Outfest presents: Fusion: The Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival this weekend!

This is always such a terrific event and I look forward to attending at least some of this weekend!

Outfest presents Fusion: the Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival. Now in its ninth year, Fusion is the only multicultural LGBT film festival of its kind and it kicks off Thursday at the Egyptian Theater and Renberg Theatre in Hollywood,.

The festival will include short films, feature films, panels, workshops, and parties that highlight and celebrate the diversity of the LGBT community.

Writer/director Patrik-Ian Polk (PUNKS, Noah’s Arc) will receive the 2012 Fusion Achievement Award on Saturday night when his latest feature, The Skinny, will premiere. His award will be presented by Precious director Lee Daniels.

“I am very excited and honored to be receiving this award from Outfest, and to premiere my new film at Fusion,” Polk said. “Outfest has been a loving supporter of my work since my first film PUNKS in 2000. I’ve shown all my films there, and the amazing work they’ve done with Fusion specifically highlighting the work of LGBT filmmakers of color is a shining example of their commitment to promoting diversity within the genre of gay film.”

Fusion 2012 will also unveil the first work of OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project from LifeWorks and Outfest, created to empower and educate LGBT youth to tell their stories through film.

The festival will kick off with a live performance piece called Jotalogues: Talking Taboo in the Best of Times which was written and performed by multi-disciplinary Xicana artist Adelina Anthony with D’Lo.

The additional line-up of this year’s Fusion includes the World Premiere of Stud Life by London-based and Outfest award-winning filmmaker, Campbell X, a Car Wash sing-and-dance-Along, two programs showcasing some of the newest and best short films by and about people of color, as well as a Legacy Project screening of Nisha Ganatra’s beloved film from 1999, Chutney Popcorn.

There are also several programs of short films that look mighty interesting!

To see the complete film guide and to order tickets, go to Outfest.org!