For over twenty years, beginning at its original home at the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport, OUT HERE NOW: The Kansas City LGBTQ Film Festival grew to become one of the region's most visible and highly-regarded LGBT cultural programs and the city’s best attended community film program. Nationally recognized as a steadfast presenter of independent and emerging cinematic voices and stories, OUT HERE NOW has also helped produce and premiere the works of queer filmmakers both locally and internationally.

We are excited this year to have the film festival returning for 2023 to an in-person experience at the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Volker Campus with three days of films, events, and festivities through a partnership with student organizations and the Office of LGBTQIA Programs & Services

In addition to the films chosen by the jury as our Opening Night, Closing Night and Centerpiece Screenings, the festival bestows these special honors with honorariums to filmmakers.

• Celebration of Courage Award - Narrative Feature
• Celebration of Courage Award - Documentary
• Celebration of Courage Award - Student Filmmaker

Audience awards with honorarium are awarded in selection short film categories including:
• Best Dramatic Short
• Best Comedy Short
• Best International Language Short
• Best Short Documentary

We encourage you to contact us IN ADVANCE about your submission questions. All films must be submitted using FilmFreeway with a secure online screener link. No entry fee is required. Submission of a film does not guarantee its use.

QUALIFICATIONS:
In addition to accepting qualifying submissions nationally and internationally, we are especially interested in screening films made by student filmmakers in Missouri and Kansas. In order for your film submission to qualify for the OUT HERE NOW, it must contain two (2) or more (does not need to contain all) of the following:
• Director is an individual who identifies as LGBTQIA
• Writer is an individual who identifies as LGBTQIA
• Lead Producer is an individual who identifies as LGBTQIA
• Lead Actor is aN individual who identifies as LGBTQIA
• Lead Character/Subject is an individual who identifies was as LGBTQIA
• At least fifty-percent (50%) of cast, background performers, and crew are persons who identify as LGBTQIA
• The storyline is about an LGBTQIA individual or group

If your SHORT FILM (under 55 minutes) submission is selected for screening by OUT HERE NOW, an Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), H264 digital file, or .mov digital file will be REQUIRED for exhibition purposes. You will be sent information as to how to make your film available to OUT HERE NOW for download.

If your NARRATIVE FEATURE OR DOCUMENTARY FILM (over 55 minutes) submission is selected for screening by OUT HERE NOW, a Region 0 or Region 1 Bluray or DVD. with at least one “backup” disk is PREFERRED for exhibition purposes. These formats must be received no later than 2 weeks before screening date. Instructions will accompany official notification. OUT HERE NOW may, at our discretion, prefer to have an Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) H264 digital file or .mov digital for exhibition purposes. If this is the case, you will be sent information as to how to make your film available to OUT HERE NOW for download.

SCHEDULING: Films are scheduled at the discretion of OUT HERE NOW. OUT HERE NOW retains the right to make changes to the published schedule at any time and for any reason. Films may be screened more than once. Every effort will be made to contact the filmmaker before a screening that occurs outside of the OUT HERE NOW festival dates.

ARTIST TRANSPORTATION: OUT HERE NOW does NOT pay for artist transportation such as travel per diems, airfare, train, hotel, etc. If your film is accepted, all transportation and lodging is 100% the responsibility of the artist, including all travel arrangements.

SHIPPING: If bluray or DVD disks are requested by OUT HERE NOW for exhibition purposes, the disks must be sent to the festival prepaid. The festival will pay for return or forward shipping. The festival cannot accept nor assume responsibility for damage or loss of materials while in transit. In case of loss or damage during the Festival, the responsibility of the Festival is limited to the costs for repair or replacement of the print.

RELEASE: OUT HERE NOW is hereby granted the right to use footage, stills, and/or titles and information from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes including, but not limited to, cable, TV, Internet, radio and print sources. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The individual or corporation submitting the film shall indemnify and hold harmless OUT HERE NOW from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.