The opening night film of this year’s LA Outfest has been announced, with C.O.G. getting the honour when the world’s leading LGBT film festival kicks off on July 11.
The movie stars out actors Jonathan Groff and Denis O’Hare, alongside Corey Stoll, Dean Stockwell, Casey Wilson and Troian Bellisario. Directed by 29-year-old Kyle Patrick Alvarez and based on the writings of David Sedaris, C.O.G. (which stand for Children Of God) follows recent college graduate David (Groff), who decides to get close to nature, and the working class, by spending a summer picking apples in Oregon with his friend Jennifer.
Even after she blows him off, he charges ahead on a picaresque journey that takes him from orchard to processing plant to an arts and crafts workshop, guided along the way by an increasingly eccentric and motley bunch of mentors. Whether trying to interpret the possible flirtations of co-worker Curly (Stoll) or resisting the religious hard-sell from Bible-thumping Jon (O’Hare), David finds himself on the most complicated path of all — figuring out who he is and what he wants.
Outfest has also revealed it’s going to hand its 17th annual Achievement Award to writer/director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry, Stop-Loss, Carrie). The Achievement Award is Outfest’s highest honour and is presented in recognition of a body of work that has made a significant contribution to LGBT film and media.
It will be given to Pierce at the Outfest Opening Night Gala at The Orpheum, Los Angeles. The rest of the Outfest programme will be revealed in June.
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