The 2019 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival opens at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, July 18, with Circus of Books, Rachel Mason’s vibrant documentary about LA’s iconic brick-and-mortar gay erotica emporium and bookstore, and closes on Sunday, July 28, at The Theater at the Ace Hotel with Sundance favorite Before You Know It, a poignant family comedy from Hannah Pearl Utt (who also co-wrote and stars), featuring Outfest alum Judith Light alongside Alec Baldwin and Mandy Patinkin.
With films from 33 countries and in 26 languages, more than two-thirds of this year’s content directed by women, people of color and trans filmmakers.
“As my tenure comes to an end, I am most proud of Outfest’s increased visibility in Hollywood and our ever-growing stature within the industry,” said Outfest Executive Director Christopher Racster. “Our communities have long been advocating for this inclusion. A remarkable filmmaker like Nisha Ganatra, our Achievement Award recipient, should have so many more features to her credit, in the two decades that have elapsed between her award-winning first film and her current box-office smash Late Night. Outfest Los Angeles continues to shine a spotlight on those stories we must see and those creatives whose voices we need to hear.”