Celebrating LGBTQ+ Voices in Appalachia
5 Questions with Appalachian Queer Film Festival, Appalachia Reframed March Grant Recipient
With a mission to celebrate and uplift the vibrant LGBTQ communities of Appalachia, the Appalachian Queer Film Festival is rewriting the narrative of Queer experiences in the region. Through the power of film, they are amplifying the voices of LGBTQ individuals, fostering connections, and building bridges of understanding. We caught up with the festival organizers to gain insight into their inspirations, aspirations, and the positive impact they are creating within the community.
What inspired you to pursue your current project?
Appalachian Queer Film Festival was created in 2014 realizing there were no queer film festivals in Appalachian and very few in the south.
In terms of audience and community, who are you trying to impact with this project?
We want to show the world that there are vibrant LGBTQ communities in Appalachia. We also want to show Appalachians that there are vibrant LGBTQ communities in our region. We want to connect LGBTQ Appalachians with one another.
What is the key message that you want your audience to take away from your project?
The highest purpose of art is to make people feel. We want to use film to move our audience to have more compassion for their neighbors, understand how much we all have in common, shed a tear for the hard times, and fight like hell to make things better.
What do you hope to see for the future of Appalachia — and how does your project fit into that?
We hope that the future of Appalachia is more Queer! We hope that Appalachia becomes a safer place for Trans and Queer individuals to not only live in, but thrive in. Our film festival fits into this by creating spaces for queer and trans voices to be seen and heard. It also gives opportunities for Queer and Trans folks to connect with one another. We are powerful when we are together!
What’s one cool thing that you want people to know about your community that they couldn’t find out by just googling it?
Our community is full of joy and creativity. Despite all the negative media, harmful legislation, acts of violence and discrimination, we still create! Because our Queer, Trans and progressive community is smaller in numbers in Appalachia, our voices have to be louder. You have to be on the frontlines, active and fighting. Nothing bonds folks together like being in the trenches. I think that bond is what makes our community so special.
The Appalachian Queer Film Festival will be held Oct 6–8 at the Foundry Theater in Huntington, WV. Purchase tickets here and follow AQFF on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
Appalachia Reframed supports the next generation of Appalachians by funding community-focused projects that depict a hopeful future for the region. Each month the program awards a grant of $1,000 to a creator and changemaker in Central Appalachia. Through small investments in passionate people, we’re sparking conversations and driving momentum for change.
