OUTFEST ANNOUNCES FILM COMPETITION WINNERS
July 13 to 19

Outfest, one of the world's largest gay and lesbian film festivals and the largest film festival in Southern California, has announced its coveted 10th Annual Film Competition Awards, in which 16 competitive film awards were announced in three categories:
Grand Jury Awards, Audience Awards & Special Programming Awards.

Outfest 2004, the festival's 22nd edition, featured 220 films and videos from 22 countries, exhibited in nine venues over 12 days. The festival boasted 98 separate programs, four galas, 69 feature film programs, 14 short film programs, six special events and five panels. The awards ceremony, held prior to the Los Angeles debut of "Straight-Jacket" at the John Anson Amphitheatre, included such celebrity presenters as Lauren Ambrose, Bobby Gant, Dave Koz, Lucy Lawless, Judith Light, Martha Plimpton and Kevin Williams.


The winners of the Grand Jury Awards are as follows:

OUTstanding American Narrative Feature -
"Brother To Brother" Director: Rodney Evans

OUTstanding International Narrative Feature -
"Wild Side" Director: Sebastean Lifshitz

OUTstanding Documentary Feature -
"A Fine State This Is" Director: Jessica Chandler

OUTstanding Screenwriting -
Ryan Shiraki and Lecia Rosenthal for "Poster Boy"

OUTstanding Actor in a Feature Film -
Roger Robinson for "Brother To Brother"

OUTstanding Actress in a Feature Film -
Robin Greenspan, Lacie Harmon & Lee Friedlander for "Girl Play"

Audience Awards winners:

HBO OUTstanding First Narrative Feature -
"Dorian Blues" Director: Tennyson Bardwell (Plus a $5,000 cash prize, courtesy of HBO)

OUTstanding Lesbian Narrative Feature -
"Girl Play" Director: Lee Friedlander
(Plus a $1,000 cash prize, courtesy of Wolfe Video
and Olivia Cruises)

OUTstanding Narrative Feature -
"Brother To Brother" Director: Rodney Evans

OUTstanding Documentary Feature -
"Drag Kings on Tour" Director: Sonia Slutsky

OUTstanding Narrative Short Film -
"Gift For Living" Director: Tamika Miller

OUTstanding Documentary Short Film -
"Butch Mystique" Director: Debra A. Wilson

OUTstanding Soundtrack -
"Callas Forever" Director: Franco Zeffirelli

Special Programming Awards:

Freedom Award -
Patrik-Ian Polk, Writer/Director for "Noah's Arc"

OUTstanding Emerging Talent -
Ekachai Uekrongtham, Writer/Director for "Beautiful Boxer"

OUTstanding Artistic Achievement -
Jennifer Reeves, Writer/Director for "The Time We Killed"

"Outfest had a marvelous year," said Stephen Gutwillig, Executive Director. "We featured an interesting, eclectic and far-reaching assortment of films, perhaps one of our strongest lineups in years, and our audiences responded overwhelmingly well. The movies, the parties, the panels, the events - they all exceeded even our enthusiastic expectations. I am happy to say it's been another good year."

Festival rep- Craig Parish