Out on Film update - how to help us out!

To say that the last year and a half for Out on Film has been an eventful one is a mild understatement. For the first time in its long existence, Out on Film is not only gay/lesbian run and operated, but completely independent. This summer, Out on Film became an official 501(c)3 organization. And, yes, we are truly excited.

Last May, Atlanta Film Festival 365 (formerly IMAGE Film and Video) decided to give Out on Film to the gay/lesbian community. For years and years, IMAGE put on both its successful Atlanta Film Festival in the spring/summer and then Out on Film in the fall. Their goal was to give Out on Film to the GLBT community and focus all their time on the Atlanta Film Festival. If you attended the Atlanta Film Festival this year, you can see how the move helped. It was a great festival, and not having to do Out on Film gave the IMAGE gang more time to prepare.

Handing the organization over wasn’t a seamless transaction, though. 2008 was a year everyone involved with Out on Film would rather forget. Not only was the economy tough, but getting the right mix of folks together was harder than anyone thought. Unfortunately, the casualty of last year was a film festival.

But luckily the team we have currently assembled has got it right. Without question, this has been the most ambitious year in the history of Out on Film. In the first four months of 2009, we had our hands in four screenings. In May, Out on Film had a small weekend festival. We had a few special guests but other than Charlie David (from TV’s “Dante’s Cove”) it was pretty no-frills. We refer to the May festival as our retro, 2008 festival, what we should have done last fall. Our goal was to get the name out again, re-introduce ourselves and break even financially. We were successful on all those counts.

In October, Out on Film will be having its fall festival, and from here on out it will be every October. Our goal is to make the festival as good as it can be. Having a GLBT film festival is still every bit as important as it’s ever been. Gays and lesbians may be more on TV now and in the public consciousness, but we are no means mainstream. It’s important to have a GLBT film festival - one by, for and about the GLBT community. But the size and scope of the festival depends on our community.

Out on Film isn’t about me, or my partner Craig, or our team. It’s about all of us. What we do with Out on Film is up to us as a community. I’ve always marveled at the sheer size of Frameline in San Francisco, OUTfest in Los Angeles, Newfest in New York and the Philly Q Fest in Philadelphia. Those festivals last for a week or so, have 100+ films, special guests every day and parties throughout. This is where I’d love to see Out on Film one day. I don’t know if we can ever match any of those festivals, but we can aim to. Atlanta has one of the biggest, most diverse GLBT populations in the country. Look at the enormous crowds that gather for Pride each year.

I used to be one of those people who enjoyed Pride every year but never thought of ever contributing. Now I do. Events such as Pride and Out on Film take time and they take money, more than ever in these trying economic times. The challenges that non-profits face these days is finding ways to produce when the economy is tight. All year long, I have believed in producing and we have. And we will continue to produce, but with help from everyone in our community, we can make Out on Film the premiere GLBT festival in the Southeast.

How can you help?

*Donate to Out on Film, either via our website (www.outonfilm.org) or MySpace page, www.myspace.com/outonfilm.
*If you know people who might be able to help us with flights for our incoming actors/directors, please let us know.
*Talk to your place of employment about donating or matching funds.
*Come to the festival, Oct. 2-8 (venue announced the second week of August).

See you all in October!