LEWISBURG, W.Va. — The inaugural Appalachian Queer Film Festival opens Thursday in Lewisburg and will continue through Sunday with independent films and panel discussions at the Lewis Theatre.
“We’re excited to be really the best film festival in the state — queer or otherwise,” Jon Matthews, AQFF co-founder and director of programming, told MetroNews.
“Our mission is to expose outsider artists to West Virginians and show them that we have a lot of cool, great progressive people here and artists and, vice versa, to expose West Virginians to films they might not see otherwise.”
Two films that premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival are on the schedule.
“Skeleton Twins,” starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The documentary, “To Be Takai,” starring George Takei, a Trekkie and LGBT advocate, will be screened at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Other films include “Ladybeard,” “Lyle,” “Goodbye Gauley Mountain,” and “Hotline.”
Matthews said they’re trying to answer a need in West Virginia.
“You just don’t see a lot of independent films in places other than big cities. New York and L.A. and Chicago and some of the big markets will get them and then West Virginians have to wait to get them on Netflix or to see them on iTunes or DVD or something,” he said.
“It’s good just to bring art and film that you might not see otherwise to the state.”
Panel presentations are also scheduled along with question-and-answer sessions with many of the filmmakers. For a complete schedule, click here.
AQFF was created to bring independent films and filmmakers to West Virginia in an effort to break down stereotypes and broaden minds throughout Appalachia.