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Rounding out a strong comeback too many queer cinephiles in L.A. thought might never come, Outfest NEXT just survived its 2025 edition. Although, judging by the sound of it, a speaker inside Glendale’s LOOK Dine-In Cinema Auditorium 3 did not.
On Sunday night at a screening of Avalon Fast’s “Camp,” static erupted when the audio levels on Fast’s self-proclaimed “girl horror” movie got too high. “If any film was going to blow the system, it would be ‘Camp,’” the Canadian filmmaker quipped on Instagram to IndieWire, quoting a sentiment Fast heard and liked coming from the programming team.
Asked for just a few nice lines about the director for IndieWire, OutFest Next’s top trio of tastemakers — Sheryl Santacruz, Daniel Cooke, and Gabi Grossman, all familiar festival circuit faces with real warmth behind them — sent an effervescent text wall of sincere and complex praise via email.
“With her second feature, Avalon is showing herself to be a vital member of the genre she calls GIRL HORROR, helping to redefine the aesthetic of a new generation of transgressive, DIY, queer cinema,” the group wrote in an email. “‘Camp’ is a film that, like the best works of art, feels like a divining rod to something abstract and true that you can’t quite put your finger on but makes you walk through the world a little differently. It’s a film about grief, the way those experiences can distort our senses of ourselves, and the extremely different ways people react to those.”
The word “grief” overstates the loss of a movie theater speaker by a fair bit, but the belief that human beings can, do, and perhaps should experience the world we all live in differently was clearly felt during that final programming block of Outfest Next 2025.
A handful of festival attendees left when the audio issues persisted, but many more stayed. Some soldiered on for sheer love of Fast’s story. Others got tripped up by the nature of the presentation, reframing the technical difficulty as a happy accident unprompted.
“Many thought that the speaker issue was actually a conceit of the film,” interim executive director Christopher Racster told IndieWire in a post-fest interview. “Especially because it’s part of our Platinum Program, which is for more experimental films. People really wanted to see the movie, yes, but there was also this idea of like, ‘Well, maybe that’s just a directorial choice!,’ which was lovely — just to be able to keep going and get through that and then have the flexibility to make sure that we are honoring the filmmaker and giving them another chance to show their film for anyone who didn’t have the experience they hoped for and wanted to come back.”
“Camp” was shown again as a matinee the next day, free of charge. “This is a film that feels deeply mystical — not in a specific religious sense — but in the sense that this film mines the mire of these characters’ unmistakably queer senses of exile, pain, and alienation to find something sublime,” the programmers explained. “We think it’s fitting that, of any film that would overwhelm the [sound] system that was meant to contain it, it was ‘Camp.’”
Fast’s film was one of only 20 “fun, emotional, and sometimes campy” features and shorts programs picked by Outfest NEXT because they “challenge convention and expand the boundaries of LGBTQ+ representation.” That’s a sharp decrease from the dozens of movies the festival used to screen back when it was an established annual event. Before Outfest picked up the “NEXT,” it ran for 11 days and took place at nine different venues, attracting as many as 70,000 guests from across the city of Los Angeles.
In 2025, the shorter screening series had just two locations — LOOK Dine-In in Glendale and the LGBT Center’s Renberg Theater. It’s a stark contrast that looks like a sad story to anyone missing the context.
“Being back in a theater surrounded by members of the Outfest community felt like a homecoming, screening after screening,” the programmers wrote to IndieWire. “It also felt like an announcement: that despite a brief lull in access, visionary queer and trans cinema will always have the power to transform, engage, and empower here in the city of Los Angeles.”
If you’re just meeting Outfest NEXT (and the beloved indie film event it used to be) for the first time this year, then you’ve got some real reading to do before you can say you’re fully versed in the SoCal movie scene. But ask Racster to quickly sum up that 43-year history for you and the interim executive director was clear-eyed with a response he said he’s been putting his heart behind for months.
“We had several goals in coming back this year,” Racster told IndieWire. “First, we wanted to take the time to make sure that our foundation was secured. There was debt when I took over and our debt is paid. We even had reserves in the bank.”
After a cataclysmic economic collapse ended Outfest in 2023, the team behind it unionized amid the push to come back. They’ve been officially recognized and Racster told IndieWire he’s ready to get out of the way as soon as establishing infrastructure starts to inhibit community. “If we are going to learn and grow and serve the community where it is now, we need a leader who is centered in that,” he said. “And you know what? I’ve had my time. It’s time for me to step aside once we’re stable and make sure somebody else has their time.”
What they do with that time isn’t about what Racster wants or even what the board wants, the interim executive director. Ensuring there is an Outfest NEXT in 2026, 2027, and beyond comes down to “talking to all the different communities that make up the LGBTQ community and asking, ‘What do you need from an organization that is hoping to serve you? What do we need to do as both a community mooring point and as [an organization that wants to] develop and promote and platform your stories?’”
Noting the entire Outfest NEXT team has a well-earned nap in their future, Racster said an important step had been taken by ensuring the fest returned in 2025. Still, he emphasized that the nonprofit organization needed to focus on feedback during the rebuild. Racster concluded, “Our number one job is to listen and reflect. This gave us that opportunity.”
Even if it did take out that speaker.
Outfest NEXT returned to Los Angeles from November 6 – 9, 2025.
Actress Saiyami Kher – who made her Bollywood debuted opposite Harshvardhan Kapoor in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s 2016 romantic fantasy Mirzya, is currently on cloud 9 as her film Ghoomer has re-released in theatres. During an exclusive telephonic conversation, the actress opened up about the theatrical re-release of the R Balki sports drama co-starring Abhishek Bachchan as well the Indian women’s cricket team winning the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, hosting a special screening of Ghoomer for the women in blue and more. Read on to know all she shared.
When asked if Ghoomer producers or she will be hosting a special screening for the Indian Women’s Cricket team given their historic win at the recently held ICC Women’s World Cup, Saiyami Kher replied, “I totally agree. And we would have loved to do it. But most of the girls have already seen the film when it was released two years ago. Because I reached out to the girls then, and most of them have already seen it. So right now, I think they should be allowed to just celebrate, soaking in what they’ve done. And of course, the ones who haven’t watched them, we’re more than happy to host even just a private screening for them. But right now, they need to just celebrate what they’ve done.”
Talking about being in the stadium when the women lifted the trophy and her first reaction to them winning, the ‘Ghoomer’ actress shared, “Yes, I was. Well, I wouldn’t miss it for anything because it’s historic, and I was very happy to be a part of the history, and I didn’t miss the men’s 2011 World Cup, which happened in Mumbai, so why should I miss the women’s World Cup, which happened at the DY Patil.”
She continued, “I was supposed to be traveling to Italy with my parents but I made sure that the semi-final, final days I come back. However, on semi-finals day, I was shooting; but I wouldn’t have missed the finals for anything. It was so very special to see this happen. I actually took my dad and went to watch the game because we both watched the 2011 world cup together so just wanted to keep that superstition going (we won that world cup in 2011 so…). And the girls lifted the trophy so…”
Talking about interacting with them award ceremony, Saiyami shared, “It was genuinely very special because after we won, the stadium erupted and there was Maa Tujhe Salaam playing and there was Chake De playing and like full grown men were weeping and crying and the chants were like super loud like the men’s World Cup. I went and kind of spoke to the girls down after the post-match presentation and it was just incredible to be a part and be around there when they won.”
On the professional front, Saiyami Kher – who was last seen on the big screen as SI Vijaya Lakshmi in Sunny Deol’s Jaat, is currently filming Haiwaan, scheduled to release in 2026.
For more news and updates from the entertainment world, stay tuned to Bollywood Bubble.
With nearly 10 years of experience, Grinell Esther Jacinto is the Desk Head of Bollywood Bubble. Her interests lie in everything that is kaleshi and she loves to dig deeper into the lives of B-town actors. She has a problem though – she loves horror films but will have chills the minute the theatres lights dims. She’s previously worked with Koimoi, UrbanAsian and SpotboyE.
A man collapsed in the faux Oval Office during Saturday Night Live‘s cold open, parodying the real-life event that took place this week as President Trump announced his plan to lower the price of weight loss drugs.
“Oh, hi. I didn’t see you there,” James Austin Johnson’s Trump said as his introduction during the episode following a reenactment of the collapse. “Someone was dying in my office.”
“Each week, I like to create a big visual that sort of sums up how things are going. Last week, it was the demolishing of the East Wing. This week, it’s a medical professional almost dying in my Oval Office at the mere thought of charging less for drugs,” he continued. “Maybe next week a bald eagle will fall dead out of the sky and splat right on the White House lawn. And by lawn, of course I mean big outdoor concrete floor.”
Johnson’s Trump recounted a few hot tops topics in the country over the past week, including the government shutdown, grocery prices and the various elections across the nation.
“Hey, all in all, a great caper to an awesome week, except for election. The Democrats won. The lame stream media called the elections a rebuke of Trump’s policies,” he said. “Jokes on them: They’re Stephen Miller’s policies. I don’t read that stuff.”
He, too, addressed Zohran Mamdani being elected the new mayor of New York City, adding, “Can’t believe they elected Mamdani. You know, I’m torn because I like a winner, but I’m not crazy about a Muslim. Maybe he’ll convert, right? We’ll put him in line behind Usha Vance, and I hope I’m pronouncing that wrong.
In what he described as “our side” having “some wins this week,” Johnson’s Trump said, “the Supreme Court said we could stop feeding poor people. You can clap for that, SNAP!”
“And for those of you who can afford food, actually, no you can’t. I promised grocery prices would plummet, and they did — they plummeted straight up,” he continued. “And people are saying, ‘But sir, how will I afford my Thanksgiving turkey for my family?’ Well, good news is your family’s not coming because all the planes are gone.”
Nikki Glaser hosted the sketch comedy series for the first time on Saturday, where she was joined my musical guest Sombr, fresh off his Grammy nomination for best new artist.
During her opening monologue, the comedian joked that she was “in New York City, Epstein’s original island.” Glaser referenced the controversy again later by bringing up Ghislaine Maxwell. She was discussing the prevalence of sex trafficking awareness posters in public restrooms, noting that there is a “really a big fear of being trafficked, mostly for, like, Gen Z girls.”
“I’m getting scared, like, it’s rubbing off on me. I was out with them recently and I was like, ‘What if we get trafficked?’ And they’re like, ‘You’re good,’” Glaser continued. “They’re like, ‘We’re safer when you’re with us, because they think you’re our madam. You have resting Ghislaine face, so just keep that up.’”
Later in the night, former cast member Pete Davidson made a surprise appearance during the “Weekend Update” segment. There, he and Colin Jost addressed recent headlines about the Staten Island Ferry boat they bought together years ago, while subtly touching on a few topical events in his own life.
“So yeah, in case you’re wondering why I had to do a show in Saudi Arabia, we’re losing millions on this ferry,” he joked, referencing him partaking in the Riyadh Comedy Festival earlier this year. “I assume that’s what the article says. I can’t spend $5 on a paywall when I got a kid on the way.”
Glaser served as the second SNL host for the month of November, following Miles Teller’s Nov. 1 appearance. Next week, Glen Powell will make his hosting debut as Bad Bunny, Amy Poehler and Sabrina Carpenter have already previously led season 51 this year.
Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar is a single parent to twins Yash and Roohi. However, in a recent podcast with Sania Mirza on Serving It Up with Sania, Karan discussed feeling lonely without a romantic partner. He recalled how, when he went to receive his National Award in Delhi, he was asked about his plus one, and he had nobody.
Karan shared that he is currently single and, referring to the song “Har Kisiko Nahi Milta Pyaar Zindagi Mein,” expressed his feelings of loneliness regarding the absence of a partner in his life. He said, “You feel the loneliest in your highs and not your lows. In your lows, you have your family, friends, parents and kids. I have two cousin sisters I am very close to, and I have my best friends. But in your highs, what do you do? I remember I got a call that I was getting a National Award. I hung up the call, and for one minute all I thought about was, ‘What do I do tonight? Whose house do I go to? Whose hand do I hold? A little pat on the back, I needed and wanted to feel happy.”
He added, “When I went to the awards, they asked me who my plus one was, and I had no one. Everybody was coming with their partners, and my mum was not well enough to travel, and my kids were too young. It hits you hard. I do get lonely and, on many nights when I am eating alone, I don’t go to my dining table. I eat in my room so I can dilute the loneliness. But they say never say never, and when it happens, I am standing with my arms wide open like Shah Rukh Khan.”
Karan further shared that the feeling of loneliness is particularly felt around New Year’s, a time when many celebrate with their partners. He copes by venting his frustration about his single status to his single friends and consciously avoids social outings with couples. He light-heartedly added that he has an impulse to “kill” those who engage in PDA when he is present.
Karan was honoured with a National Award this year for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in the category of Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. This film marked his return to directing after a nine-year hiatus.
Also Read: Karan Johar Shares How He United Bollywood’s Biggest Stars for a Once-in-a-lifetime Moment
California voters have approved a ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional map, potentially giving Democrats five more seats in the 2026 midterms.
The Associated Press called the race at 8 p.m., just as polls closed.
The vote comes in response to a similar move from Texas, where Republican leaders redrew their maps this summer to eliminate up to five Democratic seats.
Gov. Gavin Newsom billed the measure as a way to “fight fire with fire” by stopping Republicans from rigging the 2026 midterms. The vote marks a significant win for Newsom, who sold the measure to voters as a way to stop President Trump’s agenda.
“We are done being treated like this,” Newsom said at a rally over the weekend. “What this is all about is Democrats getting back on our toes — not on our heels. Getting our mojo back.”
Republicans currently hold a six-vote majority in Congress. In California’s 52 seats, Democrats hold a 43-9 advantage — but that could grow to 48-4 under the new maps, possibly helping Democrats win control of Congress.
Success was not a foreordained when Newsom proposed the new maps this summer, which, unlike in Texas, required voter approval to change the California constitution.
California voters had previously created an independent redistricting commission to draw lines in a non-partisan fashion — a key element of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s legacy in office. In polls before the campaign, voters were generally supportive of the commission.
But an ad campaign, along with big endorsements from Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, sent a message to Democratic voters that the proposition would offer a golden opportunity to fight back against Trump.
The successful campaign burnishes Newsom’s credentials as a fighter as he is expected to launch a campaign for president in 2028.
The redistricting battle may not be over yet. Other states have considered countering California’s move, including Indiana, Ohio and Florida.
Meghan Markle is cheering on her home team.
The Duchess of Sussex celebrated the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2025 World Series win against the Toronto Blue Jays by sharing her enthusiastic reaction to the conclusion of game seven on social media.
In a video posted on her Instagram Stories Nov. 1, the LA native jumped and cheered in her home theater before proceeding to plant a kiss on her husband Prince Harry’s forehead. The 44-year-old then continued to revel in the Dodgers’ victory with her pal Kelly McKee Zajfen, who got out of her chair to join in on the excitement.
While Meghan—who lived in Toronto for several years while filming the legal drama Suits—was clearly thrilled by the Fall Classic’s end result, Harry appeared much more somber in the clip. As it turned out, the 41-year-old had been cheering for the Blue Jays in the all-important baseball matchup.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series in a row Saturday, with Will Smith’s home run in the 11th inning the difference in a 5-4 victory in a wild Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. It makes them the first MLB team to repeat as champions in 25 years.
It was the ninth World Series title for the Dodgers franchise, but it wasn’t easy, having to stave off elimination with a win Friday and then coming from behind tonight – both on the road.
Miguel Rojas hit a ninth-inning home run with Toronto two outs from clinching that tied a game the Dodgers had trailed since the third inning after Toronto’s Bo Bichette’s three-run homer against starter Shohei Ohtani. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the third starter coming in for relief after he won Game 6 the night before, then found the strength to hold off the Blue Jays who were looking for their first World Series win since 1993.
Yamomoto pitched a complete game in Game 2 and then six innings Friday to force tonight’s do-or-die game. After Smith’s homer, he got Alejandro Kirk to ground into a game-ending double play to stave off one final Jays rally, and he was named the World Series MVP as part of the post-game celebration on the infield of Toronto’s Rogers Centre.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (center) and the Dodgers celebrate after their Game 7 win Saturday
Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Bichette’s three-run home run off Dodgers starter Ohtani — going on three days’ rest for only the second time in his career — in the third inning looked for a while to be enough for the Jays, who had been able to put together key hits all series to keep the Dodgers on the ropes.
But after the improbable game-clinching double play from Kiké Hernandez and Rojas to take Game 6, big defensive plays kept the Dodgers within striking distance tonight. In the ninth with the bases loaded with Blue Jays, Rojas fielded a grounder and got a force-out at home to save a run (the Jays would pull off the same feat the next inning). The Dodgers got out of the ninth when Andy Pages, a defensive replacement in center field that same inning, made an acrobatic catch of Ernie Clement’s deep drive that certainly would have won the game for Toronto, snagging the ball as he collided both with the wall and with Hernandez who was charging for it from left field.
The Dodgers, led by the remarkable feats of Ohtani, had been favored going into the best-of-7 series as defending champions and looking for their third World Series title since 2017. Toronto, which won back to back titles in 1992 and 1993, hadn’t won a postseason game since 2016.
Toronto, though, showed it was for real from the start, when they blew out the Dodgers in Game 1 11-4, then recovered to win a pair of games in L.A. after falling short in the record-tying 18-inning Game 3 that gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead in the series.
Actors Kareena Kapoor, Rishab Shetty, Varun Dhawan, Suniel Shetty, Manoj Bajpayee and Arjun Rampal, among others, cheered after India pulled off a record chase to storm into the Women’s World Cup final with a five-wicket win over defending champions Australia. The semi-final match between India and Australia was played at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Thursday.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, Kareena shared pictures from the match and wrote, “And like I said, girls can do it all. With grit and determination… Well done, Team India… on the finals, my girls.” Sharing a photo of centurion Jemimah Rodrigues, Kareena also wrote, “Take a bow, fantabulous Jemimah @jemimahrodrigues (star and red heart emojis).”
Varun Dhawan posted a picture of Jemimah on his Instagram Stories and wrote, “My hero.” Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Rishab Shetty tweeted, “What a moment for India! Our women’s team @BCCIWomen storms into the ICC #WomensWorldCup2025 Final with a thrilling win over Australia! A stunning display of determination, unity, and brilliance on the field. Take a bow, @JemiRodrigues, that century was pure class!”
Suniel Shetty shared a photo on X and wrote, “339 … Against Australia !!! That was a biigg total to chase. But the belief was bigger. Jemimah’s unbeaten ton and India’s fearless chase – pure magic! Team India into the finals, with fire and belief.”
Arjun Rampal shared photos on Instagram and penned a long note, “Not every day you witness a chase like this. What a great moment for Women’s cricket. What emotion. What an epic. Salute our girls. You are champions already. Take a bow #jemimahrodrigues. Prayers for the finals has already begun more than a billion hearts you girls have won. #jemimahrodrigues #iccwomensworldcup2025.”
Vikrant Massey took to his Instagram Stories and wrote, “One step closer!!! Well played.” He also added, “Thank you @jemimahrodrigues, one of the greatest batting displays in the history of cricket.” Manoj Bajpayee too shared a post on Instagram, “Kamaal kar diya (Amazing)! Into the finals! Pure heart, grit and class from our women in blue. Chasing 339, the highest in women’s ODI history. A moment that lifts the game and pushes women’s cricket forward in a big way.”
“Hats off to the entire team, and especially @jemimahrodrigues for that calm century under pressure. Well led by captain @imharmanpreet_kaur, with solid support from @richa9105, @officialdeeptisharma & @amanojotkaur in key moments. Proud of Team India. Wishing them the best of luck for the finals!” he added.
Australia put up a mammoth total of 338 while batting first in the second semifinal of the ongoing Women’s World Cup. In response, India, led by Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten century, reached the target with 9 balls and 5 wickets to spare. This is the biggest chase in women’s ODI history and the biggest overall in a World Cup knockout match for both men and women’s cricket.
After defeating Australia, India will clash with South Africa in the final on Sunday, November 2 , in Navi Mumbai.
A Price is Right contestant found the key to happiness on Friday’s (October 24) episode when he walked away with not one, not two, but three massive prizes, including a brand new car.
The contestant in question was Albert De Guzman, a nurse and actor born and raised in the Philippines and currently residing in Wylie, Texas, who won his way off Contestant’s Row and made it up to the stage for a chance to leave with some big money prizes.
Host Drew Carey revealed De Guzman would be playing Master Key, a game in which the contestant is shown two small prizes, each with a three-digit number displayed. The contestant must guess the correct price of each item by deciding whether to remove the first digit or the last digit. Each correct answer earns a choice of one of five keys.
The keys correspond to three locks, which contain prizes. For De Guzman, he had a chance to leave with Travel Bags, a trip to Philadelphia, and a brand-new SUV, if he selected the correct keys. Even better, if he happened to pick the Master Key, he could end up with all three prizes.
That is exactly what happened as De Guzman correctly guessed the prices of a hot plate and a pair of bookends, allowing him to select two keys. Luck was on his side, as one of those picks turned out to be the Master Key, unlocking all three prizes.
After opening the Travel Bags, Carey suggested De Guzman try the SUV lock next, and, sure enough, the key fit. “Nice job, go get it,” Carey said as De Guzman ran across the stage to hug his new vehicle. The host then checked the final lock himself, revealing De Guzman also won the trip to Philly.
De Guzman, who had a small part in the Paramount+ series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, took to Facebook after his PIR episode aired to share his amazing experience with his followers.
“Thank you for the blessings! I GOT THE MASTER KEY! I won everything in my round – the best package showcase in this episode of The Price is Right! – the hybrid 2025 Hyundai SUV, a 6-night stay in a 5 star hotel including roundtrip airfare, 7 item-luggage, two electric bikes, bookends and oven,” he wrote. “Life is truly amazing!”
He added, “Thank you to all those who waited and watched the episode. Thank you to all of your messages of support thru text & FB messenger on my 1st U.S. game show appearance. May our dear Lord bless you more! The Price is Right is the world’s longest running TV game show! While growing up, it is one of my dreams to be in this show and it happened (after passing the interview and audition).”
What did you think of De Guzman’s big win? Let us know in the comments below.
The Price Is Right, Weekdays, 11a/10c, CBS, stream next day on Paramount+