Three films that screened at Out on Film within the past 15 months have been shortlisted for the 98th annual Oscars.
Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ film festival, is an Oscar-qualifying festival, meaning that the film that wins the Jury Award Best Drama Short is eligible for consideration for the next year’s Academy Awards.
“Two People Exchanging Saliva” — the Oscar-qualifying drama short from this year’s festival, directed by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata — is on the short list for Best Live Action Short. Lee Knight’s “A Friend of Dorothy,” which also played at the 2025 festival, also made the cut.
The third film, “Cashing Out,” screened at Out on Film in 2024. Directed by Matt Nadel and featuring two Atlanta subjects, HIV-positive transgender advocate Dee Dee Chamblee and original viatical pioneer Scott Page, “Cashing Out” is on the shortlist for Best Documentary Short.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the voting body that puts on the Oscars each year, announced shortlists for 12 categories this year, including Cinematography, Casting, and International Feature. Members of various branches of the Academy voted to come up with these shortlists.