Outfest broadening its film boundaries

LOS ANGELES, July 5 (UPI) -- The director of programming for Outfest says the Los Angeles festival of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movies is broadening its boundaries.

Festival official Kim Yutani said the films being featured in the 27th year of the festival do not revolve entirely around LGBT characters, but instead offer a diverse range of cinematic stories, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

"Filmmakers are not necessarily only telling stories with gay characters at the center; they are interested in telling other stories too," Yutani said.

Among the movies to air at Outfest, which runs Thursday to July 19, are "La Mission," the story of a former convict struggling with his gay son, and "We Are the Mods," which tells the tale of a teenage girl exploring her sexual identity.

"Mods" director E.E. Cassidy told the Times she is concerned her work will not be accepted by general audiences since it was turned down for screenings at more mainstream festivals.

"I have to go where people want to show the film, even if I think it has a broader appeal than just the gay community," she said.