Kirsten Schaffer
Executive Director, Outfest
Before becoming its executive director in 2009, Kirsten Schaffer served as both the director of programming and deputy director of Outfest, an organization that presents and preserves LGBT films. Some of its signature festivals and programs include the Outfest Legacy Project for LGBT Film Preservation and Fusion: The Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival. Schaffer recently received a 2010 Woman in Business Award and was named one of POWER UP’s Top 10 Women in Show Business in 2006. She has also awarded prizes to gay or lesbian films at the Berlinale Film Festival as a member of the Teddy Award jury. Schaffer previously served as the co-executive director of the Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. “Images have the power to create change and LGBT films play a vital role in empowering our community, changing perceptions and ultimately, influencing mainstream culture,” Schaffer says. “We have accomplished so much in the past three decades, but there is still more work to do and more stories to be told!”
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