Arts & Entertainment
LA’s Outfest launches ‘every1matters’ fundraising campaign
On Giving Tuesday, Outfest, the Los Angeles film festival established in 1982 by a group of UCLA students, launched the new “#every1matters” campaign to help fund programs “for the next 40 years,” according to Executive Director Damien S. Navarro.
Announcing the campaign in a press statement, the LGBTQ film festival wrote:
“Outfest is the only LGBTQIA+ arts, media and entertainment non-profit organization on earth whose programs empower storytellers to transform the world while also supporting the entire lifecycle of their career
“Outfest programs give artists, filmmakers and entertainment professionals the opportunity to discover their voice, provide the pathways to the visibility of their work, and assure that their legacy will live on for generations to come. Our tentpole film festivals, summits, OutSet young filmmaker project, screenwriting labs, trans-acting workshops, and film archive and restoration program in partnership with UCLA, are collectively some of the most widely recognized on the planet.”
In 2017, the festival began developing what they call “a bold new Strategic Plan” as a response to “increasing calls for inclusion from within the Entertainment Industry, our Nation’s growing disparity across the socio-economic-political landscape, and declining acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community for the first time in history (GLAAD 2019 Acceptance Report).”
Navarro, who took over as Outfest’s Executive Director this year, says the organization has “developed a blueprint […] that I believe will re-define our next 40 years,” going on to cite plans for a new “Outfest Campus,” an expansion of their current Outfest Forward professional development programs that he says will “create greater OPPORTUNITY for LGBTQIA+ filmmakers and storytellers.”
“Outfest plans to create greater with the creation of OUTFEST CAMPUS, a major expansion of our OUTFEST FORWARD professional development programs.”
As one of first major fundraisers, the festival has launched the Outfest #every1matters Campaign on Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019. The premise: “Donate just $1, no more no less, then take a minute to share a story about a movie, event, or organization that’s had a transformational change on their life – this can take the form of a quick video, post, or letter that is shared on social media starting at 12:01 am Tuesday morning.”
Navarro adds the instruction, “Make sure to tag @Outfest, #every1matters, #givingtuesday and encourage everyone to simply give $1 to Outfest at www.outfest.org. Proceeds from the #every1matters campaign will ensure that Outfest programs will continue for the next 40 years.”
Select stories from the campaign will be featured in a special film showcase at Outfest’s 2020 Spring Fusion People of Color and Summer Los Angeles Film Festivals, as well as across their streaming platforms.
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”
Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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