Tag Archives: Outfest

Better Visibility: 8 Reasons Why We’re Excited For This Years Outfest

Things are looking good in the world of Queer cinema. Last month’s gay marriage victory was celebrated as a win for not only the nation’s LGBTs, but for Americans who believe everyone deserves equal rights under the law.

One major factor in burgeoning acceptance stems from the new millennium’s explosion of LGBTs in the media; by shining a spotlight on the humanity of gay individuals – and not just what they do in the bedroom – the once-ostracised demographic has become more relatable to mainstream America.

Outfest, is one of America’s oldest queer film festivals. Its started last Thursday but runs for more than a week.

Addicted to Fresno

Judy Greer, Natasha Lyonne, and Aubrey Plaza star in this dark comedy from director Jamie Babbit (But I’m a Cheerleader). Greer plays a sex addict who joins her sister (Lyonne) on a hotel housekeeping staff. We’re hoping the film will cement Greer’s leading lady capabilities; if nothing else, it will be a satisfying corrective to recent blockbusters (Jurassic World, for example) in which her immense talent is stifled by the bit parts she’s given.

Tig

Tig, the documentary chronicling lesbian comedienne Tig Notaro’s battle with cancer. “It’s really remarkable to go from a time when you’re not even sure if you’re going to live, several times, and then to have a movie made about my life, and live to see it,” said Notaro. Not only is our favorite sapphic funny gal living, but after seeing the film, we’re living for her.

Jenny’s Wedding

This family dramedy starring Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel is making its world premiere at Outfest before it hits theatres and VOD. Heigl plays Jenny, a woman who lives with her girlfriend, but has yet to come out to her family. When she finally does and begins to plan her wedding, tensions surface within her family. Will love conquer all? (Probably.)

A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile and The Cult of JT LeRoy

These two documentaries both unpack prominent hoaxes that rocked their respective communities. “Gay Girl in Damascus” was the popular blog of a Syrian lesbian commenting on the 2011 Syrian uprising. JT LeRoy was a literary rock star whose past stayed shrouded in mystery. Both of them were elaborate personas put on by straight people. With these films, we can learn the full and strange stories behind the deceptions.

Bare

This little gem stars Dianna Agron as a Sara, a young women stuck in a small town with few options, is at the top of my list of queer films this season. Agron nails the melancholy of this coming-of-age film, which is beautifully shot and directed. Sara’s romance with Paz de la Huerta‘s Pepper is intriguing and certainly pushes the norms of what we’ve become accustom to in lesbian/bisexual films.

Portrait of a Serial Monogamist

Written and directed by Christina Zeidler and John Mitchell. This is a story of a forty-something lesbian, and accomplished breakup artist, who leaves her long-standing girlfriend to pursue a younger woman, only to be haunted by memories of the past, and the growing realisation that she may have broken up with the love of her life.

While You Weren’t Looking

This South Africa drama features the stories of a married queer couple, and their daughter and her new butch girlfriend. Dealing with issues of infidelity, classism, race and family, the film is a fascinating look into the lives of these very complex women.

Stuff

Married couple Deb and Trish have it all…or do they? The spark of romance has been replaced by the everyday hustle and bustle of raising a family, and their marriage is starting to fray at the seams. When Deb becomes attracted to another mom at her children’s school, the drama really starts to unfold.

Outfest Stream’s Some of Finest Festival Films Free Online

Outfest LGBT Film Festival has taken a huge step towards making its films more accessible this year with the launch of Outfest Online, a free streaming platform offering shorts, documentaries and feature films from this year’s lineup and previous festivals.

Outfest Online sees the festival partner with DIRECTV to offer more than 60 films, for free and nationwide. There are plans to keep adding new titles to the library, which will main available until the end of the year.

Outfest Interim Executive Director, Christopher Racster said

The films showcased at Outfest Los Angeles increase LGBT visibility; sharing them strengthens understanding, and in turn, creates meaningful change. Outfest is an irreplaceable launch pad making sure that our storytellers are supported and with the help of partners such as DIRECTV, assuring that their work reaches around the world.”

Dan Ferguson, from DIRECTV added

Outfest Los Angeles, which attracts audiences exceeding 40,000 annually, delivers creative, diverse and innovative films. As a proud supporter of the LGBT community, and a sponsor of Outfest Los Angeles festival for the past several years, DIRECTV is excited to take this next step, and help expand the reach of these films beyond traditional festival attendees.”

With more than 60 films available right now, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Titles currently online include Patti and Me, Minus Patti, Tomorrow, The Heroes of Evil,Tomgirl, Gideon’s Cross, Maybe Next Season, The First Date, Gay Over, BrocKINGton,The Friend from Tel Aviv, No Boundaries, More of Last Night, Café au Lait, Transfigure,Contribution of a Verse, Caged, Elise, Cherry Waves, Rubber Duckie, A Bitter Pill,Eargasm and more.

The Outfest festival will run through to July 19.

Check out our full festival coverage here.

Watch 3 LGBT Filmmaker Discuss Their Films with Outfest

Sophie Hyde – 52 Tuesdays

Watch ’52 Tuesdays’ director Sophie Hyde talk with Outfest on rethinking the label “queer filmmaker,” the challenges of filming over a year, and questioning how we live.Director Sophie Hyde on rethinking the label ‘queer filmmaker’, and the challenges of filming over a year, and questioning how we live.

Film Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Billie (played by rising Australian star Tilda Cobham-Hervey) is blindsided by the news that her mother, James, is planning to transition from female to male and that, during this time, Billie will live at her father’s house. Billie and James agree to meet every Tuesday during their year apart. As James transitions and becomes less emotionally available, Billie covertly explores her own identity and sexuality with two older schoolmates, testing the limits of her own power, desire, and independence.

Jane Clark – Crazy Bitches

Writer / Director Jane Clark on choosing an awesome title, the challenges of filming on a farm (lamas!), and having a good time at the movies.

Film Synopsis: So what is the film is about, well 8 “crazy bitches” reunite for a weekend of gossip and girl-talk at a remote cabin in the woods. A few drinks into their weekend, they learn of a gruesome crime that occurred at their campsite. Dismissing it as a tall tale, the gang continues their celebration with red wine, hanky-panky and cat-fights – until one of them disappears. Wooooooooo…

Sandrine Orabona & Mark Herzog – Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story

Directors Sandrine Orabona & Mark Herzog have the cameras turned on them as they discuss what drew them to the project, challenges, and misconceptions.

Film Synopsis: Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story is about Kristin Beck was a tough male Navy SEAL assigned to the world’s most dangerous missions. Now, with bravery and no shortage of wartime scars, she’s embarking on her most difficult journey yet. Kristin discovers that living her truth publicly (starting with an appearance on “Anderson Cooper 360”) can be as much a challenge as any military manoeuvre she’s survived. Uplifting and powerful, this documentary skilfully weaves archival footage and interviews with friends and family alongside Kristin’s current travels.

#OutfestLA Girls’ Shorts – 6 Lesbian Short Films to See

From exposing secret identities to weathering storms to eating pot cookies left by a one-night stand, these ladies have got a lot going on! So sit down, strap in (or on?), and let’s process these feelings together.

Things aren’t always what they seem for girls-who-like-girls. This year Outfest has wonderful selection of Lesbian Short Films, and here they are

Code Academy

Directed by Nisha Ganatra, this short is about the future, where girls and boys are separated until the age of 18 and can only interact in virtual spaces – but for an awkward teen girl, the virtual world is more liberating than expected.

Disaster Preparedness

Directed by Melissa Finell, and named an “Audience Favorite” at Palm Springs International ShortFest, this 15 minute short is about a couple dealing with the crossroads of commitment, disaster and the art of being prepared while hunkered down in their apartment when a hurricane hits. Website: www.disasterprepmovie.com

Secrets and Toys

Directed by Quentin Lee, Secrets and Toys is a short film about a mother and daughter who discover each other’s secrets through a comedy of errors, and learn to accept them selves and each other.

Website: www.secretsandtoys.com

The Night Is Ours

Directed By Aubree Bernier-Clarke – The Night Is Ours follows tomboy Morgan, to her best friend Olivia’s wake. Discovering Olivia has come back to life, the two escape into the night on a road trip past boundaries of friendship into a dark, uncertain future.

Be Here Now-ish: Episode 2

Directed by Alexandra Roxo, this short story line is not so simple. A girl gets way more than she bargained for when her one-night stand refuses to leave and throws a party.

Website: www.beherenowish.com

Alone with People

Directed by Drew Van Steenbergen, Alone with People is about a high school girl from the South seeks the help of a therapist to come out to her family and friends. This film is a hilarious and touching, coming-of-age tale.

Outfest 2014 – America’s Leading LGBT Film Festival – #OutfestLA

Los Angeles-based Outfest – America’s leading LGBT film festival started on Thursday. The 11 day event is the highlight of LGBT film circuit and showcases LGBT films from the past year’s festival circuit, as well new releases.

Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is now the leading organisation to promote equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. Outfest goal is to build community by connecting diverse populations to discover, discuss and celebrate stories of LGBT lives.

Over the past three decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world to audiences of nearly a million. They have educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected more than 30,000 LGBT films and videos.

The 32nd Outfest LGBT Film Festival, kicked off Thursday night with its Opening Gala, a star-filled soiree and screening of the festival’s inaugural film, Life Partners.

“The community feels like they’re still kind of on a high. We’ve had some of the best ticket sales this year that we have had in a number of years. You just feel this sort of joy around Outfest, around being together. The gay community is continuing to celebrate and really excited to see our lives and stories on screen.”

Kirsten Schaffer , Outfest Executive Director

Here is asneak peak at some of the films playing at this year’s Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

Marina Rice Bader to Make Directorial Debut at LA’s Outfest

Writer/director Marina Rice Bader (Exec. Producer of Elena Undone, A Perfect Ending) will make her directorial debut at the 32nd Annual Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival with the world premiere of her feature film ‘Anatomy of a Love Seen’.

Outfest is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organisation that promotes equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. They officially announced the complete programming lineup for thier 32nd LGBT Film Festival.

Bader’s lesbian-themed feature film will be screening Friday July 18th at The Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood, CA. The premiere will be followed by an exclusive cocktail reception after-party with the entire cast and crew.

As the driving force behind Soul Kiss Films, her own independent film company, Bader’s mind and artistic direction is only focused on one goal: to create evocative, entertaining, and compelling movies by women, for women and about women. And she’s already successfully planting the seeds to do just that with ‘Anatomy of a Love Seen’ and the upcoming ‘Raven’s Touch’.

‘Anatomy of a Love Seen’ staring Sharon Hinnendael, Jill Evyn and Constance Brenneman, is a film within a film that explores love in all its painful and messy glory. The story takes us back six months, when actresses Zoe (Sharon Hinnendael) and Mal (Jill Evyn) fell for each other at exactly the same moment in time while filming a love scene.

After five blissful months together Zoe was decimated when Mal walked away. Three miserable weeks later a very lucrative network broadcast deal was in the works. They only had one request…re-shoot the love scene. Welcome to the set. Shot in five days, this improvised film based on Bader’s story, characters and outline fulfilled her desire to create a very organic and visceral experience.