Outfest Los Angeles

U.S. CENTERPIECE
MAMA BEARS
DIR. DARESHA KYI | USA | 90 MIN.
FRIDAY | JULY 22 | 7:15PM | DGA 1
In Texas, Kimberly overhears her four-year-old Kai praying for
God to take her home to Jesus rather than having to live as a boy.
In Oklahoma, Sara is bedridden and cries for days after her son
Parker comes out. In California, as her daughter Tammi decides
to allow herself to find love with another woman after wrestling
with 33 years of religious guilt, Tenita is taking the first steps to
understanding. Across the country, there are over 30,000 “Mama
Bears” who work to make the world kinder and safer for LGBTQ
children of all ages. While they may come from strict religious
upbringings and consider themselves devout Christians, the fierce
love they have for their queer and trans children is unwavering,
pushing them to choose not to be hateful reflections of a loving God.
Daresha Kyi is unflinching as she points her lens towards
families whose faith has been challenged, documenting their
journeys with care and empathy. Both intimate and thoughtprovoking,
follow these mamas as they take their own brand
of grassroots advocacy across the country, one hug at a time.
As part of the film’s special centerpiece screening during
Outfest Los Angeles, director Daresha Kyi, the film team, and the
leadership of the Mama Bears organization will be on the red
carpet. They will be joined by special guests who will help them
rally parents of color to protect their LGBTQIA+ children, and
jumpstart vitally important conversations within communities of
color about the importance of love, acceptance, and inclusion.
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS
DIR. JUAN FELIPE ZULETA | USA | 100 MIN.
WEDNESDAY | JULY 20 | 7:00PM | DGA 1
Peter, a self-described “college-educated, homosexual
dwarf,” keeps to himself in his apartment as he reels from
the recent loss of his closest friend. His solitary existence
is up-ended when his quirky neighbor Winona shows up
at his door with a favor to ask: she’d like to borrow his
car so she can drive to the remote Canadian field where
aliens are due to beam her aboard their spaceship.
Led by a sensational pair of performances from Matthew
Jeffers (TV’s New Amsterdam) and Sarah Hay, this
disarming and wholly original take on the roadtrip comedy
finds its charm and its power in spotlighting characters
who rarely get the lead roles. Directed with a fabulous
visual flair by first-time feature helmer Juan Felipe Zuleta,
this film demonstrates the thrilling rewards of watching
previously sidelined characters take center stage.
DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE
FAR FROM HEAVEN (20TH ANNIVERSARY)
DIR. TODD HAYNES| USA, FRANCE | 107 MIN.
SUNDAY | JULY 17 | 6:30PM | DGA 1
20TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING IN 35MM
with Todd Haynes, Christine Vachon, and Julianne Moore in person!
In the 1950s, director Douglas Sirk achieved his greatest commercial
and artistic triumphs with a series of brilliant, socially conscious
melodramas. Films like All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind,
and Imitation of Life — sumptuously filmed, larger-than-life productions
populated by Hollywood legends. They incisively explored issues of
class, race, and inequality while delivering all the swooning romance
and heightened drama audiences craved. Sirk’s distinct style has been
cited by queer filmmaking legends as an influence, and in 2002, it
provided inspiration for Todd Haynes’ masterpiece, Far From Heaven.
From the first frame, Haynes’ meticulous recreation of a Sirkian world
envelops the senses, but this is not simply an homage to a great filmmaker,
it’s a radical reimagining of what was possible in ‘50s era Hollywood
filmmaking. Through the story of picture perfect housewife Cathy Whitaker
finds herself falling for her handsome Black gardener in the wake of
discovering her husband’s hidden queerness, Haynes frankly addresses
issues that in actual 1950s films remained coded, while nimbly maintaining
the attitudes and language of the era. This stunning film, which earned four
Academy Award nominations, also represents perhaps the finest work in
the ongoing filmmaking trio of Haynes, producer Christine Vachon (who
has worked with Haynes since their breakout 1991 feature Poison), and
star Julianne Moore (who joined the two for 1995’s Safe, and several
more films after). Outfest is honored to welcome all three to this special
20th anniversary screening to discuss their undeniably iconic partnership.
PLATINUM CENTERPIECE
HeBGB TV
DIRS. JAKE MCCLELLAN, ERIC GRIFFIN,
ADAM LENHART | USA | 78 MIN.
SATURDAY | JULY 16 | 7:00PM | REDCAT
WORLD PREMIERE
A retro-horror TV cable box infiltrates a neighborhood
when a brother and sister stay up past their bedtime to
sneak in some late-night viewing. Suddenly, Knuckle Head
appears in their living room and begins to curate nostalgic
queer killer content that might just make them never sleep
again! This queer tribute to goofy horror hijinks and cable
access shenanigans is destined to be a cult classic. Jam
packed with strange skits, scary songs, bawdy humor, and
creepy characters all aiming for a cheap laugh. How does
a vampire deal with puberty? Will a loving lesbian movie
night go to hell? Created by a DIY filmmaking trio from
small town Pennsylvania, this year’s platinum centerpiece
will include an opening live action, spooky immersive
experience, to guide viewers into the most ridiculously
terrifying Halloween TV special ever seen on the big screen.
LEGACY CENTERPIECE