The Vermont International Film Festival began another year of activist-oriented film, opening Friday, Oct. 11 with two powerful films: ?The Worst Thing About Coming Out? and ?The Crash Reel.? ?The Worst Thing About Coming Out? premiered appropriately on international Coming Out Day as the first film of the festival. ?It?s exciting that we had a number of UVM students in the film,? Chris Nial, a UVM graduate student and program assistant for UVM?s LGBTQ Center, said. The film was followed by a panel including director Rob Barracano, Dr. Eric Ronis, Dr. Ame Lambert, Dr. Kim Fountain, Rep. Joanna Cole, John Chagnon and Tate Bates.The panel got personal, as the panelists and the audience shared their stories. After the panel, the opening reception at the Film House celebrated the opening in a much lighter way. Directors, actors and excited audience members filed into the Film House lobby to discuss the upcoming weeks while previews and schedules of the films were displayed.Signal Kitchen closed the night off with a party where many people involved with the films celebrated their work with the Burlington community as awards were announced. VTIFF is known for three awards specifically: the James Goldstone Award which was won by the film ?Toby MacNutt: Body of Work,? directed by Ashley DeLucco and Elizabeth Rossano, the Ben and Jerry?s Award, which went to ?I Am In Here,? directed by Emily Anderson and Jim Heltz, and the Footage Farm USA Award, which was won by ?It?s Fresh,? directed by Stephen J. Maas. The awards were announced by Orly Yadin, the executive director of VITFF. ?It?s a festival of films of quality from around the world,? Yadin said. ?It?s created to give people a better understanding of the art of cinema.?VTIFF started out as a part of an anti-nuclear war movement in 1985, and is the world?s oldest environmental and human rights film festival, according to its website. There are a wide variety of events and opportunities for community members, from tastings to performances to film showings. There are even opportunities for UVM students who are looking to get involved in the community, as anyone can sign up to volunteer via vtiff.org?It?s really interesting to volunteer because you?re really up-close with the creators of the films,? first-year Alison Bell said. ?Some of these films you can?t even see in theaters.? The film festival takes place through Oct. 20 at locations such as Signal Kitchen, The Film House, The Black Box Theatre, ECHO Lakeside Pavilion and Burlington City Arts. Visit vtiff.org for a schedule of events and more information.