Natasha Lyonne Hosts Outfest 10th Annual Legacy Awards

On November 12, Emmy Award nominee Natasha Lyonne from "Orange Is the New Black" will host Outfest's 10th Annual Legacy Awards, benefiting the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promotes equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. This year's inaugural dinner will be held at the performing arts venue Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles, with head chef Neal Fraser.

"Natasha is not only a gifted actress, but the characters she has chosen to portray reflect the beliefs of Outfest," said Kirsten Schaffer, executive director of Outfest. "She is fearless in her portrayals of characters that push the boundaries of gender and sexuality and bring to life memorable women that go against the mainstream. And we are extremely proud that Outfest has been a destination for her career over the years, having starred in numerous films that are part of the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project archive, including 'But I'm A Cheerleader,' 'G.B.F.' and 'Party Monster.' We are so thrilled to have Natasha as the host of this year's Legacy Awards -- come see her on November 12!"

Legendary author Armistead Maupin ("Tales of the City") will be presented with the Visionary Award, Hilary Swank ("Boys Don't Cry") will receive the Trailblazer Award, and Levi Strauss & Co. will be awarded with the Guardian Award.

The Legacy Awards serves as a fundraiser to support the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, the largest archive of LGBT moving images in the world, with more than 30,000 pieces of material. A partnership between Outfest and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, it is the only program in the world dedicated to saving and preserving LGBT moving images.

Previous Legacy Award winners include writer-director Lee Daniels ("The Butler"), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("86th Academy Awards"), Adam Shankman ("Rock of Ages"), Roland Emmerich ("White House Down"), Alan Poul ("The Newsroom"), Bruce Cohen ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Judith Light ("Transparent") and Paris Barclay ("Glee").

Outfest and the UCLA Film & Television Archive partnered in 2005 to create the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project. The only program of its kind in the world, the Legacy Project is aimed at the growing crisis in LGBT moving image archiving.

Many of the landmark LGBT films produced over the last 30 years are already in danger of fading away; their original exhibition prints are in tatters and their negatives are in woeful storage conditions, or even lost. Celebrating its ninth anniversary, the Legacy Project is proud to have collected over 35,000 moving picture images for the collection and restored 18 films.

"Natasha Lyonne is a force... unafraid to push the boundaries of gender and sexuality in roles ranging from the hilariously campy to the downright brazen," said Schaffer. "She has also been a vibrant part of the Outfest community, having starred in numerous films that are housed in the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project archive."

Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is the leading organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. Outfest builds community by connecting diverse populations to discover, discuss and celebrate stories of LGBT lives. Over the past three decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world to audiences of nearly a million, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected more than 30,000 LGBT films and videos. The Legacy Awards are co-presented by Merrill Lynch and SHOWTIME�.

For further information, call 213-480-7088 or visit www.outfest.org