The OutCast Presented by Outfest

It’s the OutCast’s first season finale! We’re highlighting five 2020 Outfest LA Festival films and it’s so big, it’s two parts! In part one, host David Kittredge chats with Outfest Executive Director Damien Navarro and Director of Programming Mike Dougherty about the challenges and triumphs of this year’s festival. Then, director Olivia Peace and star Madeline Grey DeFreece chat about their fun and funny coming-of-age feature TAHARA, and writer/director Anna Kerrigan and trans actor Sasha Knight talk about shooting in Montana with their powerful father-and-trans-son-on-the-lam crowd-pleaser COWBOYS. Next week in part 2, David talks to the teams behind TWO EYES, P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE and DRAMARAMA!

The OutCast presented by Outfest is taking this week off to finish producing the big season one finale next week, highlighting some of the best films from Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival 2020. That episode will feature filmmakers from TAHARA, COWBOYS, TWO EYES, P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE and DRAMARAMA. Tune in next week!

Building a successful career as a director in the industry is tough— but to do it as a woman when almost all working directors were men? That’s a triumph. Host David Kittredge delves deep with trailblazing director Jamie Babbit, from her start working on set with David Fincher to her LGBT classic But I’m A Cheerleader, through her impressive career directing episodes of Nip/Tuck, Gilmore Girls, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The L Word, Girls, Looking, Silicon Valley, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Russian Doll, among many others. Being a pioneer is never easy, but Jamie’s continuing journey is a remarkable story of artistic resilience and endless creative curiosity.

It’s all about indie filmmaking this week on the OutCast Presented by Outfest! Host David Kittredge catches up with his friend, filmmaker, actor and musician H.P. Mendoza, about why being a tech nerd can help you shoot indie movies for incredibly low budgets, how being an introvert can boost productivity, how to navigate a successful relationship with another creative, and why a love of movies like SHOWGIRLS and THE ROOM is crucial to being a filmmaker.

We’re going back to our indie film roots this week on The OutCast Presented By Outfest, when host David Kittredge talks with one of the most acclaimed producers of the past few decades, Christine Vachon. From her start working on the set of PARTING GLANCES to shepherding iconic movies of the New Queer Cinema, to founding her company Killer Films and its celebrated films including POISON, BOYS DON’T CRY, VELVET GOLDMINE and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, Christine talks about the radical shifts how content is created, how living through the AIDS crisis inspired her and other artists to get their stories heard, what she looks for in a project, and her unashamed love of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE.

Take a trip through the celluloid closet of trans visibility with host David Kittredge as he chats with the filmmakers behind the acclaimed documentary DISCLOSURE: director Sam Feder, producer Amy Scholder and executive producer Laverne Cox. From the years of outreach, fundraising, shooting and editing to the joy of seeing the film premiere to ecstatic reviews at Sundance, to the heartbreak of the pandemic impeding its festival run and the film’s release on Netflix, the filmmakers candidly discuss what it took to make this landmark documentary both personally and professionally, as well as the importance of trans visibility, maybe now more than ever.

It’s all about theater on this episode of The OutCast Presented by Outfest, when host David Kittredge has an in-depth chat with acclaimed director Michael Mayer and actors Christian Borle and Jonathan Groff about their 2020 production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Mayer’s SPRING AWAKENING and THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, Borle’s roles from FALSETTOS to the TV show SMASH, and Groff’s roles from FROZEN to HAMILTON— and why they all love working together so much. From the future of theater post-pandemic, to the very specific patch Groff had to wear for a sex scene in the TV series LOOKING, it’s a wild and fun ride!

On the latest episode of The OutCast Presented by Outfest, host David Kittredge chats with Outfest alumnus and award-winning producer/director Jeffrey Schwarz (VITO, I AM DIVINE, THE FABULOUS ALLAN CARR, TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL and many others) about his passion for documentary filmmaking, how he chooses his projects, and the “best night of his life” at the 30th anniversary of Outfest Los Angeles. Listen now!

On the latest episode from the OutCast-- host David Kittredge kikis with drag superstars Bob The Drag Queen, Shangela, and Eureka O’Hara about their HBO Original Series We’re Here. The fabulous trio spills the tea about their favorite moments during filming, how they support queens of color during these challenging times, and their plans to return to the stage in the ‘new normal’.

What do punk rock, aliens and 70s London have in common? Take out your wig in a box and listen to the latest episode of The OutCast Presented by Outfest as David Kittredge is joined by award-winning actor, writer, director and musician John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), co-composer Bryan Weller (How to Talk to Girls at Parties), and editor Brian Kates (We The Animals, Shortbus) as they discuss “Anthem: Homunculus,” their epic six-hour, 10-episode musical podcast. The trio shares their process in creating this ground-breaking rock musical, how Mitchell’s life inspired the story and the unprecedented nature of this moment in time. You won’t want to miss this episode!