Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media, has announced its complete programming lineup for Outfest 2011: The 29th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The nation's leading LGBT festival and the oldest film festival in the city of Los Angeles, will be held July 7th to 17th, 2011.
In addition to the 163 films (67 features and 96 shorts) from 25 countries, Outfest hosts over a dozen panels and special events at seven venues across Los Angeles, including Hollywood, West Hollywood, Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles.
The notable line-up of actors starring in this year's movies include Kathleen Turner, Jason Ritter, Emily Deschanel and Richard Chamberlain ("The Perfect Family"), Dolly Parton ("The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Hollywood to Dollywood"), Margaret Cho ("Cho Dependent" and "Drop Dead Dive"), Julia Ormond, Cheyenne Jackson and Illeana Douglas ("The Green"), John Waters, Jennifer Coolidge, Heather Matarazzo and Leslie Jordan ("Mangus!"), Esai Morales and Judy Reyes ("Gun Hill Road"), Lance Bass and Clay Aiken ("Drop Dead Diva"), Chloe Sevigny ("All Flowers in Time"); and documentary subjects Carol Channing ("Carol Channing: Larger Than Life"), Chely Wright ("Wish Me Away"), Patty Schemel and Courtney Love ("Hit So Hard"), Chaz Bono ("Becoming Chaz"), and Bruce LaBruce ("The Advocate for Fagdom").
"This year's line-up is one of the strongest in Outfest history and we're excited to be showcasing work that is both exploring and expanding the possibilities of LGBT themes and challenging our audiences through their storytelling," said Director of Programming Kim Yutani.
The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre will once again host the Under the Stars series, kicking off with the classic Dolly Parton musical "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." Other screenings include Margaret Cho's new concert film "Cho Dependent," the Documentary Centerpiece "Hit So Hard", Alan Brown's "Private Romeo" about an all-boy staging of Romeo & Juliet in a high school military school, as well as the Closing Night Gala "The Perfect Family."
In association with the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, Outfest celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Teddy Award. An official award of the Berlin International Film Festival, the influential Teddy Award is dedicated to support the LGBT film projects whose content creates tolerance and understanding across communities globally. The series includes past Teddy Award winning feature films Heiner Carow's "Coming Out," Todd Haynes' "Poison," Pedro Almodovar's "Law of Desire," Greta Schiller's "The Man Who Drove With Mandela," and Rose Troche's "Go Fish."
Outfest will premiere a new programming section Docs @ 5 - a must-see selection of documentaries highlighting unique subjects from around the world. The five screenings take place at 5pm for the special price of $5. The selection includes "Paul Goodman Changed My Life," "Orchids: My Intersex Adventure," "Angel," "Habana Muda," and "I Am." This series is co-presented by the International Documentary Association (IDA).
Margaret Cho, Lance Bass, Clay Aiken, series creator Josh Berman and director Jamie Babbit will take part in a panel of Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva." The discussion follows a sneak preview of an upcoming episode inspired by the headline-making true story of Mississippi teen Constance McMillan who was denied access to her high school prom because she wanted to attend with her girlfriend. This special episode will air during the upcoming third season of "Drop Dead Diva" which returns June 19th on Lifetime at 9pmET/PT.
In its Four in Focus series, Outfest celebrates a quartet of first-time feature film directors who have boldly established their careers with accomplished, independently-produced debut features. The 2011 selections include: Lisa Aschan's "She Monkeys," Maryam Keshavarz's "Circumstance," Madeleine Olnek's "Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same" and Eldar Rapaport's "August."
The Outfest Legacy Project will be screening a re-mastered version of Gregg Araki's 1987 feature debut "Three Bewildered People in the Night," as well as a compilation of shorts that have been selected from the world's largest queer history collection at the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives.
As previously announced, Outfest 2011 opens with "Gun Hill Road," and the festival will close with "The Perfect Family". Other gala screenings include: "Circumstance" (U.S. Dramatic Centerpiece); "Weekend" (International Centerpiece); "Hit So Hard" (Documentary Centerpiece); and "3" (Broad Stage Gala). Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato will receive the 15th Annual Outfest Achievement Award.
For more information and for a complete listing of films in the Festival, log on to www.Outfest.org or call 213-480-7065. Festival tickets go on sale on June 7 to Outfest members and on June 14 to the general public. Special ticket packages are also available.
