June 4, 2024
Vancouver, June 3, 2024 – Out On Screen, a leading organization dedicated to 2SLGBTQIA+ media arts and education, is pleased to announce Eli Morris is the new Executive Director, effective June 3, 2024.
Morris joined Out On Screen in May 2023 as the Deputy Executive Director and has stepped into the role of Interim Executive Director in the last two months since the departure of former Executive Director Brandon Yan.
They previously served as the Executive Director of GEMS Vancouver, where they spearheaded the organization’s name change from Women in Film and Television Vancouver to be more inclusive of trans and nonbinary people and reflect the organization’s mission to foster gender equity in the screen-based media industry.
Morris’s experience spans film production, marketing, education, and arts administration. They served as production manager of the award-winning queer coming-of-age film Golden Delicious (2022) directed by Jason Karman. They hold a Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising from the University of New South Wales (Australia).
For the last year, I’ve had the privilege of working with an all-queer and trans team at Out On Screen. As a trans and nonbinary person, I have never felt so safe in a workplace. I am humbled to have this opportunity to create more spaces like this for other people in our community,” said Morris.
“To be honest, it is not an easy time to be doing this work. The political and economic forecast is bleak. The Out In Schools team, in particular, is facing increasing hostility and reduced funding opportunities. It is even more important that we remain unwavering in our commitment to provide 2SLGBTQIA+ people—especially kids and teens in schools—with the positive representations and affirming messages we all need and deserve.”
The Board of Directors selected Morris after a nationwide search supported by recruitment firm GerardSearch. Board Chair Christopher Hallamore said:
“The hiring committee, which consisted of board members and staff, sought a candidate to lead us through our next chapter as we live into our new 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. We are so fortunate not only to have someone with deep connections to the local filmmaking community and experience in arts and education non-profits, but also to have witnessed firsthand Eli’s collaborative, transparent, and courageous leadership style over the past year. Out On Screen believes in developing and nurturing our people, and it’s a point of pride to be able to promote a member of our team. I am immensely optimistic for Out On Screen’s future with Eli at the helm.”
The upcoming 36th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival will take place September 11-22, 2024. Out On Screen is now accepting bookings for school groups in a new youth film screening program at VQFF titled The Future is Queer, in collaboration with The Cinematheque.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
media@outonscreen.com
About Out On Screen
Out On Screen is a charitable organization that illuminates, celebrates, and transforms 2SLGBTQIA+ lives through film, education, and dialogue. We pursue our mission with two core programs: The annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival celebrates and promotes authentic authorship and representation that uplifts, empowers, and furthers the liberty, culture, and justice of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. The award-winning Out In Schools program brings age-appropriate 2SLGBTQIA+ cinema into school classrooms and communities across BC to combat homophobia, transphobia, and bullying, and to provide the language and tools for inclusion. Out On Screen is proud to be a leading organization working to create an equitable society where 2SLGBTQIA+ people are respected, valued, and protected across all our intersections of identity. www.outonscreen.com
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