Outfest Announces Virtual and Drive-In Screenings of Over 160 Films

The health crisis won't stop Outfest.

The LGBTQ+ film festival, presented by WarnerMedia, announced that it will pivot this year to virtual screenings as well as two weekends of drive-in showings for its 11-day lineup of over 160 productions and 35 world premieres.

Outfest will run August 20 to 30. Viewers can visit www.outfestla2020.com for an all-access pass to screen nearly the entirety of its film lineup, in addition to events that include live and pre-recorded Q&As. The pass is priced at $59.99 and includes a year-long subscription to Outfest's new streaming platform.

This year boasts one of Outfest's most diverse selections yet; over 70 percent of films were directed by women, transgender, and POC filmmakers. Highlights and centerpieces include P.S. Burn This Letter Please, Cowboys, Freedia Got a Gun, The Carnivores, Shiva Baby, Dramarama, Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story, Monsoon, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson, No Hard Feelings, If It Were Love, La Leyenda Negra, Minyan, Ahead of the Curve, Tahara, and Cured.

The drive-in events, dubbed "Outfest LA Under the Stars," will be held for six nights at Malibu's Calamigos Ranch in two different lots; the ranch will also be the site of the opening and closing events. A final list of screenings there is forthcoming, but it will include the L.A. premiere of The Nowhere Inn starring musicians Annie Clark (St. Vincent) and Carrie Brownstein. The closing-night film is Travis Fine's Two Eyes, which centers on LGBTQ+ people living in three different time periods in the American West.

"In this brand-new, uncharted territory of digital festivals, we are honored that so many wonderful films have entrusted Outfest LA to be their festival home," said Mike Dougherty, Outfest's director of festival programming. "I'm incredibly excited that this stunning array of diverse talent, which represents Outfest's continued mission to showcase the best work from LGBTQIA+ artists, will be more accessible than ever before."

"This year's film festival is not only a reflection of Outfest's historic trajectory -- mixing innovation with media to cast an ever-widening net of diverse and global stories -- it is also a testament to Outfest's commitment to thrive in a moment in which the future of live events, independent film, and our own rights are threatened," said Damien S. Navarro, Outfest's executive director. "We must continue to create opportunities for our LGBTQIA+ storytellers to navigate the tumultuous environment of entertainment, media and communications, year-round."

Check out the full lineup at Outfest.org.