VENTURE OUT is a story of overcoming odds, the power of resilience, and ultimately, the everlasting effects of LGBTQ community-building. The Venture Out Project, founded by Perry Cohen, is a nonprofit organization that brings LGBTQ folks together outdoors on wilderness trips. In sharing Perry’s story, and hearing from the other TVOP participants, we get a glimpse into the healing qualities of nature and lifesaving community bonds that are being forged as a result of Perry’s work.

Director Bio

Palmer is an award-winning filmmaker rooted in activism who focuses on using the devices at hand in our visual and media culture that can drive our society to make change. His short films have been show around the world, winning both awards and high praise. A Swiss Army knife of knowledge and skills, you’ll often hear him planning his next shoot as often as you’ll find him on set holding a camera or sitting in the editing room. Interested in stories of humans, our planet, and the interactions of the two, Palmer often works with organizations, non-profits, and brands in honing in on their mission in a visual format. He currently lives in Oakland, California, and is the co-founder of Spruce Tone Films.

Jamie is an activist, writer, and award winning filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. As a queer transgender man, Jamie has made storytelling the cornerstone of his queer and trans activist work. Jamie wrote, directed, and produced the short narrative film Spot, which was created with an entirely transgender cast playing non-transgender specific roles. Spot has screened in festivals around the country and was the winner of “Best Short Screenplay” at the 2017 Rahway International Film Festival. Jamie was recently featured in Huffington Post’s “10 Trans Filmmakers You Should Know.”

Matt is a sound recordist, audio engineer, and documentary filmmaker. He has worked as an engineer, sound designer, director, and producer on several award winning documentaries that have screened around the world but has devoted most of his professional career to observing, recording, researching, and preserving natural soundscapes. Matt’s work was recently featured on NPR’s All Things Considered. He is the owner of Hayloft Audio and the co-founder of Spruce Tone Films. He currently travels around the country in his van recording sounds, taking photos, and telling stories along the way.