The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach and Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride are proud to announce the Long Beach Q Film Festival 2010, which will take place October 7-10, 2010 at the historic Art Theater located at 2025 East 4th St. and the neighboring Center Long Beach, both on Long Beach’s renowned “Retro Row.”  Ticket prices range from $5 – $15 for individual screenings and parties.  An All Fest pass, which allows admission into all screenings and parties, will cost $120.  An All Film pass, allowing admittance into all screenings but not parties, is $85.  Another pass granting admission to five films of the holder’s choice will also be available for $40.  Tickets and passes will be available for purchase in early September through the Q Film Festival page at www.centerlb.org as well as through the Long Beach Pride website, www.longbeachpride.com.

A special festival pre-event will be held at 7:00 pm on Saturday, September 18th, at the Long Beach Pride offices located at 1017 Obispo in Long Beach.  The pre-event will highlight audience favorites from past Q Film Festivals and give a sneak peek at this year’s fest.  Admission is free with the purchase of any Q Film Festival ticket or pass.  Food and beverages will be provided.

Long Beach’s long-running film festival since 1993, the Q Film Festival presents narrative features, documentaries and short films that embody the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.  This year’s event will feature several of the most acclaimed features on the 2010 film festival circuit: “A Marine Story,” winner of both the Jury Award and Audience Award for best U.S. Dramatic Feature and of an Achievement in Acting Award for its star, Dreya Weber, at Outfest; Peru’s “Contracorriente” (“Undertow”), winner of the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and a Special Award for Artistic Achievement at Outfest; “Role/Play” starring Matthew Montgomery, who won an Artistic Achievement in Acting Award at the Philadelphia Q Film Festival; “On These Shoulders We Stand,” recognized with a Special Programming Award for Freedom at Outfest; and “Out in the Silence,” which won the Audience Award at the Hardacre Film Festival and the Alternative Spirit Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

An all-time high of film submissions were received this year from both student and professional filmmakers from around the world.  Many filmmakers and cast members of each film to be shown will be present for audience discussions after their screenings.  Festival events will be hosted by a variety of local performers and luminaries.  Jury awards will be given to worthy films in several categories.  The festival will also feature panel discussions, parties and opportunities for local community members to meet and mingle with filmmakers, actors and other industry professionals.

Q Film Festival 2010 will kick off with the local premieres of “A Marine Story” at 7:00 pm and “Contracorriente” (“Undertow”) at 9:15 pm on Thursday, October 7th.  An Opening Night party will take place between screenings starting at 8:00 pm at the neighboring Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach.  Screenings on Saturday, October 9th will include a variety of great short films in the “Men in Briefs” and “Women in Shorts” programs.  The documentary “On These Shoulders We Stand” will screen at 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 10th, followed by a selection of comedic short films under the title “Laugh Your Shorts Off.”  The Long Beach premiere of “Role/Play” will bring the festival to a close at 4:45 pm on Sunday, with a Closing Night party immediately following.  All festival parties feature cocktails, libations and live entertainment.

The full Q Film Festival schedule will be announced by the end of August.  Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride, producer of the annual Long Beach LGBT Pride Festival and Parade, is co-presenting this year’s Q Film Festival with The Center Long Beach for the first time.  All net proceeds from the festival will benefit The Center Long Beach and Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride.  Sponsors and underwriters are invited to participate.  Please contact Christina D. Rios Bennett at (562) 889-2826 for information about sponsorship opportunities.  For more information on the Art Theater, please visit www.arttheatrelongbeach.com.

About The Center Long Beach
The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach is located at 2017 E. Fourth Street in Long Beach. The Center was officially incorporated in 1980 as One in Long Beach, Inc. and has been providing a variety of health, social, advocacy, legal, and service programs to the LGBT community in the Long Beach area for three decades. The Center serves approximately 21,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clients and constituents annually through 23 different programs and services.
The Center Long Beach
Tel: 562-434-4455
Fax: 562-433-6428
www.centerlb.org

About Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride, Inc.
Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride, Inc. was established in 1983 and produced the first annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival and Parade in June, 1984.  Since then, the festival and parade has become the third-largest such event in the U.S., annually attracting more than 75,000 participants.  The organization has also granted over $1 million to local charities since its inception.
Contact: Julie Brown or Sergio Macias, Co-Presidents
Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride, Inc.
Tel: 562-987-9191
www.longbeachpride.com