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17 Reasons Why We Can't Wait to See a Bunch of Lesbian Movies at Outfest 2014
Outfest, Los Angeles’ premiere LGBT film festival, kicks off its 32nd year this Thursday, and if you’re looking for queer women to be represented on the big screen, Outfest is where you’ll find plenty of high comedy and drama for the girls!
Thursday’s opening gala features the lesbian themed Life Partners for starters, and All-Girl Friday at the Directors Guild of America on July 18, showing four lesbian-themed features and a Girls Shorts program, and serving cocktails on the patio, will be the lesbian cinephile reunion of the year!
Here are the women’s films screening at Outfest this year, and even if you’re not in the LA area these are the queer women’s films to keep an eye on in the coming year at a festival near you.
Theaters:
DGA: Directors Guild of America7920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90046
Ford: John Anson Ford Amphitheatre2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 90068
Harmony Gold Theatre7655 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90046
REDCAT: Roy and Edna Disney/Calarts Theatre at Walt Disney Concert Hall631 W. 2nd St., Downtown Los Angeles, 90012
Orpheum Theatre842 S. Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles, 90014
July 10
Life Partners
Screening 8 p.m. Orpheum - Opening Night Gala
Story: Leighton Meester and Gillian Jacobs star as best friends who try internet dating. Meester's Sasha is a lesbian warding off advances from an unhinged Trace (Kate McKinnon) while Paige meets a likable nerdy guy. Gabby Sidibe and Abby Elliott costar.
July 11
BFFS
Screening: 7 p.m. Harmony Gold
Story: Rather than waste a pre-paid weekend to a couples’ retreat best friends Kat and Samantha decide to hit up the touchy-feely resort together. Once they’ve endured the “Closer to Closeness” seminar together they begin to wonder if they don’t have other feelings. Think Faking It for adults!
July 12
Regarding Susan Sontag
Screening: 4 p.m. DGA1
Story: The life and work of writer, activist, and social critic Susan Sontag is explored in this biography from director Nancy D. Kates. Interviews, archival footage and Sontag's writing -- as voiced by Patricia Clarkson -- are fused together to paint a portrait of the remarkable woman who gave us "Notes on Camp" among other everlasting theories.
July 12
Lyle
Screening: 7 p.m. DGA1
Story: Leah, performed by Gabby Hoffmann (Girls, Transparent), is a pregnant lesbian who finds herself dealing with an evil spirit. Lyle is Stewart Thorndike's ode to Rosemary's Baby. The supernatural occurences causes Leah to question the motives of the people around her, including her partner, friends, and neighbors.
July 12
X/Y
Screening: 9:15 p.m. DGA1
Story: Real-life couple America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams play Sylvia and Mark who split after a confession. While Sylvia tries to understand her feelings for her co-worker, Mark finds comfort in company of his bisexual friend Jake (Jon Paul Phillips). Williams directed the piece to subvert gender stereotypes in a steamy way.
July 13
Of Girls And Horses
Screening: 3 p.m. Harmony Gold
Story: Alex is a 16 year old who has gone down a troubled path dabbling with drugs and self-abuse. Alex finds herself under the tutelage of Nina, lesbian equestrian, as an intern on a horse ranch in Germany. While working from day to day, a flirtatious relationship develops between Alex and Kathy, a privileged girl who brings her own horse to the farm.
July 14
Letter to Anita
Screening: 7:15 p.m. Harmony Gold
Story: Coming out as a lesbian in the 1970's caused Dr. Ronni Sanlo (Director of the UCLA LGBT Center) to lose custody of her children. The injustice led Sanlo into a life of LGBT activism. Letter to Anita ventures into the heart-wrenching legacy of Anita Bryant's "Save Our Children" campaign, and the letter that details the injustice of the anti-gay legislation. Narrated by Meredith Baxter.
July 14
52 Tuesdays
Screening: 9:30 p.m. DGA2
Story: The name tells the basic structure of the film--snapshots of life through each Tuesday for a year. 52 Tuesdays is about teenager Billie whose parent, James, reveals plans for transitioning from female to male. Billie and James agree to meet every Tuesday while they their year apart.. The film follows the journey of father and daughter through his transition which parallel's Billie's own growth in identity and sexuality.
July 15
Appropriate Behavior
Screening: 7 p.m. DGA1
Story: Shirin, played by Desiree Akhavan, is a frustrated bisexual woman dealing with a toxic breakup with ex-girlfriend Maxine (Rebecca Henderson). She spends time in the Brooklyn dating scene, trying to find man or woman, to distract from the pain of the past. However, her luck of landing a date forces her to confront issues that she's put aside, such as hiding her bisexuality, from her Iranian parents.
July 16
Sarah Prefers to Run
Screening: 7:15 p.m. DGA2
Story: 20-year-old Sarah Lepage loves to run, and she will do it against her mother's wishes in order to join the team at McGill University. Sarah has to deal with developing feelings for a female teammate, as well as her fiance, Antoine. Sarah Prefers to Run is written and directed by Chloe Robichaud.
July 17
Crazy Bitches
Screening: 8:30 p.m. Ford
Story: This a story about eight "crazy bitches" who reunite for a weekend cabin trip of alcohol and gossip in the woods. The trip becomes more interesting as the group learns about a crime that happened at their campsite. Though the story seemed to be untrue, things get heated as one of them disappears. The cast includes Guinevere Turner, Cathy DeBuono, and Candis Cayne.
July 18
Out In The Night
Screening: 5 p.m. DGA 2
Story: Out In The Night chronicles the unfortunate events of seven African American lesbians who enjoying a night in Manhattan's West Village. One of the women was sexually harassed by a young man, causing the other women to defend and protect their friend by leaving the man hospitalized with a minor injury. However, the act labeled them as "lesbian gang members" and they were eventually given severe prison sentences.
July 18
Anatomy of a Love Seen
Screening: 7 p.m. DGA1
Story: Zoe and Mal fell in love with eachother while filming a love scene. However, that was six months ago, and since then they've had an intense affair that caused a heartbreaking fallout. But their lives must collide again when the love scene gets scheduled for a re-shoot. Anatomy of a Love Seen is written and directed by Marina Rice Bader.
July 18
Girls' Shorts
Screening: 9:30 p.m. DGA1
Story: This year, the Girls' Shorts program offers six intriguing short films. Code Academy is set in the future where girls and boys are separated until the age of 18. Disaster Preparedness is about a couple who has to deal with their issues during a hurricane. Secrets and Toys is about a mother and daughter who discover new things about each other. The Night Is Ours is about Megan who finds that her best friend Olivia has come back to life. Be Here Now-ish: Episode 2 chronicles a one-night stand problem. Alone with People tells the story of a high school girl that comes out to her family with the help of a therapist.
July 18
Dual
Screening: 9:30 p.m. DGA2
Story: Iben finds herself stuck in Slovenia for the night when her connecting flight gets cancelled. She finds Tina, a lesbian minivan driver, and gets a tour of Ljubljana. In the short time that they are together, they begin to develop feelings for each other, but are at a crossroads: Tina has a big interview for the morning, and Iben is hiding a huge secret.
July 19
Girltrash: All Night Long
Screening: 4:30 p.m. Redcat
Story: A rock musical that throws you into the lives of five hot girls in one crazy night. Daisy and Tyler are two rockers trying to make it to the Battle of the Bands. However, they find themselves caught in a bind with Daisy's sister Colby. All Colby wants to do is get the girl of her dreams. You will find alumnis from The L Word like Clementine Ford, Kate French, and Rose Rollins in this film created by director Alexandra Kondracke (The L Word) and writer Angela Robinson.
July 19
The Foxy Merkins
Screening: 7 p.m. DGA1
Story: Margaret, a lesbian hooker-in-training, meets Jo, a self assured swindler heterosexual who seems to be an expert in picking up women. These two find themselves running into a series of events like bargain-hunting houseives, lady Republicans, seductive women, and swingers. The Foxy Merkins is written and directed by Madeleine Olnek (Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same)
