# Event Details

- **Event Name**: SXSW 2026: Funding, Power, and the Future of Queer Storytelling
- **Event Start and End Date**: Mon, 16 Mar, 2026 at 03:00 pm
- **Event Description**: Everywhere we turn, especially at conferences and panels, people talk about the power and importance of storytelling to change hearts and minds for the better. If that is true, then where is the funding for LGBTQIA2S+ (Queer) stories, and how are those stories actually being told?

This is a candid, solutions-oriented conversation addressing a gap we consistently see across the industry. Queer identity, visibility, and audiences are growing, yet Queer stories remain underrepresented in TV and Film distribution. Even as select Queer titles gain popularity and cultural attention, the question remains: which stories are getting funded, whose stories are being told, and whether there is truly enough intersectional representation among the projects that make it to screen.

Beyond visibility, this conversation asks harder questions about power and access. How do independent Queer creators get their work funded? Why do certain narratives move forward while others stall? Are current funding and distribution models capable of supporting proportional, intersectional representation, or do Queer creators need to build new models altogether?

Rather than focusing on why stories matter, this conversation centers on where funding is actually coming from, where it is falling short, and how storytelling choices are shaped by money, risk, and decision-making. Our special guest speakers will explore practical solutions, emerging funding pathways, and what it will take to build more sustainable systems so Queer stories, in all their complexity, can be told and supported at scale.

The goal is an honest, practical conversation, not a high-level or celebratory one.

The conversation is moderated by Fiona Dawson, Senior Director of Partnerships at the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce; Emmy®-nominated filmmaker, author, and speaker; Founder, Free Lion Productions.

Featured Guest Speakers:
• Emily Best, Founder & CEO, Seed&Spark
• Darrien Michele Gipson, Executive Director, SAGindie
• David Hatkoff, Executive Director, Newfest
• Luchina Fisher, Filmmaker, Speaker, Educator

More info: https://membership.austinlgbtchamber.com/membercalendar/Details/sxsw-2026-funding-power-and-the-future-of-queer-storytelling-1658207

Add to your SXSW schedule: https://schedule.sxsw.com/events/OE46966

Austin LGBT Chamber at SXSW: 
https://austinlgbtchamber.com/sxsw

LGBTQ+ Programming at SXSW: https://austinlgbtchamber.com/lgbtq-programming-at-sxsw-2026

Discussion from 3:00-4:00pm. Stick around after the conversation for light bites, networking, and a cash bar with a featured Texas Spirits menu. (Milam & Greene and Wild Gins).

Open to badgeholders and non-badgeholders. SXSW Badges get Primary Access to the Event. Public general admission gets Secondary Access. Venue subject to capacity.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/austin/sxsw-2026-funding-power-and-the-future-of-queer-storytelling/200029783424705
- **Event Categories**: storytelling, lgbt-pride, it, art, literary-art, entertainment
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 17

## Ticket Details

- **Ticket URL**: https://membership.austinlgbtchamber.com/membercalendar/Details/sxsw-2026-funding-power-and-the-future-of-queer-storytelling-1658207?sourceTypeId=Hub&utm_source=AllEvents.in&utm_medium=event-discovery-platform&utm_campaign=austin-events

## Event venue details

- **city**: Austin
- **state**: TX
- **country**: United States
- **location**: Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown - University (Austin, TX)
- **lat**: 30.269172949685
- **long**: -97.736781242939
- **full address**: Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown - University (Austin, TX), 505 E 9th St, Austin, TX 78701, United States

## Event Organizer details

- **affiliate_id**: 2
- **organizer**: Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce (https://allevents.in/org/austin-lgbt-chamber-of-commerce/774174)

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: banner
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events2/banners/7e428412a5c3ca6349fca95793154c6cf682a25eae24846bf4a6e00ec50b3fbd-rimg-w1200-h675-dcffffff-gmir?v=1773581606
- **Alt text**: thumbnail
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events2/banners/b79346beed6938b67f72610f5b7be15ef22762626725ea3de9a8b3b47983f238-rimg-w300-h300-dcffffff-gmir?v=1773581607

## FAQs

- **Q**: When is the event happening?
  - **A:** Mon, 16 Mar, 2026 at 03:00 pm
- **Q**: Where is the event happening?
  - **A:** Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown - University (Austin, TX), 505 E 9th St, Austin, TX 78701, United States
- **Q**: Who is organizing the event?
  - **A:** Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce
- **Q**: What type of event is this?
  - **A:** storytelling, lgbt-pride, it, art, literary-art, entertainment
- **Q**: Where can I find ticket details about SXSW 2026: Funding, Power, and the Future of Queer Storytelling ?
  - **A:** You can find ticket details about this event on AllEvents.

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