OUTshine Film Festival Miami Launches April 23
Opening Night Celebration at Dezerland Drive-In
PRESENTED BY: GILEAD SCIENCES & MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

85 Films in total from 21 Countries
44 - Feature Films
4 - Shorts Programs
3 - In-Person Events

Miami, FL
The 23rd annual OUTshine Film Festival Miami edition will take place April 23rd to May 2nd, with an opening night celebration at the Dezerland Drive-In. Due to the pandemic, this year's festival will be mostly digital, with three in person events. It will feature 80+ LGBTQ films from around the world beginning with the opening night presentation of Potato Dreams of America, a semi-autobiographical comedy film that follows director Wes Hurley growing up in Russia and coming to the United States with his mail-order bride mother. Additional highlights for the week include The Triple Threat, A Good Man, the documentary Keyboard Fantasies and the Closing Night film Charlatan.

The OUTshine Film Festival Miami Opening Night Drive-In premiere of Potato Dreams of America will take place Friday, April 23, 2021 @ 7:00 PM at Dezerland Drive-In (14401 NE 19th Ave, North Miami, FL 33181). Tickets to all OUTshine Film Festival Miami edition films on sale NOW at outshinefilm.com.

"No matter who you are or what your coming out journey has been, we have a film for you," says Victor Gimenez, Executive Director of OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival, a bi-annual film festival with a mission to unite the community through social events and films that inspire, entertain and educate. Launched in 2008 as The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the festival expanded ten years later to include the Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Both were brought together as OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival, with the Miami edition held every April and the Fort Lauderdale edition held in October.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Miami edition will be held predominantly online. "One of the greatest strengths of the festival being virtual is that it allows us to show the films for longer periods of time and to a broader audience across the entire state of Florida," Gimenez continues.

Additionally, the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Miami edition will host virtual Q&As with filmmakers and talent and stream them on their Facebook and YouTube channels. "These will be great because we can we can really go in depth with talent located across the globe," Gimenez explains.

An exciting new feature being added to this year's OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Miami edition is OUTshine At Home. After the festival's conclusion, OUTshine will offer its members 8-10 films every month; a mixture of brand-new films and older festival titles that are not available on any streaming services. "It will enable our audience to discover incredible new content and remain engaged in LGBTQ+ film throughout the year," Giminez says. He believes it will also encourage new members from all parts of Florida - Orlando, Jacksonville, Naples, and Tallahassee - to join their community and experience OUTshine LGBTQ+Film Festival Miami when it becomes a physical event again in April 2022.

For more information about the 23rd Annual Miami Edition of the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival, visit www.outshinefilm.com. Follow on Facebook @OUTshineFilmFestival, on Twitter @OUTshineFilm and on Instagram @OUTshineFilm.

OPEN NOW - OUTshine is LIVE!

PROGRAM: https://outshinefilm.com/films/program

Tickets & Passes are on-sale now!

TICKETS & PASSES: https://outshinemiami2021.eventive.org/welcome

FESTIVAL SNEAK PEAK:

OPENING NIGHT FILM	April 23, 2021 7pm DRIVE-IN EVENT @ DEZERLAND POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA An autobiographical dark comedy about a gay boy growing up in the Soviet Union, his mail-order bride mother and their adventurous escape to America. READ THE REVIEWS
CLOSING NIGHT FILM	May 2, 2021 7pm OUTDOOR SCREENING @ MIAMI BEACH BOTANICAL GARDEN CHARLATAN The breathtaking story of a man gifted with exceptional abilities set against the background of the events of the totalitarian fifties. WATCH THE TRAILER
	STREAMING: APRIL 24 - 28, 2021 TOVE Painter Tove Jansson finds worldwide success from an unexpected side project in the midst of artistic struggles and an unrequited love affair causing hardships in an already unconventional personal life. WATCH THE TRAILER
	STREAMING: APRIL 24 - 28, 2021 BOY MEETS BOY Harry has been partying for 48 hours when he meets Johannes on the dance floor of a club in Berlin. With 15 hours until his flight home, Johannes offers to help Harry print his boarding pass. This mundane task leads to a day together wandering the city. The contrasts in their lives and values force each one to confront their own truths. Boy Meets Boy is about the journey of a brief encounter and the mark left by a fleeting moment of joy. WATCH THE TRAILER
	STREAMING: APRIL 24 - 28, 2021 BEYTO What happens when 19-year-old Beyto’s parents discover he has fallen in love with his coach and they quickly marry him to his childhood friend? WATCH THE TRAILER

OUTshine Miami Edition
APRIL 23 - MAY 2, 2021

About OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival
The OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival is a bi-annual film festival with a mission to unite the community through social events and films that inspire, entertain and educate. Launched in 2008 as The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the festival expanded ten years later to include the Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Both were brought together as OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival, with the Miami edition held every April and the Fort Lauderdale edition held in October. Critically and internationally acclaimed, OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival serves as a platform for numerous premiers and is the largest LGBTQ+ cultural arts event in South Florida. OUTrageous. OUTspoken. OUTstanding… is the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival