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Austin’s Annual Film Festival Kicks off In September

By Terri Rimmer

The 18th Annual Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (AGLIFF) will be held Sept. 30th-Oct. 8th.

The event, a 501(©) 3 organization, is the largest gay and lesbian film festival in the southwest and is Austin’s largest gay cultural festival that includes over 165 films from 20 different countries.

AGLIFF is seeking volunteers again to help with this year’s event as well as sponsoring a movie trailer contest. In addition, the organization has a wish list on their website (agliff.org).

For more information on volunteering, call 512-302-9889 or email volunteers@agliff.org.

Each year AGLIFF solicits the talent of a filmmaker to create a unique trailer, one that conveys the festival’s theme. The 45-second trailer contest, a new component to the festival this year, involves the top three winners’ trailers playing in rotation before all screenings. The deadline to enter is Sept. 15th and decisions will be made Sept. 22nd.

Goals of the AGLIFF, founded in 1987, are to create positive and visible film images relevant to gay and lesbian lives, educate the community about gay issues, and to show and promote the best in gay and lesbian videos. AGLIFF screens the newest films and videos for ten days during its festival and also does community outreach and education year-round. The AGLIFF has achieved national recognition as one of the top five film festival in the U.S. and has received three ADDY (advertising) awards for excellence and design.

The Fourth Annual “My Gay Movie” category was screened on Aug. 24th at REGAL Arbor Cinema in Austin. This is an opportunity for the new filmmaker to showcase their movie in a fun environment. Each year AGLIFF receives hundreds of entries from across the country but only 10-15 are selected for the festival. There will be awards in different categories as well as an award and grand prize for the best.

“No matter how you rhetorically slice it, family values are steadfast…For the first time AGLIFF is actively courting families,” wrote The Austin American Statesman Newspaper on AGLIFF’s website.

In its first year the festival only included five films screened over seven nights at a single venue, the Dobie Theater.

The presenting sponsors for this year’s festival are REGAL Cinemas and The Great Outdoors.

Roughly 40 percent of AGLIFF’s operating budget comes from membership. The Supporter Level is $25 and includes membership to a credit union among other privileges. Fan I/Fan II, membership is $45 and $80, Director I/Director II is $150 and $250 and includes invitations to filmmaker and celebrity receptions. Producer I/Producer II is $300 and $500 with limited availability and includes mention in the slides at the show and priority seating to all screenings among other perks, Chairman Level membership is $1,200 and has limited availability and has all the privileges of Producer II plus extra tickets and a half-page ad in the festival program among other privileges, the Mogul Level membership is $2,500 with limited availability and has all the benefits of Producer II plus extra tickets, a full-page ad, reserved table and VIP services, and other benefits.

Memberships are valid for one year if purchased during the festival and valid through Aug. 1st of the following year.

For information, email info@agliff.org.

The GYM (Gay Youth Media) project, part of AGLIFF, is a program for queer youth (ages 13-19) designed to teach them all aspects of film and video production while providing a forum for discussion and exploration of gay culture, history, and politics. Previous GYM Projects have screened film festivals across the country.

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