Editor

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and preserving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media, has announced the extraordinary line-up for Fusion 2009: The Sixth Annual Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival, presented by HBO. An impressive program of films, panels, workshops, and parties will be featured during the three-day event that takes place March 6 through 8. The screenings of features and short films will be held at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood during the first two days of the event. The panels and workshops will take place at Universal Studios and the LAGLC’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza. The announcement was made today by Festival Director of Programming, Kimberly Yutani.

Fusion is a growing part of Outfest and is the only multi-racial, gender-inclusive film festival of its kind. The festival of screenings and events will kick-off on Friday, March 6 with the annual Opening Night Gala shorts program-- a program of highly accomplished and entertaining short films that includes award-winning short, LA CORONA and the acclaimed THE YOUNG AND EVIL, an official selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. The festival will close on Saturday, March 7 with the Los Angeles premiere of PEDRO, written by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and directed by Nick Oceano. This stunning biographical film reinvigorates the moving true story of Pedro Zamora, the openly gay and HIV-positive Cuban-American who captured the hearts of MTV viewers in the San Francisco edition of THE REAL WORLD in 1994.

“Fusion highlights cultures and experiences that are so often marginalized in mainstream media," says Kimberly Yutani, Outfest's Director of Programming. "Fusion films and videos are provocative, moving and fun, and most importantly, the festival brings together diverse audiences and draws connections between people of different races, classes and genders."

Fusion continues March 8 with the Second Annual Conference, Ignite the Fuse: Queer People of Color in Film, TV and Video, curated by filmmaker Cheryl Dunye. This year’s conference will focus on strengthening networks between people of color LGBT community organizations and media makers. Creative collaborations, both past and present, will be discussed and applied to the development of new ventures in today’s queer media market. Highlights include a provocative panel entitled “Prop 8 and the Fallacy of Single Issue Politics,” and a DIY workshop called “Instant Gratification Media Making.”

The Sixth Annual Fusion Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival presenting sponsor is HBO and the founding sponsor is Liberty Hill Foundation. The major sponsor is Paramount and supporting sponsors are Bunim/Murray and Skyy Vodka. This program is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs.
For more information and for a complete listing of films in the Festival, see below or log on to www.Outfest.org. Festival tickets are on sale now to Outfest members and the general public. Special ticket packages are also available.