OUTFEST 2015

JULY 9-19

DGA - Harmony Gold - REDCAT

The 33rd edition of Outfest, the Los Angeles premiere LGBT Film Festival, returns with a vast and diverse selection of highly acclaimed films from around the world. The festival showcases the best American and International LGBT feature films, documentaries, and shorts, followed by receptions at the atrium of the DGA and after-parties in West Hollywood.

TIG

Opening Night Gala

(USA, 2015, 95 min)

Directed by: Kristina Goolsby, Ashley York  

 

 

"Good evening. Hello. I have cancer," comedian Tig Notaro famously announced in front of a stunned audience in 2012. "Is everybody having a good time?" In just 30 minutes, the beloved, up-and-coming stand-up star revealed her grave prognosis to the world, with a disarming mixture of humor and vulnerability. The set became a media sensation and critical smash overnight and, as Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York's charming and kind-hearted documentary reveals, helped push Notaro past a series of setbacks and into the limelight. Known for her deadpan humor and striking honesty, Notaro took her struggles and transformed them into an ongoing, gut-busting punch line, cracking people up both on- and off-stage. With her newfound stardom also came a budding romance with actress Stephanie Allynne, whose steadfast support and adorably flirty texts helped shaped Notaro's resurgence.The result is an alternately hilarious and poignant window into a comedian's process, turning her worst fears and anxieties into pure comedic gold. This Sundance sensation - a recipient of an extended standing ovation following its world premiere - features Sarah Silverman and Zach Galifianakis, and showcases how Louis C.K. ensured that Tig's now-famous "cancer comedy" was heard by millions of appreciative listeners across the globe.

THE HEROES OF EVIL

International Dramatic Features

(Spain, 2015, 98 min) U.S. PREMIERE

Directed by: Zoe Berriatúa

With deceptive charm and cadence, filmmaker Zoe Berriatúa unleashes a viciously assured debut in THE HEROES OF EVIL. Three angst-ridden students find solace in a newfound club of their own making: they call themselves "The Heroes of Evil," a scraggly faux-superhero collective that promises to violently attack anyone they think deserves retribution. Playful pranks turn dark as the three teens navigate the seriousness of their intentions - as well the budding sexual and romantic confusion they face with one another.

 

SEASHORE

International Dramatic Features

(Brazil, 2015, 83 min)

Directed by: Marcio Reolon, Filipe Matzembacher  

 

      

High school student Martin travels to a secluded beach town in the depths of winter to deal with an inheritance issue. His trip takes a positive turn when his close friend Tomaz agrees to accompany him. Despite group outings and flirtations from local teenage girls, Martin and Tomaz gradually realize that their true interest lies in each other. In this Berlinale discovery, newcomers Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher craft a poetic and heartwarming ode to the end of adolescence, gorgeously capturing a time of innocence, uncertainty and sexual awakening.

 

VELVET GOLDMINE

Special Events

(USA, 1998, 124 min)

Directed by: Todd Haynes
Produced by: Christine Vachon  

 

 

Let's tip our glittery glam-rock hats to Killer Films and its mastermind, the legendary Christine Vachon, for 20 years of producing envelope-pushing queer independent cinema. To mark the occasion, we're revisiting one of the sparklier titles in the Killer catalogue, VELVET GOLDMINE. Todd Haynes's modern classic centers on bisexual, Bowie-like rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who fakes his own death onstage, promptly disappearing from public life, and journalist Arthur (Christian Bale) who tries to track him down for a "where are they now" article 10 years later. Interviews with Slade's ex-wife (Toni Collette), former manager (Eddie Izzard), and rival rocker Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) bring out Arthur's inner fanboy and send him down the rabbit hole looking for answers. The film is a deliciously star-studded feast of make-up, fashion, drugs, sex and rock'n'roll. Please join us to toast Christine Vachon herself after the screening.  

IN ATTENDANCE: Todd Haynes and Christine Vachon

 

TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL

Documentary Features

(USA, 2015, 90 min)

Directed by: Jeffrey Schwarz
Produced by: Allan Glaser  

 

      

In the squeaky-clean 1950s, Tab Hunter was the perfect pinup, a virile, handsome movie star and singer of chart-topping hits. What his female fans didn't know was that Tab Hunter was gay in an era when coming out would have destroyed his career. Director Jeffrey Schwarz (VITO, I AM DIVINE) tells Hunter's life story, from Hollywood stardom and his secret affair with Anthony Perkins to finding true love after 50. Hunter takes us through the ups and downs of his life, and friends and co-stars - including Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner and Portia DeRossi - share their stories about this one-of-a-kind screen icon. IN ATTENDANCE: Tab Hunter, Allan Glaser, Jeffrey Schwarz

THE GUEST

International Dramatic Features

(Argentina , Chile, 2014, 82 min)

Directed by: Maurício López Fernández
  

      

After her father's unexpected death, Elena returns home for the first time in years. Her arrival shocks the household, who last knew her as a quiet, unassuming young man. Set entirely in a remote but lavish country house, director Mauricio López Fernández's feature-length debut is a finely tuned, quietly surreal outing that starts with a (literal) bang and unfolds into an unsettling, macabre tale about family and isolation that asks whether we can ever really belong.

IN ATTENDANCE: Mauricio López Fernández

 

BABY STEPS

U.S. Dramatic Features

(Taiwan , USA, 2015, 102 min)

Directed by: Barney Cheng  

 

 

Danny, a Taiwanese-American man, longs to have a baby with his American partner Tate, but their attempts at surrogacy are complicated by Danny's meddling mom, who wants to control every aspect of the process - all the way from Taipei. From legendary Taiwanese producer Li-Kong Hsu (Ang Lee's THE WEDDING BANQUET) and Stephen Israel, producer of Outfest fave G.B.F., comes this multi-cultural comedy-drama, which takes an honest and realistic look at gay family issues in a cross-generational Taiwanese and American family. 

IN ATTENDANCE: Barney Cheng, Grace Gua, Michael Adam Hamilton

 

IN THE GRAYSCALE

International Dramatic Features

(Chile, 2015, 101 min)

Directed by: Claudio Marcone

 

      

Some think sexuality is black or white, but many find themselves occupying shades of gray. Take Bruno, an ambitious, handsome architect who's just been given an assignment to create a memorable new landmark. Living apart from his wife and young son, Bruno begins collaborating with history teacher Fer. Bruno and the openly gay Fer soon fall for each other, but Fer's demand that Bruno declare his sexuality puts a wedge between them. This sexy, romantic drama takes a compelling look at life and love in the middle of the Kinsey scale and announces the exciting arrival of first-time filmmaker Claudio Marcone.

 

LIZ IN SEPTEMBER

International Dramatic Features

(Venezuela, 2015, 100 min)

Directed by: Fina Torres

 

      

With a powerful mixture of humor and heartbreak, acclaimed Venezuelan filmmaker Fina Torres (WOMAN ON TOP) adapts Jane Chambers' ground-breaking play "Last Summer at Bluefish Cove" to dazzling results. Strong-willed womanizer Liz (Patricia Velasquez, THE MUMMY) refuses to call attention to her health issues. When she meets the equally troubled Eva while on vacation with friends in the Caribbean, the two sense a powerful, unnerving chemistry that goes beyond anything either have felt in past romances. Both have secrets they'd prefer no one know about, and yet their shared connection leads them down an unexpected path where their views of love and life change forever. IN ATTENDANCE: Fina Torres and Patricia Velasquez
 

 

DROWN

International Dramatic Features

(Australia, 2015, 96 min)

Directed by: Dean Francis

 

      

DROWN is a brutal, hyper-sexualized trip through the head of unhinged Australian lifeguard Len, who simultaneously bullies and lusts after his beautiful, chiseled gay teammate. Director Dean Francis mines Stephen Davis's play for all the testosterone-fueled drama it can yield, vividly exploring the intersections of competition, dedication, and attraction amid a coastal proving ground where achievement, reward and manliness don't always lead to happily ever after.

IN ATTENDANCE: Dean Francis and cast  

 

 

EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO

Centerpiece Screening

(Netherlands, 2015, 105 min)

Directed by: Peter Greenaway

 

      

EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO - which premiered to widespread acclaim at the Berlin International Film Festival - kicks dust in the face of the rickety biopic, injecting all things rich, wild and deliciously taboo. Revered filmmaker Peter Greenaway (THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER) brings out the best of his acclaimed and controversial filmmaking style in this bold and sexually explicit celebration of Sergei Eisenstein's gay coming-of-age during what is now considered his transformative trip to Mexico during the 1930s. Temporarily free of Soviet constraints, the famed Russian director (played by Elmer Bäck) discovers his wild side upon meeting and bedding a gorgeous tour guide named Palomino (Luis Alberti, CARMIN TROPICAL). What starts as a work-related trip becomes a dizzying journey into the mind of a visionary who, at the peak of his artistic power, discovers romance for the first time. The result is a wild experiment in abstract storytelling that overflows with joy and energy. Greenaway captures Eisenstein's essence and makes his enthusiasm for art and sex our own. 

IN ATTENDANCE: Luis Alberti and Elmer Bäck

 

DO I SOUND GAY?

Documentary Features

(USA, 2014, 77 min)

Directed by: David Thorpe

 

  

      

"Gay voice": You can't quite define it, but you know it when you hear it. Director David Thorpe sets out to figure out what "gay voice" is, working with a speech therapist and talking to notable LGBTQ figures like David Sedaris, Margaret Cho, Tim Gunn, Don Lemon and Dan Savage. Is the identification of "gay voice" homophobic? Do gay men who talk like gay men do it naturally, or is it learned? And why are we so hung up on sounding not-gay, anyway? These questions and more are examined in this funny, personal and provocative documentary from Thorpe, a humorously honest and self-aware journalist turned filmmaker.
IN ATTENDANCE: David Thorpe  

 

 

SEED MONEY

Documentary Features

(USA, 2015, 72 min)

Directed by: Michael Stabile

      

Falcon Studios was the MGM of gay porn, bringing production value to films that defined the fantasies of the 1980s. The man behind Falcon was Chuck Holmes, who battled the FBI and the early years of the AIDS epidemic to build a successful company. As a pornographer, however, it was difficult to become a philanthropist: his financial support was welcome as long as it remained a secret. A fascinating backstage glimpse at the world of adult cinema, SEED MONEY exposes a complicated, controversial gay entrepreneur and the men he loved to film.
IN ATTENDANCE: Michael Stabile

 

 

NASTY BABY

Centerpiece Screening

(USA, 2015, 100 min)

Directed by: Sebastián Silva  

 

 

Hipsters beware: NASTY BABY plays nice until a disturbing twist flips the film - and with it the entire quirky-cute indie canon - on its head. A certifiable shocker at the Sundance Film Festival, Sebastián Silva's biting and provocative black comedy has already inspired both walkouts and accolades, including the prestigious Teddy Award for Best Feature at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival. An attractive gay Brooklyn couple, Freddy (Silva) and Mo (Tunde Adebimpe, TV on the Radio, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED), ask their best friend Polly (Kristen Wiig) to become their surrogate. As the three hipsters contemplate becoming one big progressive family, and as Freddy and his assistant Wendy (Alia Shawkat, "Arrested Development") create what they're convinced is a brilliant art show, signs of danger and instability, primarily from a neighbor named The Bishop, intrude upon the film's squeaky-clean surface. Director Silva (MAGIC MAGIC, CRYSTAL FAIRY) cleverly shows audiences what they want to see, only to rip the rug out from under and expose - with pitch-black humor - the hypocrisy of Brooklyn's latte-sipping elite. 

IN ATTENDANCE: Sebastian Silva and Tunde Adebimpe

CARMIN TROPICAL

International Dramatic Features

(Mexico, 2014, 80 min)

Directed by: Rigoberto Perezcano  

 

      

Successful trans nightclub singer Mabel returns to her hometown in Mexico to investigate the murder of her best friend Daniela. With no leads and little insight into Daniela's death, Mabel digs deeper into her friend's past, realizing how her own upbringing and past life overlap unnervingly with that of her murdered friend. In order to fully comprehend what happened to Daniela, Mabel must embrace a world she desperately tried to leave behind. Directed with a potent mixture of nostalgia and dread, CARMIN TROPICAL carefully unveils a fascinating and increasingly sinister mystery that questions whether or not we can escape our own fate.
IN ATTENDANCE: Actor Luis Alberti

 

 

THE BLUE HOUR

International Dramatic Features

(Thailand, 2015, 97 min)

Directed by: Anucha Boonyawatana

 

   

      

Shy, effeminate loner Tam is rejected by his friends and bullied at school. At home, his family distrusts him and his father beats him. As a means of escape, Tam arranges to meet a mysterious boy, Phum, for sex at an abandoned swimming pool. Their meeting leaves Tam with a sense of comfort and trust he's never felt before. Soon a bond develops between the two boys as Tam is drawn by Phum into a dangerous world where the line between reality and fantasy blurs. This chilling Thai drama announces the exciting arrival of a filmmaker to watch.

EVERLASTING LOVE

International Dramatic Features

(Spain, 2014, 69 min) 

Directed by: Marçal Forés

 

      

Teenage passion runs amuck in this titillating thriller from director Marçal Forés (ANIMALS). One night, a hot-daddy schoolteacher encounters one of his students in the cruising zone of a local park. The two embark on an illicit affair, but when the older man's interest cools, it's the student who gives the teacher a lesson he'll never forget. Calling to mind the Hitchcockian sexual dynamic of STRANGER BY THE LAKE, this latest film from one of Spain's most exciting young directors will leave you both turned-on and terrified. IN ATTENDANCE: Marçal Forés

OUT TO WIN

Centerpiece Screening

(Canada , USA, 2014, 100 min)

Directed by: Malcolm Ingram

 

  

One of the final frontiers for LGBT visibility in this country is the locker room, and OUT TO WIN celebrates the pioneers who have worked to make the world of sports a more diverse and inclusive one. Screening his fourth consecutive documentary at Outfest Los Angeles, filmmaker Malcolm Ingram (CONTINENTAL, BEAR NATION, Outfest Jury Prize-winner SMALL TOWN GAY BAR) takes an expansive look at out-and-proud champions, from early envelope-pushers like Billie Jean King and David Kopay through current superstars like Jason Collins and Brittney Griner to the college athletes who are defying conventions and opening minds. (When major players like Nike start a campaign celebrating sexual and gender diversity in sports, you can sense institutionalized homophobia being forced to retreat.) Mixing historical context with the ever-changing face of modern sports, Ingram introduces us to athletes from around the world who are sharing their stories, speaking their truths and making a difference.  

 

 

TCHINDAS

Documentary Features

(Spain, 2015, 95 min)

WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by: Marc Serena, Pablo García Pérez de Lara

 

      

Within a small, tropical Cape Verdean Island, the beloved Tchinda is hard at work preparing for a Carnival she hopes will capture the town's imagination. Tchinda is openly transgender and deeply respected. Her choices, direction and vision centralize a collection of people that few beyond the island know to exist. Filmmakers Marc Serena and Pablo García Pérez de Lara have crafted a lush, perceptive documentary that at times feels akin to a fairy tale. TCHINDAS reveals a hidden landscape tucked far away from the world we know, where trans inclusion and teamwork make up the fundamental structure of a truly magical community and culture.
IN ATTENDANCE: Marc Serena
 

 

BEST OF ENEMIES

Centerpiece Screening

(USA, 2015, 88 min)

Directed by: Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville  

 

      

While violence erupted in the streets during the long hot summer of 1968, two literary giants faced off in an intellectual clash of the titans - with no holds barred. Directors Morgan Neville (the Oscar-winning TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM) and Robert Gordon take us back to an electrifying moment in history, as the third-place ABC network took a bold step for TV news: take ideologically opposed pundits Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley and allow them to debate the issues every night. Live. Never at a loss for words, the authors faced off with equal fervor and venom, culminating in the famous exchange in which Vidal labeled Buckley a "crypto-Nazi," leading Buckley to respond by calling Vidal "queer" on national TV. This captivating Sundance favorite shows us what these legendary combatants had in common - both were intellectuals and failed political candidates from patrician backgrounds - and how their deeply felt disgust for one another culminated into a viciously intimate meeting of the minds. Mixing interviews with their friends and enemies along with Vidal and Buckley's public and private writings, narrated by John Lithgow and Kelsey Grammer, this breathtaking battleground of a movie takes viewers directly into the line of fire between two of the twentieth century's most polarizing and intimidating geniuses. IN ATTENDANCE: Robert Gordon

 

 

BEAUTIFUL SOMETHING

U.S. Dramatic Features

(USA, 2015, 93 min)

Directed by: Joseph Graham

 

   

      

Writer-director Joseph Graham (STRAPPED) delivers a sexed-up Philly tale, taking audiences along for a euphoric night in the lives of three generations of gay men whose paths cross in passionate ways. These sweaty Robert Altman-esque vignettes showcase Graham's stellar cast and string together moments of laughter and lust immersed in the mistakes made by "Generation Something." BEAUTIFUL SOMETHING embraces the city of rough brotherly love as seen through stories that are both serpentine and relatable.

IN ATTENDANCE: Joseph Graham, Colman Domingo, Zack Ryan, Brian Sheppard

 

 

A GAY GIRL IN DAMASCUS: THE AMINA PROFILE

Documentary Features

(Canada, 2015, 84 min)

Directed by: Sophie Deraspe  

 

 

A typical online flirtation between two strangers developed into shocking international intrigue. Sophie Deraspe's gripping Sundance hit follows the virtual romance between Sandra, a journalist from Montreal, and a Syrian girl named Amina whose blog "A Gay Girl in Damascus" represented a marginalized voice in the Middle East during Syria's Arab Spring. Rarely do documentaries feel so tense and immediate but Deraspe's film - which follows Sandra to Istanbul, Tel Aviv and Chicago as she unravels an increasingly bizarre mystery - reveals a truly unique and spellbinding love story turned political thriller.

IN ATTENDANCE (FIRST SCREENING): Sandra Bagaria

 

 

HOCKNEY

Documentary Features

(United Kingdom, 2015, 112 min)

U.S. PREMIERE

Directed By: Randall Wright

 

 

 

David Hockney's art and life is brought vividly to life in this vibrant, playful documentary that daringly resists the dutiful notes hit by most films about famous artists. Randall Wright's definitive portrait captures the queer artist's renegade spirit, immersing audiences in the colors and shades of his process and personality. A vast archive of never-before-seen home videos and recent interviews with Hockney capture the delicious aesthetics of his art as well as his profound connection to Los Angeles - a city that was instrumental in defining his personal life and career. 

IN ATTENDANCE: Randall Wright

THOSE PEOPLE

U.S. Dramatic Features

(USA, 2015, 89 min)

Directed by: Joey Kuhn  

 

      

 

Impressionable young painter Charlie is consumed with best friend and longtime crush Sebastian, whose father's Bernie Madoff-esque scandal has left him penniless. Sebastian's coping mechanism is non-stop hedonism, and he insists Charlie join him on his self-destructive ride through sex, drinking and playtime at his father's massive penthouse. Filmmaker Joey Kuhn's lyrical storytelling and keen sense of atmosphere elevate this astute and sexy tale of desperation disguised as desire. Manhattan's elite Upper East Side provides the gilded backdrop for a tale of one-percent entitlement and its ruinous effect on a young man's chance at love.

IN ATTENDANCE: Joey Kuhn, Jonathan Gordon and Haaz Sleiman

 

 

YOU & I

International Dramatic Features

(Germany, 2014, 85 min)

Directed by: Nils Bökamp

 

    

After dumping his girlfriend, Jonas embarks on a camping trip with Philip, his gay British ex-flatmate. But their boyish idyll through the German countryside, which includes skinny dips and late-night flirtations, turns edgy once a brooding, handsome drifter named Boris appears, ultimately forcing Jonas to confront his true feelings about his Brit friend. A nuanced countryside fable with a twist, writer-director Nils Bökamp's stereotype-busting tale cleverly toys with the bromantic formula by putting a sexy, self-possessed gay man at its core.

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

Centerpiece Screening

(France , Lithuania , The Netherlands, 2015, 88 min)

Directed by: Alanté Kavaïté

 

Winner of the World Cinema Directing Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Alanté Kavaïté's THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE is arguably one of the year's most visually stunning films. It also happens to be one of the most romantic. Set against the bright summer skies of Lithuania's countryside, the story begins with a chance meeting between two restless youths - the quiet, angst-ridden Sangaile and her polar-opposite love interest Auste, a beguiling and beautiful fashionista. Sangaile dreams of flying one of the stunt planes that speed through the clouds above her parents' home, but her vertigo keeps her aspirations grounded. It's only when Auste prods her to accompany a pilot's trip that Sangaile forces herself to take a leap of faith. Kavaïté's film is a cinematographic tour-de-force; her camera defies gravity, soaring high into the sky as well as nestling within the film's quietest and most intimate moments. THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE moves like a dream, transporting us into a surreal landscape where love and self-fulfillment are just a flight away.

 

 

THE NEW GIRLFRIEND

Closing Night

(France, 2014, 108 min)

Directed by: François Ozon

 

   

      

From the visionary mind of François Ozon (8 WOMEN, SWIMMING POOL) comes this one-of-a-kind gender-bending melodrama, which both shocks and delights in equal measure. Steeped in suspense and indebted to the eye-popping visuals of Pedro Almodóvar, Alfred Hitchcock and Brian De Palma, THE NEW GIRLFRIEND blends the macabre with a heartfelt romance in the tale of soft-spoken Claire and her love affair with a mysterious stranger. After mourning the loss of Laura, her childhood friend (and unrequited love), Claire comes across Laura's husband David (Romain Duris) dressed head-to-toe in his wife's clothes. Unsure whether his new guise is the result of foul play, she threatens to reveal David to Laura's family. But the more time she spends with him, the more Claire becomes seduced by his beautiful new incarnation. As the two become inseparable, Claire wonders whether she is falling for David's alter ego, or perhaps a part of Laura's resurrected soul. THE NEW GIRLFRIEND pays homage to classic cinema - from REBECCA to ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER - while injecting its own brand of sensual, sometimes sinister, eroticism.

 

 

For a complete list of films and screening schedule please visit: OUTFEST 2015