and get to know our visiting filmmakers, film jury members, and our aGLIFF film fans. Our vision for aGLIFF is to be a place where any queer person can walk into the theater and feel seen and surrounded by family, and this year felt like a gratifying culmination of sorts of our efforts to increase the diversity of our programming, our board, and our audience, to reflect the full prism of the rainbow. I know that I came away from this year’s fest feeling full of love and appreciation for our community and I hope everyone else had the same experience.”

David Charles Rodrigues’ GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH Set to Open 2019 aGLIFF; Film Lineup for longest running Austin-based film fest

By John Wildman 7 years ago

aGLIFF Artistic Director Jim Brunzell, said, “aGLIFF has always had a strong ‘familial’ quality to it, with filmmakers making films that address subjects and issues we all deal with, or touch emotions that reach everyone – not just those under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. This year’s edition once again exemplifies that feeling, and our honoree lineup highlights the quality of the filmmakers we have been fortunate to have at aGLIFF, as well as simply enjoy and appreciate their work on the big screen. This is a film festival where the filmmakers – from features to shorts, narrative to docs, and everything in between – truly support each other and seem to return year-after-year to touch base and screen new works for the film-going and the filmmaking community here in Austin and Texas.”