The organisers of this year's Outtakes fundraising screenings are pleased with their ticket sales, which they say reconfirms "a strong interest in queer films within the community." Lesbian film Out at a Wedding and gay male film East Side Story played in Auckland and Wellington over the last two weeks. Around 200 tickets sold for each screening in the two cities. Profits made will go towards putting on more LGBT movie screenings in advance of the possible return of a full Outtakes Film Festival in 2009, says Virginia Hopkins-Burns of organising committee Reel Queer. "Both films first screened to Wellington audiences who chuckled and cat-called throughout the films," says Hopkins-Burns. "Everyone enjoyed the gift bags, and the lucky seat scheme had them rustling through their bags for their tickets." Chris Walsh was Mistress of Ceremonies for the first Wellington screening at the Paramount Theatre, while Tania Simon and Steven Oates presented at the Auckland dates at the Academy Theatre. All four showings featured goodie bags, prizes, drinks and nibbles. A one-off showing of Boy George's musical film Taboo had been arranged for Auckland's Finale Restaurant as a fundraiser for Outtakes and Body Positive, but that screening has been postponed to a date yet to be announced. Sponsors and gift-givers to the Outtakes screenings included GABA, Glitter Films, Man in the Moon Ltd, Butler's Chocolate Café, Aro Café, Wellington Co-op Theatre, Bats Theatre, Frozen Flame Media, Anika Moa, Queen of the Whole Universe, WCC, Unity Books, Grape Sema Morris, the New Zealand AIDS Foundation, and GayNZ.com. "Our sincere thanks to all our sponsors - the event just wouldn't have been the same without you - and to all the people who enjoyed the films with us," says Hopkins-Burns. The Reel Queer team will report back to the community on their finances and plans for future LGBT film screenings in coming weeks.