Out on Film 2026 - Reel Resistance Fellowship Showcase

From the venue:

Developed through the Reel Resistance Fellowship—a collaboration between Atlanta Pride and Out On Film—five original short documentaries bring Georgia’s LGBTQ+ history vividly to life.

Selected from 32 applicants, the inaugural Reel Resistance Fellows participated in a six-month program designed to empower LGBTQ+ filmmakers to explore and document our community’s rich and complex history. Journey from the legendary Club 708 and Atlanta’s first LGBTQ+ congregation at the Winecoff Hotel to the 50-year legacy of the Atlanta Gay Center, the resilience of a Mexican-born trans woman navigating the Deep South and the groundbreaking HIV advocacy of Dr. Daniel Driffin. Together, these films preserve stories that might otherwise be lost while celebrating the people, places and movements that have shaped queer life in Georgia.

More than documentaries, these films are living archives—works of artivism that honor the past while helping shape the future.

Expected Attendance:

The Center - Carlo Velayo, Director & Matthew Morgan, EP

Meet Us at the Winecoff - Jesse Grainger, Director

When We Rise in the South - Brad Bailey, Director

Eight Heels and a Hard Truth - Josephine Figueroa, Co-Producer/Director & Daniel Ruiz, Post Production Assistant & Aubri Escalara, Co-Producer

This project is funded in part by grants from The Community Corps, Larch Creative Fund and South Arts, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and Georgia Council for the Arts.

Beyond the Doors of Club 708 -"Club 708" is a poignant short documentary that explores the legacy of an iconic venue in Atlanta's Black LGBTQ+ community. Once a vibrant hub for connection and celebration, the club's sudden closure left a significant void in the lives of its patrons. Through archival footage and personal testimonials, the film chronicles the rich history of Club 708, reflecting on its cultural impact and the community's resilience in the face of loss. This documentary not only captures the essence of what the club represented but also imagines the possibilities of what could have been, highlighting the ongoing need for safe spaces in the community.

The Center - As the Atlanta community works to build the next generation LGBTQ+ Community Center, this short documentary celebrates the foundations paved 50 years ago through the Atlanta Gay Center.

Eight Heels and a Hard Truth - Set in the Southeast—where LGBTQIA+ histories have long been under-documented—Eight Heels and a Hard Truth follows a Mexican-born trans woman who survived silence, violence, and erasure in the Deep South’s bail bond world before reclaiming her voice and joining other leaders in Atlanta. The film honors the resilience of trans women like her who not only survived, but thrived as “ladies” in the South—often unseen, but never without power.

When We Rise in the South - This short documentary follows Daniel Driffin, an Atlanta-based HIV activist who has spent more than a decade working to dismantle the stigma surrounding HIV in Black and LGBTQ communities. Diagnosed in 2008, Driffin turned his own experience into a movement, co-founding grassroots support networks and becoming the first out HIV-positive speaker at a Democratic National Convention in sixteen years. The film traces his ongoing fight to build community-driven models of prevention and care, capturing why his voice matters at a moment when public support for HIV work is under renewed pressure.

Meet Us at the Winecoff