Outfest Opens With Billy Porter’s ‘Anything’s Possible’

Billy Porter / photo by Laurie K. Schenden

Grammy-Emmy-Tony winner Billy Porter adds filmmaker to his repertoire, with his directorial debut “Anything’s Possible” kicking off Outfest’s Opening Night Gala on Thursday, July 14, at the Orpheum Theatre.

A showcase for musicality and magic, “Anything’s Possible” was written by Ximena García Lecuona and follows the story of high school classmates Kelsa (Eva Reign) and Khal (Abubakr Ali) as they navigate a relationship in their senior year.

The #OutfestLA opening night gala begins with a live performance from pop group The Future X before Billy Porter takes the stage to receive the Outfest Achievement Award, followed by the screening of his first film.

“Anything’s Possible” pits high school drama against a good old-fashioned-ish romance.  The future looks bright for Kelsa, who has options for college after high school, the support of a dedicated mother (Renée Elise Goldsberry), and now a budding romance with Khal. But her trans identity becomes the subject of gossip and controversy, and Khal finds his own friendships suddenly on shaky ground. The chemistry between Kelsa and Khal helps foster an endearing, joyous onscreen teen combo.

Tickets start at $40. Reserve tickets here. 

A Few Outfest Highlights: 

July 15 – “Passion,” 9:45 p.m., REDCAT Theater: Having escaped a destructive relationship, filmmaker Maja Borg explores two ritual practices, Christianity and BDSM, and the spiritual, healing kinship between religion and subculture.

July 16 – Platinum Centerpiece: HeBGB TV. 7 p.m., REDCAT Theater. Created by a DIY filmmaking trio from small town Pennsylvania, this year’s Platinum Centerpiece will include an opening live action, spooky immersive experience.

July 16 – Documentary Feature: Pat Rocco Dared, 9:45 p.m. DGA 1. The activist, artist, filmmaker, and entertainer’s legendary career spanned decades. Filmmaker Charlie David sits down with Rocco for exclusive interviews prior to his death in 2018. 

July 17 – Documentary Feature: Framing Agnes. 4 p.m., DGA 1. In 1958, a young trans woman named Agnes entered a study about sex disorders at UCLA to get gender-affirming care. Her story was long considered to be exceptional until case files of other patients were found in 2017.

July 18 – Documentary Feature: It Runs In The Family. 9:30 p.m., Plaza de la Raza. Following the death of a close uncle, siblings Guillermo, Lucia, and Nora are forced to interact with each other and their extended family during the customary nine days of a Novenario.

July 20 – Special Event: VOGUE with the House of Ebony, 5 p.m., Out Here Sexual Health Center, Baldwin Hills. Learn the elements of Vogue and the basics of walking a ball with Legendary Isla Ebony and the House of Ebony.

July 20 – US Centerpiece: Unidentified Objects. 7 p.m., DGA 1. Led by a sensational pair of performances from Matthew Jeffers (TV’s New Amsterdam) and Sarah Hay, the film is a disarming and wholly original take on the roadtrip comedy.

July 21 – Episodic: Unconventional, 8 p.m. at The Ford. Screening will be followed by talkback including creator/star Kit Williamson, cast members James Bland, Aubrey Peeples, Briana Venskus, Willam, Laith Ashley, mistress of ceremonies Kathy Griffin, and Queerty’s Cameron Scheetz.

July 21 – Nelly & Nadine, 7:15 p.m. DGA 1. Starting from a photo and a box in an attic, director Magnus Gertten’s film tells the unlikely love story of two women who meet on Christmas Eve 1944, in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.
Thursday, July 21, 2022

July 22 – Girl Picture, 7:00 p.m., DGA 2. 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.

July 23 – The 6th annual Trans, Nonbinary, & Intersex Summit, 3 p.m. Saturday, DGA 1. Includes a keynote from award-winning writer and activist Raquel Willis, two timely filmmaker perspectives on the anti-hero narrative and reproductive rights, a conversation on intersex visibility, a comedy showcase and more.

‘They/Them’

July 24 – They/Them, Closing Night – Sunday, July 24, 7:00 p.m., The Ace Theatre: Several campers at an LGBTQIA+ conversion camp, 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. From Academy Award-nominated screenwriter turned first-time director John Logan (Hugo, The Aviator, Skyfall).

See the entire July 14-24 Outfest lineup here for screening, the popular shorts programs, and special events.