Outfest 2011 Wraps Up After 11 Days of Movie Screenings

The Wise Kids was the big winner at , taking home two top jury prizes while We Were Here, 3 and Circumstance all received top audience awards.

A coming-of-age drama, The Wise Kids won both the jury prize for screenwriting and U.S. dramatic feature at the LGBT film festival’s awards ceremony Sunday morning at the Directors Guild of America building.

Meanwhile, We Were Here, a documentary chronicling the rise of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, received the audience award for best documentary feature. 3, a German feature exploring sexual fluidity as a man enters a heterosexual couple’s relationship, received the audience award for best dramatic feature. Circumstance, another coming-of-age drama, got the audience award for best first dramatic feature.

“This year, I did not see one bad film, which is always amazing at Outfest,” joked drag queen Momma, who served as the award ceremony’s emcee. “It’s sort of like a drag queen. Just because you put on makeup and a wig, doesn’t make you talented or pretty. And just because you make a film, doesn’t mean it’s good.”

The awards ceremony was just one of many highlights of the 29th annual Outfest. Audiences also got to see a sneak preview of next week’s gay-themed episode of Drop Dead Diva, which guest stars singer Clay Aiken in a dramatic role. Diva cast and crew gathered afterward to give inside information about the making of the popular Lifetime network comic drama.

Saturday night saw the audience members swinging in their seats to the joyous Leave It on the Floor, a musical about LA’s black drag balls. Earlier Saturday, audiences raved about the world premiere of Hollywood to Dollywood, a documentary about gay identical twins Gary and Larry Lane’s attempt to give a film script to their idol, singer/actress Dolly Parton.

Another hit with audiences was Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same, a campy, ultra-low-budget black-and-white comedy. Cho Dependent, comedian Margaret Cho’s latest film of her stage act, won over audiences as well. Viewers were also moved by country singer Chely Wright’s documentary Wish Me Away, which chronicles her decision to come out publicly as a lesbian.

Even though it played earlier in the week, days later filmgoers were still talking about the complexities of Weekend, a British drama about a relationship that grows out of a drunken one-night stand.

The closing movie, The Perfect Family at the Ford Amphitheatre, featured the big screen return of Kathleen Turner as a suburban housewife obsessed with winning the Catholic Woman of the Year award despite her family being anything but perfect.  

Overall, attendees reported that they were very satisfied with this year’s 11-day festival.

“They had some amazing films,” said attendee Alan Drake. “Outfest is always so much fun. I’m exhausted now after seeing so many films. But it’s always a special time of year.”

“I can’t wait for next year,” said another attendee.

Next year will mark Outfest’s 30th anniversary, and Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer promised audiences that organizers will be doing something special to mark the occasion.

Below is a full list of the award winners.

Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film

We Were Here, Directed by David Weissman and Bill Weber

Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film

3, Directed by Tom Tykwer

Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film

Circumstance, Directed by Maryam Keshavarz

Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film

Same Difference, Directed by Catherine Opie and Lisa Udelson

Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film

Tsuyako, Directed by Mitsuyo Miyazaki 

Special Programming Award for Freedom

No Look Pass, Directed by Melissa Johnson

Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, Directed by Marie Losier

Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent

Madeleine Olnek, Writer/Director of Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same 

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film

Thank You For Your Call, Directed by Shawn Nee

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film

I Don't Want to Go Back Alone, Directed by Daniel Ribeiro

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film

Habana Muda, Directed by Eric Brach

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film

Weekend, Directed by Andrew Haigh

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film

Nikohl Boosheri, Circumstance

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film

The Case of Private Romeo

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting

Stephen Cone, The Wise Kids

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film

The Wise Kids, Directed by Stephen Cone