Vancouver Queer Film Festival

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival is Vancouver's second largest film festival and Western Canada's largest queer arts event that takes place annually in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The 2008 festival celebrates 20 years from August 14 to 24.

The festival is produced by the Vancouver Out On Screen Film and Video Society (Out On Screen), a not-for-profit society that inspires, educates and raises visibility around queer issues through film. It showcases over 100 films and hosts a variety of panels, workshops, masterclasses and parties. Since it began in 1988, the Festival has grown into a media arts organization that champions queer artists, commissions new works and educates youth.

Out on Screen also presents Out in Schools, a youth education program in local high schools and Schools Out, a series of youth films at the festival.

Mission Statement
Vancouver Out On Screen Film & Video Society promotes the production and exhibition of queer media art, creating opportunities for dialogue and education among diverse communities that cross class, age, ability, ethnicity, spirituality, gender and sexuality.

Out in Schools
Launched in 2004, Out in Schools brings independent queer films into local high schools in British Columbia. In conjunction with gay–straight alliances, Out in Schools focuses on the serious issues that affect queer youth.

The purpose of Out in Schools is to reduce isolation and increase the safety of the learning environment for queer students in the community. Out in Schools aims to increase understanding through education to combat issues such as homophobia and bullying that threaten the safety of the classrooms for both queer and straight students.

There have been more than 42 school screenings across the Lower Mainland and reached more than 1900 students.

FirstOUT Young Filmmakers
FirstOUT Video is an intensive film program. The initiative brings independent media artists together with queer youth to work with them on developing their own cultural voice and producing their first video.