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Though they showcase 35-45 films a year, including narratives and documentaries, OUT at the Movies is not simply a platform for screening movies. They use their screenings to spark conversation and understanding, highlight issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, and foster a more inclusive and tolerant environment for LGBTQ+ people to live, work, and play.
Photo source: OUT at the Movies website
The OUT At The Movies Annual International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, which takes place from October 2 to 5, is the second-largest LGBTQ+ film festival in North Carolina. Now in its twelfth year, it celebrates the finest LGBTQ+ films from around the world and builds a stronger community in the process.
What Is OUT At The Movies & What Do They Do?
Monthly Film Screenings
OUT at the Movies is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization founded in Winston-Salem in 2004. It has served the LGBTQ+ community and their allies by offering a monthly film series of cutting-edge and iconic LGBTQ+ films at local venues, including Camel City Playhouse and Aperture Cinema. A listing of monthly screenings can be found here.
Emerging Artist Film Grant
In addition, OUT at the Movies directly supports emerging filmmakers through the Emerging Artist Film Grant, an award intended to supplement the budget for an emerging LGBTQIA+ filmmaker to finish their short documentary or short narrative film. A first-place winner is chosen, as well as a first and second runner-up. The 2025 grant competition is closed. The 2026 grant competition will open in January of 2026, with an estimated application deadline of April 30, 2026. Visit this site for more information about the Emerging Artist Film Grant.
Queer History Project
Another initiative of OUT at the Movies, launched in 2023, is a collaboration with the Documentary Film Program (MFA) at Wake Forest University and MUSE Winston-Salem, the Queer History Project. This program offers student filmmakers at local colleges the opportunity to hone their craft by producing original short-form documentary content that celebrates LGBTQ+ life in the Triad, past and present. Learn more about the Queer History Project at this site.
Annual Film Festival
OUT At The Movies’ core project is its Annual Film Festival, celebrating its 12th year, which features an average of 40 LGBTQ+ films screened over four days, along with 8-10 educational talkback sessions. The films are engaging, informative, and moving, and will hopefully spark conversation and foster a deeper understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. Though the festival is dedicated to LGBTQ+ cinema, everyone is invited and welcome to celebrate the talent of these independent filmmakers.
Tickets for the festival are available at reasonable prices and include:
- Single Showing Tickets
- Flex Tickets: offer access to five screenings during the festival, transferable and usable by multiple people
- All-Access Passes: offer access for one person to all films and events
The 12th Annual International Film Festival – October 2-5
Thursday, October 2 – Festival Preview Night will be held from 7-8:10pm at the Porter Byrum Welcome Center at Wake Forest University, 1580 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem. The evening will feature original OUT at the Movies short films that focus on LGBTQ+ culture in Winston-Salem and abroad, a panel discussion, and a complimentary post-screening reception with food, beer, and wine. The event is free to attend, and no registration is required.
Tickets are required for the remainder of the Festival. For more information about each screening and to purchase tickets, visit this site. The schedule is as follows:
- Friday, October 3, at UNCSA Ace Theatre Complex, 1640 Hollywood Boulevard, Winston-Salem
- Opening Night Screening: Four Mothers, 7pm, 89 minutes
- Saturday, October 4, all screenings at UNCSA Ace Theatre Complex, 1640 Hollywood Boulevard
- Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, 12pm, 114 minutes, documentary
- Shorts Program 1: Non-Fiction/Bold Statements, 12:15pm, 101 minutes, documentary
- Scripted: Developing Your Short Story, 12:30pm, 120 minutes, workshop
- Midas Man, 2:15pm, 112 minutes, narrative
- Odd Fish, 2:25pm, 104 minutes, narrative
- Shorts Program 2: Artful/Dramatic/New Dimensions, 3pm, 99 minutes, narrative
- No Closet Space: The History Of Gay Key West, 4:30pm, 108 minutes, documentary
- Sisters, 5:30pm, 88 minutes, narrative
- Accidental Friends, 7pm, 94 minutes, narrative
- Row Of Life, 7:15pm, 80 minutes, documentary
- Sunday, October 5, all screenings at UNCSA Ace Theatre Complex, 1640 Hollywood Boulevard
- Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day, 12pm, 131 minutes, narrative
- Shorts Program 3: Confrontations/Consequences, 12:15pm, 89 minutes, narrative
- Fallen Fruit, 12:45pm, 87 minutes, narrative
- Only Good Things, 2:30pm, 104 minutes, narrative
- The Librarians, 2:45pm, 92 minutes, documentary
- Unspoken, 4:30pm, 91 minutes, narrative
- Shorts Program 4: Personal/Society/Identity, 4:45pm, 80 minutes, narrative
- Sally, 6:45pm, 103 minutes, documentary
- Plainclothes, 6:45pm, 95 minutes, narrative
More About OUT At The Movies
OUT at the Movies is a nonprofit that operates on donations from individuals and sponsorships from companies. Visit this Donate page if you would like to support the organization.
Visit the Out at the Movies Website for more information about the organization and the Annual International Film Festival, or call 336-918-0902. You can also check out the Out at the Movies Facebook page.
Conversation And A Glass Of Wine After The Screening
Sip some wine in a comfortable atmosphere, have a small bite, and discuss the films you attended at the festival. You can find the best place to do that by looking over our wine bars article.
Have you attended any of Out at the Movies’ monthly screenings? Tell us about it in the comments.
