6:00am | The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach is proud to announce the Long Beach QFilm Festival 2012, which will take place September 14-16, 2012. Feature and short film submissions are being accepted now through June 8th through www.withoutabox.com.The full festival line up of films as well as passes and tickets for purchase will be available beginning in August through the QFilm Festival page at www.qfilmslongbeach.com.
Long Beach’s long-running film festival since 1993, the QFilm Festival annually presents narrative features, documentaries and short films that embody the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. Last year’s event was the most successful yet with over 1,000 attendees, and featured a U.S. premiere and several area premieres as well some of the most acclaimed features on the 2011 film festival circuit. Submissions were received from both student and professional filmmakers from around the world. Many filmmakers and cast members of the films to be shown will be present this year as they were last year for audience discussions. Festival events will be hosted by a variety of local performers and luminaries, and will feature numerous parties and opportunities for attendees to meet and mingle with filmmakers, actors, critics and other industry professionals.
Jury awards will be given to worthy films in several categories. In addition, new QFilm Festival sponsor Greenhouse Studios will be awarding a Best Feature Film prize package valued at over $10,000 that will include free use of an Offline Edit Suite for four weeks, 16 hours of free HD color correction and a graphics package. The Burbank-based Greenhouse Studios will also award a Best Short Film prize package valued at nearly $5,000 and including free use of an Offline Edit Suite for two weeks, 4 hours of free HD color correction and a graphics package.
QFilm Festival 2012 will open at the Art Theatre the evening of Friday, September 14th and will run through the evening of Sunday, September 16th. An Opening Night party will take place between screenings at the Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach. Screenings on Saturday, September 15th will include a variety of great short films in the “Fun in Men’s Shorts” and “Fun in Girls’ Shorts” programs. The festival will come to a close on Sunday, September 16th with a Closing Night party between the final two screenings. All festival parties feature cocktails, libations and live entertainment.
All net proceeds from the festival will benefit The Center Long Beach and its important community outreach programs. Sponsors and underwriters are currently being sought. Please contact Christina D. Rios Bennett at (562) 889-2826 or [email protected] for information about sponsorship opportunities.