Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival

The Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival will celebrate its 20th edition from March 24th through April 2nd, 2023.

Outfest creates visibility for diverse LGBTQIA+ stories and empowers storytellers, building empathy to drive meaningful social change. Outfest programs give artists, filmmakers, and entertainment professionals the opportunity to discover their voice, provide the pathways to the visibility of their work by all members of the public, and assure that their legacy will live on for generations to come.

The Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival was born in 2004 out of a grassroots movement by Outfest alumni filmmakers to promote social change through the power of film. Since then, Fusion has continued to bring the city's multicultural communities together to center LGBTQIA+ people of color and provide a platform to amplify our voices.

The mission of Outfest Fusion is not only to amplify these voices but also provide access and resources specific to the needs of the QTBIPOC community. The programming at Outfest Fusion exists to directly close and challenge the systemic access gap for LGBTQIA+ people of color.

Films should center the queer and trans BIPOC communities. We are seeking narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated films (features and shorts, as well as series). Upon acceptance, Outfest will provide information on the exhibition format needed.

IF THE FILMMAKER CANNOT PROVIDE THE CORRECT FORMAT WITHIN OUR NEEDED TIMEFRAME, THE FILM WILL NOT BE SCREENED.

Rough cuts and works-in-progress are eligible for submission if the completed film will be ready for QC by February 13, 2023. The screener copy should have a title card that labels it as a “Rough Cut” and specifies what is missing (i.e. temp sound, needs color correction, etc).

By submitting your work to Outfest, you grant to Outfest a non-exclusive license to use an excerpt of your submission, if accepted, of up to two minutes in length, for promotional purposes only, in perpetuity.

Still photos from your work are requested with your submission and are required for all films selected for the festival. Good stills make a difference in film placement and press coverage, particularly for short films. Even the shortest short can get press coverage or festival prominence with a captivating still. Stills must be in TIFF or JPEG format and 300dpi.

You are also encouraged to enclose a synopsis, production credits, director bio, press information, and other collateral regarding your film.

CERTIFICATION
I have read and agree to the festival submission and participation requirements and certify that I am authorized to submit this film to Outfest Fusion. I understand that, in the event this work is selected for the festival, we will retain a physical or digital copy at the UCLA Film & Television Archive as part of the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project. I hold Outfest harmless from damage to or loss of the print en route or otherwise during the course of the festival’s possession of the film.

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Timothy Guion Smith

The Outfest Fusion team set a high bar for my first experience as a filmmaker at a film festival. The week kept me busy--many networking opportunities and workshops. Made some great new filmmaker friends also based in LA. We're still in touch several months later.

As we continue sharing our short film this year, it'll be hard not to compare the warm hospitality our team received and the state-of-the-art projection and sound the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres offered. So grateful we premiered our short here! Thanks again for everything team :)

May 2023

Helpful
Connie Shi

Outfest was amazing - our film premiered at the Chinese Theater - it looked and sounded great. Everyone involved was so kind and so inclusive. They really practice what they preach. Art, community, activism. 10/10

April 2023

Helpful
Augusto Bitter

World premiered our experimental short CHICHO in the genre/horror program "Carnival of Chaos", and we're SO grateful to have felt like there's space for our freaky lil film. Few QTBIPOC festivals can claim such a special mix of community-focused networking events, fancy (but chill) big-sponsor parties, fun screenings, and welcoming vibes. Definitely worth submitting and attending in person if possible. The Outfest Fusion family is one-of-a-kind. xo

April 2023

Helpful
Alayna Y

I had a wonderful online experience! I hope that if I can make another film, I can come down to California to see my film in person. I also really appreciated the filmmaker marketing workshop.

April 2023

Helpful
Tony Moore

This was one of the BEST Film Festivals I had ever been to. They really rolled out the red carpet for everyone. It was simply an honor to have my film apart of the festival but there were so many other opportunities within the festival. We got the chance to meet other filmmakers through various events, a chance to hear from industry professionals and a chance to interact with members of the board and entertainers in the industry. Also they communicated with you none stop on what was needed for the festival, answered any questions and also what was happening during the festival. OUTFEST FUSION was an experience that was truly amazing and memorable.

April 2023

Helpful