The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival cultivates the Central Texas lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) film and arts community by enlightening, educating, and entertaining our community through the exhibition and support of the best in recent LGBTQI international, national, and regional films and art.
Population Served
The constituency served by aGLIFF is primarily the LGBTQI communities of Central Texas as well as members of the growing independent film industry in Austin. aGLIFF has about 6000 members and the 2008 festival engaged thousands of filmgoers, approximately 70% of whom were LGBTQI-identified. As aGLIFF has grown in scope and vision, the constituency has broadened and diversified. The organization has evolved from a festival focused primarily on entertainment and the experiences of American gay white men into a community organization committed to reflecting and speaking to a broad range of issues across cultures, race, immigration status, class, gender identity and expression, age, and region.
Background Information
The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF), a Texas 501c3 nonprofit organization, is the oldest and largest festival of its kind in the Southwest. The overall goals of the organization are:
- To create positive and visible images relevant to lives of LGBTQI-identified people
- To educate the community about LGBTQI issues
- To show and promote the best in LGBTQI films
The primary activities of aGLIFF occur during the festival held annually for several days during the months of September. The festival showcases features and shorts, mainstream and avant-garde. films Symposia and panels have explored current political and social trends; and increasingly the festival serves as a venue for first-time filmmakers.
Special shorts programs have focused on the issues faced by LGBTQI youth, immigration of LGBTQI people, gender identity and expression, adoption, marriage, military service, religion, racial identity, cultural issues, and hate crimes against LGBTQI- identified people.
