Benner , who grew up in Kentucky and studied drama in California and England , landed in Toronto in the early 1970s . Writing for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , he pitched an idea for a film about a gay hairdresser with dreams of New York City success to the Canadian Film Development Corporation ( now Telefilm Canada ) . Approved , he was able to secure financing with the help of Toronto producers , and '' Outrageous ! '' , the first film to feature Craig Russell , an openly gay cabaret performer , went on to critical success at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival . Funny and sympathetic , '' Outrageous ! '' is considered a landmark film in Canadian Queer cinema . Ten years later Benner talked Russell into doing a sequel ( 1987 ) , which fared not nearly as well . Benner died from complications due to AIDS in 1990 . In addition to his films , he directed several episodes of the Canadian television series '' 9B '' , '' Monsters '' , '' Street Legal '' and '' Road to Avonlea ''
1977 Cannes Film Festival
1977 Cannes Film Festival
Richard Benner