Reeling 2015: The Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival opens

Chicago, IL - The 33rd installment of Reeling, the second-oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in the world, kicked off Thursday night with a red carpet extravaganza at Music Box Theatre and continues through Thursday, Sept. 24.

Reeling 2015 opened with the Chicago premiere of "Fourth Man Out." Stars Evan Todd, Parker Young (Arrow) and Kate Flannery (The Office) attended the screening and reception.

The festival continues Friday, Sept. 18 at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St., with the World premiere of Casper Andreas' "Kiss Me, Kill Me" featuring Queer as Folk's Gale Harold in his first gay role since the series five-season run on Showtime.

Three-time Emmy nominee Van Hansis (As the World Turns), Jai Rodriguez (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) and Shangela (RuPaul's Drag Race) will join filmmaker Andreas for a post-show Q&A on Friday night.

Additional highlights of Reeling 2015 include action director Roland Emmerich's passion project "Stonewall", set against the backdrop of the burgeoning gay rights movement in 1969, Sunday, Sept. 20 at Century Centre. The hotly anticipated Julianne Moore-Ellen Page real-life drama "Freeheld" featuring Chicago actor Michael Shannon, making its Chicago premiere Monday, Sept. 21 at Century Centre with screenwriter Ron Nyswaner – Oscar-nominated for Philadelphia — in attendance for a post-show Q&A. Tony- and Drama Desk Award-winning actress Mary Louise Wilson, a Northwestern alum who played Edith Bouvier Beale in Broadway's Grey Gardens, is the subject of the documentary "She's the Best Thing in It", making its Chicago premiere also on Monday, Sept. 21 at Century Centre. Wilson and Nyswaner – making his directorial debut with this documentary love letter to the craft of theater – will be in attendance for a very special post-show audience talk.

Related: Interview with "Stonewall's" Roland Emmerich

Reeling 2015: The 33rd Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival takes place Sept. 17-24, 2015. Reeling presents nearly 40 features and more than 60 short films from around the world, the majority of them Chicago premieres. For more information, call 773-293-1447, consult the festival website at www.reelingfilmfestival.org, or follow @reelingfilmfest on twitter for the latest Reeling news, ticket giveaways and more.

Related: Reviews and selections for Reeling 2015