NEWS & UPDATES

From the Board Chair

Stephen Weisenreder,

ImageOut Board Chair

It has been such an honor to serve ImageOut as Chair of the Board of Directors for the last six years. With my time as chairman coming to an end this month, I can't help but reflect on how far ImageOut has come during that time. Together we weathered a pandemic that changed the way people experienced movies and threw the movie industry into chaos. But as other festivals and LGBTQ organizations struggled to stay afloat, our audience stood by us and we grew as an organization. We maintained financial stability, added a full-time staff position, and even introduced a new spring film festival in 2021, which was pretty audacious considering the state of the world at the time.

Fresh leadership, vision, and passion is essential for an organization like ours. With that in mind, I'm very excited to hand over the reins to Michele Thornton. She's a talented and passionate leader and there's no doubt that she will lead us to new heights. I'm confident that ImageOut will continue to grow and lead.

Finally, I'm so incredibly proud to be part of the ImageOut team. I'm grateful for everyone who gave of their time, supported us financially, and came along on this crazy ride. I'll see you at the movies!

A ROC the Day Thank You

Thank you to everyone who showed up to support LGBTQ+ arts and culture in our community and ROC the Day for ImageOut earlier this week. You made 2023 our biggest Giving Tuesday in many years!

Volunteer Appreciation

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a night of socialization and fun at ImageOut’s Fall 2023 Volunteer Appreciation Night on Tuesday! We had such a great time playing our first bingo together at The Little Café! This organization couldn’t have existed and thrived for more than three decades without the dedication and hard work of our volunteers. We’re so grateful for your continued support!

Interested in becoming a new volunteer in 2024? Email [email protected] to get the conversation started!

UPCOMING EVENTS

RoCo 33rd Annual Members Exhibition

ImageOut is proud to have Rochester Contemporary Art Center as a community partner. Be sure to come out tonight, 6:00-9:00pm, for the opening of their 33rd Annual Members Exhibition, part of #FirstFridayROC. Earlier this week, a staff member, a board member, and a member of our ImageOutArt Committee were pleased to select a recipient for this show’s inaugural ImageOut Award. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for the announcement of this recipient, as well as lots of exciting news on other collaboration and partnership with our friends at RoCo!

RGMC Holidays Around the World Concerts

One of our favorite holiday traditions is attending the RGMC's annual holiday concert! ImageOut is proud to sponsor and support our friends and office neighbors the Rochester Gay Men's Chorus. We hope you'll join us for their "Holidays Around the World" concert on Saturday, December 2, 7:30pm and/or Sunday, December 3, 3:00pm at Hochstein Performance Hall. For more information and to purchase tickets, go online to thergmc.org.

ImageOut Holiday Pop-Ups & Winter Wear Collection

Stop out to the ImageOut office on select Monday afternoons and evenings in December for our 2023 Holiday Pop-Ups. Join us for ImageOut Merchandise Sales, ImageOutWrite Book Sales, and early bird 2024 Membership Enrollment on December 4, 3:00-5:00pm; December 11, 4:00-6:00pm; and December 18, 5:00-7:00pm. Complimentary cookies and punch will also be provided.

During our Holiday Pop-Ups, ImageOut will also be doing a Winter Wear Collection of new winter hats, mittens/gloves, and scarves for those most in need in our greater Rochester LGBTQIA2S+ community. Adult and children’s sizes accepted. Items will be distributed by Rochester LGBTQ+ Mutual Aid to those across Monroe County during the cold winter months.

YEAR-END GIVING

The Michael Gamilla Fund

Whether you missed your membership renewal this year or simply wish to make a one-time or additional donation, we encourage our supporters and friends to make a year-end donation to The Michael Gamilla Fund.

In conjunction with his Lifetime Achievement Award in Fall 2022, ImageOut created The Michael Gamilla Fund - named in honor and memory of former ImageOut Programming Director Michael Gamilla - to provide underwriting support for our film festivals. We're certain that Michael would want to see LGBTQ+ film continue to thrive in our community, and this is a great way to ensure that both ImageOut and Michael's legacies continue.

Those interested can contribute online via credit, debit or EFT, using the button below. Donations can also be made via check. They should be made payable to “ImageOut” with “The Michael Gamilla Fund” in the memo line and can be mailed to our office at 274 N. Goodman St., Ste. A203 Rochester, NY 14607.

Donate

ImageOut: The Rochester Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival, Inc. is a tax exempt, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Our mission is to promote awareness, foster dialogue, and build community by showcasing LGBTQ+ arts and culture through films and other creative works in the greater Rochester, New York area. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Anti-racism Commitment

Land Acknowledgment