THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Outfest Sets Opening and Closing Night Films From Trans Filmmakers for First Time
June 6, 2023
The Los Angeles LGBTQ film festival will open with Aitch Alberto's 'Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe' and close with Sav Rodgers' 'Chasing Chasing Amy.'
Outfest has lined up its opening and closing night films.
The Los Angeles LGBTQ film festival — scheduled for July 13-23 and presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and Genesis Motor America — will open with Aitch Alberto’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe at the Orpheum Theatre and close with Sav Rodgers’ Chasing Chasing Amy at the Montalbán Theatre.
The selections mark the first time in the fest’s history that both the opening and closing night films come from trans filmmakers. Furthermore, both Alberto and Rodgers hail from Outfest’s artist development programs. Alberto participated in the Outfest screenwriting lab in 2007 and has since served as a mentor to young filmmakers in Outfest programs, while Rodgers participated in Outfest’s OutSet filmmaking lab and mentorship program as well as the screenwriting lab in 2021.
Based on Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s young adult novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe centers on the friendship between two teenage Mexican-American boys in 1987 El Paso who explore a new, unusual friendship and the difficult road to self-discovery. Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales star in the lead roles with Eugenio Derbez, Eva Longoria, Veronica Falcón and Kevin Alejandro rounding out the cast.
The film is produced by Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker of Limelight Prods., Big Swing Prods.’ Valerie Stadler, Ben Odell and Eugenio Derbez of 3Pas Studios, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 5000 Broadway Prods. Limelight funded the film along with Boies/Schiller Entertainment. Zack Schiller, David Boies, Kyra Sedgwick, Meredith Bagby served as executive producers on the film along with Alberto. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released in the U.S. by Blue Fox Entertainment.
