Outfest, one of the world’s largest gay and lesbian film festivals, has announced its coveted 12th Annual Film Competition Awards, sponsored by Tylenol PM, in which 15 competitive film awards were announced in three categories: Grand Jury Awards, Audience Awards and Special Programming Awards.

Outfest 2006, the festival’s 24th edition, featured 209 films and videos from 28 countries, exhibited in nine venues over 12 days. The festival boasted five galas, 70 feature film programs, 15 short film programs, six panels and five special events. The awards ceremony, hosted by Bruce Vilanch and held prior to the Los Angeles debut of “Boy Culture” at the John Anson Amphitheatre, included such celebrity presenters as Jeff Stryker, Loretta Devine, Jane Lynch, Momma (who served as the Trophy Girl), Rex Lee (“Entourage”), Rodney Chester, Doug Spearman, Jensen Atwood, Christian Vincent ("Noah's Arc"), Wilson Cruz, Eduardo Xol, Jim Varraros, Steve Kmetko and Frank DeCaro (Sirius Radio Personality).

The winners of the Grand Jury Awards are as follows:

· OUTstanding American Narrative Feature – “The Gymnast”

Director: Ned Farr

This award also includes a $2,500 cash prize, courtesy of 20th Century Fox



· OUTstanding International Narrative Feature – “Whole New Thing”

Director: Amnon Buchbinder



· OUTstanding Documentary Feature – “Small Town Gay Bar”

Director: Malcolm Ingram



· OUTstanding Screenwriting – Q. Allen Brocka and Phillip Pierce

For “Boy Culture”



· OUTstanding Actor in a Feature Film – Michael Carbonaro

For “Another Gay Movie”



· OUTstanding Actress in a Feature Film – Diane Gaidry

For “Loving Annabelle”



The winners of the Audience Awards are as follows:



· HBO OUTstanding First Narrative Feature – “The Gymnast”

Director: Ned Farr



· OUTstanding Narrative Feature – A tie

“Loving Annabelle” directed by Katherine Brooks

“A Love to Hide directed by Christian Faure



· OUTstanding Documentary Feature – “Camp Out”

Directors: Kirk Marcolina and Larry Grimaldi



· OUTstanding Narrative Short Film – “Available Men”

Director: David Dean Bottrell



· OUTstanding Documentary Short Film – “My Crazy Life”

Director: Carlos Arguello, Enzo Ybarra and APLA’s MPowerment & Studio



· OUTstanding Soundtrack – “Pick Up the Mic”

Director: Alex Hinton



The winners of the Special Programming Awards are as follows:



· Freedom Award – Dan Hunt, Janet Boss and Reed Williams, Directors

For “Cruel and Unusual”



· OUTstanding Emerging Talent – Ash Christian, Director

For “Fat Girls”



· OUTstanding Artistic Achievement – Ho Tam, Director

For “Book of James”



The American Features Competition jurors were Craig Chester, Mia Riverton and Ernest Hardy. The International Features Competition jurors were Matthew Fox, Robert Hawk and Doris Yeung. The Documentary Competition jurors were Shannon Kelley, Jennifer Morris and J. Karen Thomas.