A Thursday night showcase of LGBTQ+ films stood out as a highlight of the LGBT Plus College Conference at MTSU.
MTSU associate professor Allie Sultan screened nine short films centered around LGBTQ+ themes on April 3 in the Student Union Ballroom. Student organization MT Lambda approached Sultan in 2015 and asked her to host a film-related event for the conference.
“They looked at me with these big eyes,” Sultan said. “I know how fun it is to watch fun and quirky films with many people.”
She now hosts the conference’s film festival every year.
The films’ themes ranged from magical love to moving lessons. In the whimsical “Spark,” the metaphorical flames between two young women combined with their love. “Dawn,” about a trans woman and a blind man, showed that when a person can’t see what another person looks like, inner beauty shines through.
Sultan took inspiration from her experiences with LGBTQ+ film festivals in California. These occasions had separate screenings for each identity, Sultan said. She wanted to design a festival that encapsulates broad LGBTQ+ representation.
“We only get one screening at MTSU,” Sultan said. “The beautiful thing about that is that we get to show films from all kinds of perspectives.”
Sultan also curated the film festival to show LGBTQ+ individuals that they’re not alone in politically troubling times, she said.
Every year, Sultan receives submissions from around the world on film festival website FilmFreeway. She faced challenges narrowing down 15 hours of films from 30 countries to a 90-minute showing.
“But that’s exciting,” Sultan said. “I can bring these stories to a community that doesn’t get to see films about similar people from around the world.”
Poor weather conditions affected attendance, but the festival commenced without delays or pauses. Multiple attendees approached Sultan after the festival with overwhelming praise.
Sultan struggles to advise other colleges looking to organize LGBTQ+ film festivals due to current political complications — her own ability to host future festivals is uncertain for the same reason. Despite looming problems, she encourages other colleges to be brave when organizing similar events.
“We all have something to offer,” Sultan said. “We can learn a lot from each other if we stop fighting and start listening.”
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