What to See at Outfest 2022

Forty years of Outfest Los Angeles is being commemorated via one of the most exciting LGBTQ+ lineups in years. The 11-day festival runs from July 14 to 24, 2022, and will include over 200 films, episodics, special events, live performances, and the 6th Annual Trans, Nonbinary & Intersex Summit.

The Opening Night Gala boasts the world premiere of Billy Porter's directorial debut, "Anything's Possible." The Closing Night Gala will feature John Logan's "They/Them." The Fest also offers a 20th Anniversary screening of Todd Haynes' "Far from Heaven," with Haynes, Julianne Moore, and producer Christine Vachon appearing in person.

Three LGBTQIA+ youth filmmakers will be awarded $15,000 each to aid in the development of their filmmaking careers, thanks to the Colin Higgins Foundation. And there will be a special sneak preview screening of "Celebrating Laughter: The Life and Film of Colin Higgins," about the late filmmaker who wrote and directed the classics, "Foul Play," "9 to 5," and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."

For more information and for a complete listing of films in 2022 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, log on to Outfest Los Angeles.

EDGE has put together a list of some of the best films we had the opportunity to preview.

'Chrissy Judy'

Each year the LGBTQ+ Festival circuit gifts us with one or two queer-themed movies that signal the arrival of significant filmmakers. Last year it was writer-directors Alessandro Guida & Matteo Pilati's delightful "Mascarpone." The year prior we had triple-threat Matt Fifer & Kieran Mulcare's stirring "Cicada." This year there's a quintuple-master on the horizon, writer-director-producer-editor-actor Todd Flaherty, who has crafted the incisive dark comedy "Chrissy Judy," about two inseparable NYC drag artists who part ways.

The film is gorgeously photographed in lush black and white by Brendan Flaherty (Todd's brother!). Most creatives that attempt to pen, direct, and star in a film fail at, at least, one of the tasks. Flaherty proves the exception. He loves the medium and excels at every turn, delivering an intelligent, thought-provoking, and ultimately transcendent film that is reminiscent of late '70s/'80s Woody Allen. Flaherty knows his craft on all levels, and delivers one of the best LGBTQ+-themed films in years.

'Celebrating Laughter: The Life and Film of Colin Higgins'

Colin Higgins wrote one of the most subversive satires of the 1970s, "Harold and Maude." He then went on to pen and direct two of the most hilarious and insightful comedies of all-time, "Foul Play" and "9 to 5." He was also responsible for helming the delightful adaptation of the stage musical "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," as well as Shirley MacLaine's groundbreaking miniseries "Out on a Limb." And, like so many talented gay artists in the '80s, he died prematurely, leaving behind a promising legacy. This doc nicely explores his work and how he touched so many of his friends and fellow artists. It's a must-see for movie lovers. Now we need one about James Bridges!

'They/Them' (Closing Night)

Oscar-nominated writer John Logan ("Gladiator," "The Aviator," "Hugo") wrote and directed this queer thriller, which works both as a chilling genre film and a fascinating psychological character study. The "They/Them" plot presents a slew of queer teens forced to attend a gay conversion camp led by camp coordinator Kevin Bacon, who promises to "help them find a new sense of freedom." Anna Chlumsky and Carrie Preston co-star, as well as a host of wonderful LGBTQIA+ newcomers led by Theo Germaine, Cooper Koch, Austin Crute, and Anna Lore. "They/Them" is a riveting gem.

'Peter von Kant'

French director François Ozon's homage to iconoclast Rainer Werner Fassbinder, "Peter von Kant" is a stunning and bold reimagining of the German helmer's startling 1972 all-female film "The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant." Ozone reverses a few genders and delves into Fassbinder's own tumultuous life and career, while remaining faithful to the original screenplay. Peter (Denis Ménochet, fearless) falls in lust with gorgeous young Amir (hot newbie Khalil Ben Gharbia) and attempts to possess him. The amazing supporting cast boasts Isabelle Adjani, Hanna Schygulla (the original object of Petra's desire), and Stéfan Crépon, who is the film's conscience.

'Unidentified Objects' (U.S. Centerpiece)

Another original vision, "Unidentified Objects" is a road trip film where cranky Peter (Matthew August Jeffers), a self-described "college-educated homosexual dwarf," apprehensively agrees to journey with his oddball neighbor Winona (Sarah Hay) to Canada, where she is certain aliens will be waiting to sweep her off this planet. Director Juan Felipe Zuleta delivers an engaging first feature, thanks to a witty script by Leland Frankel and two terrific lead performances.

'Prejudice & Pride'

Eva Beling's compelling "Celluloid Closet"-like doc "Prejudice and Pride" probes the history of Swedish films in search of LGBTQ+ storytelling, discovering an early number of queer characters and situations (Mauritz Stiller's "The Wings" was possibly the first gay-themed movie) and examining the queer queen Greta Garbo's gender-bending passion pictures. Beling explores gay themes in Ingmar Bergman's oeuvre, with surprising results. She then takes us into the modern era with arthouse classics like Lukas Moodyson's "Fucking Åmål" ("Show Me Love") and the groundbreaking AIDS drama "Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves."

'God Save the Queens'

First-time writer-director Jordan Danger offers up a meditation on drag artists in "God Save the Queens," a sometimes-funny drama about four drag performers attending a therapy retreat and telling their stories in flashback. Anyone who has spent any time in a drag bar will be familiar with these characters, portrayed by Justin Andrew Honard (a.k.a. Alaska Thunderfuck), Jay Jackson (a.k.a. Laganja Estranja), Kelly Mantle, and Jordan Michael Green. Mantle's emotional onstage outburst as the eldest queen, Marmalade, is a touching highlight.

'Girl Picture'

Finnish director Alli Haapasalo's visually enticing "Girl Picture" tells the story of young besties Mimmi (Aamu Milonoff) and Rönkkö (Eleonoora Kauhanen) and their desire for romantic and sexual fulfillment. Tempestuous Mimmi begins dating idiosyncratic Emma (Linnea Leino), a champion figure skater. Alas, Mimmi tends to sabotage relationships. Meanwhile, Rönkkö is convinced she will never have a fulfilling sexual experience. The film is about friendship first and foremost.

'Shall I Compare You to a Summer's Day?'

Egyptian director Mohammad Shawky Hassan has fashioned a deeply personal and beguiling queer musical of sorts that borrows liberally from "One Thousand and One Nights." It's a singular achievement that delves into themes like monogamy, trust, compatibility, lust, and, yes, love. it is a rare treat to see a film about the queer Egyptian experience, and Hassan, exorcising some demons, dares to deviate from the narrative norm. Bravo!

'All Man: The International Male Story'

I vividly remember the International Male catalogue arriving at my home when I was a teen, and instantly bringing it into my room to flip through the pages. Something about gazing at those hot guys was trying to tell me something about myself. And I was not alone. Filmmakers Bryan Darling and Jesse Finlay Reed examine what the magazine meant to many young gays, as well as charting the rise and fall of the company, in "All Man: The International Male Story." The most poignant segment of the doc, which is narrated by Matt Bomer, is a tribute to those involved in the company who were lost to AIDS.

'Please Baby Please'

Amanda Kramer's hip, jazzy, highly stylized film "Please Baby Please" appropriates from dozens of movies ("Absolute Beginners," "Desperately Seeking Susan," "West Side Story," "Streets of Fire," "The Wild One," and a ton of Noir B-movies just off the top of my cine-head), yet, somehow, she also creates her own genre: Queer-infused futuristic '50s. Suse and Arthur (a kick-ass Andrea Riseborough and Henry Melling) are newly married, yet both seem to have leanings in the same-sex direction. Arthur lusts after a murderous gang leader (Karl Glusman, oozing sex appeal), while Suse seems to have a thing for her neighbor (a terrific, if underused, Demi Moore). Gender roles and orientation expectations are challenged in this captivating curio.