AT 2021 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL
Page will be the recipient of the 2021 Outfest Annual Achievement Award
For the first time ever, IMDb ratings will be used to select Outfest Los Angeles Audience Award winners
LOS ANGELES, CA – Monday, August 9, 2021 – Outfest – the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization whose global impact spans promoting queer empathy amongst the public, careers in entertainment, and the exhibition and preservation of LGBTQIA+ stories and voices – today announced that award-winning actor Elliot Page will be honored at the 2021 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, receiving the prestigious Outfest Annual Achievement Award.
The award will be presented to Elliot Page by Kieran Medina (they/he), lead programmer of Outfest LA’s Annual Trans & Nonbinary Summit, at Outfest LA’s Closing Night Gala on the evening of August 22nd at the Orpheum Theatre.
“When determining the recipient of our highest honor we look for those that have been a powerful representative for our community, that have soared to the highest levels of recognition for their talent, and who have stepped into the shoes themselves as an independent filmmaker and creator. There is no one more poised to receive this year’s Outfest Annual Achievement Award than Elliot,” said Outfest Executive Director Damien S. Navarro. “His courage, advocacy, and personal journey have made him one of the most admired and respected public figures of his generation and his talent and voice are leading a new generation within the LGBTQIA+ and entertainment community.”
In addition to being a standout Academy Award®-nominated actor, Elliot’s love for storytelling and passion for social justice has taken him behind the camera as a producer and documentary filmmaker whose work answers the call to action of a generation. A tireless champion of the under-represented, Elliot uses his global platform to shed light on important social and LGBTQ+ issues. “It gives me great honor to be the recipient of this year’s Outfest Annual Achievement Award and represent the LGBTQ+ community,” Page said. “Now more than ever, it is so important for our voices to be amplified and represented in film and media, and for people to hear our stories.”
Elliot is most well-known for his acting roles in Juno, The Umbrella Academy, Hard Candy, and Inception, amongst others. His much anticipated directorial debut, There’s Something in the Water, was released globally on Netflix last year. Additionally, Elliot created and produced the ground-breaking, two-time Emmy-nominated documentary series Gaycation, executive produced by Spike Jonze and Shane Smith for VICELAND. The series follows Elliot and Ian Daniel as they explore LGBTQ+ culture, and the often-harsh realities facing queer communities across the world.
Outfest LA is the preeminent queer cinema and arts festival of its kind in the world, dedicated to celebrating an international body of work submitted by the LGBTQ+ community. The Outfest Achievement Awards recognize individuals who have made a significant contribution to LGBTQIA+ stories, arts, and media visibility. Past recipients of the Outfest Annual Achievement Award Award include Todd Haynes, Bill Condon, John Waters, Kimberly Pierce, Rob Epstein, and Jeffrey Friedman, Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato, Angela Robinson, and Nisha Ganatra.
“The Outfest LA’s 5th Annual Trans & Nonbinary Summit will be a celebration of commUNITY, taking place Saturday, August 21st. This year’s summit consists of 3 separate back-to-back programs,” stated Kieran.
The Summit will feature a Keynote Address by filmmaker and activist Tourmaline (S.T.A.R, Happy Birthday Marsha!), followed by “Post-Pose: The Future of Trans & Nonbinary Storytelling,” a panel featuring established and emerging trans & nonbinary creators, such as filmmaker and Outfest board member Zackary Drucker and screenwriter/producer Our Lady J; a curated Shorts Program titled “Trans Genre” highlighting up-and-coming trans & nonbinary filmmakers playing with the genre to explore themes of being and belonging; and an exclusive Table Read premiere of the Emmy Nominated seriesRazor Tongue Season 2 lead by creator and star, Rain Valdez, featuring a cast of trans & nonbinary actors, such as Alexandra Grey, Trace Lysette, Jacob Tobia, and more. The Table Read is co-produced with Bowie Starr and Now>Ever Artists, Rain Valdez’s independent production company. The summit will culminate with a reception to both celebrate its fifth year and honor Elliot Page.
Also new to Outfest Los Angeles this year is a ground-breaking collaboration with IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and trusted source for movie, TV, and celebrity content, designed to help fans discover and decide what to watch. For the first time ever, IMDb ratings will be used to select the official Outfest Los Angeles Audience Award winners. Outfest LA attendees are encouraged to register and/or sign in to the IMDb site or app to rate and review more than 100 eligible titles screening at the 2021 festival. IMDb ratings help entertainment fans make informed viewing choices and discover LGBTQ+ films, shows, and talent. IMDb registered users can also add all of the Outfest LA titles to their IMDb Watchlist and be notified when a movie or series on the list is now playing in theaters or becomes available on a streaming platform. Among other prizes and recognition, Outfest Los Angeles winners will be eligible to receive a one-year membership to IMDbPro (www.imdbpro.com), the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals, to continue advancing their careers.
“IMDb is committed to celebrating content reflective of our diverse global audience, including helping entertainment fans discover a new generation of LGBTQ+ stories and storytellers,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for IMDb and IMDbPro. “Collaborating with Outfest Los Angeles allows us to leverage our trusted and authoritative rating data to highlight some of the breakout films at this year’s festival that most resonate with audiences.”
Recently added to the festival’s schedule is a special free screening of Wojnarowicz, the critically acclaimed documentary produced by WOW Docs co-founders Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey and directed by longtime World of Wonder collaborator Chris McKim. The screening will be held at 6:45 pm on Sunday, August 15. Called “a wondrous, intimate, and often outrage-inspiring biographical portrait” by the New Yorker, Wojnarowicz exemplifies the brand of groundbreaking storytelling which earned Barbato and Bailey the Outfest Achievement Award in 2011. Following the screening of Wojnarowicz will be an intimate Q&A with the film’s Emmy-winning director Chris McKim, moderated by Homophilia podcast Co-Host Dave Holmes. Named one of the Best Films of the Year by both The New Yorker and Rolling Stone, Wojnarowicz is an autobiographical portrait of the life of downtown New York City artist, writer, photographer, activist David Wojnarowicz. As New York City became the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the artist weaponized his work and waged war against the establishment’s indifference to the plague until his death in 1992 at the age of 37.
The full lineup of live musical performances for Outfest LA’s annual Platinum Alchemy Party – the festival’s final celebration of the experimental, avant-garde, and cutting edge artists within the LGBTQIA+ community – has also been announced. The party, which takes place at Bar Franca on Sunday, August 15th, will feature live sets from Aziza Bijoü, Ryan Cassata, Samiere, Sebastian Lust, and DJ they wept.
The 2021 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival is proudly presented by WarnerMedia, a partnership that has spanned over 20 years. Automotive Sponsor is Hyundai. Grand Sponsors are Amazon Studios and IMDb. Premiere Sponsors include AARP, Directors Guild of America, Gilead, KCRW, LA Times, NBCUniversal, Rainbow Media, Showtime, The Fight Magazine, and Variety.
For tickets, a full festival lineup, and more information, please visit outfestla2021.com.
About Outfest
Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is the world’s 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. For nearly four decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers, and protected more than 40,000 LGBT films and videos. Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival is ten days of world-class films, panels, and parties.
About IMDb
IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for information on movies, TV shows, and celebrities. Products and services to help fans decide what to watch and where to watch it include: the IMDb website for desktop and mobile devices; apps for iOS and Android; and X-Ray on Prime Video. IMDb also offers a free streaming channel, IMDb TV, and produces IMDb original video series and podcasts. For entertainment industry professionals, IMDb provides IMDbPro and Box Office Mojo. IMDb licenses information from its vast and authoritative database to third-party businesses worldwide; learn more at developer.imdb.com. IMDb is an Amazon company. For more information, visit imdb.com/press and follow @IMDb.