# Outfest

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For the Philadelphia LGBT street festival, see [OutFest Philadelphia](/source/OutFest_Philadelphia).

**Outfest** is an [LGBTQ](/source/LGBTQ)-oriented nonprofit that produces two [film festivals](/source/Film_festival), operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles). Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the [Frameline Film Festival](/source/Frameline_Film_Festival), the [New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival](/source/New_York_Lesbian,_Gay,_Bisexual,_%26_Transgender_Film_Festival), and the [Inside Out Film and Video Festival](/source/Inside_Out_Film_and_Video_Festival), in launching the **North American Queer Festival Alliance**, an initiative to further publicize and promote LGBT film.[1]

## History

In 1979, John Ramirez and [Stuart Timmons](/source/Stuart_Timmons), two students at the [University of California, Los Angeles](/source/University_of_California,_Los_Angeles) (UCLA), founded a gay film festival on campus.[2] By 1982, it had become known as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference." The name was changed to Outfest in 1994.[3][4]

In 1996 Outfest began a relationship with [Sundance](/source/Sundance_Film_Festival), another film festival.[5]

2004 Was the first year the idea of a queer film festival curating around people of color came about. Outfests then executive Stephen Gutwilig and Kirsten Schaffer are the name behind the idea.[6]

In 2005 UCLA Film & Television Archive and Outfest teamed up to save movies and videos made by LGBTQ people. They called this project the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project.[7] Since, Outfest and UCLA have continued to grow their collection making it one of the biggest attainable resources for moving images.[8]

In September 2016, Outfest held its first traveling film festival in [Northampton, Massachusetts](/source/Northampton,_Massachusetts), at the [Academy of Music Theatre](/source/Academy_of_Music_Theatre).

The 2018 Outfest film festival was held at the [Directors Guild of America](/source/Directors_Guild_of_America) in Los Angeles, California.[9] In 2019 the executives of the Outfest film festival decided it was time for a change in location once the Directors Guild of America began renovating.[9] The TCL Chinese Theater also in LA, then became the new home for Outfest film festival.[9]

In June 2020, Outfest partnered with Film Independent to launch the United in Pride digital film festival.[10] Outfest was also one of the key partners, alongside the [Frameline Film Festival](/source/Frameline_Film_Festival), the [New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival](/source/New_York_Lesbian,_Gay,_Bisexual,_%26_Transgender_Film_Festival) and the [Inside Out Film and Video Festival](/source/Inside_Out_Film_and_Video_Festival), in launching the North American Queer Festival Alliance, an initiative to further publicize and promote LGBT film.[1]

In January 2022, Outfest celebrated its 26th queer brunch at Sundance.[11]

## Programs

- Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival – Eleven days of world-class films, discussions and parties. Founded in 1982.
- Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival – A multi-week celebration of feature and short films, workshops and panels, and parties which center the spectrum of QTBIPOC stories and experiences. Founded in 2003.
- 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
- The Outfest Legacy Awards -- Awards ceremony that highlights and congratulates LGBTQIA+ achievers in the industry

## 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 [Los Angeles LGBT center](/source/Los_Angeles_LGBT_Center). Lasting half a year filmmakers create their own short films.[12]
- Emerging Leaders Council

**Alumni**

Outfest promotes works by its alumni and encourages them to help educate new and upcoming filmmakers.

## Awards

Outfest Los Angeles gives annual awards in 16 categories. Awards are given by Grand Juries, festival audiences and the Programming Committees. Jury awards are given for:

- US Narrative Feature
- International Feature
- Screenwriting
- Performance in a Feature Film
- Documentary Feature

Audience Awards are given for:

- First Narrative Feature
- Narrative Feature
- Documentary Feature
- Narrative Short Film
- Documentary Short Film

Programming awards are given for:

- Freedom Award
- Outstanding Emerging Talent
- Outstanding Artistic Achievement

Outfest also presents the Outfest Legacy Awards every fall.

## See also

- [List of LGBT film festivals](/source/List_of_LGBT_film_festivals)

## References

1. Jeff Ewing, ["Major LGBTQ Film Festivals Partner To Create The ‘North American Queer Festival Alliance’ (NAQFA)"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffewing/2020/06/17/major-lgbtq-film-festivals-partner-to-create-the-north-american-queer-festival-alliance-naqfa/#497c15f9633c). *[Forbes](/source/Forbes_(magazine))*, June 17, 2020.

1. ["Our History"](http://www.lgbt.ucla.edu/Our-History). *UCLA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Campus Resource Center*. UCLA. Retrieved January 30, 2017.

1. Susan King (July 7, 2011). ["Outfest 2011 film festival to open Thursday in Los Angeles"](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-jul-07-la-et-outfest-20110707-story.html). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*. Retrieved 2012-03-22.

1. Mark Olsen (July 5, 2009). ["At Outfest, redefining gay film"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jul-05-ca-indiefocus5-story.html). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*. Retrieved 2012-03-22.

1. Reul, Katie (2023-01-18). ["Outfest Outpost to Celebrate Queer Storytelling at 2023 Sundance Film Festival"](https://variety.com/2023/film/markets-festivals/outfest-outpost-sundance-film-festival-queer-storytelling-1235492776/). *Variety*. Retrieved 2023-04-19.

1. Rastegar, Roya (2009-06-01). ["The de-Fusion of Good Intentions"](https://read.dukeupress.edu/glq/article/15/3/481/34675/The-de-Fusion-of-Good-IntentionsOutfest-s-Fusion). *GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies*. **15** (3): 481–497. [doi:10.1215/10642684-2008-033](https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-2008-033). [ISSN 1064-2684](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1064-2684)

1. ["Outfest UCLA Legacy Project | UCLA Film & Television Archive"](https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/collections/outfest-ucla-legacy-project#:~:text=In%202005,%20UCLA%20Film%20&%20Television,for%20LGBTQ%20Moving%20Image%20Preservation.). *www.cinema.ucla.edu*. Retrieved 2023-04-27.

1. Pepe, Kristin (KP) (2011-10-01). ["Outside the Hollywood Canon"](https://read.dukeupress.edu/glq/article/17/4/632/34793/Outside-the-Hollywood-CanonPreserving-Lesbian). *GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies*. **17** (4): 632–638. [doi:10.1215/10642684-1302433](https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-1302433). [ISSN 1064-2684](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1064-2684)

1. Donovan, Sean M. (2022-04-03). ["Over the corporate rainbow: LGBTQ film festivals and affective media networks"](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17400309.2022.2064178). *New Review of Film and Television Studies*. **20** (2): 268–291. [doi:10.1080/17400309.2022.2064178](https://doi.org/10.1080/17400309.2022.2064178). [ISSN 1740-0309](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1740-0309)

1. ["Outfest Partners With Film Independent's Project Involve To Launch Inaugural UNITED IN PRIDE"](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Outfest-Partners-With-Film-Independents-Project-Involve-To-Launch-Inaugural-UNITED-IN-PRIDE-20200611). *broadway world*. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.

1. ["2022 Outfest House @ Sundance"](https://www.outfest.org/2022-outfest-house-sundance/). *Outfest*. Retrieved 2023-04-19.

1. ["OutMuseum, Outfest"](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08821127.2022.2064168). *American Journalism*. **39** (2): 237–239. 2022-04-03. [doi:10.1080/08821127.2022.2064168](https://doi.org/10.1080/08821127.2022.2064168). [ISSN 0882-1127](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0882-1127). – via Taylor & Francis Online.

## External links

- [Outfest UCLA Legacy Project](https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/collections/outfest-ucla-legacy-project-lgbt-moving-image-preservation) at [UCLA Film & Television Archive](/source/UCLA_Film_%26_Television_Archive)
- ["2012 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival"](https://issuu.com/outfest/docs/outfest2012_filmguide). (Program book) Outfest. 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2017.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Outfest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outfest) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outfest?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.