A film based on a short story by openly
gay author Davis Sedaris will open this year's Outfest LA, Los
Angeles' LGBT film festival.
C.O.G., which premiered in
competition at the Sundance Film Festival in January, stars Jonathan
Groff (Glee, Boss), Troian Bellisario (Pretty Little
Liars), Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) and Denis O'Hare
(True Blood).
In the film, David (played by Groff)
heads to Oregon after graduating college to get closer to nature.
What he might be really looking for is the freedom to explore his
sexuality. But when he meets Bible-thumping Jon (O'Hare), who nudges
him to become a fellow C.O.G. (child of God), David appears to lose
his way out of the closet.
At the July 11 opening, Outfest will
also present its 17th annual Achievement Award to
writer-director Kimberley Pierce, who is best know for her 1999 film
Boys Don't Cry, which starred Hilary Swank as a transgender
man and Chloe Sevigny as his girlfriend.
Previous award recipients include John
Waters, Jane Lynch, Bill Condon, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, Don
Roos, Donna Deitch, Kenneth Anger, Gregg Araki, Todd Haynes, Jane
Anderson, Christine Vachon, Rob Epstein and Jefferey Friedman, Gus
Van Sant, Ian McKellen, John Schlesinger and Strand Releasing.
(Related: Jonathan
Groff, Murray Bartlett, Frankie Alvarez in HBO comedy about 3 gay
friends.)