Outfest boasts gay and lesbian film festival, live music, giant parties

By C.J. Yu
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]

  Photo courtesy of Outfest

For those who are already tired of this season’s
lackluster big-budget movies, the Outfest film festival may prove
to be the summertime alternative that movie-goers have been
seeking.

Although promoted as a “gay and lesbian film
festival,” Outfest also includes everything from live
performances to outdoor sing-alongs and massive parties.

The festival kicks off with an opening night celebration July
11, featuring celebrity appearances and an extensive lineup of
short films from the past 19 years. With a large after-party
following the opening night screenings, the organizers of Outfest
hope for this year to be a milestone event.

 “Everyone knows that the gays throw the best party,
and this is one of the best parties that happen in Los Angeles
every year. It’s a 12-day romp through a couple hundred films
from dozens of countries around the world, spliced together with
over 35 parties and receptions,” said Stephen Gutwillig, the
executive director of Outfest 2002.

“This festival has something for everyone, no matter what
they identify themselves as today or what they might be
tomorrow,” he added.

While the film festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this
year with an expected audience of more than 40,000 people, the
festival actually has its humble beginnings at the UCLA campus just
over two decades ago.

“The festival was founded by graduate students at UCLA in
1982 who were fed up by the lack of images of any kind in a gay and
lesbian context in mainstream media, and the lack of opportunities
for new gay and lesbian work to be seen,” Gutwillig said.

One of the highlights of the festival is the “Under the
Stars” series, where attendees at the John Ford Amphitheatre
have the chance to sing along with their favorite musical films.
This year’s musical is “Xanadu,” starring
“Grease’s” Olivia Newton-John.

  Photo courtesy of Outfest

“Last year, we screened “˜Grease,’ and with a
little bit of technical wizardry, we were able to provide subtitles
for anybody who, for whatever reason, didn’t already know the
words so that they could sit there in a crowd of a thousand people
and sing along. It was so thrilling because by the end of the
night, everybody was on their feet screaming,” said Shannon
Kelley, director of programming.

From independent feature length indies such as the light-hearted
“Britney Baby, One More Time,” to four minute shorts
like “First Kiss,” the festival’s films cover an
extensive array of topics with everything from AIDS to high school
romance. The festival’s emphasis on gay and lesbian life
brings many from those demographics.

“The number one thing that brings people to the festival
is the exclusive chance to see their lives reflected on the screen.
In many ways, it kind of gives dignity and dimension to their
lives,” Kelley said.

While the first years of the festival only included a handful of
student films and limited feature length cinema, this year’s
event encompasses a record 241 films chosen from over 700 entries
received over the course of the year.

“It’s one of the more fun festivals you might
attend. Our thought is for it to be a festival for everyone in
southern California. It’s a welcoming space for anyone, and
you don’t know who’s lesbian or gay anyway.
Free-thinking people of all genders and persuasions are welcome and
expected,” Kelley said.

Outfest 2002 runs from July 11 to the 22. For tickets, call
(213) 480-7065 or log on to http://www.outfest.org.