Neil BakerHonouring Pride Month, Dances With Films: LA is proud to highlight its LGBTQIA+ lineup of films in partnership with Outfest for its 27th edition, unspooling at the TCL Chinese Theater June 20-30.
Adding a new co-presenting partnership under the Outfest banner taking place June 27 for a curated slate of short documentaries, narrative shorts and feature films, additional LGBTQIA+ programming, and a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) panel spreads pride across DWF. Outfest will also promote its partnership with DWF to its audience to drive its community to the festival.
“As a discovery film festival, a core mission of Dances with Films is to represent and elevate underrepresented communities,” said festival co-founders Michael Trent and Leslee Scallon. “The opportunity to partner with Outfest, as well as to call attention to other films in the slate with queer themes and messages, fits in perfectly with that mission.”
Outfest Interim Executive Director Christopher Racster added, “Outfest is incredibly proud to be partnering with Dances with Films 27 to present a program of rising LGBTQIA+ voices. As one of the oldest film festivals in Los Angeles, DWF has always championed new talent from our community and provided an important platform to share our queer stories.”
The beat goes on at the Outfest day at DWF on Thursday, June 27, beginning with a Diversity and Inclusion Panel at 1:00 pm at the TCL Chinese Theater to talk about all aspects of the community, the celebrations and the hurdles still to overcome. Moderated by Darrien Michele Gipson, Executive Director of SAGindie, the panellists include Effie Brown, CEO of Gamechanger Films and producer of REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, IN THE CUT, STAR, and more; Outfest’s Christopher Racster, and actor Alexandra Grey (MacGyver, How To Get Away With Murder, Empire, and The Alienist).
At 2:45 PM is the first Outfest programming block, featuring two doc shorts. The first is, IS GAY MARRIAGE NEXT? directed by Emily Clark. Responding to a Supreme Court case in 2003, a groundbreaking cover of Newsweek featured a lesbian couple and asked: Is gay marriage next? A young, closeted woman saw the magazine and found the courage to come out. Two decades later, she searches for the couple who gave her hope. Together, they explore the LGBTQ political landscape then and now. In a post-Roe era, this compelling story asks a familiar question with a haunting twist: is gay marriage next—to go? LIVING LOUD is directed by Carin van der Donk and Sarah Teale. In 2020, Fogo Azul, an all-woman and non-binary drumming group from New York City, travelled to Salvador, Brazil, to learn from Banda Dida, the first black female samba reggae drumming troupe and to take part in Carnival. Then, in 2022, Adriana Portela, the charismatic leader of Dida, travelled to New York to rehearse with the 115 women of Fogo Azul to participate in the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. What follows is a portrait of empowerment, joy, inclusion and the enduring power of the drum.
At 4:45 PM comes the narrative shorts block, beginning with BROKEN ART, Ryan Powers’ story of a man who struggles to accept the one major flaw in his near-perfect relationship. Powers stars opposite Emrhys Cooper. In Andrew Bourne’s CHURCH CAMP, Josh, a gawky counsellor, puts the “bi” in Bible Camp. He misplaces a note revealing his secret, and races to find it before the worship service. In the process, he confuses his clueless youth minister and drags his rag-tag campers through a slew of camp misadventures. In THE PARADISE ROAD, writer/director Lisa Marie Tedesco takes recently married Ellie takes Shae on a romantic excursion to the west coast seaside for a moment of happiness and seclusion before inevitably coming to terms with a life-altering decision. In Ryan Nordin’s SCRAPS, shy art student Gus works at his Uncle’s Montana woodshop. He’s distracted by attractive skateboarder Bridger Owens, who trades him skating lessons for board-crafting tips. After a few weeks of skate lessons, Gus and Bridger become fast friends. Finally, after a boozy bonfire party in the woods, a vulnerable conversation sparks intense feelings that both Gus and Bridger can no longer deny. Finally, Al Braatz’ STARRY EYED is a queer dark comedy about a delusional romantic on a quest to reignite an old flame. Blinded by love, the line between romantic gestures and illegal ones becomes blurred.
At 7:00 PM June 27, Outfest and DWF present David Beck and Jennifer Bobbi’s World Premiere of REGARDING US. In the film, after losing her teaching career in the Catholic school system, a transgender woman has a profound impact on the lives of two children–one with two fathers in marital strife and the other a recent transplant from a conservative household. When the children form a unique bond, new questions and old prejudices erupt.
Additional LGBTQIA+ programming at DWF includes Louisa Hill’s Los Angelez, making its West Coast premiere June 22 in the Pilots Block 3. Amelia’s got a date with the hottest woman in the world. Only problem is—she’s never been on a gay date before. Panicking that she’s not queer enough, Amelia attempts to reinvent herself in the two hours before her crush arrives.
Then there’s Clarke Childers’ ASHES TO DUST which makes its world premiere Wednesday June 26 in the Fusion Shorts block. Estranged siblings Elizabeth and Danny reunite in their childhood home after the death of their eccentric mother. Without a will or any instructions, old wounds are quickly reopened, and disagreements abound. A Ouija board may be the only way for “Mom” to provide the guidance they both desperately seek.
Becoming a “chosen family” can have its growing pains in Jason Lee Courson’s world premiere TV pilot SEEKING, screening on Saturday, June 29. Broad City meets New Girl and Will and Grace with a sprinkling of Kimmy Schmidt, “Seeking…” is a show about three roommates (2 gay men, 1 straight man) all from different backgrounds, learning to cohabitate and navigate love and life in the big city.
Among the queer features, Nayip Anthony Garcia’s ALMOST POPULAR (featuring Disney Star Ruby Rose Turner) follows two high school juniors who go on a quest to fulfil their dream to become part of the elite POP Girls who rule the school. That world premiere screening is June 22. Nicolas Giuricich SPARK, making its US Premiere June 24, follows a hopeless romantic struggling to build intimacy with a man who inexplicably makes him time loop back a day every time they make love.
As his feelings for the man grow, so do his suspicions that this stranger is aware of this cosmic insanity, too. June 26 brings the West Coast Premiere of Etana Jacobson’s ADVANCED CHEMISTRY, in which a scientist who has developed a compound to enhance bonding injects his married best friend to help her stop cheating on her wife, but when he also injects the wife, it backfires when she falls for him. Parker Brennon’s queer horror anthology HAUNTOLOGY (making its world premiere June 29) is framed by a young woman taking her 12-year-old sister with runaway aspirations on a journey around town, where she tells supernatural tales in which characters have more in common with the youngster than they first realise.
Cinerama will be featuring select reviews from Dances with Films during June and July.
You must be logged in to post a comment.