Jury
Features
BECCA MCKAY - PROGRAMMING MANAGER, FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL; PRODUCER, ARTIST
Becca McKay is the Programming Manager of Fantasia, a multidisciplinary artist, a film producer, and the co-creator of Pony Pit. She is based in Montreal and works directly with the Quebec, Canadian, and International genre film industry, where she has produced many projects, including a micro-cinema, film and art festivals, and curated shows. Her personal work revolves around reviving dilapidating physical media.
ELDAR RAPPAPORT - FILMMAKER
Eldar Rapaport studied film production at NYU and quickly started making short films in the early 2000’s. His short “Steam” won the prestigious Iris Prize Award in 2009. His first feature “August,” starring the young Murray Bartlett, played at Outshine (then Miami LGBT Film Festival) in 2012. Now living in CT, he joined Outfilm CT LGBT film festival as a programmer in 2021. He works out of CT and NYC and cites Gus Van Sant, Tsai Ming Liang and Wong Kar Wai as his influences.
Documentaries
SHANE ENGSTROM - FESTIVAL DIRECTOR/CO-DIRECTOR, OUT FILM CT
Shane has volunteered with Out Film CT and the Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival for the past 25 years, with this year marking his 18 th year as Festival Director/Co-Director. The festival is Connecticut’s longest-running film festival, now approaching its 39 th season. Out Film CT also partners with the classic Cinestudio theater to host a year-round monthly LGBTQ film series in Hartford, CT. He is a past recipient of the State of Connecticut Governor’s Award for “Distinguished Advocate” in recognition of his volunteer work at the festival. He is also an organizer of the Queer Film Festival Revolution, a community of LGBTQ+ film festivals across North America. Shane has had the honor of serving as a jury member for several film festivals in the past, including the Wicked Queer Film Festival (Boston), ImageOut: Rochester LGBT Film Festival, OUTshine Film Festival, and Out On Film: Atlanta’s LGBTQ Film Festival. For his day job, Shane has worked for the past 20 years at Webster Bank.
WENDY CHAPMAN PEEK - VICE PRESIDENT, OUT FILM CT
Wendy is in her second year as Vice-President of Out Film CT, which organizes the annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival. She is Professor Emerita at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, where she directed the Gender & Sexuality Studies Program and taught courses in literature and LGBTQ film and television. She has a special commitment to preserving and celebrating the history of queer film.
