LGBTQIA
Atlanta’s LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Out On Film, Blazes New Ground in 2021 By GHR St a f f
T he 34 th edition of Out on Film on Sept. 23– Oct. 3, 2021, in Atlanta, presented by Warner- Media and opening at Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema (931 Monroe Drive NE), will showcase Oscar-qualifying entries and other groundbreaking titles. Out on Film kicks off with Peeter Rebane’s Firebird , in its Southeastern premiere, as the opening night selection and closes with Stacey Woelfel’s Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way , in its world premiere. And in between, a rich lineup of films has been chosen to engage a diverse audience. All in all, the selection of LGBTQIA+ films curated from around the world for this year’s festival include 43 features—25 of which are narrative films and 18 documentaries. In addition, this year’s event includes 17 shorts programs with 98 films total and two webseries, as well as a world premiere art installation. The Out on Film 2021 format is hybrid to accommodate as many viewers as possible, with both physical screenings and virtual programming. Of the inclusive approach and the current state of the pandemic around the world, Out on Film Festival Director Jim Farmer notes the positives: “As one of the film festivals that are still growing despite all of the challenges present, we are thrilled with this international lineup, including our world premieres and more films that we can’t wait to introduce our audiences to.” A sampling of centerpiece selections beyond Rebane’s and Woelfel’s must-sees include world premieres of T.J. Parsell’s documentary, Invisible: Gay Women in Southern Music , Phil Connell’s Jump, Darling starring Chloris international lineup of films to present both in-theater as well as virtually. ” “ It’s wonderful to be back in theaters this year, and its equally wonderful knowing we have such an expansive,
Cloris Leachman and Thomas Duplessie of Phil Connell’s “Jump, Darling”
Tom Prior and Oleg Zagorodnii of Peeter Rebane’s “Firebird”
Photos courtesy of Jim Farmer
made its Atlanta Pride debut in 2019. In this iteration of the exhibit, Terrell uses the original panels of the project to create a soundproof pod where viewers can watch a short, first-person POV documentary about the project—through body-cam footage that gives viewers an experience of taking part in the counter-protest at Atlanta Pride in 2019. Another important first for this year’s Out on Film is the presentation of the 2021 Trailblazer Award to actor Amanda Bearse. Bearse’s career has spanned roles in All My Children , film Fright Night , and Married...With Children . Bearse, who grew up in Atlanta, came out at the prime of her acting career and served as an activist and frontrunner in the LGBT community. Today, Bearse works as a top TV director and appeared most recently in John Heder’s Topawingo , with shooting scheduled for Billy Eichner’s Bros , set to shoot this fall. Of the depth and breadth of this year’s festival, Farmer concludes, “It’s wonderful to be back in theaters this year, and its equally wonderful knowing we have such an expansive, international lineup of films to present both in-theater as well as virtually.” The closing night screening of Woelfel’s Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way on Oct. 3 will take place at Out Front Theatre Company (999 Brady Ave. NW). For information on purchasing passes and tickets for Out on Film, as well as a full run-down of films debuted and concurrent events, visit 2021ooff.eventive.org/ welcome and outonfilm.org. A vaccination card will be required for all in-person screenings and events.
Ruthie Foster, Diunna Greenleaf, Matt Underwood of T.J. Parsell’s “Invisible: Gay Women in Southern Music”
Leachman, and Vivian Kleiman’s No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics documentary. Other world premieres at this year’s festival include Jan Miller Corran’s Along Came Wanda , Anthony Hickling’s Down in Paris , Jade Winters’ One Four Three , and Alessandro Guida and Matteo Pilati’s Mascarpone , in its U.S. premiere. Additional feature films slated for virtual viewing include Disruptor Conductor , A Distant Place , Emergence: Out of the Shadows , Euromerica , The Fandom , The Greenhouse , Iftah , Gemmel & Tim , The Novice , Port Authority , P.S. Burn This Letter Please , See You Then , A Sexplanation , The Sixth Reel , and Yes I Am–The Ric Weiland Story . Another category, Short Film Programs (In Person), includes sub-categories for Best of Women’s Shorts, Best of Men’s Shorts, Local Shorts, Horror Shorts, Best of Trans Shorts, and Drama Shorts. A virtual Shorts Programs and Webseries category includes sub-categories for Animated Shorts, Around the World, Comedy Shorts, Documentary Shorts, Everything Under the Rainbow Shorts, Everything Under the Rainbow Shorts II, Finding Your Voice, Latinxtraordinary, Sexy Shorts, Webseries, and Worldly Affairs. Yet another world premiere for 2021—“The Hate Shield Project” installation by artist Matthew Terrell that
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T H E G E O R G I A H O L L Y WO O D R E V I E W | F A L L 2 0 21 | 13
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