2017 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBT Film Festival Announces Complete Lineup

Celebrating its 35th Anniversary, Outfest - the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen - today announced the complete programming lineup for the 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival presented by HBO. The nation's leading LGBT festival will be held July 6-16, 2017.

The 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival opens at the Orpheum Theatre with Samuel Goldwyn Films' "God's Own Country," Francis Lee's powerful directorial and screenwriting feature debut; and closes with IFC Film's "Freak Show," Trudie Styler's feature directorial debut starring Abigail Breslin, AnnaSophia Robb, Laverne Cox, and Bette Midler. Additional gala screenings include: U.S. Centerpiece "Strangers" (Dir/Scr: Mia Lidofsky), International Centerpiece "Close Knit" (Dir/Scr: Naoko Ogigami), Documentary Centerpiece "KEVYN AUCOIN Beauty & the Beast In Me" (Dir: Lori Kaye), and Special Centerpiece "Behind the Curtain: TODRICK Hall" (Dir: Katherine Fairfax Wright).

"Outfest began 35 years ago with a group of students desperate to find positive depictions of themselves on film; today Outfest is the launch pad for the storytellers that bring our stories to life on screen." said Christopher Racster, Outfest Executive Director. "I am proud that this year's program reflects just how far we have come as a movement, as a community and as storytellers. These films capture the true complexities of our lives, our loves, and our identities. But our advancements have only TAKEN our community so far, and we are proud to champion this year's filmmakers who capture the ongoing fight for our rights for freedom, for love, and for acceptance."

With 194 films from 30 different countries, Outfest Los Angeles once again brings together the highest quality of LGBTQ film in the world along with highlighting efforts in the mainstream media to tell those stories.

The 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival will also return to the Theatre at Ace Hotel. These screenings will kick off on July 13 with Special Centerpiece, "Behind the Curtain: TODRICK Hall," with "The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin," "After Louie," and the Closing Night Gala "Freak Show" following on the subsequent days.

"The theme tying these films together is activism. Today's queer filmmakers have gender parity, trans justice and racial equality top of mind. The activism that has existed in our community for decades is documented in films like 'Chavela,' 'After Louie,' and 'Queercore: How To Punk A Revolution,' and meets head on with present day movements that convey our community's ongoing quest for civil rights, in films like 'Whose Streets?,' 'The Death And Life Of Marsha P. Johnson,' and 'More Than T.' The language of this year's lineup taps into a multiplicity of perspectives to articulate what fairness should look like," notes Lucy Mukerjee-Brown, Outfest Director of Programming.

Special Events include OWN's "Queen Sugar" Director's Panel with Outfest alumnae Aurora Guerrero, Tina Mabry and Cheryl Dunye; a conversation with I. Marlene King, the executive producer of "Pretty Little Liars" and "Famous in Love;" a screening of "Chasing Amy" in honor of the film's 20th Anniversary followed by a conversation with director Kevin Smith and Guinevere Turner; Showtime Networks' "More Than T;" a sneak peek at Season 4 of Amazon Studios' "Transparent;" and a screening of REVRY's "Suspiciously Large Woman: Bob the Drag Queen Comedy Special." Additionally, the AT&T Hello Lab is hosting a panel examining the unique challenges and opportunities facing underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry, and the steps being TAKEN to show a more diverse and realistic world.

Tickets and Information
For more information and for a complete listing of films in 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival, log on to outfest.org or call 213-480-7065, Monday-Friday, 10:00am-6:00pm.

Outfest members receive benefits such as free tickets, priority entrance to screenings or all-access passes. Tickets go on sale to members beginning Thursday, June 8. General admission tickets to individual films go on sale beginning Monday, June 12. Contact the Box Office for membership, tickets and event information by calling 213-480-7065 or visit Outfest.org. Special ticket packages are also available.

The 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival is proudly presented by HBO, a partnership that has spanned more than 20 years. The Grand Festival Sponsor is DIRECTV NOW. Premiere Sponsors include Bank of America, Clear Channel Outdoor, Comcast NBCUniversal, Directors Guild of America, The Fight Magazine, GILEAD, The Grove, The Hollywood Reporter, Showtime Networks and Variety. The Official hotel hospitality sponsor is Dream Hollywood Hotel. For more information about sponsorship, visit www.outfest.org/sponsor.

ABOUT OUTFEST
Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is the world's leading organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. Outfest builds community by connecting diverse populations to discover, discuss and celebrate stories of LGBT lives. Over the past three decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers, and protected more than 35,000 LGBT films and videos. Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival is eleven days of world-class films, panels, and parties.

ABOUT HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the world's most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services - HBO® and Cinemax® - to approximately 131 million subscribers worldwide. The services offer the popular subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand® and CineMax On Demand®, as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. HBO NOW®, the network's internet-only premium streaming service, provides audiences with instant access to HBO's acclaimed programming in the U.S. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO and CineMax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

2017 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBT FILM FESTIVAL LINE-UP

GALA FILMS:

GOD'S OWN COUNTRY - Opening Night Gala
Dir: Francis Lee, United Kingdom, 2017, 104 min

KEVYN AUCOIN BEAUTY & THE BEAST IN ME- Documentary Centerpiece
Dir: Lori Kaye, USA, 2017, 90 min

CLOSE KNIT - International Centerpiece
Dir: Naoko Ogigami, Japan, 2017, 127 min

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL - Special Centerpiece
Dir: Katherine Fairfax Wright, USA, 2017, 100 min

STRANGERS - U.S. Centerpiece
Dir: Mia Lidofsky, USA, 2016, 115 min

FREAK SHOW - Closing Night Gala
Dir: Trudie Styler, USA, 2017, 91 min

U.S. DRAMATIC FEATURES

195 LEWIS
Dir: Chanelle Aponte Pearson, USA, 2017, 45 min

AFTER LOUIE
Dir: Vincent Gagliostro, USA, 2016, 100 min

BEACH RATS
Dir: Eliza Hittman, USA, 2016, 98 min

BECKS
Dir: Liz Rohrbaugh & Daniel Powell, USA, 2017, 92 min

CHERRY POP
Dir: Assaad Yacoub, USA, 2016, 78 min

EASTSIDERS SEASON 3: GO WEST
Dir: Kit Williamson, USA, 2017, 90 min

THE FEELS
Dir: Jenée LaMarque, USA, 2016, 88 min

HELLO AGAIN
Dir: Tom Gustafson, USA, 2017, 105 min

A MILLION HAPPY NOWS
Dir: Albert Alarr, USA, 2016, 81 min

NEW QUEER FRONTIERS: BKPI & THE CHANCES
Dir: Hye Yun Park (BKPI) & Anna Kerrigan (The Chances), USA, 2017, 37 min & 34 min

PROM KING, 2010
Dir: Christopher Schaap, USA, 2017, 102 min

THE REVIVAL
Dir: Jennifer Gerber, USA, 2017, 84 min

THE RING THING
Dir: William Sullivan, USA, 2018, 120 min

SATURDAY CHURCH
Dir: Damon Cardasis, USA, 2017, 81 min

SIGNATURE MOVE
Dir: Jennifer Reeder, USA, 2017, 80 min

SOMETHING LIKE SUMMER
Dir: David Berry, USA, 2017, 115 min

INTERNATIONAL DRAMATIC FEATURES

4 DAYS IN FRANCE
Dir: Jér?me Reybaud, France, 2016, 142 min

BODY ELECTRIC
Dir: Marcelo Caetano, Brazil, 2017, 93 min

CENTER OF MY WORLD
Dir: Jakob M. Erwa, Germany/Austria, 2016, 115 min

THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
Dir: Cláudio Marques & Marilia Hughes Guerreiro, Brazil, 2016, 76 min

A DATE FOR MAD MARY
Dir: Darren Thornton, Ireland, 2016, 82 min

FATHERS
Dir: Palatpol Mingpornpichit, Thailand, 2016, 96 min

I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE
Dir: Ernesto Contreras, Mexico/Netherlands, 2017, 103 min

IN BETWEEN
Dir: Maysaloun Hamoud, Israel/France, 2016, 96 min

MAYBE TOMORROW
Dir: Samantha Lee, Philippines, 2016, 84 min

THE PASS
Dir: Ben A. Williams, United Kingdom, 2016, 88 min

PATHS
Dir: Chris Miera, Germany, 2017, 108 min

RIFT
Dir: Erlingur Thoroddsen, Iceland, 2017, 111 min

SANTA & ANDRES
Dir: Carlos Lechuga, Cuba, 2016, 105 min

TAMARA
Dir: Elia K. Schneider, Venezuela/Uruguay/Peru, 2016, 110 min

TOM OF FINLAND
Dir: Dome Karukoski, Finland, 2017, 115 min

THE WOUND
Dir: John Trengove, South Africa, 2017, 88 min

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

100 MEN
Dir: Paul Oremland, New Zealand, 2016, 95 min

BONES OF CONTENTION
Dir: Andrea Weiss, USA/Spain, 2017, 75 min

BOYS FOR SALE
Dir: Itako, Japan, 2017, 76 min

CHAVELA
Dir: Catherine Gund & Daresha Kyi, USA/Mexico/Spain, 2017, 90 min

THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON
Dir: David France, USA, 2017, 105 min

DREAM BOAT
Dir: Tristan Ferland Milewski, Germany, 2017, 92 min

THE FABULOUS Allan Carr
Dir: Jeffrey Schwarz, USA, 2017, 90 min

GIRL UNBOUND: THE WAR TO BE HER
Dir: Erin Heidenreich, Canada/Pakistan, 2016, 80 min

NO DRESS CODE REQUIRED
Dir: Cristina Herrera Borquez, Mexico, 2017, 92 min

OUT OF ORDER
Dir: Amanda Bluglass, USA, 2016, 60 min

QUEST
Dir: Jonathan Olshefski, USA, 2017, 90 min

REBELS ON POINTE
Dir: Bobbi Jo Hart, Canada, 2017, 90 min

STRONG ISLAND
Dir: Yance Ford, USA/Denmark, 2017, 107 min

THE UNTOLD TALES OF Armistead Maupin
Dir: Jennifer M. Kroot, USA, 2017, 90 min

WHOSE STREETS?
Dir: Sabaah Foloyan & Damon Davis, USA, 2017, 100 min

A WOMB OF THEIR OWN
Dir: Cyn Lubow, USA, 2016, 86 min

SPECIAL EVENTS

QUEEN SUGAR DIRECTORS PANEL

IN CONVERSATION WITH I. MARLENE KING

STEVEN UNIVERSE

BEGINNERS/FOCUS FEATURES 15th ANNIVERSARY
Dir: Mike Mills, 2011, 105 min

MORE THAN T sponsored by Showtime Networks
Dir: Silas Howard, USA, 2017, 53 min

SUSPICIOUSLY LARGE WOMAN: BOB THE DRAG QUEEN COMEDY SPECIAL sponsored by REVRY
Dir: Christopher Birk & Cheyenne Picardo, USA, 2017, 54 min

BAD MOVIE NIGHT

TRANSPARENT SEASON 4 sponsored by Amazon Studios

TEENAGE KICKS sponsored by Azure Productions
Dir: Craig Boreham, 2016, Australia, 98 min

PANELS & WORKSHOPS

BEYOND BINARIES: CREATING INTERSECTIONAL ENTERTAINMENT Hosted by AT&T Hello Lab, this panel will discuss the unique challenges and opportunities facing underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry, and the steps being TAKEN to show a more diverse and realistic world. Established and emerging LGBTQ talent from diverse backgrounds will provide first-hand insights and experiences as they explore the intersectionality of their communities, while navigating the world of development and production. Panelists include Laura Terruso (writer, HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS), Kevin Iwashina (Founder & CEO of Preferred Content), Andrew Ahn (writer-director, SPA NIGHT), Roberta Munroe (director-producer-author),

Miles McKenna (YouTube Star, MilesChronicles and host of HELLA GAY), and the discussion will be moderated by Brickson Diamond (co-founder of The Blackhouse Foundation).

CASH IN WITHOUT SELLING OUT: AUTHENTIC BRANDED STORYTELLING sponsored by Tongal

NEW FRONTIER OF STORYTELLING: Sundance VIRTUAL REALITY sponsored by Sundance Institute New Frontier Lab Programs

SCREENWRITING LAB: LIVE READING sponsored by Chateau Marmont, Comcast NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment

TRANS SUMMIT sponsored by Outfest, SAG-AFTRA and SAGIndie

PLATINUM SECTION: EXPERIMENTAL FILMS & LIVE EVENTS

THE STRANGE ONES
Dir: Christopher Radcliff & Lauren Wolkstein, USA, 2017, 81 min

THE LADIES ALMANACK
Dir: Daviel Shy, USA, 2017, 87 min

DISCREET
Dir: Travis Mathews, USA, 2017, 80 min

QUEERCORE: HOW TO PUNK A REVOLUTION
Dir: Yony Leyser, Germany, 2017, 72 min

OUTFEST UCLA LEGACY PROJECT

BEAUTIFUL THING
Dir: Hettie Macdonald, United Kingdom, 1996, 90 min

CHASING AMY
Dir: Kevin Smith, USA, 1997, 113 min

MUCHACHAS DE UNIFORME (GIRLS IN UNIFORM)
Dir: Alfredo B. Crevenna, Mexico, 1951, 83 min

OUT OF THE ARCHIVE: SNAPSHOTS OF QUEER LA

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