The 13th Annual Fort Lauderdale Edition of OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival will take place October 14 to October 24, with an opening night celebration at the Museum of Discovery & Science.
The opening film will be Firebird, a touching and romantic story about two Soviet Air Force pilots who navigate the precarious line between friendship and a forbidden love. It will screen in the museum’s IMAX theatre, followed by a party in the museum’s Aviation Exhibit. Firebird’s director, Peeter Rebane, will be in attendance for the opening night celebration, along with talent from the film.
Additional highlights for the week include the Centerpiece film, Finlandia, a thought provoking film about people who view themselves as a third gender; Gemmel & Tim, the true life story of two black gay men found dead at different times in the home of a politically and financially influential gay white man; and No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics, about an under-presented aspect of queer culture that is finally getting the attention it deserves with the success of the graphic novel turned Broadway musical, Fun Home.
Additionally, OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Fort Lauderdale Edition will present a special screening of Mayor Pete, the documentary that follows Peter Buttigieg from the campaign trail to his cabinet position in the Biden administration. The screening will take place Saturday, October 16th with an after party at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort Sky Terrace.
The Closing film will be The Best Families (Las Mejores Familias) and take place on Sunday, October 24th at 6pm at the Sunshine Cathedral MCC (1480 SW 9th Ave, Fort Lauderdale). Luzmila and Peta are two sisters who come from a modest environment and work as housemaids for Alicia and Carmen, two aristocratic ladies who live next door to each other in Peru. They are almost considered a part of the families, or at least that’s what it seems. But one day, as the city is taken over by violent protests, a birthday celebration gathers all the members of both families together, including a gay couple and a bisexual man. A long-held secret involving both households – upstairs and downstairs – is suddenly revealed, blowing up the bubble of their perfect aristocratic world forever. Amidst the pessimism surrounding the socio-economic mobility ladder, The Best Families is an eerily empathic story that reflects a deepening social injustice in the form of humor and satire. It dissects the world we live in – the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie, the division among social classes, and the deep-rooted prejudices – to show that there is a possibility of better understanding through compassion.
Following the movie, they will feature a party and film awards with DJ, Open bar and food.
The organizers recognize that some in the community may not be comfortable with attending in-person screenings or may be restricted to do so because of health concerns. For them, 30 of the 35 theatre screenings will be available for at home screening. OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Fort Lauderdale Edition is also presenting another 9 virtual-only screenings.
For a full list of all the films and parties or to purchase tickets being screened at the 13th Annual Fort Lauderdale Edition of the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival go to: Outshinefilm.com. A special 10-pass is also available for $75 — a $45 savings!
