The Balearic Islands' LGBTQ+ film festival 'OUT!' is saying goodbye due to "lack of stability"

PalmThe organizers of OUT! The Balearic Islands' LGBT+ Film Festival have announced their decision to "take an indefinite break" after eight editions marked by "constant uncertainty" due to "the difficulty of securing funding year after year, the lack of stability, and accumulated exhaustion." In a statement released this Wednesday, the organizers assured that this "is not a bitter farewell or a complaint," but rather an "honest and conscious pause." "We have screened hundreds of feature films, documentaries, and short films from around the world, giving visibility to stories about identity, love, resistance, and freedom," they stated. The organizers also highlighted the parallel activities organized to promote reflection, such as roundtables, meetings with filmmakers, presentations, debates, and storytelling sessions for children.

The exhibition was launched in 2018 by the cultural association Mèdit, with the aim of reminding everyone that cinema is "a tool for change" and that culture is "a space of freedom," as well as raising awareness about affective, sexual, and gender diversity.

"We are left with the satisfaction of having contributed our bit to building a more open and inclusive culture by making the LGBTQ+ community visible, and of having created a community that has grown with us," the organizers stated in their farewell message.