Madeleine Lim

"For about 2 or 3 years, at every Film Festival that I attended, whether it was LGBTQ film festival, or people of color film festival, or human rights film festival, I found myself among one handful of queer women of color filmmakers. And it occurred to me, if we are not the ones telling our own stories, our own lives, our own communities, our own experiences, who will?"

"I knew as an independent filmmaker I would make one film every 3–5 years because of the fundraising involved. But I knew if I taught filmmaking, I could teach an art form that is so expensive, that has an economic barrier associated with it. In one year, if I have 40 participants, in 10 years I would have had 400 participants."

"In 25 years, we have had over 500 films created by our queer women of color, nonbinary transgender people of color communities. 500 plus films. No other arts institution in the world has this collection of films about our community."

"I was so not trying to start a nonprofit. I was really trying to make change, and it happened to be through film and teaching."

"We just presented our annual Film Festival — our 21st Queer Women of Color Film Festival — at the Presidio Theatre. We had over 1,500 people come through the 3 days. We screened over 49 films through 7 screening programs."

"It took us 20 years to grow our organizational budget to $500,000. Because racism, sexism, homophobia are blatant in fundraising. Queer women of color are constantly perceived as a niche within a niche within a niche, when in fact we are really bridges. When that happens, our lives are devalued, our work dismissed."

"This year marks our 25th anniversary of our organization. However, in March unfortunately we had two grants from the San Francisco Human Rights Commission cancelled."

"$500,000 is half of our organizational budget. It was not fair, it was wrong, it was unjust, and unfortunately there is no recourse. It would have supported a 2nd year of our queer and trans Black filmmakers artist fellowship. No similar program exists in the entire country, except here in San Francisco at QWOCMAP."

"There were 38 organizations that got their grants cancelled. They were all people of color led organizations that served people of color communities."

"So San Francisco is a beacon, shining brightly globally. This beacon is made up of hundreds of diverse, multiple lights — lights that are our grassroots community-based nonprofit organizations that provide a much-needed anchor, especially right now during this tumultuous, unpredictable, stormy period."

"So thank you for this recognition, it is much appreciated, and happy Pride everyone."