OUT ON FILM
The Cutting Edge How the Out on Film festival continues to showcase the best in Atlanta’s LGBT film talent By Mi chae l J . Pa l l e r i no
represents. Farmer says people flock to the festival because of its continually strong programming and the intense and methodic planning that goes into each season. “Much of what we show is accessible to anyone,” Farmer says. “We also have placed an emphasis on visiting filmmakers—both veterans in the industry and new voices. Audience members love being able to interact with film- makers and performers after screenings. For the LGBTQ community, we offer a safe, welcoming haven for audi- ences to see themselves on screen, and do so with others like them.” That type of atmosphere and karma is intoxicating. Over the years, complemented by the many collaborations it has forged, Out on Film has been a must-attend event both as an arts organization and as an LGBTQ gathering. “Our festival is a lot of fun and our programming is
Jim Farmer interviewing director Ondi Timoner and star of Map- plethorpe McKinley Belcher III
robust and creative. We may look a little different this year, but we hope to have the same communal feel.” Showcasing some 125 films annually, the festival has carved out a niche as the “place to be” for LGBTQ moviemaking, both locally and around the world. Take last year’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire , which after winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival made its
Jim Farmer
S everal years ago, on the last night of the Out on Film festival, organizers showcased a documentary called Bridegroom . The film told the story of a young man who loses his partner in an accident, and because they were not married, the couple had very little rights. While some festivals tend to shy away from documentaries or films that are not considered automatic moneymakers, the Out on Film team was convinced that Bridegroom was the kind of story that needed to be told. Not only did the movie sell out, it inspired one of the most remarkable Q&A sessions the festival has ever had. It is the kind of moment that Jim Farmer says speaks to the enduring promise the festival, now in its 33rd year, offers Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. “People came up to us and said they saw themselves on screen for the first time in that film,” says Farmer, who worked as marketing director at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in Atlanta and as a freelance publicist before taking over as festival director in 2008. “Those are some of the individual moments that stand out.”
Started in 1987, Out on Film was created by visionary figures like the late Rebecca Ransom, a civil rights and AIDS activist, and pioneer in the Atlanta theater community. At the time, the festival was just a scattering of screenings, before Image Film and Video (later the Atlanta Film Society) turned it into a full- fledged event. In 2008, a new team, led by Farmer, assumed control and re-branded it over time into an 11-day film festival, which today stands as one of the largest LGBTQ film festivals in the country. Before 2020 turned everything upside down, Out on Film was named an Oscar® qualifying film festival, meaning the film that wins its “Best Drama Short” award will be eligible for next year’s “Best Live Action Short” Academy Award. “I don’t think anyone would have ever thought we would grow so much,” Farmer says. “Surviving as an Atlanta arts organization is not easy and surviving and flourishing in a competitive LGBTQ market such as this takes work and thick skin.” If you are looking as to why Out on Film is such a draw, you can start with the very essence of what the event
US festival debut at Out on Film. The universally praised movie ended up winning Out on Film’s prestigious “Audience Award” for “Best Narrative Feature”. The festival also places a premium on local fare and two years ago for opening night screened When the Beat Drops , a movie that featured a mostly Atlanta cast. And what about this year’s festival? “There is a lot of nail-biting,” Farmer admits. “But we are keeping the original dates of Sept. 24-Oct.4. We also hope to do some live events and drive-in screenings. But I think we’ll be a mostly online event. While there are drawbacks to that approach, there are also opportunities.” In keeping with the festival’s aura, keeping an eye on the positive is the approach that continues to work best.
www.outonf ilm.org | Twitter @OutonFilm (678) 237-7206 | 120 Holcomb Ferry Road, Roswell, GA 30076
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