2018 OUTFEST FILM FESTIVAL

It’s almost that time again to celebrate the lives of the LGBTQ communities through cinema. The 2018 Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival will be held beginning on July 13th and concluding on July 22nd. This looks like another year of exciting programming from across the globe.



The Opening Night Gala, which will once again be held at the majestic Orpheum theatre in downtown L.A., will begin with the presentation of this year’s Outfest Achievement Award to filmmaker, Angela Robinson. Her work as a writer/director includes the feature films, “D.E.B.S.” and “Herbie: Fully Loaded” and on television with the shows, “True Blood” and “The L Word”. Ms Robinson’s latest feature from last year, “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women”, based on the story of the creator of the classic comic-book super-hero, Wonder-Woman and his unconventional life, will be screened during the fest.

The film that will kick-off the fest will be “Studio 54”. This glittering documentary by Matt Tyrnauer will allow viewers behind the exclusive velvet ropes to reveal all of the juicy and scandalous details of what went on at this infamous, celebrity-filled, New York disco back in the 1970's. Mr. Tyrnauer has another documentary that will be screened during the fest, "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood".  This is a shocking expose on the after-hours activities of the glamorous stars in the golden age of Hollywood seen through the eyes of Scotty Bowers who claims to have arranged private hook-ups for some of these closeted actors.





Some of the Special Screenings of the festival include the U.S. Centerpiece, "We The Animals", the feature debut by documentary filmmaker, Jeremiah Zagar. This drama (which made a splash at this year's Sundance Film Fest where it won the NEXT innovator Award) is based on the novel by Justin Torres and tells the story of three young brothers trying to navigate through their parent's volatile marriage and ultimate separation. While two of the boys seem to model the behavior of their macho father, the youngest son appears more sensitive and thoughtful like their mother.



"Marvin ou la belle éducation (Reinventing Marvin)" is the International Centerpiece. Anne Fontaine, the acclaimed French filmmaker ("Coco Before Chanel"), delivers her latest which involves Marvin, a lonely boy who is a little different which causes him to be picked on by his classmates and misunderstood by his parents. An understanding school principal guides him towards a drama class and Marvin's life opens up to endless possibilities and a new way to express himself on the stage. And the film features the legendary actress, Isabelle Huppert playing a version of herself.



Choreographer turned filmmaker, Jamal Sims with his directorial debut, "When The Beat Drops" has been selected as the Documentary Centerpiece. The film takes place in Atlanta and follows a group of black gay dancers who perform a dance called "bucking" which follows in the tradition of the New York ballroom scene where they compete to see who is the best dance troop.



And the Closing Night Gala will be Desiree Akhavan's "The Miseducation of Cameron Post". The winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival tells the story of Cameron (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenage lesbian who is sent to a religious conversion camp after she is caught by her parents making out with another girl. While the counselors attempt to "cure" her, Cameron resists and forms a bond with two others (Sasha Lane and Forrest Goodluck) to rebel against this therapy.



For the complete list of films, venues and to purchase tickets, please click below:

2018 Outfest Film Festival