PHOTOS: Local Celebs and Movie Stars at the QFest VIP Opening Reception

Before the wild opening rager at Lit UltraBar, QFest kicked off with a more intimate reception in the Gayborhood.

By Josh Middleton· 7/12/2013, 10:55 a.m.

QFest organizer Thom Cardwell with three of his staffers, Sarah, Stephanie and Darian.

Last night, G Philly joined a host of other QFest sponsors in throwing a little VIP opening reception for the festival, which got a much-flashier kickoff later in the evening with the screening of G.B.F. and a wild party at Lit UltraBar. Our earlier, more-intimate affair took place on the 11th floor of the Philadelphia Building at 1315 Walnut. Lots of familiar faces showed up, including, of course, QFest organizer Thom Cardwell, who, believe it or not, arrived scarf-less but still looking fab in a hot-pink button down and snake-skin fedora; LinguiSearch and gadabout-the-world David Schellenberg, who lent his fierce office space for the affair; and Philly visual artist Butch Cordora had me swooning in a sleeveless tee emblazoned with that ’90s image of Marky Mark in Calvin Kleins.

There were a few out-of-town-guests, too. Two of the stars from G.B.F., Xosha Roquemore and Tyler Frey, showed up with the dashing Kyle Dean Massey, who told me he just finished a run of Wicked on Broadway, starring as Fiyero. I also chatted with Toronto’s Ryan Levey, director of QFest short Closest Thing to Heaven. Cardwell may have been looking fab, but Levey, in a kooky lobster-print shirt and mismatched black-and-white paisley pants, wins my award for the evening’s best-dressed attendee. Loved that getup.

Philly writer Josh Kruger poses next to the flashiest of Mini Coopers in the caravan — the one that was carting Thom Cardwell, of course.

At the end of the night, a caravan of Mini Coopers (another QFest sponsor) chauffered select guests to Old City to catch G.B.F. and to attend the subsequent shindig at Lit UltraBar. See more photos of the evening below, and stay tuned to G Philly for more QFest coverage, including picks for the best films and info on all the other parties.