This Outfest program forges connections between emerging filmmakers and established entertainment industry professionals in Los Angeles. Access LA includes the HBO Breakfast Panel Series, Industry Link, festival panels, and a Film Mentoring Program in collaboration with LifeWorks.  Access LA also has a DVD library at the DGA for distributors and programmers from other festivals and literally dozens of receptions and parties throughout the festival.

Special support provided by:

OUTFEST SCREENWRITING LAB
The Outfest Screenwriting Lab is designed to nurture emerging screenwriters and promote promising scripts that significantly feature lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and/or themes. Each year in June the authors of five outstanding screenplays participated in a dynamic three-day mentor-lead workshop with established screenwriters. The Outfest Screenwriting Lab demonstrates this organization’s commitment to supporting queer film from conception to exhibition.
Click HERE for more info on the Screenwriting Lab


OUTFEST/LIFEWORKS FILM MENTORING COLLABORATION
The Outfest/LifeWorks Film Mentoring Program is a collaboration between Outfest and LifeWorks at The Gay & Lesbian Center of Los Angeles to empower and educate LGBT youth to tell their stories through film.  Beginning in 2011, each November Outfest and LifeWorks will launch a film lab to create an educational experience for a new generation of storytellers that involves classroom instruction taught by industry professionals, visits to studios and working sets, and an immersion of a hands-on experience with digital cameras and editing software.

Fifteen LGBT youth between the ages of 16-24 are selected to participate in the lab from November through March as they learn basic film theory, screenwriting, cinematography and camera techniques, production, directing, and editing.  The students collaborate to create 5 short films that will be screened at Fusion in March and again in the Outfest July festival.

The application is open for applicants from October 15th – November 12th 2011.
For information and to apply online for this program CLICK HERE.