"Pedro" feature about "Real World" star to close Outfest Fusion...

Fusion 2009: The Sixth Annual Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival will feature the Los Angeles premere of "Pedro," a biographical film that tells the moving true story of the late Pedro Zamora who we got to know during one of the early seasons of "The Real World."

Out director Paris Barclay ("In Treatment") is one of the writers on the film along with Dustin Lance Black ("Milk"). The film was directed by Nick Oceano and stars Alex Loynaz as Pedro.

I recently spoke with Barclay about the film.

"I always thought it would be great to do a movie that told Pedro's story, including his story in Cuba and his family coming from in the Mariel boat lift," Paris said. "It's a fantastic story. Why he chose "The Real World" to be sort of his soapbox which people aren't doing anymore. They aren't going on "American Idol" to talk about AIDS the way Pedro did."

Pedro died in 1994, the day after the final episode of his season on "The Real World" aired.

"There's the tragic ending where he's near death and Bill Clinton calls him on the telephone and says, 'Anything that you want, I'll do' and helps get his family out of Cuba and then he dies," Paris said.. "It has all those great story elements and by telling it again, I think we're going to remind people that AIDS isn't over. AIDS in the minority community has always been overlooked and in a very emotional compelling way. I'm really proud of it."

On a lighter note, other cast members from "Real World: San Francisco" will be represented in the movie: "An actor will play Buck but the real Buck will not be seen," Paris said. "(The real) Judd and Pam will appear in one shot in the movie...(Pedro) and Sean, his partner at the time, get married not once, not twice but three times."

Outfest Fusion is a program of films, panels, workshops, and parties featured during a three-day event that takes place March 6 through 8. The screenings of features and short films will be held at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood during the first two days of the event. The panels and workshops will take place at Universal Studios and the LAGLC's Village at Ed Gould Plaza.

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