Mike Dougherty Appointed 2019 Director of Festival Programming of OUTFEST

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen, announced today at the 23rd annual Outfest Queer Brunch that Mike Dougherty has been named the Director of Festival Programming. He will be in charge of programming Outfest Los Angeles and ensuring the highest experience of filmmakers and audiences at all Outfest festivals.

Dougherty has over a decade of experience in the finance, production and distribution aspects of the industry. He joins Outfest after five years as Acquisitions and Distribution Executive at Radiant Films International, and five years prior to that as a Creative Executive at Hyde Park Entertainment. Since 2014, he has been the Director of Programming for the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) and is an Associate Programmer for AFI FEST.
In making the announcement, Executive Director Christopher Racster said, "We are excited that Mike brings a keen awareness of the international and US film marketplace. As a programmer, he has an expansive and thoughtful approach. I am confident, given the strength and breadth of Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, that Mike will continue to expand Outfest's efforts to shine a spotlight on all aspects of the LGBTQ experience and in particular raise up stories and voices of those underrepresented."

"For more than 30 years, Outfest has been the gold standard in sharing creative, unique and diverse stories from the LGBTQ community. To be welcomed into the Outfest family is a dream come true, and to be entrusted with the responsibility of carrying its mission statement forward is an absolute honor. I can't wait to get started," commented Dougherty.

The 23rd annual Outfest Queer Brunch takes place at Sundance and is a celebration of LGBTQ filmmakers and industry. The presenting sponsor is DIRECTV NOW and Hello Lab, supporting sponsor is Effen Vodka. GLAAD also is a supporter.

Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is the world's leading organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. Outfest builds community by connecting diverse populations to discover, discuss and celebrate stories of LGBT lives. Over the past three decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers, and protected more than 40,000 LGBT films and videos. Outfest Fusion LGBTQ People of Color Film Festival will be March 1 -5, 2019. Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival will be July 18 - 28, 2019.

Photo Credit: Lee Jameson