Outfest Returns With Broken Hearts Club 25th Anniversary Celebration
Outfest is on the rebound.
The Los Angeles LGBTQ film festival has announced the lineup of OutfestNEXT, its new four-day screening series. Taking place Nov. 6-9 at the LA LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre and LOOK cinema in Glendale, the program includes 20 features and shorts.
OutfestNEXT, presented by HBO Max, opens with Yen Tan’s “All That We Love” about a woman (Margaret Cho) navigating the loss of her dog and renewed feelings for her estranged ex-husband. The film also stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kenneth Choi, Alice Lee, Missi Pyle, Atsuko Okatsuka and Devin Bostick.
The first night will also feature “Dust Bunny,” the directorial debut of Bryan Fuller, 2017 Outfest Achievement Award honoree and the writer and creator behind “Pushing Daisies” and “Hannibal.” The film stars Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, and David Dastmalchian and centers on an 8-year-old girl who asks her scheming neighbor for help in killing the monster under her bed that she believes has eaten her family.
OutfestNEXT will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of “The Broken Hearts Club,” Greg Berlanti’s feature directorial debut about a group of gay men living in Los Angeles. The event is sponsored by Out@ Sony Pictures.
Also on the bill is “We Are Pat,” Rowan Haber’s documentary about Julia Sweeney’s androgynous “Saturday Night Live” character.
“We are enormously grateful to our sponsors, artists and the Outfest community for helping bring the organization back to life,” Outfest interim executive director Christopher Racster said in a statement Thursday. “The OutfestNEXT lineup this year reflects our commitment to continue uplifting all queer voices with the help of our community. Every film we are showing this year culminates our vision for the future of cinema, ensuring the media we consume reflects the communities that create it.”
Additional films on the lineup include “CAMP” by Avalon Fast, “Dreams in Nightmares” by Shatara Michelle Ford and “Perro Perro” by Marco Berger. Documentaries include “Niñxs” by Kani Lapuerta and “State of Firsts” by Chase Joynt.
Outfest returns after a two-year hiatus caused by financial troubles, a legal battle with a former executive director and unionization of its workforce. OutfestNEXT is the first initiative put in place after the election of a new board of directors.
Outfest was started in 1982 and became known for the Outfest Los Angeles festival and its BIPOC programming Outfest Fusion.
OutfestNEXT tickets will be available to Outfest members on Oct. 20, and to the general public on Oct. 23 via Outfest.org.
