OUTCALT AWARD

The F. John Outcalt Award for Outstanding Filmmaking /
Given each year to a Reel Works filmmaker by his or her peers, The F. John Outcalt Award for Outstanding Filmmaking recognizes work that exemplifies our core values of personal, passionate storytelling, community engagement and artistic achievement.

This award is named in loving memory of Forman John Outcalt, a film and theatre director and producer and, for over eighteen years, the adored partner of Andrew R. Rosenthal. Along with his family’s foundation, the William S. and Barbara B. Rosenthal Family Foundation, Mr. Rosenthal has endowed this 2nd annual award and helped us establish the Junior Advisory Board of Reel Works students and graduates — who selected tonight’s extraordinary nominees.

IN MEMORY/
John Outcalt’s life and career in film and theater in New York was rooted in his community and passion for life. He contributed to the AIDS film canon in 1992 with “Until the Cure, I Offer the Care” about Ron Mule, a Vietnam vet who became a registered nurse caring for AIDS patients, and the feature film “Frog Baby” about two women whose husbands are soldiers on leave from Vietnam. Beside his film work, John directed a number of plays in New York, the latest being “Tales of my Father”, about a Holocaust survivor, and an original piece he wrote and directed about Carl Sandberg. So generous and vibrant even during times of personal struggle, John was loved and respected by friends from all over the globe. For seventeen years John struggled with health problems and died in April, 2007 at the age of 49.

By endowing this award in Mr. Outcalt’s name, Andrew Rosenthal and his family honor John’s life and work as an artist of uncommon vision and offer his example as an inspiration to our young filmmakers. In addition, the endowment supports efforts to strengthen our diversity by increasing our recruitment outreach to LGBTQ youth for our programs.