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BACKGROUNDER –
VANCOUVER QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival is Vancouver’s second-largest film festival, and the largest queer arts
event in Western Canada. For 11 days each August, the festival brings captivating, inspirational and
thought-provoking queer films to Vancouver audiences.
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival began in 1989 in advance of the 1990 Gay Games as Out On Screen:
Vancouver’s Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. In 1996, the festival changed its name to the Vancouver
Queer Film & Video Festival – becoming first in the world to adopt the inclusive ‘queer’ title,
incorporating all sexual orientations.
Out On Screen, the charitable organization that produces the festival, operates two distinct programs
that celebrate queer lives: the Vancouver Queer Film Festival and the award-winning Out In Schools
anti-bullying program.
The festival provides queer alternatives to mainstream media and film, while celebrating and advancing
queer communities. By fostering creative communities, the festival encourages and promotes dialogue
on queer issues in an environment of respect and inclusiveness.
The Out in Schools program uses the power of film and dialogue to educate and initiate discussions with
students about homophobia, transphobia, bullying, and how to make schools safer. So far, the program
has reached over 50,000 students throughout British Columbia. The program was recognized as a
groundbreaking social initiative by Tides Canada, and was named one of the organization’s ‘Top 10 for
2011’ for empowering youth to drive positive change.
-30For more information, interview requests or film screening copies:
Chris Gallardo-Ganaban at Nixey Communications | 778.858.0580 mobile | [email protected]