mission

qWaves aims to make films that emanate from the voices of those on the outside, that inspire creativity, that incite us to abandon our comfortable role as spectators, and that compel us to question and to act.

Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer founded qWaves in 2005 to make documentaries that entertain and challenge people about issues that matter. Their short films have won numerous awards including winner of the PBS Independent Lens Online Shorts Festival, winner of the Videomaker Magazine National Documentary Challenge, and screenings in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, Honolulu, London, Barcelona, Lisbon, Cape Town and Melbourne.

For the past three years Joe and Dean have been working on a feature documentary about LGBT visibility and equality in rural America. Their unique combination of filmmaking and advocacy has led to the formation of a local grassroots group to promote diversity, changes in the school system, and a remarkable community dialogue about love, hate and understanding in the heartland.