LGBT Movies: Who Ya Gonna Call? OUTFEST Los Angeles

Lesbian lawmakers, real-life gay porn stars, the world's first lady ghostbusters and sexually-searching Asian Americans will headline some of the most anxiously anticipated movies at Outfest 2016 this month.

The 34th annual Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival runs Thursday, July 7 through Sunday, July 17 at multiple venues in the L.A./Hollywood area, including the newly-renovated Ford Amphitheater. The Ford wasn't available last summer for Outfest's popular outdoor screenings, of which only one was presented at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

This year's Outfest audiences will be among the first to check out what they've done to the revamped Ford. Five films will be shown there, including the L.A. premiere of a rebooted "Ghostbusters" featuring an all-star female cast. Comedy heavyweights Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones inherit the proton packs from their male 1980's predecessors in an effort to stop evil forces from taking over Manhattan. They wisely hire Chris Hemsworth of "Thor" and "The Avengers" fame as their hunky receptionist, taking over from the decidedly brainier Annie Potts in the original "Ghostbusters" flicks.

Also screening at the Ford will be "Kiki," the fest's Documentary Centerpiece exploring today's NYC drag ball scene not unlike the classic "Paris is Burning"; the world premiere of fur-infused men's sequel "BearCity 3"; "Modern Love", another world premiere about a gay couple facing challenges on the eve of their wedding; and the closing night comedy "Other People," starring Jesse Plemons (TV's "Breaking Bad"), Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford and Silicon Valley's Zach Woods.

Executive Director Christopher Racster and Director of Programming Lucy Mukerjee-Brown wrote in a joint statement: "What better time or place to revel in our own stories-and to discover the commonalities within our own community- than Outfest Los Angeles? Our hope is that you will walk away from this year's festival with a deeper understanding of the breadth of our community."

"Political Animals," one of the fest's Spotlight screenings on Thursday, July 14, is essential viewing for anyone interested in our LGBT history. It premiered at last month's L.A. Film Festival and ended up walking away with both the Jury and Audience Awards for Best Documentary.

Sheila Kuehl, Christine Kehoe, Jackie Goldberg and Carole Migden were the only openly lesbian or gay California state representatives in the 1990s-early
2000s. Individually and collectively, they took on Governor Pete Wilson's 1990 veto of the state's first gay rights bill, the first effort to ban anti-gay bullying in public schools in 1996, and the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. They also worked on behalf of people with AIDS and established California's domestic partnership registry.

The inspiring documentary is nicely structured by director Jonah Markowitz, who provides incisive, insightful examinations of each legislator's personal background as well as their political career. Most dramatically, it literally shows how far California and the nation have come over the last 26 years in accepting their LGBTQ citizens, thanks to these four women. The film culminates in a modern-day dinner scene with the quartet at which they humbly declare, "We didn't know we would be such ground-breakers." Of note, Kuehl is today an L.A. County Supervisor.

Making its U.S. premiere at Outfest on Wednesday, July 13 will be the long-awaited movie version of "Holding the Man." Based on the autobiography of Australian actor and playwright Timothy Conigrave, it recounts the romantic but ultimately heartbreaking love story between Conigrave and John Caleo. After meeting in high school, where Caleo was captain of their football team, the pair forged a relationship that's been referred to as Australia's "Brokeback Mountain." Name actors Guy Pearce, Anthony LaPaglia and Kerry Fox play supporting roles in this sure-to-be-memorable film.

"Women He's Undressed" is another film with roots "down under" screening on Saturday, July 9. This fantastic documentary by excellent, Australian director Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career, Starstruck, the 1994 adaptation of "Little Women") uncovers the little known life of gay, Oscar-winning costume designer Orry-Kelly. Armstrong utilizes both interviews with his still-living peers and dramatic re-creations of episodes from the designer's life, including his secret affair with Cary Grant.

Rounding out my recommendations of movies to catch at Outfest 2016 are "Looking: The Movie," the big screen conclusion of HBO's series about three gay friends living in San Francisco; a special screening of 1983's bisexual, vampire love story "The Hunger," co-starring the late David Bowie; "Spa Night," starring Sundance Breakthrough Performance Award-winner Joe Seo as a Korean-American man who discovers his homosexuality when he takes a job at a men's health club; the U.S. premiere of Outfest UCLA Legacy Project's revelatory restoration of the 1919 German film "Different from the Others," the earliest surviving positive portrayal of a gay protagonist; and "King Cobra," inspired by the real-life struggle of two competitors over the career of gay, adult superstar Brent Corrigan.

In addition to a star-making performance by Garrett Clayton as Corrigan, the cast of "King Cobra" boasts James Franco (who also produces), Molly Ringwald, Alicia Silverstone and Christian Slater. Franco will be presented with Outfest's inaugural James Schamus Award, honoring his considerable efforts to bring LGBTQ stories to the forefront of current cinema, immediately prior to the film's screening on Saturday, July 16.

The 34th annual Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival runs Thursday, July 7 through Sunday, July 17. For the full festival schedule and to purchase passes or tickets, visit outfest.org