Outfest, the Los Angeles LGBT film fest, opens its 34th edition tonight, Thursday, July 7. Over 60 features will screen before the event comes to a close on Sunday, July 17, including 25 documentaries. Among these are its doc centerpiece, KIKI, Sara Jordenö’s intimate look at NYC’s youth ballroom scene, which debuted earlier this year at Sundance.
The festival’s remaining nonfiction includes a mix of highlights from Sundance and other notable events, as well as lesser known or brand new work. Among these are: Dante H Alencastre’s RAISNG ZOEY, a profile of a typical teenage girl, who happens to be trans; Annalise Ophelian’s MAJOR! (pictured), a biography of a notable black trans community leader; C Fitz’s JEWEL’S CATCH ONE, about the long-running African-American owned disco; Tiffany Rhynard’s FORBIDDEN: UNDOCUMENTED AND QUEER IN RURAL AMERICA, on a young man’s dual activism around immigration and LGBT rights; Robyn Symon’s UNCLE GLORIA: ONE HELLUVA RIDE!, about a criminal who found her true gender after crossdressing to escape the law; and Yony Leyser’s hybrid DESIRE WILL SET YOU FREE, an exploration of Berlin’s queer art scene.
what (not) to doc 