community
As it enters its 18th year, San Diego’s FilmOut Film Festival continues to put the focus back on quality LGTB filmmaking. by ken knox
COMES OF AGE
For many, turning 18 is a monumental experience in one’s life. It is typically the year when people are considered to have reached the age of adult maturity. That’s certainly the case with San Diego’s FilmOut LGBT film festival. For this its eighteenth outing, the festival will present a leaner roster
of shorts and features, the result of a decision made in 2014 to scale back on costs and present a more fulfilling experience for both filmmakers and festivalgoers. “People just weren’t turning up for the films that played on Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday nights, especially for the shows after 9 p.m.,” says FilmOut Program Director Michael McQuiggan. “It was embar- rassing to have filmmakers and talent come to the festival to be greeted by less than 50 patrons, which looks even worse in a 750 seat theatre. Plus, theater rental fees are astronomical.” Since the festival has been streamlined down to three days, McQuiggan says that the festival has become tighter and more entertaining. “There are no longer any ‘filler films’ like you see in a lot of the other LGBT film festivals that run for 7, 10, 11 or 14 days,” McQuiggan says. “You’re basically getting the best of the best. It’s a more mature festival, but also in some cases, more mainstream, with a mixture of crowd-pleasers and
And, since we are the first
festival out of the gate on the west coast, we’re lucky that we are able to have a lot of premiere films.
indies. I have noticed that the trend over the past few years has been more of a darker, horror/thriller genre edge to a lot of the films and it’s led to a different experience.” McQuiggan points to titles like Downriver and Closet Monster as
being representative of this shift in festival dynamic, but he also pays equal lip service to some of this year’s lighter fare—particularly in the two films Kiss Me, Kill Me and Flatbush Luck that bookend the festival—both of which are directed by Casper Andreas. “In 18 years, a filmmaker has never had two feature films in our festival,” McQuiggan says of the filmmaker known for past festival hits like Going Down in La-La Land and Slutty Summer. “Both of his films represent our mission really well. We received almost 900 submissions this year, but we always strive to present the best possible representation of LGBT films that are available to bring to San Diego. Between the ones we have chosen for this year, we have a fair representation of LGBT-themed films, so there’s something for everybody and a representation of all types of different genres.” Although he concedes that FilmOut is not as large as some other LGBT festivals, McQuiggan says this is one instance where size doesn’t matter so much. “From a filmmaker perspective, we are a very well respected smaller LGBT festival,” he says. “And, since we are
michael mcquiggan
the first festival out of the gate on the west coast, we’re lucky that we are able to have a lot of premiere films. We give the audience a chance to see LGBT films over a period of days that may not otherwise ever be screened in San Diego.
These are films that should be screened collectively with an audience. It should be an event, and that’s exactly what this year’s festival is shaping up to be.”
FilmOut San Diego LGBT Film Festival runs Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5 at The Observatory in North Park. For a complete schedule, for tickets and more information, go to
filmoutsandiego.com.
FILMOUT
10
RAGE monthly | MAY 2016
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