About Us

Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing the talent and creativity of LGBTQ+
and other artists who want to speak to our community.
We produce four programs of LGBTQ+ short films representing the best work produced this year by new and experienced filmmakers. While we are not a comedy festival, we hope our selections reflect a joy of creation -- fun, if you will -- that the filmmakers had in their creation process.

Each program also features a live cabaret selection from Los Angeles' amazing GayDD revue!

This festival is presented by the same dedicated team that created and produced the
CMG SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
from 2012 to 2019
We still proudly acknowledge CMG as a Parent Sponsor
(visit us at www.thecmg.org)
alongside CMEN, now also a Parent Sponsor
(visit us at www.cmen.org)

Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival is a benefits group.
Proceeds will be donated to one or more charitable organizations after the festival

The CMG Short Film Festival Volunteer Crew in 2016

YES! QUEER SHORT FILMS IN LOS ANGELES

Now in its NINTH year, the Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival produces four programs of LGBTQ short films representing the very best of our vast and diverse community’s filmic offerings. Besides attending the larger festivals and personal referrals, we winnow through hundreds of films submitted through the FilmFreeway submission platform, to come up with the less than 40 films that comprise our programs.

To promote community, we do give an edge in the selection process to local (Los Angeles Area) filmmakers and talent. Being local doesn’t guarantee acceptance, of course, but we very much like the idea of creating a “family” of local artists who know and support each other. For some, ours will be the only LGBTQ film festival their film will appear in locally, and we recognize and welcome the unique responsibility this imposes on us.

We are proud to offer “grass roots” submission pricing, to encourage submissions from less well-financed filmmakers. Thanks to FilmFreeway, we can afford to do this. We have in past years donated any funds left over after paying our considerable costs to AIDS Walk Los Angeles, and we plan to continue making charitable contributions this year as well.

Ready to submit your film? See Link to FilmFreeway below.

We have several audience favorite awards, determined by balloting, and a number of jury awards including best comedy or musical, best drama, and best acting (regardless of gender) in each of those two categories. The jury is also empowered to create additional awards for anything they deem worthy of that kind of recognition. None of the awards has a cash value.

Filmmakers Please Note: You must have the right to authorize us to screen your film for an audience. We will have rights to screen your film at the festival, use short excerpt for a festival trailer, use publicity stills for our press releases and other collateral materials including our web page and printed program. We reserve the right to use the film at a "best of" program taking place in the year subsequent to the Festival date. We also keep a copy of the film for Festival Archive.

PLEASE be sure to include a short description of your film (logine) in your submission materials. We may use this logline or create our own for our program and website.

IF YOUR FILM IS SELECTED, we will also want to have any TRAILER you may have developed for it. We will use this in our own Integrated Marketing campaign for the festival. If you have STILLS you like (from the film only, please, not from the production process) we will want to see those, as well, However, we reserve the right to create our own stills from your film for use in our promotions.

SPONSORING HOLLYWOOD QUEER
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Like almost everything these days, the Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival has a lot of expenses. We are always looking for sponsors as part of our general goal of building community. Sponsorships for local businesses begin at Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and we are happy to accept larger amounts for businesses inclined to donate them. We also offer four Program Sponsorships, a Prime Sponsorship, and Grand Sponsorships. Contact our Sales Representative to discuss prices, terms and benefits of each level.

Sponsors at any amount will get these benefits::
*** Your logo will appear on our Printed Program given to all attendees ***
*** Your logo and a link will appear on our website ***
*** Logo (or image of your choice) in the "slide show" before each program ***
*** Two complimentary tickets to all festival programs ***

The four Program Sponsors will also be entitled to:
*** Acknowledgment in Introductory Remarks of your Program ***
*** Extra slides in the slide show ***
*** If you have a "commercial" in film form, we will play it during your Program ***
*** Four complimentary tickets to all festival programs ***

Prime Sponsor
gets all the above
PLUS
*** best placement on printed program and website ***
*** Your "commercial" played at all four programs ***
*** Six complimentary tickets to all festival programs ***

Interested in sponsoring our festival? If you have questions, you can contact our Sponsorship Coordinator by email hqsff@myyahoo.com, or phone: 323-650-9488

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

The HOLLYWOOD QUEER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL is an (almost) all volunteer effort. We need a lot of volunteers to make it happen, and most of the opportunities listed below do not require experience.

Tech Specialist who knows projectors and media. Will run our programs at the venue. Must be on hand during all four programs.

Tech Specialist who has a LOT of room to store exhibition copies of selected films and put them onto thumb drives that can be read by projector at venue, in order as directed by festival director.

Sponsor Coordinator: Will contact potential sponsors and sign up any takers. Collect media they submit per agreements; make sure they get everything they pay for; help sponsors who need help making something for slide show; help select logo for program and website; work with webmaster to get sponsor links onto website; collect payments for sponsorships. For all sponsors brought in by Coordinator, we pay a commission of 20%.

Integrated Marketing Assistant: Will assist our Integrated Marketing Manager with her efforts to give the festival a modern Integrated Media Campaign, including all the Social media.

Hospitality coordinator: handles comp lists to make sure box office knows who is entitled to free entry. Will issue invitations to submit to filmmakers selected by Festival Director. Will prepare festival badges for filmmakers and others (e.g., jury, staff, etc.) who need them.

=> Selection Committee: Screen submitted films to determine whether they should be seen by the committee as a whole; Attend Selection Committee meetings and evaluate films for inclusion in the programs. This is a significant time commitment, and only a limited number of persons will be included.

=> JURY: Will attend (or otherwise screen) all films in the program and select winners of awards; each jury member is encouraged to moderate one of the four Q+A sessions following program screenings. Significant experience in the Industry is expected. Your photo and CV will appear on our website.

=> DAY OF EVENT: We will need ushers, people to hand out and collect ballots; hand out printed program; assist at the box office; and coordinate parking. (Note: two programs minimum; we encourage volunteers to do all four.)

Volunteers with => will receive festival tee shirts. ALL Volunteers will receive comp tickets to programs.

TO VOLUNTEER:  SEND EMAIL TO hqsff@myyahoo.com.  Include the position(s) you are interested in, and let us know about any experience or qualifications you have in those areas.

The Volunteer Crew in 2019

Our Programs

Featured Films

Program 1

Program 2

Program 3

This section will contain listings of all films in the festival, including stills and descriptions.

ALL programs will ALSO include LIVE PERFORMANCE by the supremely talented artists associated with the amazing GayDD cabaret revue.

"The California Mens Gathering (CMG) Film Fest was wonderful event filled with interesting short films, Q&A sessions and fun events in WeHo. It was well run by the Director, Jim Hoffman and the volunteers who supported it.

"I was sad when it ended but am very excited to see it being revived as the Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival. I believe the quality of the event will be the same and the new venue will be a good one.

"Looking forward to volunteering and attending the new film festival and hope to see some old friends and making some new ones!"

Christopher Johnson
Long time CMG Film Festival Supporter and Volunteer

OUR SPONSORS

We are much indebted to local groups and businesses for providing financial support that makes our festival possible.

Parent Sponsors

CMEN (Community of Men Enjoying Naturism) is one of the two largest gay nudist clubs in the world, welcoming men of all ages, all ethnicities, all body types. We offer large naked week-long events, parties, massage exchanges, game nights, touch playshops, and other events.

Once limited mostly to California, where the club does two large annual Gatherings (northern California in July; "West Coast Gathering in southern California in August—-our 25th year) as well as local activities in Los Angeles, the Palm Springs Area, and Starland Ranch in Joshua Tree, CMEN now boasts a busy schedule in Phoenix and Whispering Oaks TN, where we have a year round retreat center.

The HQSFF Family

We are proud of the many members of our community who have been part of this festival over the years. Many of them will be joining us again this year. We have received numerous messages of support. A selection of these appears below.

I’d like congratulate all my CMG Brothers for the rebooting of “The Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival". I'm a long time CMG member as well as an actor and comedian. My supporting role in "The Birth Of A Nation" as a slave owner in 1831 changed my career in big way and me as an artist. The film is the beginning of Black Live Matter movement, so my artist life and work life have merged. I was chosen to be in the OUT 100 recently and guested on “Goliath" opposite JK Simmons, "Swedish Dicks" opposite Keanu Reeves to name a few. I was thrilled to win "The Indie Series Award for Best Actor in A Comedy" for season 1 of my Amazon series “Smothered" and just got nominated for season 2. I co-wrote, co-produced and co-star in the series with Mitch Hara. You all can watch on the website for free if you like http://www.SmotheredTV.com.This summer I will be in the Gay Comedy Special "Laugh Proud" with all these young out comedians of every type in the LGBTQ family! And lastly my autobiography "SHUT UP, I’M TALKING!" Is in its 3rd printing and got rave reviews on Amazon. On a personal note I’ve moved to Palm Springs and live next door to my 87 year old Jewish mother! So I can look after her and it’s been a trip. Who knew her complaining could make her a living! And I’m single again looking for my new love as age in the desert! Still working, still making new friends, still learning about myself and others in this new world we are living out in…. http://www.JasonStuart.com has all my sisal media to stay in touch.
Jason Stuart

I’ve known Jim for 10 years and he’s always supportive of my projects and is just a nice guy to be around. I love his vision for this new chapter of this film festival and wish him all the best!
Chris Lilly
Chris Lilly is a writer based in Los Angeles and a tarot reader for authors and screenwriters with a mission to guide them to create heathy writing habits, strengthen their individual voices, and finish projects faster! His website is Www.chrislilly.tv

Best of luck on the continued success of the upcoming HOLLYWOOD QUEER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL and the amazing cabaret revue GayDD!
Louis Wendruck

The CMG Short Film Festival is a memorable event that brings the community together. The film selection blocks are always uniquely tailored to represent awareness of who we are and what we stand for. It has been an honor to have my films, "Freak" and "Narcissist," be featured at this wonderful festival!

Eric Casaccio Filmmaker

I enjoyed being on the programming team for the CMG Short Film Festival! The films are excellent and Jim puts together great programs. I really appreciate the enthusiastic audiences at the festival and love being part of the CMG community.

Betsy Kalin is an award-winning director/producer/writer and founder of Itchy Bee Productions. She is currently in postproduction with her short documentary LESBIANS IN BOYSTOWN. Her documentaries VISION 2030: FUTURE OF SOCAL and its follow-up VISION 2021: FUTURE OF SOCAL were both Emmy-nominated. Her previous documentary EAST LA INTERCHANGE won ten jury and audience awards. Her films ROOF, CHAINED!, and HEARTS CRACKED OPEN have been honored with multiple awards at festivals around the world.

Our Sponsors

Page reflects sponsors signed up so far. Click link below for info how to add your business (or yourself) to this page.

AWARDS

Check this space after the festival has screened for our Audience and Jury awards.

Contact Us

For inquiries and collaborations, reach out to us via email or phone.

team@hqsff.com

323-650-9488

Mailing Address:
HOLLYWOOD QUEER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
1049 Havenhurst Avenue
c/o CMG Box 123
West Hollywood, CA 90046