OUTFEST 2022

OUTFEST LOS ANGELES - JULY 14-24, 2022
40TH ANNIVERSARY - LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL

The 11-day festival celebrates their 40th anniversary of LGBTQ+ film and television with over 200 films, special events including the 6th Annual Trans, Nonbinary & Intersex Summit, Inaugural and live-performances and appearances by Tik Tok / Simon Fuller’s Collaboration The Future X, Margaret Cho, Alaska Thunderf*ck.

Outfest, the world’s leading LGBTQ+ organization whose global impact spans promoting queer empathy amongst the public, careers in entertainment and the exhibition and preservation of LGBTQIA+ stories and voices, today announced the complete lineup of its 40th Anniversary Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and IMDb. Outfest Los Angeles will be held July 14-24, 2022 at multiple locations throughout Los Angeles.

The lineup of over 200 films inclusive of feature narratives, documentaries, short films, and episodics includes a roster of festival favorites, an impressive 42 world premieres, films spanning every genre, and representing 29 countries from around the world. Previously announced premieres include the Opening Night Gala world premiere of Billy Porter’s directorial debut Anything’s Possible, Closing Night GalaAnd They/Them, and a 20th Anniversary screening of Todd Haynes’ Far from Heaven with Haynes, Julianne Moore, and producer Christine Vachon in person.

Notable festival favorites making their Los Angeles premieres at Outfest Los Angeles include Sundance Audience Award winner Girl Picture, as well as Sundance favorites Sirens, about a female thrash metal band from Lebanon; Mars One, a family drama from Brazil that centers a love story between two women; and Chae Joynt’s Framing Agnes, starring Zackary Drucker, Angelica Ross, Silas Howard, and more; Berlin’s Teddy Award-winning Three Tidy Tigers Tied a Tie Tighter, as well as master filmmaker Francois Ozon’s latest, Peter von Kant; Amanda Kramer’s Please Baby Please, a stylized, 1950s-set dismantling of gender roles starring Andrea Riseborough, Henry Melling, Karl Gluser, and Demi Moore; and Tribeca selections like horror film Attachment, which sees a woman’s new romance with her girlfriend complicated by her girlfriend’s orthodox Jewish family and their belief that she is possessed by a demon; All Man: The International Male Story, a doc that catalogs the famously homoerotic fashion catalog of yesteryear, and Breaking the Ice, which explores a possible romance among a female hockey team.

World premieres include Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story, a doc from Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Pulse Films; the UK feature Phea, a modern lesbian spin on the myth of Orpheus, starring singer and musician Sherika Sherard; Mercedes Kane’s Art and Pep, which chronicles decades of LGBTQIA+ activism through the owners of iconic Chicago gay bar Sidetrack; and writer/comedian/singer Scout Durwood’s Youtopia, which sees Durwood unwittingly become the leader of a hipster millenial cult..

Outfest Los Angeles’ Episodics section also features a host of world premieres, including an advanced look at Shudder’s forthcoming docuseries Queer for Fear, which explores the LGBTQIA+ influence on over a century of horror cinema, with EPs Bryan Fuller and Steak House, and interviewees Kimberly Pierce and Alonso Duralde expected to appear in person; Queer Riot is a comedy special that goes behind the scenes of a queer comedy night held in a former nun’s residence in Los Angeles, headlined by Margaret Cho; and writer/producer Des Moran (Grown-ish, Queer as Folk) premieres the first episode of his series halfsies, about six Black half-siblings who re-enter each other’s lives after a death in the family. This section will also host a free sneak peek screening of the upcoming Prime Video series A League of Their Own, starring Abbi Jacobson, with talent in attendance.

The festival will also spend three nights at The Ford Theater in Hollywood for Outfest Under the Stars, which combines screenings with live, on-stage performances. These screenings include the world premiere of Kit Williamson’s (of the Emmy-winning EastSiders) new series, Unconventional, about queer siblings in Palm Springs attempting to form a new kind of family. The series cast includes Kit Williamson, Aubrey Peeples, James Bland, Briana Venskus, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Constantine Rousouli, and Jenna Ushkowitz, with appearances from Kathy Griffin, Willam Belli, Laith Ashley and Beau Bridges; God Save the Queens stars RuPaul’s Drag Race superstars Alaska Thunderfuck, Laganja Estranja, and Kelly Mantle, alongside Jordan M Green as a quartet of drag queens whose personal issues land them all in the same group therapy (all four leads will be onstage for a pre-show drag performance at The Ford); and I Have to Laugh: Comedy Night at the Ford, that will begin with a live stand-up showcase featuring the cast of Outfest Los Angeles ‘22 selection Queer Riot, headlined by Margaret Cho, and featuring River Butcher, Brad Loekle, Akeem Woods, and Daniel Webb, and be followed by a collection of some of the funniest short films in this year’s lineup.

The fest’s Platinum section that spotlights bold innovators, renegades, and cutting edge creators of experimental LGBTQIA+ media and performance that have redefined queer culture will includes screenings of SXSW premiere Hypochondriac by Addison Heimann, celebrated doc The End of Wonderland about transgender adult artist Tara Emory, and a shorts showcase that includes the U.S. premiere of Yann Gonzalez’s (Knife + Heart) Hideous, a musical horror piece featuring The xx’s Oliver Sim; The Platinum section will also present two awards to acknowledge groundbreaking artistry: the Platinum Maverick Award to writer and filmmaker Clive Barker (Hellraiser), to be presented at the REDCAT Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, July 17th prior to a live conversation with Barker, followed by a screening of the Director’s Cut of Barker’s Nightbreed; and The Platinum Alchemy Award will be presented the evening of the 17th to bounce music artist Big Freedia, who will perform live at the Platinum Alchemy Party at Catch One on Pico Blvd., headlining a performance roster that also includes 700 Bliss (Moor Mother and DJ Harem), Seth Bogart, Moonily, Commando, Tally T, Sevyn, Sunkee Angel, and p_a_g_o_t_o.

Outfest will also be celebrating their 6th Outfest Los Angeles Trans, Nonbinary & Intersex Summit, which will consist of three back-to-back programs and feature a multitude of trans, nonbinary & intersex experiences. Programs include a keynote address from award-winning writer and activist, Raquel Willis; two timely filmmaker perspectives on the anti-hero narrative and reproductive rights, an artist to artist conversation on intersex visibility, and a comedy showcase featuring D’Lo, Nori Reed, Jes Tom, 7g, River Butcher, and Kai. The summit will take place on Saturday, July 23rd at the DGA Theater.

Other special events include a live read performance of Our Lady of the Six, a script by Dominic Colón featured in the scripted podcast series Love in Gravity, which is a collection of queer Latinx stories written and voiced by some of today’s hottest Latinx talent. In advance of the public release of this episode, the live read will be performed by cast members Robin de Jesus (tick, tick… BOOM!), Jessica Marie Garcia (On My Block), Alexia Garcia (Pose), Jason Genao (On My Block), Alycia Pascuale-Peña (Saved by the Bell), and more; Performing artist and movement expert Rashida KhanBey Miller (Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls) will put on her Messy Movement workshop for feminine spectrum actors, directors, writers and producers who are curious about creating new pathways for intimacy on screen through movement.

The Colin Higgins Foundation will award three LGBTQIA+ youth filmmakers each with $15,000 awards to aid in the development of their filmmaking careers, prior to a special sneak preview screening of Celebrating Laughter: The Life and Film of Colin Higgins, about the late filmmaker of hits like 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

The Legacy section will feature screenings of classic LGBTQIA+ feature films, including Bill Weber and David Weissman’s 2002 documentary The Cockettes; the heartfelt ballad of butch and trans friendship in Harry Dodge and Silas Howard’s By Hook or By Crook; the 1981 documentary of queer activists and filmmakers as they take part in the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Greetings from Washington, D.C.; and the 2000 romantic comedy, Punks, that follows four friends as they search for Mr. Right and will welcome director Patrik-Ian Polk along with cast members in person. An additional special event will be the world premiere 4K restoration of French erotic classic Le Beau Mec, whose legend includes behind-the-scenes participation by choreographer Rudolf Nureyev and cinematographer Nestor Almendros.

2022 OUTFEST FULL FESTIVAL LINEUP:

OPENING NIGHT

ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE directed by Billy Porter. USA. (World Premiere) 

Two teenagers — an unflappable trans girl and a charming teenage boy — navigate a relationship during their last year of high school in this winning directorial debut from Billy Porter. Cast: Eva Reign, Abubakr Ali, Renée Elise Goldsberry

CLOSING NIGHT

THEY/THEM directed by John Logan. USA. (World Premiere) 

In this slasher horror film set at an LGBTQIA+ conversion camp. Several campers, led by iron-willed Jordan (Theo Germaine) and Alexandria (Quei Tann), join Owen Whistler (Kevin Bacon) for a week of queer de-programming. As the camp’s methods become increasingly more psychologically unsettling, the campers must work together to protect themselves. Cast: Kevin Bacon, Anna Chlumsky, Carrie Preston, Theo Germaine, Quei Tann, Austin Crute, Monique Kim, Anna Lore, Cooper Koch, Darwin del Fabro

U.S. CENTERPIECE

UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS directed by Juan Felipe Zuleta. USA. 

A lonely dwarf and his unstable, alien-obsessed neighbor are thrown together on an impossible road trip that will alter their strange friendship (and their sense of reality) forever. Cast: Matthew August Jeffers, Sarah Hay, Roberta Colindrez, Tara Pacheco, Hamish Allan-Headley, Kerry Flanagan

DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE

MAMA BEARS directed by Daresha Kyi. USA. 

Follow these Christian mothers on their journey to become “Mama Bears” — a community of mothers whose unwavering love for their LGBTQ children has turned them into fierce advocates for the entire queer community.

As part of the film’s special centerpiece screening during Outfest Los Angeles, director Daresha Kyi, the film team, and the leadership of the Mama Bears organization will be on the red carpet. They will be joined by special guests who will help them rally parents of color to protect their LGBTQIA+ children, and jumpstart vitally important conversations within communities of color about the importance of love, acceptance, and inclusion.

PLATINUM CENTERPIECE

HeBGB TV directed by Jake McClellan, Eric Griffin, and Adam Lenhart. USA. (World Premiere)

Goofy horror hijinks and high camp queer shenanigans ensue, when some siblings get transmitted into an unsuspecting household via a retro-horror TV cable box. Cast: Knucklehead, Josh Dorsheimer, Michael Garland, Zenobia Decoteau, Ellen Tibero-Shultz, Ian Sanchez, Curtis Proctor-Artz

LEGACY CENTERPIECE

FAR FROM HEAVEN (20th Anniversary) directed by Todd Haynes. USA. 

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Todd Hayne’s masterpiece — the multi-Oscar nominated melodrama that paid tribute to cinema icon Douglas Sirk — with the legends responsible for its making. Cast: Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, Patricia Clarkson, Viola Davis

Todd Haynes, Christine Vachon, and Julianne Moore will be in attendance

NARRATIVES

ALL KINDS OF LOVE directed by David Lewis. USA

After his commitment-phobic husband divorces him, a stuck-in-his-ways gay man tries to start over. When he becomes accidental roommates with a younger hip nerd, sparks begin to fly. Cast: Matthew Montgomery, Cody Duke, Steve Callahan, Nick Salamone, Molly O'Leary, Mark Nordike, Marval A Rex, Spike Mayer, Michael Dumas

ATTACHMENT directed by Gabriel Bier Gislason. Denmark.

A Danish actress has fallen for a young woman and moves with her to her home in London. There she discovers that her new girlfriend’s family might be in thrall to a supernatural terror of Jewish folklore. Cast: Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick, Sofie Gråbøl, David Dencik

BREAKING THE ICE directed by Clara Stern. Austria.

Mira lives a life of responsibility, captaining her women’s ice hockey team and keeping her family and the vineyard they run afloat, but she must learn to let go when a spontaneous new teammate enters her orbit. Cast: Alina Schaller, Judith Altenberger, Tobias Resch, Pia Hierzegger, Wolfgang Böck

CHRISSY JUDY directed by Todd Flaherty. USA.

When his best friend and creative partner suddenly couples off and moves away, an ambitious New York drag queen must reinvent himself or risk becoming an irrelevant solo act both onstage and off. Cast: Todd Flaherty, Wyatt Fenner, Joey Taranto, Kiyon Spencer, James Tison, João Santos, Nicole Spiezio

DOS ESTACIONES directed by Juan Pablo Gonzalez. Mexico.

As the owner of a struggling tequila factory in rural Mexico, Maria Garcia fights to uphold her family legacy against new competition, while dealing with her affection for a new employee. Cast: Teresa Sánchez, Rafaela Fuentes, Tatín Vera, Manuel, García-Rulfo, José Galindo, Ana Rosa Fuentes Estrada, José Luis Flores, Juan Eduardo, Fuentes Estrada, Juan Carrillo, Vero Bolaños

THE FIRST FALLEN directed by Rodrigo de Oliveira. Brazil.

In the early 80s, as the AIDS crisis begins its first wave in Brazil, three friends come together to care for each other. Cast: Johnny Massaro, Renata Carvalho, Vitor Camilo, Clara Choveaux, Alex Bonini, Higor Campagnaro

GIRL PICTURE directed by Alli Haapasalo. Finland.

Over the course of three Fridays, teenage best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö experience first love and sexual awakening in this cathartic, deeply felt Sundance hit. Cast: Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen, Linnea Leino

GOD SAVE THE QUEENS directed by Jordan Danger. USA.

Four drag queens attend a therapy retreat in an effort to overcome the issues holding them back in life. Cast: Justin Andrew Honard AKA Alaska Thunderfuck, Jay Jackson AKA Laganja Estranja, Kelly Mantle, Jordan Michael Green, Peter Facinelli, Michelle Visage, Luenell, Joaquim De Almeida, Manila Luzon, Honey Davenport, Zack Gottsagen Screening at the Ford Theater preceded by a special performance by stars Alaska Thunderfuck, Laganja Estranja, Kelly Mantle, and Jordan M Green

LONESOME directed by Craig Boreham. Australia.

As handsome drifter Casey flees his mysterious past in the countryside, a relationship with Tib in the big city offers a chance for them both to build a new beginning. Cast: Josh Lavery, Daniel Gabriel, Anni Finsterer, Ian Roberts

MARS ONE directed by Gabriel Martins. Brazil.

During a time of political change in Brazil, a young queer woman finds first love as her family falls apart. Cast: Rejane Faria, Carlos Francisco, Camilla Damião, Cícero Lucas, Ana Hilário, Russo APR, Dircinha Macedo, Tokinho, Juan Pablo Sorrin

MAYBE SOMEDAY directed by Michelle Ehien. USA.

In the midst of separating from her wife Jay decides to move across the county, leaving her to navigate the inevitable cycles of love, loss, and everything in between. Cast: Michelle Ehlen, Charlie Steers, Shaela Cook, Jeneen Robinson, Eliza Blair, Cameron Norman

MY EMPTINESS AND I (MI VACIO Y YO) directed by Adrian Silvestre. Spain.

In an arduous journey to find her true identity — doubts, fears and dreams collide in a young trans woman’s world. Cast: Raphaëlle Pérez, Alberto Díaz, Marc Ribera, Isabel Rocatti, Carles Fernández Giua, Carmen Moreno, Sergio Reverón, Lena Brasas, Tina Recio, Alicia de Benito

MONEYBOYS directed by C.B. Yi. China, France.

Far from his home in rural China, Fei builds a new life in Beijing as a street hustler while balancing the emotional entanglements of his fellow contemporaries, and his conservative family in the countryside. Cast: Kai Ko, Chloe Maayan, JC Lin

PETER VON KANT directed by François Ozon. France.

In master filmmaker François Ozon’s reimagining of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant, a spiraling gay filmmaker’s obsession with a young actor wreaks havoc on those closest to him. Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Denis Ménochet, Khalil Gharbia, Hanna Schygulla, Stéfan Crépon, Aminthe Audiard

PHEA directed by Rocky Palladino (World Premiere). UK.

A struggling musician journeys into the heart of London’s criminal underworld to save the woman she loves in this lyrical reimagining of the Orpheus myth. Cast: Sherika Sherard, Andrew Whipp, Iola Evans, Amelia Eve, Gabija Siurbyte, Katarina Andrejcova, Leo Ihenacho, Velibor Topic Emun Elliott.

PLEASE BABY PLEASE directed by Amanda Kramer. USA.

Newlyweds Suse and Arthur become the dangerous obsession of a greaser gang that awakens a sleeping quandary into the couple's sexual identity. Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Harry Melling, Karl Glusman, Demi Moore

SHALL I COMPARE YOU TO A SUMMER’S DAY? directed by Mohammad Shawky Hassan. Egypt, Lebanon, Germany.

In the style of One Thousand and One Nights, this unique film uses music and memorable visuals to tells stories of love and lust among young, gay Egyptian men. Cast: Ahmed Awadalla, Nadim Bahsoun, Hassan Dib, Ahmed El Gendy, Richard Gabriel Gersch

SUBLIME directed by Mariano Blasin. Argentina.

An Argentinian teen struggles with the feelings he has for his best friend in this intimate journey of self-discovery that could end in heartbreak. Cast: Martin Miller, Teo Inama Chiabrando, Azul Mazzeo, Joaquin Arana, Facundo Trotonda, Javier Drolas, Carolina Tejeda, Emma Subiela

THREE HEADED BEAST directed by Fernando Andrés and Tyler Rugh. USA.

The fears, desires and loneliness of a bisexual couple navigating a open relationship collide during a hot Texas summer. Cast: Cody Shook, Dani Hurtado, Jacob Schatz, Daniel Abramson, Paul Grant, Avery Merrifield

THREE TIDY TIGERS TIED A TIE TIGHTER directed by Gustavo Vinagre. Brazil.

In the working-class suburbs of São Paulo, a trio of queer young friends attempt to make their way as a new wave of the Forgetfulness pandemic takes hold. Cast: Jonata Vieira, Pedro Ribeiro, Gilda Nomacce, Carlos Esher, Julia Katharine, David Lobo, Everaldo Pontes, Ivana Wonder, Inês Brasil, Majeca Angelucci, Gabriel Stippe, Cida Moreira, Nilcéia Vicente, Lizette Negreiros, Filipe Rossato

YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER directed by Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky. Canada.

When young queer teen Jaime is sent to live with her devout relatives, she finds herself falling in love within their strict Jehovah’s Witness community. Cast: Anwen O'Driscoll, June Laporte, Liane Balaban, Deragh Campbell, Tim Campbell, Antoine Yared, Hasani Freeman

DOCUMENTARY

ART AND PEP directed by Mercedes Kane. USA. (World Premiere)

A look at the history of the iconic gay bar Sidetrack and its owners, Art and Pep, who have helped fuel movements and create community for decades in Chicago’s queer enclave.

ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY directed by Bryan Darling and Jesse Finlay Reed. USA.

Narrated by Matt Bomer, this dazzling documentary charts the rise and dominance of Gene Burkard’s International Male magazine, and its masculinity-shifting influence upon generations of men.

FRAMING AGNES directed by Chase Joynt. USA.

After discovering case files from a 1950s gender clinic, a cast of trans actors turn a talk show inside out to confront the legacy of a young trans woman forced to choose between honesty and access.

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY directed by Victoria Linares Villegas. Dominican Republic, USA.

Through re-enactments starring her family, Victoria traces the life of her cousin — queer filmmaker Oscar Torres — blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

JEANNETTE directed by Maris Curran. USA.

Dealing with the complicated aftermath of trauma, Jeannette Feliciano — a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre — understands vulnerability as a strength.

LOVING HIGHSMITH directed by Eva Vitija. Switzerland, Germany.

An intimate portrait of the exciting, romantic and volatile life of novelist Patricia Highsmith, examining the writer’s relationship to her work and lesbian identity.

MAKE ME FAMOUS directed by Brian Vincent. USA.

A madcap romp through the 1980’s NYC art scene through the lens of the colorful career of painter, Edward Brezinski, who is hell-bent on making it.

MANSCAPING directed by Broderick Fox. USA.

Three queer men — Black American visual artist Devan Shimoyama, transgender Canadian barber Jessie Anderson, and Australian fetish barber Richard Savvy — reimagine the traditional barbershop and style new conceptions of masculinity along the way.

NELLY & NADINE directed by Magnus Gertten. Sweden, Belgium, Norway.

Magnus Gertten’s film about two women who met in a concentration camp takes you on a journey of survival, espionage, tragedy and most of all, love.

PAT ROCCO DARED directed by Bob Christie and Morris Chapdelaine. Canada.

An exploration of the life and work of artist, activist, filmmaker, and entertainer Pat Rocco, whose erotic male nude films began an influential career that spanned decades.

PREJUDICE AND PRIDE directed by Eva Beling. Sweden, Finland, Iceland. (North American Premiere)

An exhilarating documentary ride through the history of LGBTQ+ Swedish cinema. If you’ve only watched The Celluloid Closet —you’re only getting half the story.

A RUN FOR MORE directed by Ray Whitehouse. USA.

Join Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe — a Latinx, trans woman running for office in Texas — on the campaign trail, as she finds herself on an unexpected journey of self-discovery and healing.

SIRENS directed by Rita Baghdadi. USA, Lebanon.

Rock out with the only all-female thrash metal band in the Middle East, as its members navigate life, the patriarchy, haters, and each other.

STAY ON BOARD: THE LEO BAKER STORY directed by Nicola Marsh and Giovanni Reda. USA. (World Premiere)

Following Leo Baker’s fight to make space for himself as a trans man in the world of pro-skateboarding, Stay On Board dares you to ask if there’s anything more punk than turning down the Olympics.

UÝRA - THE RISING FOREST directed by Juliana Curi. Brazil, USA.

Journeying from town to town in the Amazon rainforest, Uýra showcases their Indigenous, queer, and trans identities through dazzling performance art for local audiences to combat the ravages of climate change, environmental racism, and transphobia.

PLATINUM SECTION

A CONVERSATION WITH CLIVE BARKER

Followed by screening of Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut

The 2022 inaugural Platinum Maverick Award is being presented to the groundbreaking horroricon,  Clive Barker. Barker isn’t just a filmmaker but an avant-garde playwright, an impressionist painter, and a literary juggernaut. The macabre, experimental, and thought-provoking characters he has brought to life on the big screen are nuanced, complicated, and subversively queer. Barker's tales are filled with examinations of bodies, desire, and the sensation of going beyond prescriptive sexuality. His films shine a light on the oppressive nature of heteronormative power structures while providing glimpses of queer liberation by showing monsters as the good guys. Join us for a conversation and Q&A, the presentation of the award, and one of the few theatrical screenings ever of Nightbreed - The Director's Cut.

ESTUARIES directed by Lior Shamriz. USA, Mexico.

Trying to immigrate to the U.S. during the Trump administration, Eli is set adrift after the non-binary performance artist he was to marry is killed. Cast: Lior Shamriz, Chelsea Rector, Emily Lucid, Peter Kalisch, Jordan Green, Atsuko Okatsuka, Helene Udy, Tal Meiri, Rebecka Jackson, Oscar Alvarez

THE END OF WONDERLAND directed by Laurence Turcotte-Fraser. Canada. (U.S. Premiere)

While facing eviction from her packed studio, veteran trans adult artist Tara Emory must confront her family history of hoarding, fear of the future, and herself.

HYPOCHONDRIAC directed by Addison Heimann. USA.

A sexy young potter's life devolves into chaos as he loses function of his body while being haunted by the physical manifestation of his childhood trauma. Cast: Zach Villa, Devon Graye, Madeline Zima, Paget Brewster, Yumarie Morales, Marlene Forte, Chris Doubek

PASSION directed by Maja Borg. Sweden, Spain.

Having escaped a destructive relationship, filmmaker Maja Borg explores two ritual practices, Christianity and BDSM, and the spiritual, healing kinship between religion and subculture.

YOUTOPIA directed by Scout Durwood. USA. (World Premiere)

Following a devastating break up, a young woman inadvertently becomes the leader of a hipster millennial cult but the members are begging to disappear into the multiverse. Cast: Scout Durwood, McKenzie Trent, Jes Rona, Katie Wee, Nikki McKenzie, Christine Lakin, Paul Palmeri, Christine Little.

PLATINUM SHORTS SHOWCASE

Loneliness, anxiety, addiction, love, art, shame, and sex dolls are all highlighted in this years showcase. A film director and an escort’s evening gets interrupted; Trulee Hall’s sex dolls and self-love fantasy is visualized as an out-of-body-experience; Delia Derbyshire’s “Falling” is lip-synced by trans and non binary people while they also describe their dreams; Apocalyptic revelations ensue and a grade school girl crushes hard while pop star Oliver Sim slides into a surreal journey of love, shame and blood in a Yann Gonzalez three-part musical short. These and many more discoveries, desires, and detours fill up this series of stellar experimental filmmaking.

PLATINUM ALCHEMY PARTY with Platinum Alchemy Award presented to Big Freedia

The 2022 inaugural Alchemy Award is being presented to New Orleans hero, international hip hop legend, and the undisputed Queen of Bounce, Big Freedia. Freedia has been breaking barriers and inspiring others to live their dreams from the stage since 1999. A champion of independent music venues and a righteous voice in the fight against gun violence, Freedia has used their talent and fame to combat oppression and lift up the voices of others. He is one of the hardest working artists, always delivering an unapologetic message of pride, self-love, and hope. His distinct voice has appeared with artists such as Drake, RuPaul, Kesha, Lizzo, and Beyoncé. Freedia’s inspiring story of transformation and creation exemplifies Alchemy-- magical, spiritual, symbolic, iconic. Shimmer and bounce with us all night long during the outrageously sexy Alchemy Party where we will honor Freedia and celebrate the Platinum series. It will be golden!

SPECIAL EVENTS

TRANS, NON-BINARY & INTERSEX SUMMIT

Now in it’s 6th year, the newly renamed Outfest Los Angeles Trans, Nonbinary & Intersex Summit will showcase a snapshot of a multitude of trans, nonbinary & intersex experiences as a vision for the future of our lives. Featuring a keynote from award-winning writer and activist Raquel Willis, two timely filmmaker perspectives on the anti-hero narrative and reproductive rights, an artist to artist conversation on intersex visibility, and a comedy showcase featuring some of the funniest trans, nonbinary and intersex comedians including D’Lo, River Butcher, Jes Tom, Nori Reed, 7g, and Kai, this year’s summit is a time-capsule titled Manifesting Our Future – a call to action to imagine ourselves 50 to 100 to 1000 years from now. The future is ours, the future is here, and right now more than ever, we have the power to manifest it.

I HAVE TO LAUGH: COMEDY NIGHT AT THE FORD

A live stand-up showcase under the stars at the Ford Theater featuring the cast of Outfet los Angeles 2022 selection Queer Riot — Margaret Cho, River Butcher, Brad Loekle, Akeem Woods, and Daniel Webb — followed by a selection of hilarious and innovative comedy shorts!

OUTFEST PRESENTS TIFFANY BILLINGS' JETÉ - LA'S PREMIER DANCE EXPERIENCE!

A star-studded evening of dynamic, vivacious, and captivating performances, located in the heart of West Hollywood, at Heart WeHo. On Thursday, the 21st of July, 2022, Outfest will be joining forces with Jeté’s Creator, Producer, & Director, Tiffany Billings, to present a special edition of her monthly, live dance experience featuring performances by some of the industry’s top choreographers, performers, and dancers. The mission of Jeté is to provide a platform for artists to share their talents and originality with the audience in an intimate setting, while also educating and redirecting where we are going as an artistic community. The event has proven to be highly sought after by both entertainers and the general public alike, and has been billed as "The Dance Industry's Leading Choreography Showcase." Tickets can be purchased at HeartWeHo.club prior to the event. Follow @clubjete on Instagram for updates and info!

LIVE READ: OUR LADY OF THE SIX TRAIN from Love in Gravity

Love in Gravity, a new scripted podcast series dedicated to stories by and for the queer Latinx community, premieres this summer with weekly episodes written and performed by some of today's hottest Latinx talent. In advance of its episode release, the cast of Our Lady of the Six Train, a funny and tenderhearted script written by multi-talented artist Dominic Colón, will perform the script live at Plaza de la Raza on Noche Iconia, Outfest’s celebration of the queer Latinx community. Live, in-person performance of this episode includes actors Robin de Jesus (tick, tick… BOOM!), Jessica Marie Garcia (On My Block), Alexia Garcia (Pose), Jason Genao (On My Block), Alycia Pascuale-Peña (Saved by the Bell), Edison Ventura Mata Diaz, Manny Ureña, and more! (Actors appear schedule permitting)

LE BEAU MEC: WORLD PREMIERE 4K RESTORATION

In this compelling feature from the golden age of French Gay adult cinema, American director Wallace Potts entreats us to enter the world of athlete, hustler, stripper, and it-boy Karl Forest. Hailed internationally in the gay press for its narrative and erotic intensity, the film was long considered lost until the negatives were located in a garage in Montgomery, Alabama. Potts’ lover, famed dancer Rudolf Nureyev, choreographed the scintillating cabaret striptease, and legendary cinematographer Nestor Almendros captured the sculpted, elusive Forest at his physical peak.

DCP. New 4K restoration by IndieCollect in collaboration with Gerald Herman and the Estate ofWallace Potts.

LEGACY

BY HOOK OR BY CROOK (2001) directed by Harry Dodge and SIlas Howard. USA. New restoration!

Gender outlaws turn to a life of petty crime in the big city in this stylish and heartfelt ballad of butch and trans friendship.

THE COCKETTES (2002) directed by Bill Weber and David Weissman. USA. 20th Anniversary!

In this paean to a San Francisco of yesteryear, witness the rise and fall of The Cockettes, a gender-subversive Hippy drag troupe of the 1960s and 70s. Preceded by a new restoration of TRICIA’S WEDDING (1971) Dir. Milton Miron

GREETINGS FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. (1981) directed by Lucy Winer. USA. New restoration!

Queer activists and filmmakers take part in the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in this celebratory, out-in-the-streets documentary.

PUNKS (2000) directed by Patrik-Ian Polk. USA. on 35mm!

Patrik-Ian Polk’s groundbreaking debut romantic comedy invites us into the professional, social and intimate lives of 4 queer friends in West Hollywood on their neverending search for Mr. Right.

LAGFF 2022 Winners

16th Los Angeles Greek Film Festival 
Red Carpet Closing Night - Orpheus Award Winners

The red carpet Closing Night of the 16th Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) on Sunday, May 15 at the Silver Screen Theatre, Pacific Design Center was a great success. The screening of Araceli Lemos’ award-winning “HOLY EMY”, Orpheus Awards & Reception at the state-of-the-art Silver Screen Theatre at the Pacific Design Center included VIPS, celebrities, dignitaries, along with many filmmakers from Greece. Guests enjoyed music by popular DJ Yiannis Markoulakis, Greek cuisine from Pietris Bakery and signature cocktails by Kástra Elión Vodka.

Festival Director Aris Katopodis opened the ceremony with a warm welcome to the (sold out audience). “What an exceptional Festival week we have had - We are back and we are better than ever,” exclaimed Katopodis”. The Awards Ceremony was co-hosted by Lia Bozonelis and Alex Kalognomos. 

LAGFF 2022 consisted of 64 films, including 25 female filmmakers and showcasing 8 world premieres, 5 international premieres, 7 North American premieres, 9 West Coast premieres, 13 U.S. premieres, 10 Los Angeles premieres and 14 animated films. The virtual portion of the Festival continues through May 22^th, including on-line access internationally to 50% of the films.

Orpheus Award Winners:

 

Best Feature Fiction Film 

Holy Emy by Araceli Lemos

Best Director Feature Fiction Film

Araceli Lemos for Holy Emy

 

Best Performance in a Feature Fiction Film

Angeliki Papoulia for her role in Patchwork

Honorable Mention: Nikos Zegkinoglou for his role in 18

Honorable Mention: Aris Servetalis for his role in Pack of Sheep (This one was a supporting role, but the committee thought it was worth mentioning)

Audience Award: Smyrna, My Beloved

 

Best Documentary Film

The Students of Umberto Primo by Alessandra Maioletti

Special Jury Award: How to Train an Antihero by Yannis Bletas

Special Jury Award: Memento by Nikos Ziogas

Audience Award, Outer Space Kids by George Gounezos

 

Best Short Film

To Vancouver by Artemis Anastasiadou

Honorable Mention: Brutalia, Days of Labour by Manolis Mavris

Honorable Mention: Memoir of a Veering Storm: by Sofia Georgovassili

Audience Award: Nexting by Karina Logotheti

 

Best Animation

From The Balcony by Aris Kaplanidis, Elias Roumeliotis

Honorable Mention: Afterimage by Antonis Doussias

 

IPDF Award Winner

Glory B - Director: Konstantinos Antonopoulos, Producer: Fani Skartouli

Honorable Mention: Shibboleth - Writer/ Director: Alexandra Matheou

Group photo of the winners - Photo credit: Urbanite Media/Steve Sasaki

LAGFF 2022

16th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
May 9-15 - Regal L.A. Live! May 12-29 - Virtual

Artistic & Festival Director, Aristotle Katopodis has announced the 16th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) will be held on May 9-15, 2022, featuring in-person screenings and events. A virtual film program of screenings and exciting webinars follows from May 12-29. “We’re thrilled to physically welcome back filmgoers and filmmakers, Lets’ Meet Again” states Katopodis. “We received over 250 film submissions this year, many reflecting exceptional creativity and diversity. While the pandemic effect was evident in the number of films produced, the perseverance of the filmmakers is astounding.”

 

Venues & Key Dates

• May 9 - Opening Night Film & Reception, hosted by UCLA’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture, James Bridges Theater at UCLA

• May 10 to 15 – Theatrical Screenings, LA Live Regal Cinemas, DTLA

• May 11 - Hollywood Scene & Be Seen Bash, presented by Power Muse + LAGFF

• May 14 - Filmmaker’s Breakfast, Olympia Dukakis Tribute presented by Apollo Dukakis

• May 15 - Closing Night, Orpheus Awards & Festivities, Silver Screen Theater at Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood

The LAGFF Gold Pass ($175) - https://lagff2022.eventive.org/passes/buy

The LAGFF Gold Pass gives you access to all theatrical screenings (May 9-15); all virtual screenings, webinars and workshops (May 12-29); Opening Night; Preferred Seating for Closing Night; Hollywood Scene & Be Seen Bash; Filmmaker’s Breakfast; Olympia Dukakis Tribute event presented by Apollo Dukakis; Presentations from the International Project Discovery Forum, exclusive audit, May 15.

 

OPENING NIGHT FILM - SMYRNA, MY BELOVED (Σμύρνη μου Αγαπημένη)

Filio Baltatzi, an elderly Greek-American woman, goes to the island of Lesvos to help the refugees. She has a secret: almost a century earlier, her family lived on the island when they themselves were refugees, fleeing Smyrna after the destruction of the city. Filio’s grandmother’s diary tells the story of the family’s turbulent history, shaped by tragic international developments. Filio is accompanied to Lesvos by her reluctant granddaughter, and different generations of women in the same family come together in space and time, through the threads of history, as past and present become one.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM - HOLY EMY (Αγία Έμυ)

After their mother returns to the Philippines, sisters Emy and Teresa live in the tight-knit Filipino Catholic community in the port city of Athens. But when Teresa gets pregnant, Emy is increasingly drawn to mysterious forces that live within her.

2021, Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland – Best First Feature – Special Mention

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:

THE POMEGRANATES OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH (Τα Ρόδια του Ναγκόρνο Καραμπάχ)

Thomas Sideris travels to the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a hotbed of fierce confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan and extensive military operations for at least thirty years, and records the mass exodus of Armenians from their ancestral homeland. Sideris focuses on people, as they leave their homes, jobs, and fields, following a long refugee path without knowing where or when it will end.

THE STUDENTS OF UMBERTO PRIMO (Οι μαθητές του Ουμπέρτο Πρίμο)

Under Nazi occupation. 96% of the Jewish population of Thessaloniki, Greece was sent to Auschwitz. The Students of Umberto Primo brings to life the adventures, hopes, and dreams of nine Jewish students, based on the archive found by an Italian professor and on testimony from two of the protagonists.

FEATURE FILMS:

18

In a working-class neighborhood of Athens, amid the economic crisis, the resurgence of fascism, and Covid-19, a group of 18-year-old students persecute immigrants, queers, and anyone else who is different. A classmate of theirs refuses to hide his dislike for their actions and soon becomes their target.

MUSA

The love story of Simos and Musa: A descent into darkness led by Simos. Musa wants to leave. In his attempt to stop him, Simos opens and closes the door that separates dream from reality. Will he lose Musa? Himself? Or himself in Musa?

MONDAY

Mickey and Chloe, two Americans in their mid-thirties who live in Athens, meet one whirlwind weekend in the heat of summer. Chloe’s time in Greece is drawing to a close, so she decides to explore whether one weekend’s passion can withstand the reality of the inevitable Monday.

MOON, 66 QUESTIONS (Σελήνη, 66 ερωτήσεις)

After years of absence, twenty-something Artemis returns to Athens to care for her frail father, whom she has never really known. She discovers a well-kept secret from her stoic father’s past, and for the first time, she is able to understand and truly love him.

PATCHWORK

Chara’s family is everything to her, yet she sometimes ponders a life without them. Unable to talk to anybody about her internal turmoil, she carries the burden of guilt and confusion by herself. When she strikes up a hesitant friendship with the shy yet defiant daughter of her new boss, she is forced to confront her existential angst and face a painful past she’s been trying to forget.

SAISON MORTE

A twisted story of deception and betrayal, Saison Morte is a thriller set on an island nearly deserted for the winter. Two mysterious, violent murders have taken place in a secluded hotel, and the only person who can explain what happened is a wounded man named Christos. But the police can’t confirm Christo’s far-fetched story, nobody is who they appear to be, and Christo’s situation grows ever more dire.

PACK OF SHEEP (Αγέλη Προβάτων)

Thanasis can’t pay off his debt to Stelios. When he finds out that Apostolis is in the same position, he asks Apostolis to join him to make a better deal with Stelios. As Thanasis tries to put more players into the game, two young gangsters arrive in town to push over the debtors.

SEEfest 2022

17th Annual South East European Film Festival in LA

April 27- May 2, 2022 - Fine Arts, Lumiere at Music Hall, and Virtual

 

Croatian film MURINA - Camera d'Or winner at Cannes 2021 - opens SEEfest 2022 on April 27 at Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills. Tensions rise between restless teenager Julija and her oppressive father Ante when an old family friend arrives at their Croatian island home. As Ante attempts to broker a life-changing deal, their tranquil yet isolated existence leaves Julija wanting more from this influential visitor, who provides a taste of liberation over a weekend laid bare to desire and violence. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, the film features outstanding camerawork by Hélène Louvart (The Lost Daughter, Happy as Lazzaro). Directed by: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic

The 2022 edition of the festival will take place at the Lumiere Music Hall Theatre in Beverly Hills showcasing feature films, documentaries, and shorts from South East Europe. This year the festival will include Ukraine in the program with two outstanding films, the 2022 Sundance directing award winner KLONDIKE directed by Maryna Er Gorbach, and the US premiere of BLINDFOLD directed by Taras Dron. Both films focus on ordinary people trying to live their lives under the constant threat of new conflict and war traumas that just won’t go away. 

For more information please visit SEEfest2022.

  

Other features films in the Festival:

AS FAR AS I CAN WALK from Serbia

A re-imagining of a traditional medieval love epic in which contemporary African migrants take the place of Serbian iconic literary heroes. Urgent and timeless at the same time, the adaptation raises questions about identity, tradition, race and love. The film was awarded the Crystal Globe, top prize of the Karlovy Vary Festival in 2021.

BLUE MOON from Romania

The film follows a girl’s psychological journey as she struggles to achieve higher education and escape the suffocating work at the mountain resort. The undercurrent of emotional violence within her extended dysfunctional family turns Irina from victim into abuser as she stumbles to find her path in an environment rife with mistrust and conflict.  An ambiguous sexual experience gives her the strength to stand up to the violent males in her family. As Irina’s coming of age story unfolds, the larger backdrop paints a stark picture of a family divided between those who went to find the riches abroad and their offspring left behind to tend to the family business in the countryside. Winner of the San Sebastian Festival 2021.

PERPETUITY from Hungary

In this dystopian tale, in the near future instead of shooting stars, planes are shooting from the sky, and instead of feelings, bullets delirium-cursed hit the heart. All that is left is to try and find the right way to connect to others in a futureless world. Directed with aplomb by the filmmaker known for his unique vision and fearless storytelling, Perpetuity blends sci-fi and horror in a potent cinematic mix.    

SUGHRA'S SON from Azerbaijan

The women do the work in a remote village while the men are fighting in WWII. A small group of deserters is hiding in the mountains and when Musa joins them, his little brother Bahtiyar acts as the liaison between the men and the village. When Barat, the lewd head of the kolkhoz, is killed by the deserter Ahad, the KGB arrive to look for the deserters and life for Sughra and Bahtiyar takes yet another dramatic turn.

LA Asian Pacific Film Festival 2022

38th Annual Asian Pacific Film Festival
May 5 - 13, 2022

The Best of Asian Pacific American Films and Filmmakers from Around the World Come to Los Angeles at the 38th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Celebrating New Artists, Legends, Leaders, Creators, Indigenous Voices, and World Premieres

Fest Highlights Include:

The LAAPFF Legacy Award to Mira Nair
The HBO Max APA Visionaries Short Film Competition
The 20th Anniversary of ARMED WITH A CAMERA
SXSW Double Award Winner BAD AXE
Sundance Winner LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE
Alika Tengan’s EVERY DAY IN KAIMUKĪ 
Eugene Yi and Julie Ha’s FREE CHOL SOO LEE
West Coast Premiere of OMOIYARI: A SONG FILM BY KISHI BASHI

World Premieres of ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING; ISTIKHAARA, NEW YORK; and 80 YEARS LATER

North American Premieres of THE ASSAULT, ARISAKA and THE GIRL FROM THE OTHER SIDE

The Los Angeles Premieres of CROSSING; DAWNING; DEALING WITH DAD; DELIKADO; MAIKA; STAY THE NIGHT and WATERMAN

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), presented annually by Visual Communications (VC), Southern California’s leading showcase for new Asian Pacific American and Asian international cinema, announced today the program for the 38th edition of the festival. The festival returns May 5th to 13th in Los Angeles and will feature an exciting lineup of in-person programming, along with virtual programming for our audiences at home in Southern California and beyond.

As Visual Communications premiere annual event, LAAPFF continues to build connections between peoples and generations through the amplification of Asian and Pacific Islander film, video, and media. The festival celebrates Asian Pacific American filmmakers and Asian international artists with profound, important and entertaining films and content from the new voices of cinema while honoring the legends and leaders who keep this cultural movement going forward. Important themes of representation, authorship, responsibility and ethics are at the forefront of content creation. This year’s line up provides incredible examples of those ideas and themes from Asian Pacific artists who are committed to excellence in cinema in America and around the world.

To kick off  this year's fest, LAAPFF will present an Opening Day lineup of films representative of VC communities and values - setting the stage for community-forward film festival. The lineup will include the LA Premiere of EVERY DAY IN KAIMUKĪ, directed by Alika Tengan, a new and important indigenous filmmaker from Hawaii. Anchoring the evening, LAAPFF will celebrate and introduce the world premiere works from the ARMED WITH THE CAMERA Fellowship. The fellowship  now in its 20th year, has shepherded the early works notable alums including: Christopher Makoto Yogi (Director, I WAS A SIMPLE MAN),  Kristina Wong (2022 Lucille Lortel Awards Nominee for Outstanding Solo Show), Roxy Shih (Director, LIST OF A LIFETIME) and more.This year’s cohort, who gathered during an unprecedented of era social distancing, produced 9 world premieres that tenderly touch upon community movement, family legacy, and ancestral connection.

The 38th Festival edition will also present the LAAPFF Legacy Award to Mira Nair; The HBO Max APA Visionaries Short Film Competition; the SXSW Double Award Winner BAD AXE; Sundance Winner LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE; Eugene Yi and Julie Ha’s timely Sundance hit FREE CHOL SOO LEE; the West Coast Premiere of OMOIYARI: A SONG FILM BY KISHI BASHI (the renowned musician’s directorial debut fresh from SXSW); the North American Premieres of THE ASSAULT, ARISAKA and the animated feature THE GIRL FROM THE OTHER SIDE; the Los Angeles Premieres of MAIKA, WATERMAN, DEALING WITH DAD, DELIKADO, CROSSING and STAY THE NIGHT; and the World Premieres of: ISTIKHAARA, NEW YORK; DAWNING; DIGITAL HISTORIES and 80 YEARS LATER.

“In our 38th edition, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival continues to transform itself to reflect our ever-evolving artists and experiences,” says Executive Director Francis Cullado. “In a time when our community is dealing straight up with anti-Asian Hate crimes, living through an uncertain pandemic, and adjusting to the ongoing global issues affecting all of us, our festival is instilling a sense of pride, respect and community through art and film. These stories connect us to one another and fill our lives with a sense of purpose. This year, we share a renewed collectiveness to inspire creativity and support collaboration, and the opportunity to gather and celebrate our histories and our lives from all corners of the world.”

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 15th at 5PM PST to the general public. Complete details available at LAAPFF2022.

 

THE 38TH LAAPFF FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Opening Day Lineup

The festival will kick off May 5th at the Director’s Guild of America Theater with a robust Day One line-up that includes:
●      The World Premieres of 20th edition of Armed With A Camera showcase, a fellowship for Emerging Media Artists to develop the next generation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander artists to connect our communities through the power of our stories. Past Armed With A Camera fellows include: Christopher Makoto Yogi (Director, I WAS A SIMPLE MAN) AWC 2013 - MAKOTO: OR, HONESTY; Evan Jackson Leong (Director, SNAKEHEAD) AWC 2003 - SUCKERBALL 73; and Kristina Wong (2022 Lucille Lortel Awards Nominee for Outstanding Solo Show) AWC 2003 - BEAT THE BUS.
●     The Los Angeles Premiere of Alika Tengan debut feature EVERY DAY IN KAIMUKI following its World Premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival. 
●      Anam Abbas THIS STAINED DAWN, a powerful look Karachi’s feminists who organise a woman’s march, coming up against Pakistan’s state, media and radical religious right;
●      And a special showcase featuring the Visual Communications archive, anchored by the early works of Robert A. Nakamura.

Centerpiece Weekend

The festival continues at the DGA Theater with the Centerpiece Weekend featuring:
●      The North American Premiere of Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s THE ASSAULT, fresh from its World Premiere at IFF Rotterdam and the first film from Kazakhstan to screen at the festival.  
●      New feature filmmaker David Siev’s SXSW Audience Award and Special Jury prize winner BAD AXE, a moving look at his in a rural Michigan, as they now fight to keep their restaurant alive in the face of a global pandemic, racial reckoning, and generational scars from the Cambodian Killing Fields.
●      Festival alum Tom Huang’s family dramedy DEALING WITH DAD starring Ally Maki, Hayden Szeto, And Peter S. Kim.
●      First time filmmakers Eugene Yi and Julie Ha’s Sundance sensation FREE CHOL SOO LEE focusing on the story of a Korean American death row inmate convicted of a 1973 Chinatown gangland murder in San Francisco, and the activists who led a pan-Asian American movement to free him .
●      Award winning director Ham Tran’s Vietnamese sci-fi kids adventure MAIKA. When a meteor falls to earth, 8-year-old Hung meets an alien girl from the planet Maika, searching for her lost friend.
●      Fresh new feature filmmaker Martika Ramirez Escobar’s Sundance Special Jury Winner LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE.
●      Emerging filmmaker Renuka Jeyapalan’s debut feature STAY THE NIGHT will screen following its World Premiere at SXSW.

 

Additional Festival Highlights

●      The LA Premiere of WATERMAN, Isaac Halasima’s look at Native Hawaiian and surfing icon Duke Kahanamoku, narrated by Jason Momoa.
●      MSNBC Anchor Richard Lui’s latest film HIDDEN WOUNDS which profiles three families at the intersection of mental health and caregiving.
●      The West Coast premiere of DELIKADO, an environmental thriller on how corrupt corporate and political interests are swallowing small Indigenous communities in the Philippines, and across the globe. 
●      Young Min Kim's narrative feature debut DAWNING, a chilling psychological thriller.
●      Special Presentation of FRAN ROCKSTAR!, a retrospective of short films celebrating one of VC’s beloved veterans of the Digital Histories program, Frances Ito, Ito who will celebrate her 90th birthday this year, will also celebrate the world premiere of her 12th film at this year’s fest.
●      The LA Premiere Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan’s THE HEADHUNTER’S DAUGHTER, winner of the Sundance Short Film Grand Jury Prize.
●      The latest film from acclaimed Philippine director Mikhail Red’s – the revenge thriller ARISAKA - which follows a policewoman who has to retrace the route of the Bataan Death March to escape her captors.
●      The LA premiere of BUSAN, 1999,  a drama from Thomas Percy Kim that follows a Korean-American woman return to her mother's rustic home. 

●      Deann Borshay Liem’s CROSSING, which looks at a group of international women peacemakers sets out on a risky journey across the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
●      Acclaimed musician Kishi Bashi explores the legacy of Japanese American internment through his music in his directorial debut OMOIYARI: A SONG FILM BY KISHI BASHI, co-directed with Justin Taylor Smith which premiered at SXSW.
●      Legacy Award presented to Mira Nair, which will include a Special Anniversary screening of SALAAM BOMBAY!, her acclaimed breakthrough feature film.
●      The North American premiere of the animated feature THE GIRL FROM THE OTHER SIDE, adapted from a manga series by the same name and directed by Yutaru Kubo and Satomi Maiya.

The LAAPFF Legacy Award to Mira Nair

This year, the festival will uplift Mira Nair as a pioneer whose storytelling has received industry and critical acclaim, and raised visibility for South Asian narratives.  LAAPFF is delighted to present this year’s LAAPFF Legacy Award to director Mira Nair for the way her nuanced narratives reflect an authentic family voice and prompt critical reflection. LAAPFF audiences can watch a Special Presentation of Nair’s award-winning feature SALAAM BOMBAY! on the big screen. Additionally, virtual audiences at home can watch an artist conversation with Nair.


World Premieres at LAAPFF

LAAPFF is also honored to host the World Premieres of the following films:
●      Yasir Masood’s narrative feature debut ISTIKHAARA, NEW YORK which follows Reza, an artist and Brooklyn transplant, Babbu, a recent immigrant and revolutionary from Delhi, and Rahul, an aspiring Imam and crony capitalist, finding themselves in an America where they are ever the more important but feeling even more looked over.
●      The stylish action thriller ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING, from director Alexandra Cuerdo.
●      80 YEARS LATER, from Celine Parreñas Shimizu, which captures how families continually grapple with the legacy of Executive Order 9066 which imprisoned Japanese Americans in World War II.

FUSION 2022

 OUTFEST FUSION 2022 - April 8-17

OUTFEST FUSION QTBIPOC FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR 2022

HYBRID FESTIVAL RUNS APRIL 8- 17 AND INCLUDES
7 FEATURES, 52 SHORTS, 3 EPISODICS, PANELS, WORKSHOPS AND MORE

 

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to creating visibility for diverse LGBTQIA+ stories and empowering tomorrow’s artists and storytellers, today announced its lineup for the 2022 Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and People of Color) Film Festival, presented by IMDbPro and Hyundai. This year’s festival will feature 7 feature films, 52 short films, 3 episodics, a One-Minute Movie Contest sponsored by Hyundai, as well as workshops and panels. The 10-day festival will be held in-person from April 8th to April 13th and online from April 13th to April 17th, and will be open to filmmakers and the general public to attend. Visit OutfestFusion.com to purchase tickets.

This year marks for the 40th anniversary for Outfest and the 19th year of Outfest Fusion, which showcases the work of queer and trans filmmakers of color, providing the audiences and storytellers alike with the critical visibility that is needed to build careers, opportunities, and empathy for our stories.  Outfest Fusion celebrates the rich heritage of the individuals that make up the Los Angeles community, while also empowering and investing in their success with educational workshops, masterclasses, networking events, and the renowned One-Minute Movie Contest.  

Founded in 2004 amongst a circle of community organizers and Outfest Board Members, the Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival is a response to the public and industry need for more inclusive spaces where storytellers and filmmakers of color can receive the opportunities and the visibility they struggle to find for themselves and their work. To date, Outfest Fusion has showcased over 10,000 works to nearly 250,000 audience members and impacted over 2,500 storytellers and up and coming industry members with its Outfest Fusion workshops, contests, and events. 

The Festival includes the One-Minute Movie Contest sponsored by Hyundai, a democratic way to discover new voices and bring them into the Outfest Fusion family. Aspiring and established filmmakers use their cell phones or cameras to shoot one-minute short films on a predetermined topic - “Past Lives, Future Dreams.”  The films will be screened at Outfest Fusion Fête. The winners will receive cash prizes and will go on to play the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival in July. For complete listings and to purchase tickets, log on to OutfestFusion.com. Outfest Fusion 2022 is presented by IMDbPro and Hyundai; premiere sponsors include AARP, Ammo Creative, Comcast NBCUniversal, Gilead, and The Fight Magazine; and media sponsors are Clear Channel Outdoor, Edge Media, Metro Weekly, PMG, Pride Media, Queerty, Rainbow Media, and Variety. 

 

FEATURE FILMS

BLACK AS U R directed by Micheal Rice

• In the wake of Black Lives Matter, filmmaker Michael Rice addresses the trans/homophobia within the Black community by magnifying the stories of Black LGBTQ+ people and their contributions to the Black liberation movement.

FINLANDIA directed by Horacio Alcala

• Belonging to a community of muxes — untethered by the gender binary — Delirio, Amaranta, Mariano traverse their past, present, and future.

 

KEEP THE CAMERAS ROLLING: THE PEDRO ZAMORA WAY directed by William T. Horner, Stacey Woelfel

• He was clever, articulate, and good-looking. At only 22, Pedro Zamora, a gay Cuban immigrant, had the American public at the palm of his hands as he stepped into the limelight on MTV’s REAL WORLD. After contracting AIDS as a teenager, he dedicated his life to destigmatizing the narrative around the illness – and being the sympathetic beauty on national television helped do that. While KEEP THE CAMERAS ROLLING is an exhibition of Zamora’s most joyous moments, like his televised wedding, it also explores the role of the media in shaping a generation’s understanding of social issues. An amalgam of home videos, archival footage, and interviews with the Zamora family, REAL WORLD cast members, and various activists, the film examines the legacy of a young man who helped change the face of AIDS in America. 

MUSTACHE MONDAYS (ARTBOUND) directed by Marianne Amelinckx

• "It was the best party in L.A. hands down."

See how a roving LGBTQ night club event in Los Angeles called “Mustache Mondays” became a creative incubator for today’s leading edge contemporary artists. This film examines the history of these spaces and how they shaped the Queer cultural fabric unique to Southern California. 

TRANSVERSALS directed by Émerson Maranhão

• Émerson Maranhão's documentary brings together the stories of five transgender people living in the state of Ceará in Brazil, recounting stories of being fearless alongside their absolute commitment to thrive.

WHITE FROG directed by Quentin Lee

• Nick is a highschool freshman on the Autism spectrum who idolizes his older brother Chaz, a popular straight-A student whose future seems set. When Chaz is suddenly killed in a tragic accident, Nick attempts to reconstruct the life his brother left behind, uncovering secrets that threaten to rip their family apart. Quentin Lee directs a tremendous ensemble cast of veteran and rising stars including B.D. Wong, Joan Chen, Harry Shum Jr., Henry David Hwang, Tyler Posey, Amy Hill, and Booboo Stewart in a gripping mystery of loss and redemption at the intersections of queerness, neurodiversity, and Asian-American identity.

 

WILDHOOD directed by Bretten Hannam

• Two brothers embark on a journey to find their birth mother after their abusive white father had lied for years about her whereabouts; along the way, they reconnect with their indigenous heritage and make a new friend.

For more information please visit OUTFEST FUSION 2022