The program cover for this year's festival, courtesy of Douglas Hopper and the Cultural Forum.
by Michelle Urso
In the Beginning...
The University of Oregon's Queer Film Festival is an annual student-run event, which is now in its 12th year. The festival began in 1993, when the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Task Forcedecided to hold a queer film festival at the University of Oregon. Two students approached Debby Martin, then the staff adviser at the Student Activities Resource office, to help find funding.
Each year, festival coordinators put out a call for short film submissions from all over the globe. Roger Adkins, coordinator for the 10th festival, said a few local films are entered every year, but the majority of submissions come from all over the United States and Canada.
The festival has seen a growing number of foreign submissions in the last few years, Adkins said, and some films go on to be shown all over the world.
And the Winner Is...
The short film winners for the 12th festival were chosen by a jury that consisted of students and faculty from the University of Oregon. The size of the jury varies from year to year, but Adkins said he has always been careful to choose a jury of people of color, lesbians, gay men and transgender people.
The Short Film Competition Jury chooses first, second and third place winners, as well as honorable mentions. First prize in the 12th festival was $200, and the film that won the audience choice award, held on the final day of the competition, won a $200 prize.
It is common for festival coordinators to bring in guest speakers for the events. Nanci Gaglio, the writer and director of the 2004 third place winner, Love Life, was in attendance to discuss writing and directing her film, as well as answer audience questions.