
Elliot Page To Receive Outfest Annual Achievement Award
Outfest Los Angeles, one of the largest LGBTQ film festivals, will award Elliot Page with its Achievement Award when the festivities get underway later this month.
“It gives me great honor to be the recipient of this year's Outfest Annual Achievement Award and represent the LGBTQ Plus community … Now more than ever, it is so important for our voices to be amplified and represented in film and media, and for people to hear our stories,” Page said.
The famed actor has built a sizable resume since rising to prominence in the films “Juno” and “Hard Candy,” but has focused much of his recent career on telling stories rooted in systemic prejudices facing marginalized communities and celebrations of LGBTQ culture. Notable among those projects are “The Cured” and “Gaycation,” which Page produced, and the documentary “There's Something In The Water,” Page's directorial debut.
Award will Cap Festival and Outfest's Trans and Nonbinary Summit
“There is no one more poised to receive this year's Outfest Annual Achievement Award than Elliot. His courage, advocacy and personal journey have made him one of the most admired and respected public figures of his generation and his talent and voice are leading a new generation within the LGBTQIA+ and entertainment community,” Damien S. Navarro, Outfest executive director, told Variety.
“When determining the recipient of our highest honor we look for those that have been a powerful representative for our community, that have soared to the highest levels of recognition for their talent and who have stepped into the shoes themselves as an independent filmmaker and creator,” Navarro added.
Kieran Median, organizer of Outfest LA's Trans and Nonbinary Summit, will present the award to Page at the festival's closing gala, putting an exclamation point on the week-plus celebration of queer cinema and filmmakers. More than 170 projects are set to screen at this year's installment.
Notable at Outfest
Notable among 2021's offerings are a pair of documentaries, “Gemmel & Tim” and “Crystal Diaries,” focused on the deaths of Gemmel Moore and Timothy Michael Dean at the hands of now-convicted murderer Ed Buck and the fight to bring Buck to justice.
Queer Southern family drama “Socks On Fire” and Charles Busch's caper comedy “The Sixth Reel” are also among the centerpiece films at this year's event. Outfest LA gets runs from Aug. 13-22 both in person and virtually.