Even Outfest executive director Stephen Gutwillig had to admit that ?it was one of the best Awards Nights ever? Sunday evening at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, where the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival handed out its prizes.
The night?s success was due in no small part to the creative hosting of Bruce Vilanch (who announced to the crowd that you can watch him get shaved?his face, people?for his role in the touring company of Hairspray on Regis and Kelly this Thursday) and L.A. drag diva Momma, who served as trophy girl for the evening and offered good-natured ribbing to the winners. ?Kevin Spacey was supposed to host tonight,? quipped Vilanch, ?but he had to film an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.?
The crowd included ER?s Laura Innes, out actors Malcolm Gets and Craig Chester (who star together in Chester?s upcoming Adam and Steve), and Judith Light. Big winners for the night included the upcoming release Latter Days (about a Mormon missionary and a West Hollywood party boy who fall in love) which nabbed the Audience Award for First Narrative Feature, the cast of Girls Will Be Girls (a drag comedy, which took honors for the acting of its ensemble), and Showtime?s upcoming The Mudge Boy, about a sheltered teen, which won the Grand Jury award for Best Narrative Feature.
The stars of the evening?s film, Prey for Rock and Roll, were also in attendance, including Lori Petty, Shelly Cole, andThe Sopranos?s Drea de Matteo, but the film?s leading lady, Gina Gershon, was nowhere to be seen?until the party, that is, where she let everyone know just what she thought of American Airlines?and her four-hour-delayed flight from New York.
