Join us in November 2023 for an exciting celebration of diversity, love, and creativity at HERE AND QUEER FILM FESTIVAL, an LGBTQ+ Short Film celebration. In our debut in 2022, held at the Johnson Center Cinema at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, we screened important, bold, and beautiful stories, coming from all around the globe. This festival wants to honor the vibrant voices and stories within the LGBTQ+ community, providing a safe space where queer individuals of all backgrounds, orientations, and gender identities can come together to celebrate the richness and diversity of queer experiences.
The festival aims to create an opportunity for both emerging and established filmmakers to share their compelling short films, whether narrative, documentary, experimental, or animation. The festival is proud to offer free submission and free entry for all attendees, ensuring that everyone can participate and enjoy the magic of cinema.

Awards & Prizes

AUDIENCE AWARD – BEST FILM

Rules & Terms

To ensure a focused program that celebrates LGBTQ+ voices, we kindly request that all film submissions focus on LGBTQ+ stories. Films that do not incorporate Queer themes or characters will not be considered.
In addition, we ask that films submitted to our festival be completed between 2019 and 2023. Films completed prior to 2019 will not be eligible for consideration.
We want to emphasize that the decisions made by our selection committee are final. While we deeply value artistic expression, we regretfully cannot engage in discussions or appeals regarding films that have not been accepted into our festival. As a small festival with limited slots available, we appreciate your understanding.
To ensure compliance with copyright regulations and respect for intellectual property, all entrants are required to certify that they have obtained appropriate copyright clearances of their work. Failing to provide such certification will result in disqualification from consideration.