HUNTINGTON (WVDN) – After a three-year hiatus, the Appalachian Queer Film Festival is set to return to West Virginia. Following stints in Lewisburg, Morgantown, and Charleston, the 2023 festival will be held in Huntington.
“We feel that Huntington is a perfect fit,” said festival programmer Jon Matthews. “The city’s ban on conversion therapy really impressed me, so I reached out to City Councilmember Tia Rumbaugh, and things just snowballed from there.” According to Matthews, Rumbaugh connected the festival with Huntington’s Foundry Theater, which has agreed to host the three-day event.
“We feel that the Appalachian Queer Film Festival is an important institution and we’re proud to host the festival,” said Rachel Allinder, founder of Foundry Theater, a nonprofit arts organization, located downtown.
The festival’s announcement comes as the West Virginia legislature has introduced several bills that threaten the LGBTQ community. But festival organizers say that Huntington is a bright spot for the state.
“In 2019, the Human Rights Campaign gave Huntington a perfect score in a report on LGBTQ inclusion, making it the most LGBTQ-friendly city in West Virginia,” said Appalachian Queer Film Festival board member J. Gallliene, “and we’re so proud to show it off to filmmakers coming from outside the region.”
The 2023 Appalachian Queer Film Festival will be held from Oct. 6-8.
Submissions for the festival are now open. To submit your film, go to FilmFreeway.com. For more information on the festival, visit www.appalachianqueerfilmfest.com.
