Vancouver Queer Film Festival
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival is Vancouver's second largest film festival and Western Canada's largest queer arts event that takes place annually in Vancouver, British Columbia.[1]
2011 marks the 23nd Annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival, August 11 to 21. The Vancouver Out On Screen Film Society (Out On Screen) began as a small, community-based film festival in anticipation of Vancouver hosting the Gay Games in 1990. Since then, Out On Screen has evolved to become a professional arts organization with three key program initiatives: the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Out in Schools and the Queer History Project.
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[edit] Mission statement
Vancouver Out On Screen Film & Video Society promotes the production and exhibition of queer media art, creating opportunities for dialogue and education among diverse communities that cross class, age, ability, ethnicity, spirituality, gender and sexuality.[2]
[edit] Festival Awards
[edit] People’s Choice Award for Best Feature
| Year | Film | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Undertow | Javier Fuentes-Leon |
| 2009 | I Can't Think Straight | Shamim Sarif |
| 2008[3] | Were the World Mine | Tom Gustafson |
| 2007[4] | Shelter | Jonah Markowitz |
| 2006[5] | Unveiled | Angelina Maccarone |
[edit] Gerry Brunet Memorial Award
| Year | Film | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Waiting 4 Goliath | Cal Garingan |
| 2009 | Naoko-San | Rka Moorhouse |
| 2008[6] | Hirsute | AJ Bond |
| 2008[7] | Writing the Land | Kevin Lee Burton |
| 2007[8] | Trans Neptune | Matthew Long |
| 2006[9] | What Don't You Understand About "I'm Leaving Again" | Amey Kazymerchyk |
[edit] OUTtv Hot Pink Shorts Award
| Year | Film | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | (3-way tie) B.A.B.S/ Finding Judy/ Quirk-E: A Learning Collective | Mette Bach / Gary Riotta / Callista Haggis [10] |
| 2010 | Butch Tits | Jen Crothers |
| 2009 | The Portside | Aerlyn Weissman |
[edit] Other programs
[edit] Out in Schools
Launched in 2004, Out in Schools brings independent queer films into local high schools in British Columbia. In conjunction with gay–straight alliances, Out in Schools focuses on the serious issues that affect queer youth.[11] The purpose of Out in Schools is to reduce isolation and increase the safety of the learning environment for queer students in the community. Out in Schools aims to increase understanding through education to combat issues such as homophobia and bullying that threaten the safety of the classrooms for both queer and straight students.[12] There have been more than 42 school screenings across the Lower Mainland and reached more than 1900 students.[13]
[edit] FirstOUT Video Scholarship Program
FirstOUT Video Scholarship Program is an intensive digital filmmaking program for youth aged 16 to 24. This is part of the youth education initiatives which, together with Out In Schools, seeks to give media literacy and production opportunities to queer youth and their allies. It brings independent media artists together with queer youth to work with them on developing their own cultural voice and producing their first video. Since its inception, five films have been produced and exhibited.[14]
[edit] 2007
Out On Screen had partnered with Pacific Cinematheque to present the first year of the FirstOUT Video Scholarship Program. The application submission ended in November 2006. By mid-December, four participants were selected and were paired in a one-on-one mentorship with celebrated local independent media artists in Vancouver. The training and production period began in February and ended late June. All of the four short films were screened at the 19th Annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival on August 18, 2007 at Pacific Cinematheque as part of the Youth Series. A youth-friendly reception followed to celebrate the accomplishment of the four young filmmakers, as well as the success of the program.[15]
| Film | Director | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| The Nuwest Steambath | Julian DeMayo | Kenneth Sherman |
| Going In | Jacks Cheng | Terra Poirier |
| Borderless Me | Setareh Mohammadi | Karen Duthie |
| Checkpoint | Alex Mah | Winston Xin |
- ^1 In addition to the four mentors above, Gabe Forsythe and Krista Stusiak were the youth mentors from Pacific Cinematheque's Education department who facilitated boot camp workshops on cinematography and technicality of filmmaking.
[edit] References
- ^ Vancouver Queer Film & Video Festival :: :: About us
- ^ Vancouver Queer Film & Video Festival :: :: Mission Statement
- ^ Events - Vancouver Queer Film Festival
- ^ here! Films presents "Shelter"
- ^ Event Calendar - Out on Screen and Vancity presents Vancouver Queer Film Festival
- ^ Vancouver Queer Film Festival - Events
- ^ Vancouver Queer Film Festival - Events
- ^ Trans Neptune - News
- ^ Vancouver Queer Film & Video Festival :: :: Press
- ^ Takeuchi, Craig. "Gen Silent, I'm in the Mood for Love win at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival 2011 awards". Georgia Straight. 22 August 2011. Web. Accessed 03 Nov 2011. http://www.straight.com/article-435196/vancouver/gen-silent-im-mood-love-win-vancouver-queer-film-festival-2011-awards
- ^ Kids in the halls | Straight.com
- ^ Caring for Communities : Vancouver Foundation
- ^ Vancouver Queer Film & Video Festival :: :: PROJECTION 20: YOUTH EDUCATION
- ^ CuedUp November 2006
- ^ [1]
[edit] External links
- Vancouver Queer Film Festival
- Vancouver Out On Screen Film & Video Society
- Out In Schools
- Queer History Project
