Outfest is on the mend.
The Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival has announced the lineup for its new four-day screening series, OutfestNEXT. The program, which will be held from November 6th to 9th at the L.A. LGBT Center’s Lemberg Theater and Glendale’s LOOK Cinema, will include 20 features and shorts.
OutfestNEXT, presented by HBO Max, opens with Yen Tan’s “All That We Love,” about a woman (Margaret Cho) who overcomes the loss of her beloved dog and newfound feelings for her estranged ex-husband. The film also stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kenneth Choi, Alice Lee, Missy Pyle, Atsuko Okatsuka, and Devin Bostick.
Night one will also feature a screening of “Dust Bunny,” the directorial debut of Bryan Fuller, 2017 Outfest Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and writer and creator of “Pushing Daisies” and “Hannibal.” Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, and David Dastmalchian, the film revolves around an 8-year-old girl who enlists the help of her neighbors who conspire to defeat a monster under the bed that seems to have eaten her family.
OutfestNEXT also celebrates the 25th anniversary of Greg Berlanti’s feature directorial debut, The Broken Hearts Club, about a group of gay men living in Los Angeles. This event is sponsored by Out@Sony Pictures.
Also on the bill is Rowan Harbor’s documentary “We Are Putt,” about Julia Sweeney’s androgynous “Saturday Night Live” character.
“We are extremely grateful to our sponsors, artists, and the Outfest community for supporting the organization’s resurgence,” Christopher Laxter, Outfest’s interim executive director, said in a statement Thursday. “This year’s OutfestNEXT lineup reflects our commitment to continue elevating all queer voices in partnership with our community. Every film we screen this year is the culmination of our vision for the future of film, ensuring that the media we consume reflects the communities that create it.”
The lineup also includes Avalon Fast’s CAMP, Shatara Michelle Ford’s Dreams in Nightmares, and Marco Berger’s Lollipop. Documentaries include “Niñxs” directed by Cani Lapuerta and “State of Firsts” directed by Chase Joynt.
Outfest was revived after a two-year hiatus due to financial difficulties, a legal battle with a former executive director, and unionization among employees. OutfestNEXT is the first initiative to be introduced following the election of a new board of directors.
Outfest began in 1982 and became known for the Outfest Los Angeles Festival and its BIPOC program, Outfest Fusion.
Tickets for OutfestNEXT go on sale to Outfest members on October 20th and to the general public on October 23rd via Outfest.org.
