Yahoo News Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival Announces 2023 Lineup and Achievement Award Recipient (EXCLUSIVE)
Outfest has announced its feature lineup for its 2023 Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and People of Color) Film Festival, which will run from March 24 through April 2.
Outfest Fusion will be celebrating its 20th anniversary by showcasing LGBTQIA+ filmmakers and their various films depicting queer and transgender stories. There will be nine features, including two 2023 Sundance documentaries, “Little Richard: I Am Everything” from Lisa Cortés and “The Stroll” from Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker. Cortés documentary explores how Richard “Little Richard” Penniman worked through his struggles with his sexuality, all while he made his mark on rock n’ roll. While Lovell and Drucker follow transgender women of color as they detail the community’s history of sex work in New York City.
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In addition, the Outfest Fusion lineup includes Dawn Mikkelson, Keri Pickett’s “Finding Her Beat;” Fábio Leal’s “Follow The Protocol;” Timothy Harris’ “Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn;” Joseph Amenta’s “Soft;” Lorena Zilleruelo’s “Soy Niño;” Sadaf Foroughi’s “Summer With Hope” and Caylee So’s “The Harvest.”
Outfest has announced the opening gala will honor filmmaker, and Outfest alumni, Elegance Bratton with the Fusion Achievement Award. The filmmaker is being recognized for his contribution to LGBTQ+ visibility, which includes his work on the award-winning feature “The Inspection.” Bratton joins past recipients including Stephanie Beatriz, Michaela Coel, Nisha Ganatra, Angela Robinson, Rose Troche, Wilson Cruz, Alec Mapa, Patrik-Ian Polk, Cheryl Dunye, Brickson Diamond, and Rikki Beadle-Blair.
“Being able to honor Elegance has been something I’ve been looking forward to since my tenure at Outfest began. He is one of our most inspiring alumni and his recent body of work only proves that his trajectory is just beginning,” said Damien Navarro, Outfest executive director.
The QTBIPOC festival will continue its online/in-person hybrid model. The One-Minute Movie Contest will return in person, urging filmmakers to create stories in 60 seconds or less that celebrate queer joy and embody this year’s theme, “Envisioning Abundance.” The films will then be screened at the Outfest Fusion Finale on April 1. The winners will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to showcase their films at Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ film festival in July.
The event is presented by IMDbPro; Variety also sponsors the event, alongside Comcast NBCUniversal, Gilead, The Fight Magazine, West Hollywood Travel + Tourism Board, Bank of America, The Aster, Ovation Hollywood, ABC7 and On The Red Carpet and Clear Channel Outdoor.
Tickets go on sale March 14, and festival goers will now have the opportunity to purchase an all-access pass providing access to all of the festival events. More information is available at outfestfusion.com.
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