About Us
Outfest creates visibility to 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.
What we do
Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival
Ten days of not to be missed world-class films, panels, and events celebrating the queer experience. The festival provides both the community and creators opportunities to participate in various events, workshops, masterclasses, and panels, both to provide networking opportunities and filmmaker development.
Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival
Outfest Fusion is a celebration of the rich heritage of the LGBTQIA+ individuals that populate greater Los Angeles. The films and TV shows that screen at Outfest Fusion showcases the stories of queer and trans communities of color, enabling these communities to see themselves on the big screen, often for the very first time.
The OutSet Young Filmmakers Project
In collaboration with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Outfest selects a group of diverse 16-24-year-old young emerging filmmakers to embark on a 6-month film lab with courses in screenwriting, pre-production, production and post-production, instructed by industry experts. The program culminates in their final thesis project presented at the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival.
The Screenwriting Lab
The Outfest Screenwriting Lab has become one of the industry’s premier incubators for up-and-coming storytellers who are looking to challenge the status quo. The Lab began as a screenwriting contest in 1997 and has evolved to become the cornerstone of Outfest’s education and mentoring program, Outfest Forward. Conducted over a 5 day period in October, this extraordinary workshop pairs some of the industry’s foremost talent with a select group of emerging authors for an intensive dive into the art, craft and business of screenwriting.
The Legacy Project (Film Archive & Restoration)
Outfest and the UCLA Film & Television Archive partnered in 2005 to create the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, the only program in the world exclusively dedicated to preserving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender moving images at risk of becoming lost due to deterioration and neglect. Over the last decade we have established the largest publicly accessible collection of LGBTQ moving images anywhere in the world; more than 41,000 items and growing.
Outfest Anthony Meindl Trans Actors Fellowship
With an increasing trend of mainstream film and television continuing to cast straight actors to play trans roles, Outfest and renowned acting coach, Anthony Meindl teamed up to develop a program that would provide five scholarships to trans and non-binary individuals to train at the Actor Workshop. The goal is to not only provide free training but to assure that the fellows have a safe, affirming space in which to develop their talent
Outfest Now
The first mission-driven LGBTQIA+ streaming platform. Outfest Now showcases features, shorts, series, and creator conversations that champion the living breadth of stories within our community, amplifying exciting new voices and showcasing the enduring legacy of classic visions from years past.
The OutCast Podcast
The OutCast is a frank, fun, and fascinating podcast featuring conversations with LGBTQIA+ creators, storytellers, and talent where they candidly discuss their work, their inspirations, and their challenges to be seen and heard in the entertainment industry.