Westport, Kansas City / The Official Site

Over 24 new feature films and timely documentaries will be featured in the 14th Annual Kansas City LGBT Film Festival coming June 20-27 to the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport. Widely acknowledged for its ability to entertain as well as educate, the festival is the city's longest-running and best-attended community film program.

The eight-day showcase begins with the festival's 2013 Celebration of Courage award-winner, THE RUGBY PLAYER which explores the lives of Mark Bingham, one of the passengers of United Flight 93 on 9/11, and his mother Alice Hoagland, a former United Airlines flight attendant. This intimate portrait of a gay son’s heroism and a mother’s loss turning into unshakable resolve is co-presented by the Kansas City Human Rights Commission's Gay & Lesbian Task Force. Alice Hoagland will visit Kansas City to introduce the film.

The week-long showcase at the Tivoli features numerous Midwest premieres as well as two world premieres including the first film created by festival's OUT HERE NOW Short Film Project, OUTWRITE, directed by Lisa Marie Evans. OUTWRITE profiles three, local writers — Mark Manning, Phillip blue owl Hooser, and David Wayne Reed — whose spoken word performances are a vital part of both Kansas City's gay history and its current dynamic arts scene.

To watch film previews, get film descriptions and download the festival schedule, visit the festival's new website, www.OuHereNow.com.

Sporting Kansas City presents the second annual Summer Beer Festival, a tribute to craft beers. The event takes place on Saturday, June 15th from 5 pm – 9pm on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of McCoy’s in Westport, and is a benefit for AIDS Walk Kansas City.

Over 30 breweries from around the world will be highlighted during the event. Festivalgoers will receive a commemorative tasting glass, have the chance to sample more than 70 exclusive beers and enjoy the opportunity to mingle with the creators of the beers being poured.

Tickets for the Summer Beer Festival are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

PARTICIPATING BREWERIES

4 Hands Brewing
75th Street Brewery
Avery Brewing Co.
Ameristar
Bells Brewery
Boulevard Brewing Company                                     
Brewery Ommegang
Civil Life Brewing
Crispin Cider
Deschutes Brewery
Empyrean Brewing Co.
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Free State Brewing Co.
Goose Island Beer Co.
Gordon Biersch Brewery
Grand Teton Brewing Company
Great Divide Brewing Company
Green Flash Brewing Company
Left Hand Brewing Company
McCoy’s Public House
Mother’s Brewing Co.
Nebraska Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company
North Coast Brewing Company
Odell Brewing Co.
Perrenial Artisinal Ales
Samuel Adams
Schlafly Beer
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Southern Tier Brewing Company
Stiegl
Summit Brewing Co.
Tallgrass Brewing Company

Bottoms up, beer lovers. If you're looking for an excuse to hoist a cold one, here's a reason: It's American Craft Beer Week. May 13 - May 19, 2013.

For the eighth consecutive year, the Brewers Association has declared American Craft Beer Week® (ACBW), a celebration of U.S. craft brewers across the country. Last year, ACBW was celebrated by breweries, brewpubs and retailers in all 50 states with over 1,300 official events. More than 35,000 beer lovers (now up to more than 45,000) were part of the Facebook community alone, undoubtedly making 2012 the largest celebration of ACBW yet.

From May 13-May 19, the tradition will continue and ACBW will provide an opportunity for small and independent brewers, craft beer enthusiasts and the community of better beer retailers to celebrate the ever advancing beer culture here in the U.S. Events will include exclusive brewery tours, special beer releases, multi-course food and pairing dinners, collaboration beers, retail promotions and much more.