The 41st Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Festival has announced its full line up. Warner Bros. Discovery and Genesis Motor America present the festival. It will occur in Los Angeles in West Hollywood at the Directors Guild of America. Outfest members can buy tickets now, and the general public can buy Friday, June 23rd. The festival will be from July 13th through the 23rd.
The festival will open with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe at the Orpheum Theatre. It will close with Chasing Chasing Amy at the Montalbán Theatre. The centerpieces of the festival include the films My Animal, Passages, Kokomo City, Fancy Dance, and Down Low.
In recognition to honor allies’ efforts for fostering Queer and Trans moving images and promoting to a wider audience, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone will be given the James Schamus Ally Award. McCarthy and Falcone are also executive producers of Relighting Candles: The Tim Sullivan Story, which will be featured in the festival. Amandla Stenberg (actor, producer, musician) will be given the Platinum Maverick Award, and Madame Gandhi (musician) will be given the Platinum Alchemy Award.
The key theme of the festival is based on FUTURE WITHOUT FEAR. This cultural and art experience focuses on underrepresented communities’ hopes and dreams as they navigate the world now.
The festival will feature narratives, shorts, documentaries, and an episodic showcase, totaling over 170 titles from 25+ countries. One film highlighted is Truth Be Told, a documentary about the relationship between the Black church and the LGBTQ+ community. Another premiered film, Acsexybility, is about two married men wanting a new experience outside their normal relationship.
Sunday, July 22nd, Outfest will have its seventh annual Nonbinary, Trans, and Intersex Summit featuring a performance and keynote speech from rising drag star Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death).
Favorite films by Sundance, Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, Mutt, Rotting in the Sun, Only Life After All, and Problemista will premiere. The festival also has short films across 14 programs showing new filmmakers’ work and their promising careers and creativity.