SXSW 2026: Funding, Power, and the Future of Queer Storytelling

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 chat 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 discussion 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 guests 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.

Featured Speakers:

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.

• Alex Schmider, Director of Transgender Representation, GLAAD
• Shane Diamond, Director, Here We Are in partnership with Ground Media
• Emily Best, Founder & CEO, Seed&Spark
• Darrien Michele Gipson, Executive Director, SAGindie

ENTRY:

This event is open to both badgeholders and non-badgeholders. SXSW Badges get Primary Access to the Event. Public general admission gets Secondary Access. Venue subject to capacity.