Atlanta's Out on Film 2024 Announces Filmmaker Awards

Out on Film presented by GILEAD has announced the filmmaker awards for the recently concluded 37th edition of the Atlanta-based LGBTQIA+ film festival. Anthony Schatteman's "Young Hearts," about 14-year-old boy Elias, who falls in love with his new neighbor boy Alexander of the same age, was a two-time winner, taking both the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature and the award for First Feature.

Taking the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was "Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps," a film of transgender icon Scott Turner Schofield's long-running performance art piece embodying the experience of becoming a man, taken from 127 total stories and over 15 years of material. Directed by Andrea James and Puppett, "Becoming a Man" had its early roots in Atlanta.

"This was an extraordinary year for programming," says Jim Farmer, festival director of Out On Film. "We had award-winning films from around the world and from our own backyards, and our jurors and audiences had their work cut out for them in choosing favorites."

Juan Pablo Di Pace and Andrés Pepe Estrada won the Jury Award for Best Director for their film "Duino," about an Argentinian filmmaker struggling to finish a movie about his unrequited first love who receives an unexpected invitation to reconstruct his memories.

The Jury Award for Best Documentary went to Ashley Francis Roy's "Striking With Pride: United at the Coalface," about the unlikely alliance that grew between the gay men and lesbians of London and the striking miners of South Wales between London Pride 1984 and 1985, while Claudia Sanchez's "TransMexico," about the difficulties transwomen face in Latin America, took home the Audience Award for Best Documentary.

A special jury award went to the performers playing Eva & Violeta in Alessandra Lacorazza's "In the Summers" – Luciana Elisa Quinonez & Allison Salinas, Sasha Calle & Dreya Castillo, Kimaya Thais & Lio Mehiel.

Matt Nadel took home the Jury and Audience Award for Best Documentary Short for "Cashing Out," which charts the rise and fall of the billion-dollar industry that grew as many gay men – unable to work and with few months to live during the AIDS crisis – sold their life insurance policies to investors for quick cash.

Melissa Fisher's "Buscando Alma" won the Jury Award for Best Narrative Short. Because Out On Film is an Oscar® qualifying film festival, "Buscando Alma" will now be eligible for consideration for next year's Live Action Short Academy Awards ®.

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Short went to "Die Bully Die," directed by Nathan and Nick Lacey

This year's Out On Film jury included Zuri Obi, Marquise Mays, B Ryan Glick, Shakira Refos, Angelo Acerbi, Jack Feria and Ofir Raul Graizer.

For information on Out on Film, please go to: outonfilm.org.