OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival 2026: Where Creativity Comes to Life

In todays episode of Oak City Move, Sophs sits down with Sandhya Anantharaman, a part of the programming committee for OUTSOUTH queer film festival, happening this August 13-16th at the Carolina theater! The two discuss this years festival as they go over common themes between different genres, excitement for upcoming films, as well as the amazing community that has been showing up and growing for generations! Join them as they talk about the importance and difficulties of putting together a festival as well as highlighting the voices of independent film makers and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole! If your interested in attending the festival visit their website by following think link- https://carolinatheatre.org/festival/outsouth/ !

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Creators and Guests

Host

Sophs Magnanini

Public Affairs Director (2025-2026)

What is Oak City Move?

A radio program and podcast from WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 celebrating those who enact positive changes in the Raleigh community.

00:00
Sophs Magnanini
Oak City Move is a podcast on WKNC's 88.1 FM HD1 Raleigh, where we highlight people and organizations creating positive change in the Triangle and beyond. Oak City Move can be heard on air Every Monday on 88.1 FM HD1 Raleigh or online at wknc.org to listen to episodes and more, go to our blog at blog.wknc.org or follow us on SoundCloud at wknc881. Okay. Hello, 88.1 WKNC Raleigh. The song you just heard was Sweaty linen by Surf Ninja 3. I'm Sophia Magnanini, your host and you're listening to Oak City Move. Today we are joined by a very special guest, Sandhya Antharaman, who is a part of the programming committee for Out South Queer Film Festival, which is happening this August 13th to 16th at the Carolina Theatre. First off, I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time to join me.

00:57
Sophs Magnanini
And if we kind of wanted to start out. For listeners who are hearing about OutSouth for the first time, if you could kind of describe the festival in your own words.

01:09
Sandhya Antharaman
Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy to be here. So, yes, OutSouth's 31st year is happening next week, the 13th through the 16th. I have really enjoyed my experiences the last couple of years at the festival. Essentially we have thousands of people come to the Carolina Theater in the heart of downtown Durham to watch this year over 140 different films, all telling queer stories. But it's everything from feature length films, documentaries and narratives to short, over 20 shorts, blocks, which cover everything from the black queer experience to Appalachian lesbian yearning. There's horror blocks, there's comedy blocks. It's a really incredible array of films from all over the world and they're all independently produced films.

02:11
Sophs Magnanini
That's amazing. And that's just so cool to think about like that many films, that many people being represented, or that many people that have worked on these films getting it out there for the first time and just the amount of different genres and just films that you guys are playing in general is so cool and like, so important. And I feel like it's going to be a great time this year.

02:42
Sandhya Antharaman
Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it.

02:44
Sophs Magnanini
You mentioned that this is the 31st year. My next question was to be out south has been around for more than 30 years. How have has the festival kind of evolved alongside the LGBTQ community in North Carolina and just the south in general?

03:04
Sandhya Antharaman
You know, I think it's incredible that this has been happening for so long now. You know, like the first year in 1995, it was like five films that the community wanted to show. I think after doing a Pride march and for a long time until 2019, it was called the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian film festival. In 2019, they changed the name to the OutSouth Queer Film Festival in order to represent a broader array of people that are part of the queer community. And I think over time, both the movies that filmmakers make and submit and the movies that the festival showcases have broadened to reflect that. More trans and non binary stories, more stories about different types of queer experiences.

04:00
Sandhya Antharaman
You know, I think broadly in queer media, we've gone from focusing primarily on stories that talk about coming out or, you know, sort of focus just on the sort of what does it mean to be gay? To having a number of stories about so many elements of queer life. You know, it's a much, it's a much more diverse set of storytelling.

04:24
Sophs Magnanini
Experiences now, which is so awesome because I feel, I like you were saying kind of earlier where it. And a lot of queer films have been evolved from just kind of becoming the coming of age kind of story where like, to then they're like, oh wait, we can just kind of make whatever we want. And like, so it's so cool to see the, like how the community is kind of reacting to this evolution and the things that they're creating because of it, which is so cool.

05:03
Sandhya Antharaman
Yeah, I mean, we can tell stories now about people that have been in relationships for 20 years and what it means to have, you know, challenges in a long term queer relationship. Right. Like you can talk not just about what it means to be like the first generation of people coming out, but to tell stories of intergenerational queer friendships and relationships and support.

05:29
Sophs Magnanini
It's so cool. And I can only imagine, like, I wish that I could go every single day and just sit down and watch every film because I know just the differences, the ups and downs, the genre changes. Like, it's just so amazing what it has become today out South. I mean, I know out south has been, well, it's the 31st year today, but how do you kind of see Durham itself kind of playing a role in shaping the identity of the festival?

06:06
Sandhya Antharaman
I really appreciate that question. You know, out south wouldn't be what it is without the city of Durham. You know, like, the Carolina Theater is a nonprofit organization that is supported by and really anchors the city. All of the Sponsors of different films in the festival are small businesses or businesses around the city of Durham. All of the like events and the specials that are part of the, you know, we have an after party at Arcana and we have a different after party at the Pinhook. Like, you know, all of these events that are part of the festival are because of community businesses In Durham. We have a resource festival with a bunch of nonprofits who are offering resources. Like, not to mention how many filmmakers there are that have.

07:03
Sandhya Antharaman
That are like, you know, one of the filmmakers that's premiering her feature film called Whistle Down Wind on Saturday night is actually like a Durham local. This festival is really shaped by all of the people that are part of this community and I think really also has a deeply community centered vibe because that's the personality of Durham as a city.

07:31
Sophs Magnanini
That's great. And like you were saying, Durham itself is just such a great city, such a great community, especially when it comes to the LGBTQ community and just allies in general. So it's so awesome to hear about all of the different other organizations coming together to kind of help turn out south into not just something where it's like, okay, you go and watch the films and then once you leave, it's kind of over. It's something that keeps going and is kind of being celebrated by the city itself. So that's really awesome. And just also just I creates such a great space and vibe and energy for everyone that's going to attend these film festival. So that's. That's so cool.

08:24
Sandhya Antharaman
Yeah, I hope so.

08:27
Sophs Magnanini
Speaking of like community and as well as just creativity, I can only imagine what it's like being kind of in like helping to create OutSouth itself. What first drew you to OutSouth and what keeps you involved?

08:49
Sandhya Antharaman
Well, when I, I moved to Durham a couple of years ago and outsourced actually the first queer event that I went to in the city, a friend invited me to come watch. They had, they had a film playing in the festival. And so I got to see this shorts block of lesbian films that just blew my mind. And I got to see a feature film. It was called Queen of My Dreams that was about, you know, a South Asian family moving from Pakistan to Canada and the sort of struggles of intergenerational relationship, which was an incredible film and felt very personal to me. And I left being like, oh my God, these are amazing stories. I really want to help make sure that more people are in this, you know, more people are in this Theatre.

09:46
Sandhya Antharaman
More people get to see these things next year. So I emailed the festival manager, Chuck Wheeler, and I was like, I just want to help with audience development. Like, I want to make sure that every queer person I know has a ticket to Alpha south next year. So that's how I got involved. And it is deeply rewarding this year being more involved, not only getting to talk to all of these artists, you know, these are queer independent filmmakers who. This means they don't have like, know, Hollywood big budgets. They work hard to be able to tell stories that they're deeply passionate about. And it also means that these are stories that don't have to sort of like be approved by a big studio. You know, they're incredibly creative and sometimes really unique types of stories.

10:41
Sandhya Antharaman
So both being able to support these filmmakers by putting their films on the big screen and getting to talk to community members who are just really excited that this kind of event happens in the city. It makes it so much fun to be a part of.

10:56
Sophs Magnanini
That's actually, that's so sweet to hear that you, like, that was one of the first kind of like queer experiences you had in Raleigh and then now you're there helping other that like come true for other people as well. That's so awesome. And also it is, it's. It's so cool. Especially like you were saying, where it's like they don't have the. These films don't really. They're a smaller budget, but you can kind of tell the creativity and the heart and the soul that went into producing all of these films is just like crazy, like cannot even imagine.

11:35
Sophs Magnanini
And as well as you're saying how they don't really have to like any big corporations that they have to listen to so they're able to take more risks and make it feel more real, more like experiences that people can relate to and they don't have to worry about making it for these other communities or dynamics or something. It's something that is for queer people to understand, to love and just for everyone, anyone as well to come in and see that these are just great, amazing films being created, which is so cool.

12:16
Sandhya Antharaman
Yeah. These are people who are telling stories that they are passionate about telling. And because they're independent films, a lot of times Outside is one of the only places that you can see these films right now. Right. These are films that only get shown at film festivals for a period of time. And so it's also kind of thrilling to be able to see this selection of movies that you can't see Anywhere else.

12:40
Sophs Magnanini
Yeah, it's like a special little, like, secret society almost, which is so cool. And kind of going into the different films, have you kind of seen any major themes that have kind of been emerging in queer filmmaking, either, like, right now, this year, or in the past years that you've kind of been noticing, either if there's, like, a couple. Couple big themes or just kind of, like, things you've noticed?

13:11
Sandhya Antharaman
Yeah. You know, one thing I would say, you know, these are films that have been made over the past couple of years. So one thing that I definitely see a lot of these submissions engaging with is, you know, the. The political environment that we're living in, sort of how much struggle and how many challenges people are facing. One of the things that surprises me is that so many of these films have done an incredible job balancing, like, really looking at struggle with also attending to, like, how do we find joy under systems of oppression now? Like, how do we still build real connections? Like, how do we build a sense of belonging? Like, a lot of these films are both looking at, like, are being like, damn, life is really hard right now, and how do we still have fun in that?

14:14
Sandhya Antharaman
The other thing I will say is that there have been a lot. And I'm really. I'm really glad for this. There have been a lot of submissions and a lot of films that we're screening that are leaning fully into comedy, into satire, into absurdity, you know, like, there's more absurd creative expression in some of these films, and I love that because we live in absurd times, you.

14:41
Sandhya Antharaman
And so, like, I appreciate the fact that people are letting them. Letting this sort of creative expression come through in their films.

14:50
Sophs Magnanini
That is so cool. And I can only imagine, like, I feel like I need to just sit all. Every day and just watch through and through, because, oh, my God, it's just so, like. Like, you were saying earlier, too, with, like, how much work they put into these films and to create such beautiful scenes, beautiful stories, and just, like, conveying it to the audience is something so. So incredibly special and unique, especially with this film festival. And it's just really cool to see that. Yeah, they're. They're kind of switching up, but also staying with the times and how. How. Because in. In the times right now, especially where it's almost like we're kind of going backwards a little bit when it comes to the. The support and just the safety of the LGBTQ community. And so it's. It's really great to. For.

15:53
Sophs Magnanini
For them to have outlets like this where they can express how they're feeling or how they can help bring everyone up with. Through. Through comedy, through joy, just through. Through creativity, which is so awesome. Yeah, my. My next question kind of leads into the. The themes, but are there any stories or identities you're especially excited to see represented this year? I know you're talking a little bit about the. More like, absurd films.

16:32
Sandhya Antharaman
You know, it's. It's hard to choose because we have so truly, I'll tell you some of the ones that come to mind. But, I mean, there's an incredibly diverse selection this year. So, you know, there's a documentary called Hunky Jesus that is about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in San Francisco. And one of the sisters, Sister Zsa Glamour, is actually going to be in attendance at the festival this year. And I believe that she is blessing the festival on Thursday.

17:05
Sophs Magnanini
That's amazing.

17:08
Sandhya Antharaman
Yeah, it's incredible. We have this. We're screening this really gorgeous documentary about trans masculinity. One of the main subjects of that film was a young trans man from Charlotte. That is really beautiful. And the directors of that film will be here to do a panel. We have one called Free Beer Tomorrow that is about a lesbian bar in Ohio that's being sponsored by Arcana, which is the lesbian bar in Durham. We have the documentary or the narrative that I mentioned earlier called Whistle Down Wind that is all about, like, Appalachian lesbian yearning. We have a shorts block called Queer Black or about black queer voices called Fierce. Another one about queer people in the military. Not to mention a couple of different shorts blocks that have all, like, horror, sci fi and fantasy shorts.

18:19
Sandhya Antharaman
It's a really wide, you know, and we have shorts blocks on gay men stories on lesbian stories, on trans and non binary stories. Like, it's kind of hard to choose one or two pieces that I'm really excited about. It's more like, how do you design the festival? Like, how does any individual viewer design a festival experience for yourself? Because there's so many different types of experiences you can have depending on what you're interested in.

18:51
Sophs Magnanini
No, that's. You said that really well. Because it's truly so hard, like, especially with how you're describing this, where it's like you could sit down, you sit down for one film and it's something. And then the next film, something completely different. And then the same with the next, where it's. It's so cool. Like all these different genres kind of put together, and you're seeing such a broad spectrum of creativity and just the minds of. Of these directors, of these actors, of these producers. Like, it's so cool to see all of this kind of put into one. One festival. Something else. Yeah, something else. I wanted to kind of ask because I know you're saying there's a huge amount of films this year.

19:43
Sophs Magnanini
How do you kind of go about selecting films from so many submissions, as well as what's kind of something that people probably wouldn't realize about what it takes to create and produce a film festival? Like OutSouth.

20:01
Sandhya Antharaman
Ooh. Well, on the. Like, how do you choose what gets program side? I'm a member of the programming committee. I think this year we have something like 25 to 30 people that are part of the programming committee. And so it's really like a large and diverse group of people that sits down and watches all of these different submissions, gives them ratings, talks about, like, what appeals to programmers and what doesn't. And, you know, there's a wide range of opinions, like, not every film that gets submitted is going to appeal to every person. And I think it's really a strength to have a committee that is able to create a diverse enough selection of films that's going to appeal to a wide set of people.

20:55
Sandhya Antharaman
You know, like, I think the audience at OutSouth is, given that it's a festival that's been running for over 30 years, there are people that, you know, this will be their first year coming to OutSouth, and there are people who have been coming to OutSouth the entire time it's been running. So you have this incredibly broad set of people that I think you, like, hope to appeal to in some way or another. I think what I didn't think about until I got onto the programming committee was that, you know, like, you. You really only have, like, a choice to program among the films that people submit. So there's also a lot of, like, what are filmmakers interested in making that impacts the kinds of films that you're going to be showing?

21:48
Sandhya Antharaman
You know, like, were talking about themes earlier and, like, it's like, really dependent on the types of stories that people are interested in telling that shapes what the final program is going to look like.

22:01
Sophs Magnanini
That's. That's really interesting to think about too. Kind of like how different things that happen in society kind of helps inspire these different filmmakers that kind of creates almost like a theme throughout, even when it's like, different genres and such. So that's something really cool to think about. And something else.

22:24
Sandhya Antharaman
Exactly. Especially because films take a couple of years to produce. You know, these are. And so it's kind of like, what were the ideas that people were inspired by in the last one to two years, and what is the product that we're seeing now?

22:39
Sophs Magnanini
Yes, it's so interesting to kind of think about and look at. And something else that you said when you're kind of pointing out how since OutSouth has been going on for so long, there are people who might be their first year and there's people that have been coming here for so long. Have you noticed, like, the festival helping build connections between the different generations within the LGBTQ community?

23:10
Sandhya Antharaman
I mean, I have to say for myself that, like, my friendship and relationship with Chuck, who's the festival manager, is one of those, you know, like, he is, like, in his 70s, and he has been running the festival along with the Carolina Theater for a long time. Time. But he was really. And I'm a millennial. And, you know, it's actually been really fun to connect both as people who care about creating a great festival experience and to talk about how different films, as we've, you know, watched them do, the program experience, impact us in different ways and the relationships that we want to activate through the community. It's been a really rewarding opportunity for me to build a relationship with somebody that I never would have met.

24:05
Sophs Magnanini
Otherwise, which that's so cool because just. Just like, that experience where it's kind of people that you wouldn't really, if you hadn't, like, get put into this position, wouldn't really have a connection with. And it's so cool to build those type of connections and create something that's just so awesome and you couldn't really think about if you didn't have those connections now. And it's probably super similar. Similar for a lot of the audience members as well, who kind of are all coming together to support these films, to support queer media, and just kind of seeing all these different experiences that they've all had throughout their lives and coming together with it, which is just so cool. And it, like, it warms my heart to think about, like, that is just amazing. Like, that is so cool.

25:05
Sophs Magnanini
Along with that, as we're kind of talking about time and, like, generations, where do you see queer cinema heading over the next decade? And also to build off of that, what would you love to see OutSouth become over the next couple years or decade?

25:29
Sandhya Antharaman
You know, one thing that I am really, like, coming to learn about and appreciate about Durham and about North Carolina is the, like, the breadth of resources that exist here. There's a deep and passionate community of filmmakers that exist here that is really dedicated, I think, to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for new filmmakers. I think one of the things that makes OutSouth special is connected to the way Durham is the real community vibe. Like, there are a lot of filmmakers who have shown films here over the course that they made over the course of their careers. Right. Like, they come back over and over again to show new films at OutSouth. Filmmakers who talk about how they met their producer or they met, you know, another person on their crew or cast at Out South.

26:28
Sandhya Antharaman
People who meet and watch each other's work and then continue supporting each other over the course of time. Last year we had a workshop called Made an NC where some of the filmmakers who premiered their works at odsoft last year were talking about, like, how North Carolina can be an incredible place to make films. Like, you don't have to go to Hollywood, you don't have to go to New York City to make film. There's a community here that can support you to do that. And that's one of the things that I am really looking forward to continuing to deepen here. Right. Is a sense that there is like a deep bench of talent here in North Carolina that is excited to make and support film.

27:15
Sandhya Antharaman
And I hope that OutSouth continues to be a place where filmmakers can come together and really feel supported in that work.

27:23
Sophs Magnanini
Which is so awesome because, yeah, like you were saying, which we hadn't really talked about in the beginning, but just not only is OutSouth bringing together just people to come and watch these films in like, a community, but also the community of filmmakers themselves to kind of bounce off one another and collaborate and see what other filmmakers are coming out with is so special and so important. And because it's just such a great opportunity out south for. For so many reasons and in so many different ways for people where it's just what you guys have put on for years and will for years is just something that, like, cannot be changed. Like the energy, the. The love, the community. It's so awesome for people who are interested in getting involved, whether it's just going to see the festivals or if there's any other opportunities.

28:30
Sophs Magnanini
I know it might be a little late for this year, but if there's any opportunities for volunteers or community partners to work with the festival, if you kind of want to talk a little.

28:42
Sandhya Antharaman
I will say that OUTSOUTH is absolutely a labor of love. Like, it's both. It's like a deep partnership between the Carolina Theatre And all of the staff there and all of the volunteers that help make it a special experience. You know, people volunteer on everything from the programming committee to helping, you know, to volunteering their time to support the resource festival, to taking tickets at the door, to helping to promote the festival. There are so many different ways to get involved, and we're absolutely always looking for more people who want to participate. And I would encourage anybody that's interested in doing that to reach out to Chuck or reach out to me. It's. I think it's. It's something that just gets better the more people that are involved.

29:47
Sophs Magnanini
I 100% agree. If someone has never attended a queer film festival before and out south this year would be their first one, what would you tell them to expect?

30:03
Sandhya Antharaman
Ooh, great question. Okay, so a couple things I would say. One, it's just a lot of fun. There's a ton of energy. This year we have over 90 artists and filmmakers attending. And so, you know, you come to the Carolina and it's just this big, busy group of audience members and filmmakers and artists, and everybody just like, there's so much. There's such a good buzz in the air because people are just watching films and having a great time. I will say that, you know, like, there are a lot of, like, options of things to see, but at the end of the day, like, I don't think you can really go wrong. You know, like, you. And the experience of going to the festival is really just the experience of going to the movies at the Carolina.

30:55
Sandhya Antharaman
Like, there's film, short films, blocks, or feature films playing on every single screen. You get your popcorn. Like, you get your tickets, you get your popcorn, you go sit in theatre, you have a great time. And for a lot of the blocks, if the artists are in attendance, they'll do a little. We'll do a little Q and A afterwards.

31:14
Sophs Magnanini
That's so cool. That was another thing I meant to mention earlier, but just the. The Q and A portion is also just so special for the audience as well as for the filmmakers themselves, because then they kind of get to see how much their film kind of moved the audience and, like, the different questions that it creates and how they feel about, which is so awesome. And for my last question, this is a little random, but are you a popcorn or candy person? And if you're both, what is your preferred candy for movies?

31:55
Sandhya Antharaman
Ooh, I mean, if I have to pick, it's going to be popcorn. And I personally think that the Carolina Theatre has some of the best popcorn.

32:02
Sophs Magnanini
I would have to agree with that.

32:05
Sandhya Antharaman
Yes. I'm so glad you agree. You got it. But on the candy front, you know, the like Strawberry Twizzlers have been really getting.

32:15
Sophs Magnanini
Okay. I love Strawberry Twizzlers. Like it's such a classic, I feel. But then after that, if you just wanted to kind of say a little information about the dates and times when things start and end on specific days.

32:39
Sandhya Antharaman
Absolutely. Okay. So the festival runs on Thursday the 13th through Sunday the 16th. And it starts on Thursday, I think the first movies start at around 7pm and run to about 11. On Friday, movies start around 4 and run all evening. And then Saturday and Sunday they're all day showings. On Saturday at 10am we have a free screening of what Will I Become? Which is the documentary about trans masculinity that I mentioned. And we're following that up with a panel discussion with the directors. So I really recommend that. And then if you aren't like able to catch everything you wanted to see over the weekend, we do have an apra fest the following Monday through Thursday.

33:32
Sandhya Antharaman
So in the evenings on the 17th through the 20th, we'll be re screening a lot of the films and shorts blocks for folks who might not have gotten to see everything they wanted to see over the weekend.

33:44
Sophs Magnanini
Wait, that's awesome. I love that so much.

33:49
Sandhya Antharaman
And then individual tickets are $15 or you can get a five a block of five passes for $60.

33:57
Sophs Magnanini
All right, perfect. Well, thank you so much for coming in and talking to me about the Outsouth festival. It seems like this year is going to be amazing. I can't wait for it to start. And if there's any little last things you wanted to say before my zoom kicks us off.

34:20
Sandhya Antharaman
Thank you so much for having me. I had a lot of fun with this conversation. I'm really excited about this year's festival. Yeah, thank you. I really appreciate it.

34:32
Sophs Magnanini
Well, I, as we come to the end of our episode, I just want to thank all of you guys for listening and I want to thank out south again. Just, it seems like it's going to be so cool this year. So you guys should definitely pop out. I will have a link for the tickets and just the website in general in the description. And once again, just thank you guys so much for listening to Oaksky Move. I know it's been a little bit of a break. I had to go to Scotland for study abroad which was so fun. But I'm so glad to be back with all of you guys and yeah, once again, I'm your host, Sophia Magnanini.

35:15
Sophs Magnanini
And if you're interested in listening to this episode again or to past episodes of the show, you can go to wknc.org podcast and make sure to tune into our show every other Monday on WKNC 88.1 FM Raleigh. Have a great day.