OUTFEST 2005 23rd LOS ANGELES GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Bookends Festival with COTE D’AZUR for Opening
and Closes with THE DYING GAUL

The largest and most successful Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in the world will open on July 7th. Outfest 2005 takes place in Los Angeles California, for the 23rd year once again promises to showcase a dynamic and broad scope of lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual films. From July 7th to the 18th Los Angeles will become the hub for alternative lifestyle cinema. Open Night film is COTE D’AZUR a debut of the sexy comedy starring Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Gilbert Melki

Over 230 films from all over the world are set to make its mark on the respected Festival this year. With the best of narrative, documentary, shorts and animation films along with Galas, Premieres and special screenings, Outfest 2005, has the plans to once again support visual awareness to the community of Los Angeles. With close to 30 countries being represented in films and the top picks from Cannes and Sundance, highlighting GLBT lifestyles, Outfest promises to heat up the city with cinema.

Outfest will close with the Sundance Film Festival favorite and much anticipated THE DYING GAUL written and directed by Craig Lucas and starring Peter Sarsgaard, Campbell Scott and Patricia Clarkson. Both the Opening Night gala and Closing Night will take place at the prestigious Orpheum Theater downtown, one of nine different venues across Los Angeles, truly making this a Southern California Festival. Well known for the fabulous parties and Galas festivities and films, Outfest has gathered a myriad of diverse films to equal an exciting Gala everyday.
Pictured Awards Night Film "Summer Storm"

Men’s Comedy, Men’s Documentary, Men’s Drama, Women’s Comedy, Women’s Documentary, Women’s Drama, Coming of Age, Crime/Thriller, Family Interest, Human Right/Activism, Sports, Transgender and Foreign Language and Cultures are the programming focus. Besides the films and parties the Festival has coordinated panels, outdoor screenings, family programs, live performances, experimental works and a great mix of provocative events.


Here is a list of some of the films screening this year for Outfest, 2005. BASED ON A TRUE STORY, the real story that inspired the classic film DOG DAY AFTERNOON; THE FULL MONTY / BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM mix that is GUYS & BALLS; Don Roos’ HAPPY ENDINGS; a new documentary on KINSEY with never-before-seen archival footage; Tim Kirkman’s LOGGERHEADS starring Kip Pardue, Bonnie Hunt, Michel Learned, Tess Harper, Michael Kelly and Chris Sarandon; the legendary sensation PARIS IS BURNING; PURSUIT OF EQUALITY, an insider’s look at San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s bold challenge to California’s marriage law (Newsom will attend the screening); RED DOORS, a smart, whimsical and funny film that examines the roles of family, love and memory play in our daily lives; Dan Klores and Ron Berger’s RING OF FIRE: THE EMILE GRIFFITH STORY; SAY UNCLE, the debut feature from Peter Paige of “Queer as Folk”; TAMMY FAYE: DEATH DEFYING, in which the invincible heroine will be present at the screening; WILBY WONDERFUL, starring Sandra Oh and Maury Chaykin; and the Berlin Film Festival Teddy Award winning A YEAR WITHOUT LOVE.

On the panels at Outfest 2005, is a highly-anticipated panel “Queer is Just a Frame of Mind on Wisteria Lane,” featuring “Desperate Housewives” creator Marc Cherry and actors, producer, writers and directors from the series. There will be panels on “Gay Writers Write Hollywood,” with the scheduled participation of Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Academy Award winner Bill Condon, Richard Day and Don Roos; “Queertoons,” where thanks to such shows as “The Simpsons,” “South Park” and “Sponge Bob Square Pants” queer culture has never been so animated; and “Where’s the Action?,” a look at why so many testosterone oriented action/adventures and thrillers are now being directed by women.

There are also a host of Special Events this year at Outfest, including a sing-along to “Purple Rain,” a conversation with Outfest Achievement Award recipient Gregg Araki, an evening with British filmmaker Isaac Julien, “A Whiz-Bang History of Queer Movie Marketing” hosted by Jenni Olson; the supremely popular Annual Home Video Gong Show, and Family Fun at the Village with a screening of “Tarzan II.”


Outfest 2005 is presented by HBO and Absolut. Premiere sponsors include Adelphia, The Advocate, Director’s Guild of America (DGA), here!, Mercedes Benz and Q Television Network. For more information, or to purchase tickets www.outfest.org or call 213/480-7065.