As part of Out On Screen, Vancouver Queer Film Festival invites you:
Join us for this joint screening of two documentaries in their Canadian and British Columbian Premiers: Outliers and Outlaws and Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo
Outliers and Outlaws + Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo
Sunday Sept 21, 2025
12:30 PM
Location
International Village
Watch Online in BC
Sept 22, 12 AM – Sept 28, 11:59 PM
With the dream of escaping to an idyllic lesbian community, hundreds of women and lesbian couples descended upon the small town of Eugene, Oregon in droves in the 1960s to 1990s in search of a life and community free from the constraints of patriarchy, misogyny, and homophobia. Through intimate archival footage and endearing interviews with the now-elders that lived this history, Outliers and Outlaws reveals the untold story of this large, vibrant lesbian community.
Part of the Eugene Lesbian History Project, this film not only documents a unique local history, but also affirms the profound liberatory possibilities of daring to imagine–and to try to build–a world that uplifts love between and among women. Directed by veteran documentarian Courtney Hermann and featuring music by Dolly Parton.
Followed by a post-screening Q&A with the filmmakers of Outliers and Outlaws.
Courtney Hermann (Outliers and Outlaws)
Director and Cinematographer Courtney Hermann (she/they) is a documentary filmmaker with decades of experience directing, producing, and shooting short and feature-length documentary films. Courtney is co-author of the 7th edition of the foundational textbook Directing the Documentary (2020) with Michael Rabiger and an Associate Professor of Film at Portland State University.
Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo (Dahil Sa ‘Yo: Ang Storya Ng Kilawin Kolektibo)
Joyful, raw, and revolutionary, Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo unearths the vibrant history of Kilawin Kolektibo—a pioneering collective of queer Filipinx’s who carved out space for love, protest, and belonging in 1990s New York.
Blending decades of archival footage with intimate reflection, this powerful documentary explores chosen family, political resistance, and the enduring impact of creating home between cultures
Barbara Malaran (Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo)
Barbara Malaran explores stories of community through video and audio narratives. They spent their formative years in NYC learning the craft of filmmaking by documenting Kilawin Kolektibo’s many actions.
Desireena Almoradie (Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo)
Desireena Almoradie emigrated from Manila, Philippines at the age of eleven, settling in Queens, NYC. Her works explore collective history with a focus on queer and/or BIPOC lives.
