Outfest: Connect your way

Each year as Outfest takes place in Los Angeles (this year a little later than usual), I get sent links to view some of the films that are part of the programme. And I also discover that there are several films I've already caught at other festivals. Outfest is one of the leading LGBTQ+ festivals in the world, and if features some great movies from top filmmakers. Here are short comments about seven terrific features with links to the full reviews on the site, starting with one of my favourite films of the year so far...

Sweetheart
dir-scr Marley Morrison; with Nell Barlow, Jo Hartley 21/UK ****.
Packed with jaggedly witty observations, this British comedy gets into the mind of a teen who thinks her life couldn't get any worse. Writer-director Marley Morrison tells a hugely engaging story about a character brought to vivid life by gifted actor Nell Barlow. The pacing may meander in the middle, but this is a breathtaking feature debut, and one of the most astute movies about adolescence in recent memory... FULL REVIEW >

Jump, Darling
dir-scr Phil Connell; with Cloris Leachman, Thomas Duplessie 20/Can ****.
This comedy-drama centres on a luminous, no-nonsense performance from the late Cloris Leachman, a lead role that feels like a gift. Writer-director Phil Connell tells an engaging story about people who find inspiration at opposite ends of their lives. While invoking the spirit of Hedwig as these defiant people refuse to be put into boxes, this is a complex celebration of how empowering it is to be honest with yourself... FULL REVIEW >

Boy Meets Boy
dir Daniel Sanchez Lopez; with Matthew J Morrison, Alexis Koutsoulis 21/Ger ****
Freeform filmmaking adds earthy authenticity to this German drama, which follows two young men over 15 hours. Filmmaker Daniel Sanchez Lopez assembles this mainly in visceral closeup, seemingly shot on a phone camera as characters take a loosely meandering journey. The approach gives the film a striking sense of intimacy. So if the plot feels thin, the attractive actors and sparky subtext make this worth a look... FULL REVIEW >

Firstness
dir-scr Brielle Brilliant; with Tim Kinsella, Allex Jording 21/US ****
Drenched in New Mexico sunshine, this offbeat drama takes a refreshingly open-handed approach that's easy to engage with. With her first feature, writer-director Breille Brilliant takes a premise that could easily seem a bit creepy and makes it something affirming and almost inspirational in the way it celebrates the wonderful variety in human expression. It's a disarmingly gentle film that challenges us without even a moment of preachiness... FULL REVIEW >

Firebird
dir Peeter Rebane; with Tom Prior, Oleg Zagorodnii 21/Est ****
Based on a true story, this Cold War drama traces a romantic triangle in a Russian military setting. Director Peeter Rebane keeps the focus on the characters as they navigate a perilous situation, pulling the audience into the story. This adds vivid personal emotions to the visually stylised filmmaking, and also adds wider resonance. Some earthy grit might have helped, but the film is strongly engaging and very moving... FULL REVIEW >

Potato Dreams of America
dir-scr Wes Hurley; with Tyler Bocock, Marya Sea Kaminski 21/US ****
Heavily stylised and hugely imaginative, this coming-of-age story unfolds with offbeat insight and witty observations. Expanding on his 2017 short doc Little Potato, writer-director Wes Hurley depicts his own experiences with cleverly inventive imagery, using a mix of stage-like sets and real-world locations. And the sparky characters are full of life, adding to the film's brisk pace and warm-hearted approach to topics that shouldn't actually be controversial at all... FULL REVIEW >

Knocking

dir Frida Kempff; with Cecilia Milocco, Albin Grenholm 21/Swe ****

Cleverly shot with a focus on thoughts and feelings, this Swedish thriller has a slow-burn quality that inexorably pulls the audience into its web of unnerving fear. Director Frida Kempff, writer Emma Brostrom and actor Cecilia Milocco take us deep into the mind of an unhinged woman who feels that something around her isn't right. And she seems so convinced about it that she pulls us into the mystery... FULL REVIEW >

I've also caught up with a few Outfest shorts at other festivals...

• Pure (Natalie Jasmine Harris 21/US) ****
• Eden (Sven Spur 20/Bel) ****
• Bodies of Desire (Varsha Panikar & Saad Nawab 21/Ind) ****
• Pool Boy (Luke Willis 21/US) ****
• The Night Train (Jerry Carlsson 20/Swe) ****

For more information: OUTFEST 

Flare: Let your colours burst

The 35th BFI Flare continues to run online this year, and it's a bit sad to think of BFI Southbank being so empty these days, without lively screenings, special events and of course the parties. At least the smaller number of films in the programme have been uniformly strong, a terrific mix of entertainment and more pointed themes. I've even been able to do a couple of interviews with actors and filmmakers (using webcams of course). Everything is available online this year at BFI FLARE until March 28th, with timed-ticketed screenings of the features and free access to the shorts, including this year's Five Films for Freedom. More on those here next week. In the meantime, here are a few more feature highlights, including my favourite festival film so far...

Colors of Tobi [Tobi Színei]
dir Alexa Bakony; with Tobias Benjamin Tuza, Eva Ildiko Tuza, 21/Hun ****
This Hungarian fly-on-the-wall documentary observes the life of a trans teen and his impact on his family and community. While noting the vicious public homophobia this young person faces, the film centres on parents and friends who are genuinely working through issues to support him. The film is sharply well-edited, bringing out resonance that highlights bigger themes, while filmmaker Alexa Bakony recounts a powerful story in a straightforward, compelling way. FULL REVIEW >

Cowboys
dir-scr Anna Kerrigan; with Steve Zahn, Jillian Bell 20/US ****
Spectacular Montana landscapes add natural beauty to this modern-day Western, which takes on complex issues with sensitivity and big-hearted humour. Writer-director Anna Kerrigan tells the story with beautifully observed style, quietly catching the perspective of a child who's looking for someone to see him for who he is. The story perhaps bites off more than it can chew, overcomplicating an already important central theme. But it's involving and strikingly well-made. FULL REVIEW >

Sweetheart
dir-scr Marley Morrison; with Nell Barlow, Jo Hartley 21/UK ****.
Packed with jaggedly witty observations, this British comedy gets into the mind of a teen who thinks her life couldn't get any worse. Writer-director Marley Morrison tells a hugely engaging story about a character brought to vivid life by gifted actor Nell Barlow. The pacing may meander in the middle, but this is a breathtaking feature debut, and one of the most astute movies about adolescence in recent memory. FULL REVIEW >

The Obituary of Tunde Johnson
dir Ali LeRoi; with Steven Silver, Spencer Neville 19/US ****
Taking on enormous issues in an inventive way, this brightly well-made drama is superbly directed by Ali LeRoi from an astute script by Stanley Kalu. The film takes on huge things things people face in seemingly perfect lives, hinging on the experience of a wealthy Black teen. It's long and a little scattershot in its approach, but the vivid characterisations make it riveting. And the raw urgency is breathtaking. FULL REVIEW >

Note that all full reviews will be linked on the site's BFI FLARE page.