Outfest Los Angeles Sets ‘The Obituary of Tunde Johnson’, ‘Monsoon’, ‘Two Eyes’ And More For Virtual LGBTQ Film Fest

Dino-Ray Ramos
·9 min read

Outfest Los Angeles is going virtual this year and they have unveiled their stacked lineup for the 11-day festival which kicks off August 20.

The LGBTQ film fest fest will include over 160 films with 35 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres to Los Angeles for 2020. The fest will live on http://www.outfestla2020.com and there will also be “Outfest LA Under the Stars”, a drive-in experience will take place at the stunning Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, where for two extended weekends the Festival will be hosting a series of drive-in screenings across six-nights on two lots, including both kick-off and closing events. The drive-in screenings will start with the Sundance pic The Nowhere Inn starring musicians Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein. Other screenings will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

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Over 70% of films at Outfest LA directed by female, trans, and POC filmmakers. The Breakthrough Centerpiece will be the Sundance pic The Obituary of Tunde Johnson, Ali LeRoi’s directorial feature debut, as well as the International Centerpiece Monsoon, directed by Sundance and Outfest alum Hong Khaou (Lilting) and starring Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians). Posy Dixon’s Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story will serve as a Documentary Centerpiece. Outfest’s Closing Film will be the world premiere of Outfest alum Travis Fine’s (Any Day Now) Two Eyes.

Other selections at this year’s fest include originally scheduled for festivals disrupted by COVID-19 earlier in the year, including P.S. Burn This Letter Please; Cowboys starring Steve Zahn, Jillian Bell, Ann Dowd, and young trans actor Sasha Knight; as well as musician Big Freedia’s docu Freedia Got A Gun. A mix of pre-recorded and live virtual Q&As are expected with cast and crew across all programs.

Outfest LA’s Platinum section will continue the tradition of highlighting the cutting-edge, avant-garde and experimental work coming from the queer community while Outfest’s Legacy Project will feature repertory films not currently available on streaming.

“In this brand new, uncharted territory of digital festivals, we are honored that so many wonderful films have entrusted Outfest LA to be their festival home,” said Mike Dougherty, Outfest Director of Festival Programming. “I’m incredibly excited that this stunning array of diverse talent – which represents Outfest’s continued mission to showcase the best work from LGBTQIA+ artists – will be more accessible than ever before.”

Damien S. Navarro, Outfest Executive Director added: “This year’s film festival is not only a reflection of Outfest’s historic trajectory – mixing innovation with media to cast an ever-widening net of diverse and global stories – it is also a testament to Outfest’s commitment to thrive in a moment in which the future of live events, independent film, and our own rights are threatened. We must continue to create opportunities for our LGBTQIA+ storytellers to navigate the tumultuous environment of entertainment, media and communications, year round.”

Read the full Outfest lineup and the jurors confirmed for the competitive sections below.

  • Documentary Centerpiece: KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY, dir. Posy Dixon

  • U.S. Centerpiece: SHIVA BABY, dir. Emma Seligman

  • International Centerpiece: MONSOON, dir. Hong Khaou

  • Breakthrough Centerpiece: THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON, dir. Ali LeRoi

  • Closing Film: TWO EYES, dir. Travis Fine

Drive-In Exclusives

  • THE NOWHERE INN, dir. Bill Benz

  • LA LEYENDA NEGRA, dir. Patricia Vidal Delgado

U.S. Narratives

  • BREAKING FAST, dir. Mike Mosallam

  • CICADA, dirs.. Matthew Fifer, Kieran Mulcare

  • COWBOYS, dir. Anna Kerrigan

  • DRAMARAMA, dir. Jonathan Wysocki

  • GOSSAMER FOLDS, dir. Lisa Donato

  • MINYAN, dir. Eric Steel

  • T11 INCOMPLETE, dir. Suzanne Guacci

  • TAHARA, dir. Olivia Peace

  • THE CARNIVORES, dir. Caleb Johnson

Documentary Features

  • AHEAD OF THE CURVE, dir. Jen Rainin

  • CURED, dirs.. Patrick Sammon and Bennett Singer

  • FREEDIA GOT A GUN, dir. Chris McKim

  • HOUSE OF CARDIN, dir. P David Ebersole, Todd Hughes

  • I AM THE OTHER ONE, dir. Silvia Goddinho

  • OUT LOUD, dir. Gail Willumsen

  • P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE, dir. Jennifer Tiexiera, Michael Seligman

  • THE CAPOTE TAPES, dir. Ebs Burnough

  • YOUR MOTHER’S COMFORT, dir. Adam Golub

International Narratives

  • ALICE JUNIOR, dir. Gil Baroni

  • COCOON (KOKON), dir. Leonie Krippendorff

  • DRY WIND, dir. Daniel Nolasco

  • ELLIE & ABBIE (AND ELLIE’S DEAD AUNT), dir. Monica Zanetti

  • NO HARD FEELINGS, dir. Franz Shariat

  • THE STRONG ONES (LOS FUERTES), dir. Omar Zuñiga

  • THE TEACHER, dir. Ming-Lang Chen

  • TWILIGHT’S KISS, dir. Ray Yeung

  • TWO OF US, dir. Filippo Meneghetti

  • VALENTINA, dir. Cássio Pereira dos Santos

Outfest Legacy

  • BLOODSISTERS: LEATHER, DYKES AND SADOMASOCHISM, dir. Michelle Handelman

  • LILY TOMLIN: THE FILM BEHIND THE SHOW, dirs. Joan Churchill & Nick Broomfield

  • STRANGER INSIDE, dir. Cheryl Dunye

Platinum

  • ASK ANY BUDDY, dir. Evan Purchell

  • IF IT WERE LOVE, dir. Patric Chiha

  • THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, dir. Matthew Rankin

Special Events

  • BECOMING A MAN IN 127 EASY STEPS, dir. Andrea James

  • ¡GAYTINO! MADE IN AMERICA, dir. Dan Guerrero

  • NELLY QUEEN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOSE SARRIA, dir. Joe Castel

  • SHOW ME YOURS, dir. Kevin McCloskey

  • THREE CHORDS AND A LIE, dir. Trent Atkinson

Episodics

  • APRICOT, dir. Sam Icklow, Jake Thompson

  • HIDDEN CANYONS, dirs. Brant Rotnem, Fawzia Mirza

  • KILLER WORKOUT, dir. Sara Werner

  • MAGIC HOUR, dir. Che Grayson

  • SIDEWAYS SMILE, dir. Hang Nguyen

Short Films

  • -SHIP: A VISUAL POEM, dir. Terrance Daye

  • #GAYBOY2020, dir.Noah Causey

  • ACUITZERAMO, dir. Miguel Angel Caballero

  • AN ANNA, dir. Denise Riedmayr

  • ARE YOU HUNGRY?, dir. Teemu Miukkanen

  • ATOMIC LOVE, dir. Imogen McCluskey

  • BABYDYKE (BABYLEBBE), dir. Tone Ottilie

  • BEFORE THE BLUE, dir. romy pocztaruk

  • BLISS IS ORANGE, dir. Jenna Kanell

  • BLOCKED, dir. Kevin Yee

  • BUCK, dir. Elegance Bratton, Jovan James

  • BURY A FRIEND, dir. Rick Wayne

  • CANDIS FOR PRESIDENT, dir. Michelle Peerali

  • CANIS MAJOR, dir. Charli Brissey

  • CARO COMES OUT, dir. Brit Fryer, Caro Hernandez

  • CATFISH KILLER, dir. Gil Hizon, Seth Harrington

  • CONSENT, dir. Andrew Cervantes

  • DARLING, dir. Saim Sadiq

  • DATED, dir. Zenon Samuels

  • DM, dir. Ariel Zucker

  • DOWN DOG, dir. Shae Xu

  • DREAMING LIKE LOUIS, dir. Valentin Merz Tanören

  • DRIP LIKE COFFEE, dir. Anaiis Cisco

  • DUNGAREES, dir. Abel Rubinstein

  • ETÉREA, dir. Pedro Inoue, Tino Monetti

  • FEMENINA, dir. Ilana Garcia-Mittleman

  • FLEX, dir. Matt Porter

  • GAY PRE-PARTY BEFORE THE PARTY!!!!, dir. Matthew Barkley

  • GEN Z, dir. Mo McFadden

  • GO GO, BOY!, dir. Oriana Oppice

  • HALWA, dir. Gayatri Bajpai, Nirav Bhakta

  • HAPPINESS IN WHICH I LIVE, dir. Carlos Morales

  • HEALING ME, dir. Lauren Neal

  • HEART TO HEART, dir. Lilah Vandenburgh

  • HEAVENLY BROWN BODY, dir. Leslie Foster

  • HER OWN MUSIC, dir. Olivia Aleksoski

  • HOW TO SAY I LOVE YOU AT NIGHT, dir. Andree Ljutica

  • IN COLOUR (EN COLOR), dir. James Lucas

  • IN FRANCE MICHELLE IS A MAN’S NAME, dir. Em Weinstein

  • IN ORBIT, dir. Katie McNeice

  • INSTRUCTIONS TO LET GO, dir. Gustavo Gamero

  • ISHTAR, dir. Mia Georgis

  • JACKALOPE, dir. Cassils

  • JESSE, dir. Vinz Feller

  • JOYCHILD, dir. Aurora Brachman

  • KAMA’ĀINA (CHILD OF THE LAND), dir. Kimi Howl Lee

  • KAPAEMAHU, dirs.. Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe WIlson

  • KIKO’S SAINTS, dir. Manuel Marmier

  • KIND OF, dir. Noah Schamus

  • LA GLORIA, dir. Mary Evangelista

  • LAST SUMMER WITH UNCLE IRA, dir. Gary Jaffe, Katie Ennis

  • LOVE LOST, AND FOUND, dir. Richard O’Connor

  • LYNDALE, dirs.. oli rodriguez, Victoria Stob

  • MC JESS, dir. Carla Villa-Lobos

  • MEET CUTE, dir. Francesca Calvo, Omar Ahmed

  • META, dir. Sydne Horton

  • MODE, dirs. Peter Kalisch, AJ Strout

  • MUY GAY TOO MEXICANO, dir. Lorena Lourenco

  • NAOMI REPLANSKY AT 100, dir. Megan Rossman

  • OF HEARTS AND CASTLES, dir. Ruben Navarro

  • OFFLINE (DESCONEXO), dir. Lui Avallos

  • OUR PLACE TOGETHER, dir. Clay Marshall Pruitt

  • PEACH, dirs.. Rowan Devereux & Sophie Saville

  • PLAYING FOR KEEPS, dir. DJ Turner

  • POMPEII, dir. Harry Lighton, Marco Alessi, Matthew Jacobs Morgan

  • PRETTY THINGS, dir. Pedro Suarez

  • PRIMER, dir. crosslucid

  • PURPLEBOY, dir. Alexandre Siqueira

  • QUERY, dir. Sophie Kargman

  • RICH ATMOSPHERE: THE MUSIC OF MERCHANT-IVORY FILMS, dir. Stephen Soucy

  • ROYALTY, dirs.. Sav Souza and Logan Thomason

  • S.A.M, dirs.. Eyre and Ely

  • SATAN’S TEARS, dir. Andrew Lush

  • SEE YOU SOON, dir. Tyler Rabinowitz

  • SEXTPERT ADVICE, dir. Tobit Raphael Capati

  • SHÉÁR AVORY: TO BE CONTINUED, dir. Abram Cerda

  • SOFT & PINK, dir. Zoe Ward

  • SPILT MILK, dir. Cierra Glaude

  • STALLS, dir.João Dall’Stella

  • STONEWALL 2069, dir. Samuel Douek

  • STRANGERS, dir. Jamieson Pearce

  • SUNSHINE IN THE RUINS, dir. Chou Yu Cheng

  • SWIPE UP, VIVIAN!, dir. Hannah Welever

  • TALK TO YOU LATER, dir. Adison Olivera

  • TAPE, dir. Jojo Erholtz

  • TEAM MARILYN, dir. LaToya Morgan

  • TENDER, dir. Felicia Pride

  • THE CYPHER, dir. Letia Solomon

  • THE D*CK APPOINTMENT, dir. Mike Roma

  • THE DOOR SHE OPENED, dir. Richard O’Connor

  • THE FABRIC OF YOU, dir. Josephine Lohoar Self

  • THE GIFT (O PRESENTE), dir. Daniel Wierman

  • THE HOUSE OF MARIANA Y GABRIEL, dir. Hena Ashraf

  • THE MISTRESS (LA AMANTE), dir. Pati Cruz

  • THE NAME OF THE SON, dir. Martina Matzkin

  • THE OUTBREAK, dir. Trent Nakamura

  • THE SHAWL, dir. Sara Kiener

  • THE STARR SISTERS, dir. Beth Einhorn, Bridey Elliott

  • THE TEST, dir. Jessica Smith

  • THIS IS AN ADDRESS, dir. Sasha Wortzel

  • TRANS HAPPINESS IS REAL, dir. Quinton Baker

  • TRASHY BOOTY, dir. Iris Devins

  • UMBILICAL, dir. Danski Tang

  • UNSPOKEN, dir. Patrick G. Lee

  • VICTORIA, dir. Dani Toledo

  • WATER (AGUA), dir. Santiago Zermeño

  • WERE YOU GAY IN HIGH SCHOOL?, dir. Niki Ang

  • WHERE MY GIRLS, dir. Mads Engel

  • WHO CAN PREDICT WHAT WILL MOVE YOU?, dir. Livia Huang

  • WISHES, dir. Amy Jenkins

  • YOURS MINE OURS, dir. Ben Baur

  • YUNIOR, dir. Francisco Cabrera-Feo

Outfest Jurors

US Narrative Feature: James Sweeney, filmmaker (Straight Up); Ayo Kepher-Maat, Director of Acquisitions, NEON; Caden Mark Gardner, Film Critic.

International Narrative Feature: Jacqueline Lyanga, former Artistic Director of both AFI Fest and Film Independent; Andrew Murphy, Director of Programming, Inside Out Toronto and Isabel Sandoval, filmmaker (Lingua Franca).

Documentary: Sam Feder, filmmaker (Disclosure); Ben-Alex Dupris, filmmaker, (Sweetheart Dancers – winner of Best Short Doc jury award at Outfest LA 2019); Daresha Kyi, filmmaker (Chavela – winner of Best Documentary Jury and Audience Award at Outfest LA 2017).

International Narrative Shorts: Daniel Laabs, filmmaker, (Jules of Light and Dark – winner of Best U.S. Narrative Feature jury prize Outfest LA 2019), Lauren Wolkstein, filmmaker (The Strange Ones); Aurora Guerrero, filmmaker (Netflix’s Gentefied, Mosquita Y Mari).

U.S. Narrative Short: Brian Michael Smith, Actor, (911: Lone Star); Gillian Horvat, filmmaker (I Blame Society) and Carly Usdin, filmmaker (Suicide Kale).

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