Out in the Silence
# Out in the Silence

Out in the Silence is a 2009 documentary film directed by Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer. It chronicles the chain of events that occur when the severe bullying of a gay teenager draws Wilson and his partner back to the conservative rural community of Oil City, Pennsylvania, where their own same-sex wedding announcement had previously ignited a controversy. The film focuses on the widely varying, emotional reactions of the town's residents including the teenager and his mother, the head of the local chapter of the American Family Association, and an evangelical pastor and his wife.

## Community Engagement Campaign

The Out in the Silence Campaign for Fairness and Equality in Rural and Small Town America uses the film as a tool to raise the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and promote dialogue and bridge building. The campaign has held over 500 grassroots screenings in town halls, schools, churches, and community centers, many in isolated areas that had not previously experienced any openly LGBT events. The Center for Social Media and the BRITDOC Foundation have highlighted the campaign as an example of using film for social change.

In 2011, the Campaign initiated the Out in the Silence Youth Activism Award to highlight the work of young people on LGBT inclusion and equality.

## Awards and recognition

### Festival awards and recognition

Premiere, Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, Lincoln Center, NYC

Winner, Special Jury Prize for Bravery in Storytelling, Nashville Film Festival Archived 2012-03-31 at the Wayback Machine Winner, Special Jury Prize for Social Significance, South Dakota Film Festival

Winner, Alternative Spirit Award, Rhode Island International Film Festival Winner, Audience Award, Hardacre Film and Cinema Festival Archived 2011-09-20 at the Wayback Machine Winner, Best Documentary, Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival Archived 2011-09-01 at the Wayback Machine Winner, Best Documentary, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine Winner, Best Documentary, Out Takes New Zealand Gay Lesbian Film Festival Archived 2019-01-20 at the Wayback Machine Winner, Rosebud Award, Rosebud Film Festival Featured presentation, Tribeca Documentary Series Archived 2011-09-03 at the Wayback Machine

### Television broadcast and awards

Broadcast premiere, PBS, 2010

Encore broadcasts, PBS World, 2010; PBS, 2011

America Reframed broadcast, PBS World, 2015

Emmy Award, Outstanding Achievement in Documentary, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-Atlantic Chapter Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine

