Among the 150-plus movies that will play at Outfest this year, five will play under the stars.
Each year, the LGBT film festival takes over the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd (across the 101 Freeway from the Hollywood Bowl) to show five crowd pleasers in the 1,200-seat outdoor amphitheater, which was built in 1931.
The Ford is also the place where Outfest holds its annual musical sing-along. Song lyrics are projected on screen during each musical number. This year’s sing-along is 2012’s “Pitch Perfect.”
The Ford also hosts the closing night gala, this year a screening of the new teen coming out comedy “G.B.F.”
Many people make an evening of going to the Ford and bring a picnic along with them. For those who don’t want to do a picnic, hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza can be purchased at the concession stands on site.
The biggest drawback to the Ford is the parking situation. Parking at the amphitheater costs $5, but it’s stacked parking, meaning you are there for the duration. There is no way to get your car out of the parking lot if you decide to leave the film early. You must wait until the film ends and the cars parked ahead of you leave before you can exit the parking lot.
If stacked parking is a turn-off, you can also park for free at the Universal City Metro Station parking lot, located on Lankershim Boulevard, just off the 101 Freeway, about three miles north of the Ford Amphitheatre. A free shuttle bus goes from the “kiss and ride” area of the Metro parking lot to the Ford in 20-minute intervals starting two hours before showtime. The shuttle driver will tell people where to assemble after the movie ends to catch the shuttles back to the Metro parking lot.
These are the five movies playing at the Ford this year:
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Pitch Perfect: The Sing-Along – The 2012 musical about an all-girl singing group competing against a male singing group in a campus competition. Brittany Snow, Anna Kendrick and Anna Camp star in this “Glee” meets “Mean Girls” musical that also features Rebel Wilson and Elizabeth Banks. (Wednesday, July 17 at 8:30 p.m.)
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Test – Period drama set in 1985 San Francisco about a dancer contemplating whether to take the new HIV test, which many fear will be used to quarantine gay people. Written, directed and produced by Chris Mason Johnson who also directed 2008’s acclaimed gay drama “The New Twenty.” (Thursday, July 18 at 8:30 p.m.)
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Hot Guys With Guns – Buddy comedy thriller about two ex-boyfriends who pair up to investigate a series of robberies and murders at the sex parties of rich gay men. Marc Anthony Samuel (Felix DuBois on TV’s “General Hospital”) and Brian McArdle star in this gay-style “Lethal Weapon” comedy written and directed by Doug Spearman, best known for playing Chance on Logo’s “Noah’s Arc.” (Friday, July 19 at 8:30 p.m.)
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Breaking the Girls – Murder thriller about two college girls who make a pact to kill each other’s enemies. Agnes Bruckner (“Murder by Numbers” and TV’s “Private Practice”) and Madeline Zima (TV’s “The Nanny” and “Californication”) star in this Hitchcock-style psychological thriller directed by Jamie Babbit, best known for directing the 2000 ex-gay comedy “But I’m a Cheerleader.” (Saturday, July 20 at 8:30 p.m.)
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GBF – High School comedy about a teen who is outed by his gay student alliance and suddenly has three teen queen bees competing to have him as their “gay best friend.” Michael Willett (Lionel on Showtime’s “The United States of Tara”) stars in this “Sixteen Candles” style comedy directed by Darren Stein, who also wrote and directed the 1999 cult comedy thriller “Jawbreaker.” (Sunday, July 21 at 8 p.m.)
