Out on Film
 | |
| Location | Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 |
| Awards received | USA Today 10Best #1 Film Festival (2023) |
| Hosted by | Out On Film, Inc. Executive Director: Justice Obiaya |
| Artistic director | Jim Farmer |
| Website | www |
Out On Film is an annual LGBTQ+ film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1987, it is one of the oldest and largest LGBTQIA+ film festivals in the United States.[1] The festival takes place primarily in Midtown Atlanta in late September and early October, with additional screenings and community events held throughout the year.
The festival is operated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its stated mission is to inform, entertain, educate, and enrich LGBTQ+ culture by showcasing films by, for, and about the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.[2]
Programming
Out On Film features a diverse lineup of independent cinema, including feature-length dramas, comedies, foreign language films, documentaries, and short films.
In its early decades, the festival established a profile for hosting regional and world premieres, including Rivers Wash Over Me in 2009 and Fishnet in 2010.[3][4] The festival expanded significantly in the 2020s, incorporating a hybrid virtual screening model and expanding its competitive accolades to include screenplay competitions and industry panels via its annual Queer Film Summit.[5] In 2024, Justice Obiaya assumed the role of Executive Director, becoming the first person in the organization's history to hold the position and subsequently leading the festival to record box office and attendance turnouts alongside longtime Festival Director Jim Farmer.[6]
Funding and venues
As a non-profit cultural event, the festival relies on corporate sponsorships, individual ticket sales, and government or arts grants, including funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.[7] Primary screening venues include the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and the Out Front Theatre Company.
Festival dates
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2006 | November 10–16 |
| 2007 | October 11–17 |
| 2008 | April 11–17 |
| 2009 | May 28–31 |
| 2009 | October 2–8 |
| 2010 | October 1–7 |
| 2011 | September 29 – October 6 |
| 2012 | October 4–11 |
| 2013 | October 3–10 |
| 2014 | October 2–9 |
| 2015 | October 1–8 |
| 2016 | September 29 – October 6 |
| 2017 | September 28 – October 8 |
| 2018 | September 27 – October 7 |
| 2019 | September 26 – October 6 |
| 2020 | September 24 – October 4 |
| 2021 | September 23 – October 3 |
| 2022 | September 22 – October 2 |
| 2023 | September 21 – October 1 |
| 2024 | September 26 – October 6 |
| 2025 | September 25 – October 5[5] |
| 2026 | September 24 – October 4[8] |
Note: Historical dates from 1987 to 2005 are documented in festival archives.
Awards and recognition
- BAFTA Qualifying Festival: Designated as an official qualifying festival for the British Academy Film Awards in 2024.[9]
- USA Today 10Best: Voted the No. 1 Best Film Festival in the United States by USA Today reader polls in 2023, maintaining high placements on the national list in subsequent years.[10]
- Academy Awards Qualifying Status: Received Oscar-qualifying designation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2020, making its Best Drama Short film winners eligible for Academy Award consideration. It was one of only two LGBTQ+ film festivals in the United States to achieve this status at the time.[11]
- Community Awards: Festival Director Jim Farmer was named "Businessman of the Year" (2019) and the organization received the "Pivot of the Year" award (2020) from the OUT Georgia Business Alliance.[12][13]
See also
References
- ↑ Atlanta, Project Q (2009-05-30). "'Fagbug' drives into Atlanta for Out On Film — Project Q Atlanta". Projectqatlanta.com. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ↑ Chae, Ginny (October 1, 2009). "LGBTQ Film Festival Outs Old Stereotypes". Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ↑ Richard Eldredge (2009-10-04). "A sell-out crowd for Atlanta premiere of 'Rivers Wash Over Me' | Celebrity birthdays". Blogs.ajc.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ↑ Atlanta, Project Q (2010-08-24). "Out On Film adds world premieres to lineup — Project Q Atlanta". Projectqatlanta.com. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- 1 2 "A guide to the 38th annual Out on Film festival". Rough Draft Atlanta. September 23, 2025. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Meet the Film Festival Alliance Staff & Board". Film Festival Alliance. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ National Endowment for the Arts (2020-01-19). "Winter Grant Announcement for FY 2020, First Round" (PDF). Arts.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
- ↑ "Out On Film presents SPRING MINI-FEST'26". Georgia Entertainment. March 3, 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Out On Film Recognized as BAFTA-Qualifying Festival". Rough Draft Atlanta. August 22, 2024.
- ↑ 10Best, USA Today (2023-01-19). "10 best film festivals in the US for 2023". 10Best.com. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Out on Film widens lens with new executive director, second spring mini fest". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 18, 2024. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "A Look Back at the 2019 Community Awards". OUT Georgia. 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
- ↑ "OUT Georgia Announces 2020 Community Honors Award Winners". OUT Georgia. 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2021-10-16.