OUTFEST FUSION Announces 2010 Lineup

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media, has announced its lineup for Fusion: the Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival. The festival will be held March 11th and 12th at NBCUniveral and March 13th at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. It is co-presented by HBO and NBCUniversal.

Fusion 2010 is comprised of two Shorts programs, the Legacy screening of PORTRAIT OF JASON and the Fusion Gala screening of Quentin Lee's THE PEOPLE I'VE SLEPT WITH.

Wilson Cruz, prolific stage, film and television actor, is the recipient of the 2010 Fusion Achievement Award. Cruz made television history as an openly gay teenager on the acclaimed "My So-Called Life." His other credits include TV's "Noah's Arc," "Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World, " "ER" and the feature films ALL OVER ME, PARTY MONSTER, COFFEE DATE, BAM BAM AND CELESTE, HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, and most recently, he co-stars in the Fusion Gala film, THE PEOPLE I'VE SLEPT WITH. Through his activism and art, Cruz is a role model of courage and honesty who inspires those within and outside the LGBT community.

The Fusion Achievement Award will be presented to Wilson Cruz during the opening remarks of the Fusion Gala.

Now in its seventh year, Fusion is the only multicultural LGBT film festival of its kind. The festival will include short films, feature films, panels, workshops, and parties that highlight and celebrate the diversity of the LGBT community.
The screening program is preceded by Access LA - a series of panels and discussion forums for aspiring screenwriters, directors, producers, or simply individuals looking for a way to break into the entertainment industry. Fusion, in partnership with NBCUniversal, is thrilled to be offering two days of incredible programming that will help forge connections between emerging filmmakers and established entertainment industry professionals in Los Angeles to nurture talent and skills.

For more information and for a complete listing of films in the Festival, log on to www.Outfest.org/fusion or call 213-480-7088. Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 12, 2010. Fusion 2010 co-presented by HBO and NBCUniversal.

FUSION 2010 SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 11

Panel & Industry Mixer
7:00pm - 9:00pm

Executives, programmers, and marketing experts share their "outside the set" expertise to inspire individuals to look beyond the narrow focus as to what might be available to them within the industry.

This event is open to the public. Reservation is required. Email your name to FusionThursday@outfest.org to receive location and parking information.

Friday, March 12

Fusion Access LA
9:30 - 10:00am - Registration

10:00 - 10:30am - Introduction to Fusion Access LA Day

10:30 - 12:00pm - Networking: In a town that runs on who knows who, how well do you know everyone in the room? Learn how to develop your networking skills and make connections that will work for you.

12:00 - 1:00pm - Lunch

1:00 - 2:30pm - How to Get Work in Television: Television writers, producers, directors, and executives discuss how to get work in television and how (and to whom) to pitch concepts for television series.

2:30 - 4:00pm - New Media: From news to webisodes, content is finding a home on the web. How is content determined for the Internet and is this the future of how we watch?

Fusion Access LA is designed for people of color filmmakers, screenwriters, and producers. Registration is required. Register online at outfest.org/fusion. Space is limited for this exciting day.

Saturday March 13

3:30pm SHORTS PROGRAM 1
In the struggle between expectation and desire, a girl is caught between a boy and a girl, two boys get an impromptu safe sex lesson, and trans youth speak out. There are no easy answers in these humorous, moving and enlightening shorts.
BOY MEETS BOY Dir. Kim-Jho Gwang-soo
HOLY WATER Dir. Tatiana Lamela-Rabell
SAY MY NAME Dir. Adaora Nwandu
UNHEARD VOICES OF TRANSGENDER YOUTH Dir. Ivana Horvat & Hannah Fox
ORGANISM Dir. Nina Reyes Rosenberg
COLOR ME BAD Dir. Hesdy Lonwijk

4:00pm LEGACY SCREENING - Spielberg Theatre
PORTRAIT OF JASON Dir. Shirley Clarke, 1967, USA, 99 min.
Filmed in one wild night at New York's Chelsea Hotel, Shirley Clarke's explosive PORTRAIT OF JASON is a landmark of nonfiction film - the combination of a visionary director, a complex and enigmatic subject and a moment of new cinematic and social possibilities. PORTRAIT OF JASON is the raw record of a confessional conversation with an African-American gay hustler recounting his life and times. A disturbing and fascinating document, it unflinchingly observes Jason Holliday - conversing, performing, confessing, dissolving.