Filipino film “ASOG” won this year’s Outfest GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR SCREENWRITING, International Narrative Feature –screenplay by Seán Devlin, Jaya (Rej Andrade), and Arnel Pablo

The festival opened with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, directed by Aitch Alberto, and closed with Chasing Chasing Amy, directed by Sav Rodgers. For the first time in Outfest’s LGBTQ+ Summer Film Festival history both the Opening and Closing night films were made by trans artists, underlining the deep roster of trans, non-binary, and intersex talent working in the entertainment industry as well as the diversity of trans storytelling at this moment in history.

This year’s festival honored filmmaker Andrew Ahn with their Outfest Achievement Award, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone with the James Schamus Ally Award, actor/producer/ musician Amandla Stenberg with their Platinum Maverick Award, electronic music icon and activist Madame Gandhi with their Platinum Alchemy Award, and presented Karine Jean-Pierre with their inaugural Outfest Achievement Award for Press and Media.

This inaugural Achievement Award for Press and Media is the organization’s highest honor and celebrates the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the media. The award comes as Outfest makes new investments in journalism for the first time with the Outfest Inclusive Press Initiative, the first ever press initiative explicitly for LGBTQ+ entertainment journalists.

The program offers emerging film critics, broadcasters and other journalists unrestricted access to cover the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival while receiving a stipend and mentorship from journalists at media outlets including Reuters, The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter , KABC-TV and more.

Here is the complete list of 2023 OUTFEST winners:

 

Outfest Los Angeles 2023 Award Winners

Grand Jury Awards

 

The Paul D. Lerner and Stephen Reis Grand Jury Award for Documentary Feature: Anhell69, directed by Theo Montoya

 

Documentary Feature Special Mention

Queendom, directed by Agniia Galdanova

 

Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding North American Narrative Feature

Something You Said Last Night directed by Luis De Filippis

 

Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Performance, North American Narrative Feature

Isaac Krasner in Big Boys

 

Grand Jury Prize for Screenwriting, North American Narrative Feature

Sebastián Silva for Rotting in the Sun

 

North American Narrative Feature Special Mentions

Fancy Dance directed by Erica Tremblay

The People’s Joker directed by Vera Drew

 

Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Narrative Feature

The Fabulous Ones directed by Roberta Torre

 

Grand Jury Prize for Screenwriting, International Narrative Feature

Asog, screenplay by Seán Devlin, Jaya, and Arnel Pablo

 

Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Performance, International Narrative Feature

Choi Hae-jun in Peafowl

 

Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Narrative Short Film

An Avocado Pit directed by Ary Zara

 

International Narrative Short Special Mention

Christopher at Sea directed by Tom C J Brown

 

Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Documentary Short Film

Love, Jamie directed by Karla Murthy

 

Documentary Short Special Mention

Here, Hopefully directed by Hao Zhou

 

Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding U.S. Narrative Short

Dilating for Maximum Results directed by Nyala Moon

 

U.S. Narrative Short Special Mention

As You Are directed by Daisy Friedman

 

 

Special Programming Awards

Presented by the senior Outfest programming team

 

Emerging Talent: Alice Maio Mackay, T Blockers

 

Artistic Achievement: Rumpelstiltskin directed by Ethan Fuirst

 

Social Impact: Truth Be Told directed by Nneka Onuorah

 

Hornitos First Shot Award

A History of Sitting in Waiting Rooms (or Whatever Longer Title You Prefer), directed by Lorena Russi