if we don’t tell these important stories, who will? Each year, the film festival offers our city a brief yet powerful event that illuminates the transformative stages in the lives of queer people – telling stories of the journeys we have taken to find ourselves, each other and our place in the world. We discover pieces of our own stories through the stories of others that are shared through this intimate cinematic experience. And for just a small, punctuated moment in time, away from a world still fraught with fear, uncertainty and hate for what is different and misunderstood, we see ourselves on screen, in motion and alive in a way that depicts us as an integral part of a world from which we oftentimes feel disconnected. In 2013, Out On Screen achieved milestones that, even a decade ago, would have seemed close to impossible. We celebrated the film festival’s 25 th anniversary, showcasing the best in queer cinema and bringing together 11,000 attendees. Our Out in Schools program reached 10,000 students through 30 of the 60 school board districts in the province with floods of encouraging feedback from educators, parents and students who see the difference we can make together in solidarity. We are on the move and experiencing the difference we are making as we continue to create social change through film, education and dialogue. Every time someone takes a seat at the festival, we are breaking the strongholds of isolation, bullying in schools, homophobia and transphobia. We, as a collection of many different queer and allied communities, are choosing to tell these important stories because if we don’t, no one else will. “You were at my son’s school. He spoke with you and shared that he was transgender. He has had a rough ride. Bullied, sexually assaulted. As I am sure you know, the life of a trans kid is not easy… he recently came out to his class. He was so impressed with both of you today. He told me that he got his power back.” – Excerpt of a thank you note from a parent whose teen participated in an Out in Schools presentation.
Our hope is to continue to be the relentless voice that advocates for our queer communities through the unique artistic expression of film, where one screening can speak to thousands, and to each so differently; and where one high school film presentation can change the course of a LGBT student’s future because on that day they got their power back.
JAMES ONG Chair, Board of Directors
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