At the Orpheum theater in Downtown Los Angeles the opening night was a gay festival as the adjective was originally referred to as feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy”
In its 28th year it is the longest running film festival in Los Angeles and has earned it place in Hollywood which is the Mecca of the film Industry.
Jane Lynch was presented with the Outfest Lifetime achievement award which she so rightly earned and left us laughing but her closing words were “Find what your do best and do your best” which is definitely clear in her life and her work
Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein presented us with their first dramatic feature “Howl,” which is the title of beat poet Allen Ginsberg controversial poem and beyond the talented performances of James Franco as Ginsberg and Jeff Daniels, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker and David Strathairn ,we are left with three words, Light, Honesty an Understanding. which were in the closing statements in the trial condemning Ginsberg’s poem These words are needed to be shouted from the rooftops. The film gives a clear view of life in the 50’s in Greenwich Village and San Francisco and animation created on the screen while we hear the poems of Ginsberg is a sight to behold. Catch this film when it opens on September 24

The Los Angeles runs until July 18 and more info can be found on www.outfest.org
Ron Gilbert