CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOAY) – The Appalachian Queer Film Festival is making its way back to screens in West Virginia after a short hiatus.
The festival starts this weekend and lasts from Friday to Sunday at the Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema in Charleston.
Organizer Jon Matthews says the festival opened successfully in Lewisburg in 2015, but lost funding after a 2016 study by the Koch Brothers criticized the festival. That study said taxpayers would find the films “objectionable.” Matthews says the festival was targeted for the word “Queer.”
The festival fought to stay alive in hopes to opens minds in and about Appalachia. Matthews said it took time and effort to gain the support it needed.
The festival is open to anyone who would like to attend.
