QWOCMAP uses film to shatter stereotypes and bias, reveal the lived truth of inequality, and challenge the roots of injustice through art and activism. QWOCMAP creates, exhibits, and distributes films that authentically reflect the lives of African Descent/Black, Native American/Indigenous; Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander; Southwest Asian, Middle Eastern, North African, Muslim; Asian, including Southeast Asian; Latinx; and multi-ethnic le***an, bisexual, q***r women of color (cisgender & transgender), Two Spirit, intersex, and nonbinary, gender nonconforming, and transgender people of color (any orientation). By changing who is Behind The Lens, QWOCMAP transforms the craft of filmmaking itself, reshapes the kinds of films that are made, shifts the narratives we use, and reimagines the stories we tell. Founded in 2000, our Filmmaker Training Program provides FREE, artistically rigorous, professional workshops that tour California and the U.S. We nurture creativity, develop leadership, and equip LBSTQIA+ BIPOC filmmakers as artist-activist leaders for change. with a 3-year waiting list; in 2015, its first international Spanish-language cross-border filmmaking workshop was conducted in Tijuana and requests pour in from Australia to Uganda. QWOCMAP tailors this program to meets the needs of our multi-racial, pan-ethnic community. By changing who makes films, QWOCMAP transforms the craft of filmmaking itself, reshapes the kinds of films that are made and the stories that are told, to build power. Since 2003, the free annual International Q***r Women of Color Film Festival has world-premiered films from around the world, and created transnational connections between filmmakers, their films, and audiences and grassroots organizations. Our curatorial vision is grounded in high-quality, high-impact films. Facilitated public discussions foster deep engagement that shifts from individual awareness to collective action. QWOCMAP builds community and solidarity through programming and intentional practices that foster welcome, safety, and belonging. Since 2005, the boutique film Distribution Program has released QWOCMAP films to the acclaim of international film festival jury and audience awards on every continent except Antarctica. It strengthens movements and addresses the vital, intersecting issues that concern multiple populations. It partners with temples/mosques/churches, grassroots organizations, educational institutions, and film festivals to present films, speakers, discussions for political education. QWOCMAP equips us to imagine a better world in order to create a world of equity and justice, liberation and sovereignty.
