NewFest Kicks Off in New York

NewFest, New York's flagship LGBT film festival, rolls out the red carpet Thursday for its 22nd season, presenting more than 100 films from 20 countries.

The slate of films includes a special screening of Howl, a documentary following Joan Rivers for a year of her life, and Violet Tendencies, the closing night film, starring The Facts of Life's Mindy Cohn as "the oldest living fag hag" looking for love. The opening night film, The Undertow, is about a young married fisherman who develops unexpected feelings for an artist. The experimental film The Owls, which will be featured on Women's Night, June 6, examines modern lesbian life by addressing topics such as aging and gender anxiety.

The event is presented by fashion designer Marc Jacobs and his business partner Robert Duffy, who both started working for Louis Vuitton in 1997. Together they launched the first freestanding Marc Jacobs Collection store in New York.

For more information visit Newfest.org