Outfest Festival

While mainstream Hollywood continues to grapple with the ins and outs of the closet, Outfest, the 19th annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, is knocking off the remaining hinges, continuing to push boundaries concerning gender, ethnicity and nascent gay rights movements around the world. Outfest, which began Thursday, runs through July 23 primarily at the Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood.

While mainstream Hollywood continues to grapple with the ins and outs of the closet, Outfest, the 19th annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, is knocking off the remaining hinges, continuing to push boundaries concerning gender, ethnicity and nascent gay rights movements around the world. Outfest, which began Thursday, runs through July 23 primarily at the Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood.

Bookended by Orpheum Theatre screenings of "Puccini for Beginners" opening night July 6 and "20 Centimeters" on July 17, this year's Outfest film festival will be all over Los Angeles -- encompassing nine venues from downtown to Santa Monica.

Nestled between a stately section of Los Feliz and gritty Hollywood lies the 5900 block of Franklin Avenue, with its eclectic collection of funky shops, restaurants and theater. Calendar Live takes you to this tiny oasis and tells you about the best spots to see and be seen. Beautiful Blooms Ah, the lotus blossoms are in bloom again, which means it's time for the annual bash at Echo Park to celebrate their arrival.

The switch hasn't been flipped yet: Ira Sachs' “Keep the Lights On” earned two top prizes at the Outfest film festival in Los Angeles. The relationship drama, which was recently picked up for theatrical distribution by Music Box Films, received the festival's grand jury award for U.S. dramatic feature film and the jury's screenwriting award for script, which was penned by Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias. The film, about two men who struggle through love, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

January * Video artist Bill Viola's "The Passions" on screen at J. Paul Getty Museum. * Coldplay's U.S. tour starts. * Savion Glover's "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk" on tap. * Choreographer Merce Cunningham's 50 years of dance showcased at UCLA. * Abstract painter Ellsworth Kelly's "Red Green Blue" at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego. February * Works by Lucian Freud. * Dixie Chicks DVD lands. * William Blake's "Songs of Innocence and Experience" set to music.

Can openly gay actors convincingly play straight characters? That question was raised in a controversial article published by Newsweek in April, which referenced "Glee" star Chris Colfer and Broadway actor Sean Hayes. Now, the issue is being tackled at this year's 28th Outfest, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, which begins on Thursday and runs through July 18. On July 17, the festival will host a panel titled "Coming Out in Hollywood." Veteran publicist Howard Bragman will discuss the subject with "Family Ties" actress Meredith Baxter and other industry insiders.

Described as a comedy of sexual disorientation, "But I'm a Cheerleader," which opens Friday in limited release after playing at the Outfest film festival, follows the topsy-turvy life of high school cheerleader Megan (Natasha Lyonne of "The Slums of Beverly Hills"). Because Megan seems to have one too many pictures of Melissa Etheridge on her walls, her conservative parents (Mink Stole and Bud Cort) think that their "little poodle" may be a lesbian.

"The Late, Great Sylvia Sidney," honors the veteran actress, who died July 1, shortly before her 89th birthday. Sidney had one of the longest screen careers of any major actress, from 1929 to Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" in 1996. LACMA will screen four of her films from the '30s, the decade in which she shined brightest, most notably as a defiant Depression era waif. Screening Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Oh sure, it's summer year-round in Southern California. But there's no question that as September rolls by, our activities tend to turn indoors. So, before the days grow too short, make the most of the season's last days. Consider these suggestions for a late-summer fling, compiled by Times staff writer Booth Moore.