Reel Queer Youth Programs Go Virtual During Pandemic
Seattle, WA. Three Dollar Bill Cinema‘s video production and media literacy program, Reel Queer Youth, will be held online this summer from August 3rd through August 7th. During the program, LGBTQ+ youth and allies ages 13-18 will explore filmmaking and make documentaries using whatever tech and media they have available at home.
Three Dollar Bill Cinema launched Reel Queer Youth many years ago and the program has since reached more than 100 students. “This year will probably be a little different,” says Kathleen Mullen, Three Dollar Cinema’s interim executive director. Due to COVID-19, Three Dollar Bill Cinema is partnering with Northwest Film Forum to offer Reel Queer Youth virtually. The program will include daily Zoom meetings and opportunities for one on one mentorship. Participants will have the chance to explore what they want to say about themselves in the media and build connections with other LGBTQ+ and allied youth and filmmakers.
2019 Reel Queer Youth participants at Kaladi Brothers Coffee
According to Mullen, with the Black Lives Matter movement and the pandemic going on, “it’s a really important time to talk about media literacy.”
In a letter to Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s supporters, Mullen and Clay Warner, the president of Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s Board, wrote “Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s mission is to strengthen, connect, and reflect diverse communities through queer film and media. We will continue this work and do better to work towards a more equitable, pluralistic, and decolonization framework.” Reel Queer Youth plays a role in this mission by connecting a diverse group of LGBTQ+ youth and allies and arming them with the skills to decide how they want to represent themselves in media.
Last year, program participants worked with professional industry mentors to create documentaries about local LGBTQ+ non-profits
Carter and Dakota, ages 13 and 16, created Three Dollar Bill Cinema, a short film, included below, about Three Dollar Bill Cinema, and how it works to make LGBTQ+ lives visible through film and video.
Registration for Reel Queer Youth is still open to LGBTQ+ & Ally Youth, ages 13-18 who are interested in filmmaking.
From Three Dollar Bill Cinema:
We provide access to films by, for, and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ2+) people and their families, and a forum for LGBTQ2+ filmmakers to share and discuss their work with audiences. We curate themed screenings throughout the year and produce programs in partnership with other arts, cultural, and service delivery organizations in the Greater Seattle area.
