Outfest Artwork by Jess X. Snow
Grad Film alumni/student films will be heavily featured in the Shorts category at this year's Outfest Fusion.
Outfest Fusion “brings together one of the largest, inclusive and diverse cross-sections of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. The fest is a space the next generation of storytellers and cultural ambassadors are discovered.”
-Ship: A Visual Poem by Terrance Daye
The short follows a black boy on the day of his cousin’s funeral as he learns contradictory lessons about masculinity. Daye worked on the project with two Grad Film alumni: Elegance Bratton (Executive Producer) and Kristin Kouke (DP). The short recently won the prestigious Short Film Jury Award at Sundance.
Buck by Elegance Bratton & Jovan James
Caught in the throes of a depressive fugue, young Lynn resorts to debauchery to find joy — only to discover that happiness is a much more complicated proposition. DPd by alum Zamarin Wahdat.
A queer, lovelorn teen struggling with depression finds an unexpected connection to her abuela through the secret language of dreams.
Safe Among Stars by Jess X. Snow
A queer Chinese-American woman struggles to tell her immigrant mother why she left school. As she disassociates, she develops the ability to teleport and must learn how to control her powers. Produced by current Grad Film student Rachel Gordon, and DPd by Noelia María Muiño Gonzalez.
The festival art pictured above is designed by Snow (a 2nd year student) and spotlights queer folks of color in entertainment. This one features Kyoko Takenaka— a brilliant non-binary asian-american actor and musician based in LA. The artwork uses the colors of the queer and trans flags and is inspired by the idea that queer folks of color can be monumental and that queerness is as primordial as the sea.
The festival will run March 6-10, 2020 in Los Angeles.
Read more at Deadline.