Outfest Fusion Set to Feature Films by LGBTQ+ People of Color

A 10-day in-person and virtual film festival, Outfest Fusion, celebrates its 20th Anniversary year with screenings, free community workshops, networking events, and more!  

Vacationer Magazine has already given you 14 things to do when visiting LA, but you may want to also plan your trip around Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit that uplifts global LGBTQ+ creators in the entertainment industry by providing career support and curating the exhibition and preservation of queer and transgender stories. 

The annual film festival runs March 24 – April 2 with plans to honor Elegance Bratton with the Fusion Achievement Award at the opening gala of the 2023 Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Film Festival presented by IMDb, a popular and authoritative source for information on movies, TV shows, and celebrities.

Honoring Elegance Bratton

The 2023 Fusion Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to LGBTQ+ visibility in stories, arts, and media. Outfest alum Elegance Bratton will be recognized for his many accomplishments, including his award-winning movie, The Inspection, and his efforts to elevate queer Black stories in Hollywood and beyond. Past recipients of the Award include 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. 

“For its 20th Anniversary, Outfest Fusion has emerged from Covid as a global celebration of intersectional stories, conversations, and communication,” said Damien Navarro, Executive Director of Outfest. “Its purpose has always been to bring communities together to break down barriers, but we now find that it is also charged with leveraging our stories to battle back against the hate-filled rhetoric, violence, and threats to our rights we are now facing.”  

Navarro also added, “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.” 

Featured QTBIPOC Films

For its 20th edition, Outfest Fusion worked with a talented group of programmers to select a line-up of films that encapsulate the QTBIPOC experience, uplift emerging talents, and reflect the abundance of our community. Highlights include Sundance favorites like Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning producer and director Lisa Cortés’ documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything, and special jury award-winner The Stroll, Kristy Lovell’s and Zackary Drucker’s loving portrait of the NYC’s Meatpacking District and the trans women of color who lived and worked there. 

The festival will also feature the US premiere of Soft, Joseph Amenta’s tender coming-of-age feature debut as well as the North American premiere of Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn, which follows Philadelphia politician Malcolm Kenyatta’s unprecedented bid for US Senate. Director Tim Harris, film producer Lee Daniels, and journalist and television personality Al Roker will join Malcolm Kenyatta himself to present the film in person. 

“Outfest Fusion is honoring queer, trans, and nonbinary artists of color who are not waiting to be invited to the creative table,” said Outfest Artist Development Director Martine McDonald.  “These filmmakers are forging a path towards narrative change that moves beyond inclusion and toward leadership and abundance.”  

Here are all the features playing at this year’s festival: 

• Finding Her Beat (dir. Dawn Mikkelson, Keri Pickett | USA, Japan | Los Angeles premiere) 
• Follow The Protocol (dir. Fábio Leal | Brazil) 
• Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn (dir. Timothy Harris | USA | North American premiere) 
• Little Richard: I Am Everything (dir. Lisa Cortés | USA) 
• Soft (dir. Joseph Amenta | Canada | United States premiere)                               
• Soy Niño (dir. Lorena Zilleruelo | France, Chile | Los Angeles premiere) 
• Summer With Hope (dir. Sadaf Foroughi | Canada, Iran) 
• The Harvest (dir. Caylee So | USA | Los Angeles Premiere) 
• The Stroll (dir. Zackary Drucker, Kristen Lovell | USA | West Coast premiere) 

**More features and the shorts program will be announced closer to the festival. 

This year, the festival is announcing the brand-new All-Access Pass, providing fans access to all galas, screenings, workshops, parties, and special events in-person and online. With this pass, you’ll get the ultimate festival experience and be able to immerse yourself in a world of powerful storytelling. Passes are on sale now to the public and individual tickets go on sale on March 14.  

For more information and to purchase passes visit outfestfusion.com