Gay West Community Network Inc.

Overview of Queer West Film Festival

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Who we Are

Queer West Film Festival Toronto, is owned and managed, by Gay West Community Network Inc. A not-for-profit corporation. # 1752698. Governed by Board of Directors that oversees the Arts Collective. The arts collective, is responsible for performing arts events, educational workshops, interactive public forums, art shows including the 5th annual Queer West Fest and the 3rd annual Film Festival in 2010

In addition, we strive to be a community resource and welcome creative initiatives that meet the needs of our community. Artists and arts supporters from our community and elsewhere are invited to become involved.

Many thanks to all of our festival volunteers who help make the annual Queer West Fest a great success.

About the annual Queer West Film Festival

With over 150 queer-themed film and video festivals happening around the world, Canada boasts a diverse crop of its own, including Toronto's Inside Out in May. And with movie events throughout the year from sea to sea in a country renowned for its queer-friendliness, LGBT festivals spotlight innovative work by new directors and rediscover the classics. Metropolitan Toronto’s large, thriving lesbian and gay community and the city’s festival-friendliness make it a natural fit for a new film festival in the city's Queer West Village.

Each summer, this celebrated event will brings people together to watch incredible films, talk to filmmakers and artists, engage in scintillating discussions, experience unexpected performances and paint the town pink!

The Queer West Film Festival was cofounded by Forest Lightbody and Michel F. Paré in 2008. Forest a long time Trinity Bellwoods resident, with a passionate interest in film and a graduate of a Toronto film school. Forest works as a writer for Alternavox Magazine covering, Toronto's queer club scene. Forest is also known by his alter ego, DJ 4-Est, and can be found doing nightly gigs in the Queer West Village. While still attending high school Forest co-authored a play in 1992 with four other students entitled “ So Straight Forward”. It toured Toronto to raise funds and awareness on the lack of resources available for queer youth within the Toronto School Board. It resulted in the creation of the Triangle Program, Canada’s first and only LGBTQ high school. A long-time volunteer and member of Inside Out Film Festival and the former OM Festival organized by Sumkidz a group of artists and activists living in and around Toronto Ontario. He successfully managed and organized the 2009 Queer West Festival.

There are exciting times ahead for Toronto's Queer West Fest - Film Festival

Our Vision - To become one of the top ten queer screen events in Canada by:

Attracting broad and diverse audiences.
Quality, innovative and dynamic program of events.
Inspiring filmmakers and filmmaking.
Stimulating debate and discussion of queer issues.
Increasing our professionalism, while maintaining our sense of fun and personal approach.

Our Mission - Our mission is to provide a voice for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and queer youth by presenting films and videos that only represent the diversity of the GLBT community. But provide innovative, diverse, accessible, quality screen events which promote/stimulate, educate, enlighten, support queer cultures and entertain us all.

Our Brand Values -

Fun
Diversity
Integrity
Quality

Artistic and Corporate Objectives - Our artistic and corporate objectives are:

To continue to improve the quality of films shown at the Festival.
To provide a unique and innovative environment for screen culture.
To increase the diversity of film content.
To include foreign language films.
To continue to increase audience size to the full capacity of our venues.
To increase the diversity and age range of our audience.
To make the Festival more accessible.
To create a Festival that is exciting, intellectual and populist.

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Join our creative collective

The Queer West Arts Collective is a community of artists, actors, musicians, filmmakers, graphic designers, marketing gurus, freelance writers, web editors and others inspired by the Queer West ideals of openness, innovation and participation. We welcome new ideas and new faces, so come join us be part of the team! For our performing arts events, educational workshops, interactive public forums, art shows including the Annual Queer West Arts and Culture Festival and Film Festival. Our meetings are always free and open to anyone. Email info@queerwest.org | About the: Arts Collective

Queer West Fest Toronto, is owned and managed, by Gay West Community Network Inc. A not-for-profit corporation. # 1752698. P.O. Box 204 Stn. C. Toronto ON M6K 2A9.Queer West Toronto gaybourhoods (Map)

Showing Toronto pride in creating new & exciting gay and lesbian Queer Festivals

About our Film Festivals: Overview | Film Festival 2008 | Film Festival 2009 | Film Festival 2010