Now in its 35th year, L.A.'s Outfest has avoided the downward spiral of other LGBT film festivals and continues to bring an impressive lineup of features, documentaries, shorts and events.

This year's fest, running July 6 to 16, is no exception—and includes comedies, thrillers, romances and more that, in the words of OutFest executive director Christopher Racster, "capture the true complexities of our lives, our loves, and our identities.”

Below, we've cherry-picked the highlights we're most excited for at Outfest 2017.

God’s Own Country

Francis Lee’s directorial debut sees an isolated young sheep farmer (Josh O’Connor) numb himself with binge drinking and casual sex until the arrival of a Romanian migrant worker ignites a hidden desire.

Shot on the Yorkshire moors where Lee grew up, the film one-ups Brokeback Mountain and offers breathtaking cinematography that matches its emotional weight.

After Louie

In Vincent Gagliostro’s contemporary drama, Alan Cumming plays a disillusioned artist and AIDS activist who gets tangled up with a younger man (Zachary Booth).

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin

The Tales of the City author is profiled in this doc from Jennifer M. Kroots, who previously helmed the George Takei documentary To Be Takei. The film follows Maupin from his conservative South roots into gay rights activism and literary fame.

Freak Show

Trudie Styler's directorial debut tackles bullying with eccentric gay teen Billy Bloom (Alex Lawther) fighting back against his oppressors at an ultraconservative Southern high school.

Based on the novel by James St. James, Freak Show co-stars Abigail Breslin, AnnaSophia Robb, Laverne Cox and Larry Pine, with Bette Midler as Billy's mom.

Beach Rats

Aimless Brooklynite Frankie (Harris Dickinson) bounces between delinquent friends, a potential girlfriend, and the older men he meets online.

Saturday Church

Ulysses (Luka Kain), an effeminate 14-year-old, struggles with his identity in this musical drama, before finding refuge with a group of young trans people.

Cast: Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Marquis Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Alexia Garcia.

Bayard And Me

An architect of the Civil Rights Movement, Bayard Rustin was forced behind the scenes because of his homosexuality. Though he was 30 years older than Walter Naegle when the two met, they fell in love and remained together until Rustin’s death in 1987. (Rustin actually legally adopted Naegle to afford them basic legal protections as a couple.)

Adapted from a StoryCorps segment, this documentary short chronicles a unique love story from a time when marriage equality wasn’t even a dream.

Signature Move

In Jennifer Reeder's feature film, a secret new romance forces Zaynab to confront her complicated relationship with her mother—and take up Lucha-style wrestling.

Cast: Fawzia Mirza, Shabana Azmi, Sari Sanchez, Audrey Francis, Charin Alvarez, Mark Hood, Molly Brennan.

Todrick Hall: Behind The Curtain

Katherine Wright (Call Me Kuchu) profiles the YouTuber and Broadway star, who recount his life in small-town Texas and the road to fame while embarking on his ambitious musical tour.

Strangers

In this fresh TV series, Isobel, a newly single bi woman, rents out her spare room and gets more than she bargains for with a revolving door of colorful characters.

Kevyn Aucoin: Beauty & The Beast In Me

Outfest hosts the world premiere of this documentary profiling pioneering makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin, who revolutionized the industry in the 1990s. Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Andie MacDowell and others share their recollections of Aucoin, who died in 2000 at age 40.

Close Knit

In his first film in five years, Japanese director Ogigami Naoko brings us an unconventional family, including 11-year-old Tomo (Rinka Kakihara) and her transgender "mom" Rinko (Toma Ikuta).

Special events at this year's Outfest include sneak peek at Season 4 of Transparent, a panel on OWN’s Queen Sugar, with co-creatives Aurora Guerrero (Mosquita y Mari), Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned)and Cheryl Dunye (Watermelon Woman); a screening of Bob the Drag Queen's comedy special, Suspiciously Large Woman and a 20th anniversary screening of Chasing Amy, followed by a conversation with director Kevin Smith and Guinevere Turner.