Stage Mother, the new comedy-drama film starring Oscar-nominated Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom), Adrian Grenier (Entourage, The Devil Wears Prada) and Emmy-Nominated Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels, Elementary, Ally McBeal), will kick-off the virtual 22nd edition of the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival on Thursday, August 20.
The festival will screen 80 thought-provoking films from 20 countries, all viewable online from August 20 – 30, 2020. A livestreamed Q& A session will follow the film.
Stage Mother tells the story of Maybelline (Jacki Weaver), a conservative Texas church-choir director who inherits her recently deceased son’s drag club. She surprises her closed-minded husband and everyone else she knows by moving alone to San Francisco to save the club from bankruptcy. In this raucous, racy new environment, she begins to open-up and finds new meaning for her life, even becoming a mother-figure to the club’s flamboyant performers. In addition to Adrian Grenier and Lucy Liu, the film also stars, Mya Taylor (Tangerine) and the legendary Jackie Beat.
Stage Mother was a winner of the Best of the Fest Audience Vote at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and winner of the Next Wave Award from the Provincetown International Film Festival.
“We’re proud to showcase Stage Mother, a dazzling and heart-warming film that shatters expectations, as the kick-off to our 22nd edition of the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival,” said Victor Gimenez, executive director of OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival. “We invite film enthusiasts to join us in their cars as we comply with social distancing guidelines for community safety to enjoy this larger-than-life celebration of love and belonging on the big screen.”
In addition to Stage Mother, this year’s virtual line-up includes Centerpiece film The Goddess of Fortune (La Dea Fortuna) (Italy), Drama-Comedy on August 26 at 7 p.m.; a Ladies Shorts Package Night on August 22 at 5 p.m., a Men’s Shorts Package Night on August 23 at 5 p.m.; a South Florida Speaks – Shorts Program on August 30 at 5 p.m., Closing Night film Single Street (Singel 39) (Netherlands), Comedy on August 30 a 7 p.m.; and two FREE Community Showings – Letters to Eloisa (USA), Drama on August 22 at 3 p.m. and TRANSformations – a Trans Shorts Package on August 29 at 3 p.m.