Outfest 2009 announces its line-up!

I’m so excited! Outfest is one of my favorite times of the year and I plans to see as many films as I can during The 27th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival to be held July 9-19.

Things will kick off with a bang on opening night with the LA premiere of La Mission starring Benjamin Bratt as a reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic. He’s a single father whose joie de vivre lies in socializing with his circle of friends and transforming old cars into lowrider masterpieces. When he discovers that his high schooler  son, Jesse (Ray Valdez) is gay, his world is thrown into turmoil.

The film is directed by Peter Bratt, Benjamin’s brother.

With LGBT equality on the front-burner since the passage of Prop. 8 and its being upheld last week by the California Supreme Court, there are several movies LGBT rights-themed movies scheduled including the 40th anniversary screening of Before Stonewall as well as On These Shoulders We Stand, Patrik Age 1.5, City of Borders, Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement, Fish Out of Water, Fig Trees and Misconceptions.

“In response to the passing of Proposition 8 in California and similar bans against gay marriage and adoption across the United States, we are proud to put a particular focus on LGBT rights and equality, and I believe that this is a great time for the entire Los Angeles community – gay or straight – to come out and support one another during Outfest 2009,” said Outfest Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer.

This is sure to be a highlight: the 25tyh anniversary screening and restoration world premiere of Choosing Children, an emotionally potent documentary that was one of the first movies about lesbian families.

Among the films making their world premieres include Lucky Bastard, Motherland, Fish Out Of Water and Of Heaven and Earth. The festival will close with the film Dare, the debut feature by Adam Salky that stars Emmy Rossum, Alan Cumming, Zach Gilford, Ashley Springer and Sandra Bernhard.

In all 65 feature films and 116 short films will be screened coming from 25 countries. Look for plenty more Outfest coverage in the weeks leading up to the event including film previews and interviews with filmmakers and actors.

Here is a full list:

U.S. Dramatic Features

American Primitive (Director: Gwendolyn Wynne, Screenplay: Gwendolyn Wynne & Mary Beth Fielder)

And Then Came Lola (Directors/Screenplay: Ellen Seidler & Megan Siler)

Drool (Director/Screenplay: Nancy Kissam)

Fiona’s Script (Director/Screenplay: Florencia Manovil)

Fruit Fly (Director/Screenplay: H.P. Mendoza)

Hannah Free (Director: Wendy Jo Carlton, Screenplay: Claudia Allen)

Hollywood, je t’aime (Director/Screenplay: Jason Bushman)

Lucky Bastard (Director/Screenplay:: Everett Lewis)

Make the Yuletide Gay (Director/Screenplay: Rob Williams)

Misconceptions (Director: Ron Satlof, Screenplay: Ron Satlof & Ira Pearlstein)

Motherland (Director/Screenplay: Doris Yeung)

Pornography (Director/Screenplay: David Kittredge)

Rives Wash Over Me (Director: John C. Young, Screenplay: John C. Young & Darien Sills-Evans)

We Are the Mods (Director: E.E. Cassidy. Screenplay: E.E. Cassidy & Bruce Pavalon)

International Dramatic Features

Ander (Director/Screenplay: Roberto Caston)

The Baby Formula (Director: Alison Reid, Screenplay: Richard Beattie)

Bandaged (Director: Maria Beatty, Screenplay: Claire Menichi)

Boy (Director: Auraeus Solito, Screenplay: Jimmy Flores & Arturo Calo)

Chef’s Special (Director: Nacho G. Velilla, Scr: Nacho G. Velilla, Oriol Capel, Antonio Sanchez & David S. Olivias)

The End of Love (Director/Screenplay: Simon Chung)

An Englishman in New York (Director: Richard Laxton, Screenplay: Brian Fillis)

Ghosted (Director: Monica Treut, Screenplay: Astrid Stroner & Monjka Treut)

Give Me Your Hand (Director: Pascal-Alex Vincent, Scr: Pascal-Alex Vincent, Martin Drouot & Oliver Nicklaus)

Greek Pete (Director/Screenplay: Andrew Haigh)

Lion’s Den (Director: Pablo Trapero, Scr: Alejandro Fadel, Martin Mauregui, Santiago Mitre & Pablo Trapero)

The Man Who Loved Yngve (Director: Stian Kristiansen, Screenplay: Tore Renberg)

Mr. Right (Director: Jacqueline Morris, Screenplay: David Morris)

Patrik, Age 1.5 (Director/Screenplay: Ella Lemhagen)

Raging Sun, Raging Sky (Rabioso Sol, Rabioso Cielo) (Director/Screenplay: Julian Hernandez)

To Faro (Director/Screenplay: Nana Neul)

Documentary Features

After The Storm (Director: Hilla Medalia)

Against A Trans Narrative (Director/Screenplay: Jules Rosskam)

Beautiful Darling (Director/Screenplay: James Rasin)

City of Borders (Director: Yun Suh)

College Boys Live (Director: George O’Donnell)

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement (Director/Screenplay: Greta Olafsdottir & Susan Muska)

Fish Out of Water (Director/Screenplay: Ky Dickens)

It Came From Kuchar (Director/Screenplay: Jennifer Kroot)

Lady Trojans/Training Rules (Lady Trojans Director: Elizabeth Hesik; Training Rules Director: Dee Mosbacher)

Off and Running (Director: Nicole Opper)

On These Shoulders We Stand (Director/Screenplay: Glenne McElhinney)

Pop Star on Ice (Director/Screenplay: David Barba & James Pellerito)

Prodigal Son (Director: Kimberly Reed)

Sounds Like Teen Spirit (Director: Jamie J Johnson)

Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen (Director: Kortney Ryan Ziegler)

Two Spirits: Sexuality, Gender, and the Murder of Fred Martinez (Director: Lydia Nibley)

More information about the festival and the films can be found on www.Outfest.org