Outfest Begins Tonight
July 9, 2009
Outfest, the 27th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, begins tonight and features 182 films from 25 countries over the span of 11 days.The Opening Night Gala is tonight at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles and features La Mission, a powerful film from writer/director Peter Bratt. The film stars Peter’s brother, Benjamin Bratt, as Che, a former inmate and recovering alcoholic who reacts violently when he discovers his beloved son Jesse is gay.
The film premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and the cast participated in a Q&A at the Queer Lounge, a program of GLAAD:
In related news, Variety printed an excellent article about the prominence of lesbian films at this year’s Outfest:
Chasity Kershal Hammitte in Mississippi Damned
“We have two centerpieces geared toward women, Tina Mabry’s ‘Mississippi Dammed’ and Lucia Puenzo’s ‘El Nino Pas,’” says Outfest exec director Kirsten Schaffer. “And the Legacy Project gala is ‘Choosing Children’ (1984), which is more oriented toward lesbians. We also have Nancy Kissam’s ‘Drool,’ which was a huge success at Slamdance this year. And there’s ‘Ghosted’ from Monika Treut, who has a huge lesbian following.”
Diversity is key at Outfest, yet it’s an uphill battle for women, if only because there are always so many gay-male pics to contend with. “Any year we have the opportunity to highlight films by female directors we do,” says Schaffer. Last year, “there were definitely films that were lesbian, but they tended to be international and smaller films.”
Tickets are still available for numerous screenings and may be purchased at the Outfest website.
Related Posts:Photo Finish From Successful Queer Lounge
February 5, 2009
From a press conference with Jim Carrey about his new film I Love You Phillip Morris, to a look at the homophobia in communities of color in La MISSION, to a viewing party of the inauguration, the GLAAD Queer Lounge, sponsored by ABSOLUT Vodka, during Sundance and Slamdance was a resounding success.
Here at glaadBLOG you’ll find videos from all of our filmmaker panels and one-on-one interviews with those on the cutting edge of LGBT-inclusive film.
If a Flickr slideshow is more your speed, then click here to see all the highlights.
Benjamin Bratt, Peter Bratt & More Talk Up La MISSION
January 21, 2009
Brothers Benjamin and Peter Bratt visited the Queer Lounge yesterday with their cast and crew in tow, to talk up their new Sundance film, La MISSION. The movie addresses homophobia in ethnic communities and machismo culture, and promises to be an emotional and powerful film.
Castmembers Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez and Jesse Borrego also sat on the panel, as well as John Amaechi, who helped fund the project. It was a lively discussion, one that was received well by the capacity crowd.
Please enjoy this panel in its entirety.
Tuesday at Queer Lounge
January 19, 2009
After a fantastic Monday hosting a Jim Carrey press conference and a filmmaker panel on navigating Hollywood with LGBT content, Tuesday brings another full day at Queer Lounge, beginning with an open house inauguration viewing party at 9am MT, 608 Main St., Park City, UT, followed by the appearance of Benjamin Bratt at one of two great panels in the afternoon.
La MISSION: A STORY OF CULTURE, CLASS AND INTOLERANCE
Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 1:00PM
Panelists: Peter Bratt (Writer/Director) and cast members Benjamin Bratt, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Jesse Borrego and John Amaechi (Consulting Producer).
Moderator: Mike Goodridge (Screen International)
This Sundance Spectrum premiere tells the story of Che, an ex-inmate and working-class single-father who commands respect in San Francisco’s Mission District often through intimidation and fear. Che is a man entrenched in the old world culture of his Latino and Native American communities, who reacts with anger and violence upon discovering his son is gay, and later is forced to confront his own prejudices and demons. Director Peter Bratt teams with his brother Benjamin Bratt to bring this character to life in a powerful performance. The result is a rich film that tackles the topic of homophobia in minority communities and families, as well as the machismo culture. Join the cast and filmmakers for an insightful discussion of the film and the very timely issues around culture and sexual orientation that it addresses.
ROAD TO PARK CITY AND BEYOND: LAUNCHING YOUR FILM CAREER
Co-Sponsored by Film Independent
Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 3:00 PM
Panelists: Steak House (Prod., Weather Girl), Morgan Stiff (Prod., Mississippi Damned), Tina Mabry (Dir., Mississippi Damned), Cherien Dabis (Dir., Amreeka), Tze Chun (Dir., Children of Invention), Glenn McQuaid (Dir., I Sell the Dead).
Moderator: Josh Welsh, (Dir. of Talent Development, Film Independent).
Making a film can be a daunting prospect, but launching an entire career as a filmmaker is typically an even more intimidating and overwhelming proposal. There isn’t exactly a bar exam for first time directors or producers, and with so many associated costs, no one can afford to spend money unwisely in rocky economic times. From film festivals, to production courses and labs, to online and viral marketing, to TV and commercials, there are many ways to get a film career off the ground, but not every plan works for every person. So how do you know what’s the right path for you? With the guidance of Sundance and Slamdance filmmakers, many of whom have participated in Film Independent’s Filmmakers Labe, discover how to kick-start your career and hit the ground running.
La MISSION
December 22, 2008
LGBT Content: Gay
Genre: Drama
Rating: NR
Director: Peter Bratt
Writer: Peter Bratt
Starring: Benjamin Bratt, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Jesse Borrego, Talisa Soto Bratt
Distributor: TBA
Release Date: TBA
Synopsis: A recovering alcoholic and ex-con that gets by on intimidation, Che is also a devoted father to teenage son Jesse, who he violently rejects after discovering that Jesse is gay. Prompted in part by his headstrong neighbor Lena, Che must confront his long held prejudices to repair his parental relationship.
Premiering at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
Screening Times
Monday, January 19, 8:30 pm Prospector Square Theatre, Park City
Wednesday, January 21, 2:30 pm Library Center Theatre, Park City
Friday, January 23, noon Egyptian Theatre, Park City
Saturday, January 24, 9:45 pm Broadway Centre Cinemas V, SLC
