WINNERS FROM THE 2018 OUTFEST FILM FESTIVAL

"We The Animals", a coming-of-age drama involving the pain and challenges of three young boys growing up with dysfunctional parents, took the top prize of U.S. Narrative Feature at this year's Outfest Film Festival. For the first time, the winner of the Outfest Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short will now be eligible for consideration in the Best Animated or Live-Action Short Film categories of the Academy Awards. "Fran This Summer", from writer/director, Mary Evangelista, which looks at first love between two teenagers with one wishing to transition from male to female, won the award this year.

Here is the complete list of winners from the 2018 Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival:

GRAND JURY AWARDS

U.S. Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize: “We the Animals”
U.S. Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenwriting: Yen Tan, "1985"
U.S. Narrative Feature Special Mention: "Skate Kitchen"



U.S. Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize for Best Performance: Drew Droege, ”Bright Colors and Bold Patterns”
U.S. Narrative Short Grand Jury Prize: “Fran This Summer“
U.S. Narrative Short Special Mentions: “Tooth and Nail” and “Happy Birthday, Marsha!”
U.S. Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize: “When the Beat Drops”
Documentary Feature Special Mentions: “Call Her Ganda” and “TransMilitary”
Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize: “Between Us Two”
Documentary Short Special Mention: “These Are My Hands”
International Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize (tie): ”Hard Paint” (Brazil) and “Tucked” (United Kingdom)



International Narrative Feature Special Mention: “Montana” (Israel)



International Narrative Short Grand Jury Prize: “The Things You Think I’m Thinking” (Canada)
International Narrative Short Special Mention: “Dressed for Pleasure (Je fais où tu me dis)”

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Best Narrative: “Tucked”
Best First U.S. Narrative Feature: “Daddy Issues”



Best Narrative Short: ”Tooth and Nail”
Best Documentary Feature: "Man Made"



Best Documentary Short: "Mama Dragons"
Best Experimental Short: "These Are My Hands"
Best Episodic Series: "Bonding"

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING AWARDS

Emerging Talent: Caroline Berler for "Dykes, Camera, Action"



Freedom: Leilah Weinraub for ”Shakedown”
Artistic Achievement: Anucha Boonyawatana for "Malila: The Farewell Flower"



Fox Inclusion Feature Film Award: “Man Made”
Fox Inclusion Short Film Award: “Rani”

And here are a few films I caught during the fest. "Sodom", the feature debut from writer/director, Mark Wilshin, tries to sell us on a whirlwind romance between Will (Pip Brignall), a twenty-something, closeted footballer engaged to be married and Michael (Jo Weil), a slightly older man who has recently ended a long-term relationship. Despite the provocative title and the intriguing meeting of the two men where we find the young one handcuffed nude to a streetlight as a bachelor party gag, we spend most of the film listening to them talk intimately about their lives, hopes and fears. But the conversations are not particularly engaging and it's pretty hard to root for a potential relationship between them when they are clearly not really compatible.

"1985" takes us back to a time when AIDS was decimating the gay community and a positive diagnosis was a certain death sentence. Yen Tan directs this moving drama about Adrian (Cory Michael Smith) who returns to his small hometown in Texas from New York to try to break the news to his deeply religious parents (Virginia Madsen and Michael Chiklis) that he has contracted the disease. But the longer Adrian is there, as he reconnects with his younger brother (Noah Schnapp of "Stranger Things") and faces his former girlfriend (Jamie Chung), the more difficult it is for him to reveal the truth. Tan has expanded this story from a short of the same title which won a special jury prize at the 2016 SXSW and effectively captures the complex family dynamics where everyone is aware of what is going on yet too afraid to discuss the matter openly and honestly.

There were many good documentaries at the fest but one of my favorites was "Every Act of Life" which profiles the life and career of Terrence McNally, the Tony Award-winning playwright who boldly redefined contemporary theater by telling vividly candid stories on unconventional subjects with many involving gay characters. Growing up in a narrow-minded Texas town with alcoholic parents who were abusive and neglectful, McNally, with the guidance of a supportive high-school teacher, used the dysfunction in his life to help fuel his art. Out and proud during a time when it was particularly dangerous to do so, he introduced theater audiences to open and honest depictions of the lives of gay people which included the AIDS crisis in his work. McNally's early relationships with fellow playwright, Edward Albee and actor, Robert Drivas ended partially due to them wanting to remain closeted for the sake of their careers. The film is mostly a celebratory affair with interviews by many friends and colleagues like Rita Moreno (who attended the screening), Nathan Lane, Angela Lansbury, Edie Falco, Christine Baranski and F. Murray Abraham to shower him with glowing praise but it also serves as a fascinating examination in to the creative process of one of the most influential writers for the American stage.