AMERICA FERRERA TO TAKE PART IN OUTFEST LOS ANGELES SCREENWRITING LAB READING

CHEYENNE JACKSON TO SPEAK AT AMFAR PANEL

 

OUTFEST LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL PANELISTS AND SPEAKERS FOR PRODUCERS EXPO INCLUDING KEY NOTE BY RICH ROSS

Los Angeles, July 10, 2013 – Outfest – the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen – has announced the participants for the panels and screenwriting lab reading, as well as the speakers for the Producers Expo at its 31st Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival. The nation’s leading LGBT festival will be held July 11 to 21, 2013.

Golden Globe and Emmy award winner America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”) will take part in the 11th annual Outfest Screenwriting Lab Reading. She will read the lead role of Meg for the script “HAG” by Julia Dwyer Sullivan. The reading takes place on Thursday, July 18th at 7pm at the Director’s Guild of America (DGA 2).

Actor, singer and activist Cheyenne Jackson (“Behind the Candelabra,” 30 Rock”) will be participating in Outfest’s amfAR panel, following the screening of Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s short film “The Battle of amfAR.” Jackson is an international ambassador for amfAR, and will discuss the organization’s ongoing work tackling the AIDS crisis. The screening and panel takes place on Sunday, July 14 at 7:30PM at the Director’s Guild of America (DGA 2).

Panels at this year’s Outfest Los Angeles include “Oh, the Horror!,” a discussion about the fascination with horror movies and examining the link between sexuality and terror. Panelists include this year’s Outfest Achievement Award winner Kimberly Peirce (“Carrie”), TV mogul Bryan Fuller (NBC’s “Hannibal” and ABC’s “Pushing Daisies), screenwriter Christopher Landon (“Disturbia,” “Paranormal Activity 2”), and writer/producer Jeffrey Reddick (“Final Destination”).

Some of today’s leading figures from the world of animation will discuss the rise of LGBT characters, the queer subtext of classic Disney plotlines and the future of animated films aimed at a non-kid market.  The Queer Animation panelists include Kevin Bannerman (director of development, “The Lion King,” “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”), Suzanne Buirgy (producer, “Happy Smekday!”), Dean DeBlois (director, “How to Train Your Dragon 2”), Jay Dyer (development and story writer, “Mulan,” “The Lion King”).

The Outfest Producers Expo is a conference for established and up-and-coming filmmakers featuring stellar speakers, workshops, technology demonstrations and networking events. The special one day conference is Friday, July 19th and brings together some of the best talent in film, television, and new media to provide filmmakers with the tools to make their next project a great success. While some of the focus will be on LGBT storytelling, the Expo is open to all and marketed to a broad audience of film, television and commercial filmmakers. Topics for the panels are: Where’s the Money?; Developing and Producing Projects for Digital Distribution; and New Technology in Production. Speakers include Keynote Speaker Rich Ross (Shine America), and panel moderators Joseph Beyer (Director of Digital Initiatives, Sundance Institute), and Tom Vice (Vice President of Digital Department, Fotokem). The Expo’s presenting sponsors are Fotokem and Hollywood Reporter and official sponsor Film LA.

Tickets and information
For more information and for a complete listing of films in the Festival, log on to www.outfest.org/fest2013 or call 213-480-7065.

Memberships are currently on sale at Outfest.org/membership. Outfest members receive benefits such as free tickets, priority entrance to screenings or all access passes. Contact the Box Office for membership, tickets and event information by calling 213.480.7065 or visit Outfest.org. Special ticket packages are also available.

The 2013 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival is presented by HBO. Grand Sponsors include Absolut and Ease Entertainment.  Other sponsors at the Premiere Level include: Clear Channel, The Directors Guild of America, DIRECTV, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, Merrill Lynch, Southwest Airlines and Variety. Official Sponsors include: Bloomingdale’s, Coca-Cola, COMCAST | NBCUniversal, Equality Rewards, Lichter, Yu and Associates, Marriott, Orbitz, Propaganda Creative Group, Room & Board, Stella Artois, Tech Pal, UBER and Wells Fargo. Day Sponsors are CNN Films, David Geffen Foundation, FrontiersLA, GayCast, HERE TV, Hollywood & Highland, Instinct, Lifetime, Logo TV and Queerty.

For more information about Outfest Los Angeles 2013 sponsorship, visit www.outfest.org/sponsor.

About Outfest
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 20,000 LGBT films and videos. Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival is eleven days of world-class films, discussions and parties.