Assembly Resolution No. 241

BY: M. of A. Bronson

CELEBRATING the life of Michael Gamilla, renowned
ImageOut Board Member and Programming Director, and
beloved community member, colleague, and friend

WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding members of our community who,
through their selfless commitment and dedication, have served to better
the quality of life in our community and have had a measurable positive
impact on the lives of its residents; Michael Gamilla was one such
individual; and

WHEREAS, It is with profound sorrow and deep regret that this
Legislative Body records the passing of Michael Gamilla, noting the
significance of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, A cultural icon in the local LGBTQ+ film community, Michael
Gamilla of Rochester, New York, died on March 9, 2023, at the age of 54;
and

WHEREAS, With a sincere passion for LGBTQ+ cinema, for two decades
Michael Gamilla served as Programming Director of ImageOut: The
Rochester LGBTQ+ Film Festival; in this role, he carefully curated films
to bring the best in global LGBTQ+ cinema to the local screens; and

WHEREAS, Under his able leadership, the films offered visibility and
representation of the LGBTQ+ community, telling diverse stories
regarding race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual
orientation, age, religious identities, and more; and

WHEREAS, Born in Manila, Philippines, Michael Gamilla moved to the
United States as an adult; upon settling in Upstate New York, his
passion for arts and culture, and his desire to be active in the LGBTQ+
community led him to ImageOut, the Rochester LGBT Film Festival where he
has been a loyal volunteer for 20 years and served as its Programming
Director for the past 19 years; and

WHEREAS, A systems analyst and computer programmer by training and
profession, Michael Gamilla's volunteer work with the film festival
since 2003 allowed him to indulge his artistic and creative side; and

WHEREAS, After taking over the ImageOut programming helm, Michael
Gamilla introduced the Flower City Flicks Competition for local
filmmakers with the hope of inspiring more LGBTQ+ content coming from
the Western New York and Rochester Region; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, he also created the ImageOut There! Series as
a sidebar to introduce the festival audience to content that may be
hard-hitting, challenging, edgy, and perhaps, even innovative, as
opposed to the usual festival fare; and

WHEREAS, Michael Gamilla also renewed the festival's dedication to
the leaders of tomorrow by adding an official youth series called Next
Generation, with emphasis on including stories for, about, and/or by
LGBTQ+ youth and making the films easily accessible to them; and


WHEREAS, At the start of the pandemic, Michael Gamilla spearheaded
the effort to quickly adapt to the restrictions of in-person events and
ImageOut moved to a virtual-only platform for the first year of the
pandemic; additionally, in 2021, at the time when most festivals were
cancelling, postponing, or downsizing their events, Michael introduced
ImageOut First Cut Spring Edition, which is now on its second year; and

WHEREAS, This new festival allows ImageOut to adapt to the new
distribution model of films as the demand for streaming becomes
stronger, so the Rochester audience is not missing out on good quality
LGBTQ+ films; and

WHEREAS, An integral component to the vibrant international arts and
culture community, Michael was invited to serve on international LGBTQ+
juries for film festivals in Berlin (Berlinale), Cardiff (Iris Prize),
Toronto (Inside Out), Tel Aviv (TLVfest), San Francisco (Frameline),
Miami and Fort Lauderdale (OutShine), Boston (Wicked Queer), Tampa
(TIGLFF), Atlanta (Out on Film), as well as jury duties for the DC
Shorts Film Festival and the Rochester 24-hour Movie Challenge; and

WHEREAS, Among his many honors, Michael Gamilla was a 2011 Little
Theatre Friend of Film awardee, a 2015 Empire State Pride Agenda
Outstanding Community Champion awardee, the 2022 ROC Pride Grand
Marshal, a 2022 Rochester LGBTQ+ Together ROC Pride MVP at Rochester Red
Wings Pride Night, the 2022 ImageOut Lifetime Achievement Award honoree,
and a 2022 Rainbow Seniors ROC Evelyn Bailey Legacy of Pride Award
recipient; and

WHEREAS, A truly charismatic, insightful and compassionate man,
Michael Gamilla's tireless work built bridges throughout the community
by connecting the hearts and minds of people, families, and allies,
while trying to bring understanding and equality for all through the
cinema; and

WHEREAS, Michael Gamilla's infinite selflessness and benevolence
will shine on through his family's vivid and happy memories; his insight
and strength will forever serve as a beacon of love, light and hope to
the countless lives he touched; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Michael Gamilla leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
who were privileged to have known and loved such an amazing man; he will
be deeply missed and truly merits the grateful tribute of this
Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
celebrate the life of Michael Gamilla, and to express its deepest
condolences to his family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Michael Gamilla.