Way OUT West Film Fest

The Way OUT West Film Fest (WOWFF), formerly the Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (SWGLFF), is a gay and lesbian film festival founded in 2003. It started in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has since expanded into Santa Fe. Films and shorts from around the world are showcased in a number of theaters in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe concurrently. Films are often followed by after-parties at the areas top social clubs among other events, including question and answer sessions after the screenings of select films. The festival runs from late September to Early October each year, just prior to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The festival is produced by Closet Cinema—a non-profit group based in Albuquerque, whose goal is to highlight the LGBT experience through hosting the SWGLFF among other events.

The festival hosts distinguished films from around the world. The films range in genre from drama and comedy to documentaries, as well as ranging from films produced locally to top-end productions. Some of the films have received a plethora of awards from around the globe. The films are selected through a series of private screenings and open reviews and film festivals across the country.