Outfest Announces 2018 Lineup

By Goweho Staff | June 11, 2018

No one can accuse the 2018 Outfest, the 36th Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, of lacking diversity. Two-thirds of this year’s content (of 221 films and 13 TV series) is directed by women, people of color and trans filmmakers.

Here’s the programming lineup for the 2018 film festival, presented by HBO, that will be held July 12-22, 2018.

The festival opens at the Orpheum Theatre is “Studio 54,” filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer’s documentary; and closes with FilmRise’s “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” Desiree Akhavan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, screening at the Theatre at the Ace.

“This year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences named Outfest as an Academy-Award qualifying film festival for their Short Film Awards,” stated Christopher Racster, Outfest Executive Director. “This recognition acknowledges our long history of discovering extraordinary short films, and the talented filmmakers who have used Outfest as a platform to launch their careers.

“Providing access to content remains at the heart of what we do,” he adds. “We are thrilled to be at new venues … including Plaza de la Raza, the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, the California African American Museum, Regal Cinemas at LA Live, and to be returning to newly renovated Ford Theatre for screenings under the stars.”

The festival features five world premieres including the deeply felt film from Taiwan, “Bao Bao”; “Bright Colors and Bold Patterns” directed by Michael Urie with a hilarious performance from Drew Droege; Laura Madalinski’s “Two in the Bush: A Love Story” a polyamorous love story; Jamie Patterson’s new feature film “Tucked” about two drag performers connecting across generations; and “Room to Grow” a documentary looking at the lives of queer teenagers today. As well as North American and US Premieres, “Eva & Candela,” “Sodom,” “Canary,” “Cola De Mono,” and “Daddy Issues.”

The documentary section shines a light on unsung communities, including Alina Skrzesewska’s “Game Girls” which follows a couple as they struggle to navigate life in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, to the much anticipated SXSW Audience Award winner “Transmilitary” about those fighting for an equal chance to service their country.

Screenings at the Ford Theatres will kick off on July 18 with “Bad Reputation,” a documentary about Joan Jett; then Documentary Centerpiece, “When the Beat Drops,” followed by “Postcards from London” and concluding with “Wild Nights with Emily” featuring Molly Shannon.

OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project from Los Angeles LGBT Center and Outfest, will premiere five shorts on Sunday, July 22. Now in its sixth year, the OutSet program empowers youth ages 16-24 to share their stories though film.

For more information and tickets:  CLICK HERE.

Outfest members receive free tickets, priority entrance to screenings or all-access passes. Tickets go on sale to members beginning Thursday, June 14. General admission sales begin Monday, June 18. Contact the Box Office for membership, tickets and event information: (213) 480-7065.

 

2018 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBT FILM FESTIVAL LINE-UP

GALA FILMS:

STUDIO 54 – Opening Night Gala
Dir: Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2018, 98 min

OUR FUTURE ENDS – Platinum Centerpiece, Co-Presented by Some Serious Business
Dir: Clement Hil Goldberg, USA, 2018, 50 min

WE THE ANIMALS – U.S. Centerpiece
Dir: Jeremiah Zagar, USA, 2018, 93 min

REINVENTING MARVIN – International Centerpiece
Dir: Anne Fontaine, France, 2017, 115 min

WHEN THE BEAT DROPS – Documentary Centerpiece
Dir: Jamal Sims, USA, 2018, 87 min

THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST – Closing Night Gala
Dir: Desiree Akhavan, USA, 2018, 90 min

DRAMATIC FEATURES

1985
Dir: Yen Tan, USA, 2018, 85 min

ANCHOR AND HOPE
Dir: Carlos Marques-Marcet, Spain, 2017, 113 min

BITTER MELON
Dir: H.P. Mendoza, USA, 2018, 100 min

BRIGHT COLORS AND BOLD PATTERNS – World Premiere
Dir: Michael Urie (For the Stage) & David Horn (For the Screen), USA, 2018, 89 min

CANARY (KANARIE) – North American Premiere
Dir: Christiaan Olwagen, South Africa, 2018, 120 min

COLA DE MONO – US Premiere
Dir: Alberto Fuguet, Chile, 2017, 102 min

CUERNAVACA
Dir: Alejandro Andrade Pease, Mexico, 2017, 89 min

DADDY ISSUES – US Premiere
Dir: Amara Cash, USA, 2018, 88 min

EVA & CANDELA (¿CÓMO TE LLAMAS?) – North American Premiere
Dir: Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2018, 90 min

EVENING SHADOWS
Dir: Sridhar Rangayan, India, 2018, 102 min

HARD PAINT (TINTA BRUTA)
Dir: Filipe Matzembacher & Marcio Reolon, Brazil, 2018, 118 min

I MISS YOU WHEN I SEE YOU
Dir: Simon Chung, Hong Kong, 2018, 93 min

MALILA: THE FAREWELL FLOWER
Dir: Anucha Boonyawatana, Thailand, 2017, 96 min

MAPPLETHORPE
Dir: Ondi Timoner, USA, 2018, 102 min

MONTANA
Dir: Limor Shmila, Israel, 2017, 79 min

PORCUPINE LAKE
Dir: Ingrid Veninger, Canada, 2017, 84 min

POSTCARDS FROM LONDON
Dir: Steve McLean, United Kingdom, 2018, 87 min

RIOT
Dir: Jeffrey Walker, Australia, 2017, 106 min

SKATE KITCHEN
Dir: Crystal Moselle, USA, 2018, 105 min

SODOM – North American Premiere
Dir: Mark Wilshin, United Kingdom, 2017, 94 min

THAT NIGHT OF NOVEMBER (NOVE DE NOVEMBRO)
Dir: Lázaro Louzao, Spain, 2018, 84 min

TUCKED – World Premiere
Dir: Jamie Patterson, United Kingdom, 2017, 80 min

TWO IN THE BUSH: A LOVE STORY – World Premiere
Dir: Laura Madalinski, USA, 2017, 97 min

WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY
Dir: Madeleine Olnek, USA, 2018, 84 min

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

BAD REPUTATION
Dir: Kevin Kerslake, USA, 2018, 98 min

CALL HER GANDA
Dir: PJ Raval, Philippines/USA, 2018, 93 min

CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS: KERBY LAUDERDALE
Dir: David Weissman, USA, 2017, 69 min

DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION!
Dir: Caroline Berler, USA, 2018, 58 min

EVERY ACT OF LIFE
Dir: Jeff Kaufman, USA, 2017, 92 min

GAME GIRLS
Dir: Alina Skrzeszewska, France/Germany, 2018, 90 min

GOSPEL OF EUREKA
Dir: Michael Palmieri & Donal Mosher, USA, 2018, 75 min

THE ICE KING
Dir: James Erskine, United Kingdom, 2018, 89 min

LEITIS IN WAITING
Dir: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson & Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Tonga/USA, 2018, 72 min

LOOKING FOR?
Dir: Tung-Yen Chou, Taiwan, 2017, 60 min

MAN MADE
Dir: T Cooper, USA, 2018, 97 min

MR. GAY SYRIA
Dir: Ayşe Toprak, Turkey/France/Germany, 2017, 87 min

ROOM TO GROW (World Premiere)
Dir: Matt Alber & Jon Garcia, USA, 2018, 89 min

SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD
Dir: Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2017, 98 min

SHAKEDOWN
Dir: Leilah Weinraub, USA, 2018, 82 min

TRANSMILITARY
Dir: Gabriel Silverman & Fiona Dawson, USA, 2018, 93 min

EPISODIC PROGRAMS

BONDING
Created by: Rightor Doyle, USA, 2018, 108 min
Two high school BFFS reunite and find they’re different as adults: he’s a newly-out gay man and she’s a dominatrix who’s going to tie him into her underground world of BDSM.

VIDA
Created by: Tanya Saracho, USA, 2018, 30 min
“Vida” is a new STARZ Original series about two Mexican-American sisters from the Eastside of Los Angeles who couldn’t be more different or distanced from each other. Circumstances force them to return to their old neighborhood, where they are confronted by the past and surprising truth about their mother’s identity.

STRANGERS & FÉMININ/FÉMININ
Created by: Mia Lidofsky (Strangers), USA, 2017, 52 min
Created by: Chloé Robichaud & Florence Gagnon (Féminin/Féminin), Canada, 2017, 43 min
Queer women are finding love and themselves in the second seasons of two of our favorite series from either side of the US/Canada border.

EPISODIC SHOWCASE
From the gay mafia to polyamory to queer and trans realities, this sampler of seven new independent series contemplates where our LGBTQ identities intersect, and how we can move forward together as a movement.

RILEY PARRA
Created by: Christin Baker, USA, 2018, 48 min
Lesbian detective Riley discovers the city’s mean streets are actually a centuries-old battleground between angels and demons.

THE FINDING HOME SERIES: LGBT IMMIGRANTS & ASYLUM SEEKERS
Dir. Abraham Troen, USA, 2017, 63 min
Explore the journeys of three queer immigrants in L.A. who have escaped persecution and violence in their native countries.

PLATINUM SECTION: EXPERIMENTAL FILMS & LIVE EVENTS

THE WILD BOYS (LES GARÇONS SAUVAGES)
Dir: Bertrand Mandico, France, 2017, 110 min

NARCISSISTER ORGAN PLAYER
Dir: Narcissister, USA, 2017, 91 min

BIXA TRAVESTY
Dir: Claudia Priscilla & Kiko Goifman, Brazil, 2018, 75 min

SHORTS SHOWCASE
Dir: Multiple, UK, USA, Mexico, Canada, 2018, 100 min

ALCHEMY PARTY
Bae Bae, Bebe Huxley, Dorian Electra, London Jade, Lulo, Luna Lovebad, Mood Killer, Weston Allen, The Uhuruverse, Narcissister, Nebulae Cult, Saturn Rising

SPECIAL EVENTS

THEY
Dir. Anahita Ghazvinizadeh, USA, 2017, 81 min
After two years of taking hormone blockers to postpone puberty, a non-binary 14-year-old considers whether to transition and where to find their place in the world.

BEYOND THE OPPOSITE SEX sponsored by Showtime Networks
Dir. Emily Abt & Bruce Hensel, USA, 2018, 89 min
In this sequel to Showtime’s The Opposite Sex, Rene and Jamie find that life after gender confirmation surgery comes with its own set of challenges.

THE CARMILLA MOVIE sponsored by Shaftesbury
Dir. Spencer Maybee, Canada, 2018, 94 min
Laura and Carmilla’s domestic bliss is threatened by an unknown evil forcing the “Scooby gang” to team up once more to save their humanity.

PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN sponsored by Annapurna Pictures
Dir: Angela Robinson, USA, 2017, 108 min
Angela Robinson introduces her latest feature about what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. Marston (Luke Evans) to create the iconic Wonder Woman character.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: THE DARE PROJECT & CLAY FARMERS
Dir: Adam Salky, USA, 2005 & 2018, 33 min
Revisit two Outfest classics, including the story of a gay theatre kid and a curious jock reconnecting as adults, and the 30-year anniversary of a moving rural drama reminiscent of Brokeback Mountain.

THE ADVOCATE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS: A LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM sponsored by Here TV & The Advocate
Dir: William Clift, USA, 2018, 105 min
Over the course of five decades, The Advocate has reported the breaking news and ongoing challenges of the LGBTQ community.

BELIEVER sponsored by HBO
Dir. Don Argott, USA, 2018, 101 min
Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds makes it his mission to foster acceptance toward LGBTQ members of the Mormon Church by crafting an unforgettable rock festival.

ALONE IN THE GAME sponsored by AT&T Entertainment Group
Dir. Natalie Metzger & Michael Rohrbaugh, USA, 2018, 95 min
This documentary chronicles the challenges and triumphs of LGBTQ athletes in sports today, featuring Robbie Rogers, Gus Kenworthy, Layana White and Megan Rapinoe.

BAO BAO – World Premiere – sponsored by Taiwan Academy & Taiwan Ministry of Culture
Dir. Guang-cheng Shie, Taiwan, 2018, 97 min
A married lesbian couple’s relationship is challenged after one of the women promises their unborn child to another couple.

ALIFU, THE PRINCE/SS sponsored by Taiwan Academy & Taiwan Ministry of Culture
Dir. Wang Yu-Lin, Taiwan, 2017, 91 min
The intersection of several individuals in present-day Taiwan creates a colorful tapestry of LGBTQ lives, including Alifu, a young hairdresser who longs for a sex-change operation.

QUEEROES
Jill Soloway, Lena Waithe and Tanya Saracho introduce an innovative new mentorship model to elevate queer, trans and POC storytelling.

ONE MINUTE MOVIE CONTEST
A selection of the work submitted to this year’s Outfest Fusion One Minute Movie Contest, on the topic of Keeping Silent / Speaking Truth.

AIDS DIVA: THE LEGEND OF CONNIE NORMAN (Sneak Preview)
Dir. Dante Alencastre, USA, 2018, 45 min
Seizing her power as she confronts her mortality, trailblazing trans activist Connie Norman evolves as an irrepressible, challenging and soulful voice for the AIDS and queer communities of early 90’s Los Angeles.

Panels & Workshops:

MAKE THEM HEAR YOU: THE TRUTH ABOUT CONTENT BY & FOR LGBTQ+ WOMEN Sponsored by AT&T Hello Lab
LGBTQ+ women have been at the forefront of many movements throughout history. However, in Hollywood, queer women remain the least represented community in front of and behind the camera. This discussion will explore the past, present, and future LGBTQ+ women in entertainment, bringing together trailblazers who are leading the charge for a more inclusive and multi-dimensional landscape.

TRANS SUMMIT
Whether you’re an actor, artist, activist or academic, you’re welcomed here. The afternoon will begin with our Academy Award-nominated keynote speaker Yance Ford (Strong Island), followed by three compelling case studies focused on specific areas of need in media representation. The room will then come together for an unedited, organic, and dynamic conversation about issues relating to the trans and non-binary experience, moderated by the LA Times’ award-winning reporter Tre’vell Anderson.

BI IN THE BIZ sponsored by SAG-AFTRA and SAGIndie
While the L, G and T communities have made great strides toward visibility in the culture, the B’s still remain relatively hidden, even in the entertainment industry. This panel will feature out bisexual actors and entertainment industry professionals discussing the specific challenges and opportunities for film, TV and online performers who identify as such. Break out of the bi closet as we explore the politics and the pragmatism of actors living out in the open.

THE NEW AIDS NARRATIVE PANEL
Nearly 30 years since the first films about the HIV/AIDS epidemic hit the big screen, a new wave of scripted dramas is emerging. Join Outfest and GLAAD for a discussion of the history of HIV/AIDS representation in cinema, and what the arrival of films like BPM (Beats Per Minute), 1985 and Bohemian Rhapsody means with regards to telling HIV/AIDS stories to a new generation.

OUTFEST FORWARD
SCREENWRITING LAB: LIVE READING 
Outfest’s annual live reading of scenes from the five scripts chosen for the 2018 Outfest Screenwriting Lab.

OUTSET SHORTS SCREENING
VICTORY BOULEVARD 
Dir/Scr: Jonny Alvarez, Producer: Ash Lavacca, Production Designers: Tristin Brown & Juliet Delgado, Mentor: Henry Alberto

BLESS THE USA
Dir/Scr: Sebastian Vergara, Co-Dir/Producer: Anthony Rizo, Production Design Mentor: Haharhel Valencia, Mentor: Marcos Davalos

SIGNOURNEY WEAVER
Dir/Scr: Andrea Ngeleka, Producer: Tiffany Patterson, Production Designer: Hesed Kim, Mentors: Doendray Gossfield & Quincy LeNear Gossfield

THE CURSE
Dir/Scr: Dave Berenato, Producer: Moira McFadden, Production Designer: Juliet Delgado, Mentors: Coley Sohn & Leanna Creel

FLAMERS:BOTTOMS IN A BRUSHFIRE
Dir/Scr: Capucine Berney, Producer: Alfredo Hernandez, Production Designer: Tristin Brown, Mentor: Assaad Yacoub.

OUTFEST UCLA LEGACY PROJECT

BUDDIES
Dir: Arthur J. Bressan Jr., USA, 1985, 81 min

DUCK SEASON (TEMPORADA DE PATOS)
Dir: Fernando Eimbcke, Mexico, 2004, 90 min

SHOPPING FOR FANGS
Dir: Quentin Lee & Justin Lin, USA, 1997, 90 min

SHOW ME LOVE (FUCKING ÅMÅL)
Dir. Lukas Moodysson, Sweden, 1998, 89 min