7 Must-See Films About LGBTQ+ People of Color at Outfest Fusion 2022
The return of Outfest couldn't have come at a better time, as Outfest Executive director Damien S. Navarro explains. Now is the time when LGBTQ+ voices are especially vital, so the festival's organizers have worked hard to signal to boost those who are the most vulnerable. "As we find ourselves back in a moment where our rights as LGBTQIA+ people are being taken away and our very existence silenced, we know these moves have a greater impact on LGBTQIA+ communities of color," Navarro says. "We have continued to evolve Outfest Fusion in ways we hope to empower the next generation of storytellers to reshape their own narrative and to drive cultural change.''
This year's program will include seven feature films, 52 short films, three episodic titles, and a One-Minute Movie Contest (sponsored by Hyundai), along with a variety of workshops and panels. Those interested in attending have two options, as this year's 10-day festival will be held both in-person from April 8-13 and online from April 13-17. The festival is open for filmmakers and the general public to attend.
Visit OutfestFusion.com two purchase tickets and see a preview of the feature films below.
Film stills and descriptions Courtesy of Outfest.
‘BLACK AS U R’ directed by Micheal Rice
In the wake of Black Lives Matter, filmmaker Micheal Rice addresses trans/homophobia within the Black community by magnifying the stories of Black LGBTQ+ people and their contributions to the Black liberation movement.
‘Finlandia’ directed by Horacio Alcala
Belonging to a community of muxes -- untethered by the gender binary -- Delirio, Amaranta, and Mariano traverse their past, present, and future.
‘Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way’ directed by William T. Horner, Stacey Woelfel
He was clever, articulate, and good-looking. At only 22, Pedro Zamora, a gay Cuban immigrant, had the American public at the palm of his hands as he stepped into the limelight on MTV's The Real World. After contracting AIDS as a teenager, he dedicated his life to destigmatizing the narrative around the illness - and being the sympathetic beauty on national television helped do that. While Keep the Cameras Rolling is an exhibition of Zamora's most joyous moments, like his televised wedding, it also explores the role of the media in shaping a generation's understanding of social issues. An amalgam of home videos, archival footage, and interviews with the Zamora family, Real World cast members, and various activists, the film examines the legacy of a young man who helped change the face of AIDS in America.
‘Mustache Mondays (ARTBOUND)’ directed by Marianne Amelinckx
"It was the best party in L.A. hands down."
See how a roving LGBTQ nightclub event in Los Angeles called "Mustache Mondays" became a creative incubator for today's leading-edge contemporary artists. This film examines the history of these spaces and how they shaped the Queer cultural fabric unique to Southern California.
‘Transversals’ directed by Émerson Maranhão
Emerson Maranhao's documentary brings together the stories of five transgender people living in the state of Ceara in Brazil, recounting stories of being fearless alongside their absolute commitment to thrive.
‘White Frog’ directed by Quentin Lee
Nick is a high school freshman on the Autism spectrum who idolizes his older brother Chaz, a popular straight-A student whose future seems set. When Chaz is suddenly killed in a tragic accident, Nick attempts to reconstruct the life his brother left behind, uncovering secrets that threaten to rip their family apart. Quentin Lee directs a tremendous ensemble cast of veteran and rising stars including B.D. Wong, Joan Chen, Harry Shum Jr., Henry David Hwang, Tyler Posey, Amy Hill, and Booboo Stewart in a gripping mystery of loss and redemption at the intersections of queerness, neurodiversity, and Asian-American identity.
‘Wildhood’ directed by Bretten Hannam
Two brothers embark on a journey to find their birth mother after their abusive white father had lied for years about her whereabouts; along the way, they reconnect with their indigenous heritage and make a new friend.
