Nonprofit

Outfest

Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is the leading organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) stories on the screen. Outfest builds community by connecting diverse populations to discover, discuss, and celebrate stories of LGBT lives. Over the past three decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world to audiences of nearly a million, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers, and protected more than 20,000 LGBT films and videos. In addition, Outfest produces one of the largest film festivals in Southern California, the only LGBT people of color film festival, three filmmaking programs using mentors, and we have over 400 volunteers who participate in our programs.

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1 Submitted Idea

  • 2013 Grants Challenge

    Neighbor to Neighbor: Connecting Los Angeles Through Storytelling

    One of the best ways to connect people is through storytelling. In September of 2013, we will launch a 24-hour collaborative filmmaking project that connects diverse populations and neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The theme of the project is “local heroes” and each team will discover, document, and share inspiring stories of the community. 15 filmmaking teams will be assembled that consist of three novice filmmakers from underserved communities, three professional filmmakers (mentors), and six to ten volunteers. Each team will be diverse in age, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Moreover, each project will take place in a different neighborhood, with the goal of occupying as many unique areas of Los Angeles as possible. Prior to shooting the film, the team will work with community-based organizations to discover stories of local heroes and to build support for the project. The teams will have a month to develop relationships, but only one day to actually shoot and edit the film. At the end of the 24-hour period, the films will be screened first to the community, then as a complete program at a special event, and finally they’ll live online and will be pushed out via a social networking campaign. Prizes will be given to the most impactful film, greatest number of volunteers engaged, and best team cooperation.

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