30th Anniversary
Canada’s Presenting Partner Lead Sponsor Largest LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Online Ontario-wide Oct. 1 – 11, 2020 insideout.ca #InsideOut30 CONGRATULATIONS Table of Contents 2020 INSIDE OUT Welcome Letters 4 About Inside Out 10 FINANCING FORUM PARTICIPANTS! Board, Committees and Staff List 11 Accessibility and Tickets 12 Ticketing FAQs 13 ADOLESCENT LAST SUMMER WITH IRA Funders and Sponsors 14 Kyle Reaume, Sam Rosati Emily McCann Lesser, Gary Jaffe, Members and Donors 16 Katie Ennis Galas and Special Presentations 22 ALL THAT SHE WANTS MOKA Spotlight on Canada 28 Nigel DeFriez, Maria Krovatin, Moka Dawkins, Emily Gioskos, Icons 36 Barbara Gruska Laura Bornacelli International Showcase 44 Shorts and Episodic 72 DEAR STRAIGHT MEN PINK CARNATIONS Awards and Jury 108 Sam Sorrenti, Santana Doran Lisa Buchanan, Adam Myatt Short Film Lab Showcase 110
FOLLOWERS POLARIZED 30th Anniversary Online Exhibition 111 Tim Marshall, Christina Radburn, Shamim Sharif, Hanan Kattan Inside Out Merchandise 112 Frances Wang-Ward Thank You 113 Film Index 116 GLITTER AND DOOM THE VIRIDIAN Tom Gustafson, Cory Krueckeberg Blake Mawson, Natalie Urquhart
GYPSY BOY THE YOUNG KING Dee Koppang O’Leary, Kevin Loader, Larin Sullivan, Kim Bailey, Mikey Walsh, James Graham Isabel Marden
HAWA HAWAII YOU CANNOT ERASE ME Amirah Tajdin, Wafa Tajdin, Tyler Rabinowitz, Jeremy Truong Sahar Yousefi Welcome Welcome
Toronto, 1990: The founders of the Inside/Out Collective In our current climate, film is really the safest way to travel, and gather to form Toronto’s LGBTQ film festival. Were they this year’s lineup provides a unique opportunity to escape dreaming about what that festival might be in 2020? Did they into the many complicated queer worlds accessed through picture audiences streaming out onto King Street, queued up the brilliant minds of our filmmakers, icons, and peers. for sold-out screenings in a futuristic TIFF Bell Lightbox, with Inside Out-branded streetcars racing by? Could they have It already feels like a lifetime since the early days of the conceived of our current 2020 reality, where the only pandemic, where panicked Zoom meetings and virtual showcase for LGBTQ film is high-speed internet beaming the hangouts with friends and colleagues were scheduled out of content into homes across Ontario? fear of isolation. These circumstances, however, allowed for a time of pause, for thoughtfulness, and for clear action. Our When I joined Inside Out in 2016, I was dreaming of 2020, global festival family rallied together to discuss challenges coming in after a successful 25th anniversary and building and to collaborate on new ways to fulfill mandates. The queer the new strategic plan to get to the 30th. Today, many of community is no stranger to extraordinary situations, and a those dreams are reality. Inside Out is home to the world’s global pandemic became an entry point for mobilization. only LGBTQ film financing forum, the first film festival New ideas and connections ensured we could still deliver the development fund for queer women, trans and non-binary year’s best in queer film and provide networking and business filmmakers, and we’re also the first LGBTQ film festival to opportunities in the safest ways possible. sign a major partnership deal with Netflix. We built new networks, initiating the North American Queer Film Festival As it was 30 years ago, it remains today: your safety is our Alliance and building Canada’s first free, nationwide LGBTQ priority. We may not be able to gather together in cinemas film platform for educators. right now, or welcome our filmmaking family from around the world, but we can do our best to bring the world to you I don’t think our founders could’ve predicted this version of through an extraordinary film lineup, thanks to our digital 2020 (she writes while wearing an Inside Out-branded cloth Cinesend platform and by way of a few, special drive-in facemask). But I know that Queer Film is Essential. I know experiences. that the work that has been done, and continues to be done, to advance the equitable representation of LGBTQ2 people in I am in awe every day of the creators, programmers and media is vital. I know that now is the time for a new vision, a directors who have come to work alongside us to build and new dream, that reaches to 2030, to 2050, to a horizon we maintain an organization with so much care, and to provide can’t imagine yet. not only a vital place to premiere and exhibit queer work but also act as a place for celebration, conversation – even when To our supporters: you built this house. I am grateful to have conversation is difficult – education, business, and artistic lived in it for four years and built a new extension. As I step expression. Our job is to provide space and opportunity to down as Executive Director, I’m handing the keys back to you have queer work seen; to have artists meet and network, and with faith in our exceptional staff team, our committed Board, to help projects get financed. Every day, we strive to do and a new leader, whose vision I can’t wait to support. better and be better.
To every one of our staff members, who are my greatest Here’s to our founding fathers, mothers, drag mothers, drag teachers and closest friends, daughters, drag kings, butch dykes, non-binary folk, trans To my wife (who I met at Inside Out 2017 on the rooftop of folk, and queers for seeing the need and the potential for the Thompson Hotel), who inspires me every day to take my what Inside Out could be and is still becoming. We stand work to the next level, humbly on your shoulders. Thank you. To our filmmakers, who all of this is for, and all of this is because of, To our partners, who invested so that we could invest, To the Inside/Out Collective Members, who dreamed so that we could, too. Andrew Murphy And to you: Thank you. Director of Programming Inside Out
Andria Wilson Executive Director Inside Out
4 5 Welcome Welcome
I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am delighted to attending the 30th Annual Inside Out Film Festival. welcome everyone to the 30th Annual Inside Out Film Festival.
For three decades, this festival has showcased LGBTQ film In these challenging times, I am encouraged to see the and video from Canada and around the world. I would like to ingenuity that festival presenters are showing as they bring congratulate everyone presenting films for their hard work their events to audiences in this landmark year. As the largest and efforts to bring their stories to the screen. event of its kind in Canada, Inside Out exemplifies the power of film to entertain, inform and inspire us – while showcasing I would also like to commend the organizers for their our diversity. commitment to fostering unity and inclusion in the film industry. Your efforts ensure the continued success of this Ontario is proud to support Inside Out and the creativity, hard outstanding event. work and passion of the queer writers, directors and actors sharing their stories with the world. Ontario’s filmmakers Please accept my best wishes for a successful festival. continue to earn accolades in the world of film, putting our province on the global stage as a centre of creativity and Sincerely, innovation on both sides of the camera.
I wish the creators and audiences a memorable festival – and congratulate Inside Out on 30 years of film excellence.
The Rt. Hon. Justin P.J. Trudeau, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada
Lisa MacLeod Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Welcome to the 30th Annual Inside Out Film Festival.
This year, queer stories that break down barriers, challenge prejudice, and strive for a truly open and inclusive society will I am so pleased to share greetings with you as we celebrate take centre stage at Canada’s largest LGBTQ2 film fest. the 30th anniversary of Inside Out. I wish we could all be together in theatres and at parties throughout this festival to The 2020 festival will show the very best features from celebrate the best of Queer cinema – but I know our hearts Canada and beyond online. The pandemic has been particular- are together regardless of our physical distance. ly challenging for these communities, which is why it’s encouraging that Inside Out has found creative ways to come While we are all social distancing and thinking a little extra together to celebrate what makes our country great. This about essential workers, I find myself reflecting on Inside celebration gives LQBTQ2 people a forum to express their Out’s recent campaign: “Queer Film is Essential”. It resonated humanity and share their unique stories. That is why our with me deeply. government is proud to support this festival. To the amazing team at Inside Out – congratulations on As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister of Diversity and celebrating your 30th year! And to every Queer film Inclusion and Youth, we congratulate the organizers and lover – know that not even a pandemic can hold back the volunteers whose hard work means this dynamic community’s power of Queer stories. voices will continue to be heard and shared. See you all in the (virtual) theatre.
With love and solidarity,
Steven Guilbeault Bardish Chagger Minister of Minister of Diversity and Canadian Heritage Inclusion and Youth Suze Morrison MPP, Toronto Centre
6 7 Welcome Welcome
It gives me great pleasure to extend greetings and a warm On behalf of RBC, welcome to the 2020 Inside Out Toronto welcome to everyone attending the 30th annual Inside Out LGBT Film Festival. Toronto LGBT Film Festival. This year has certainly been an unprecedented one as the This year’s film festival is being reinvented as a digital festival, entire world has paused in light of global challenges. But if during the COVID-19 pandemic. By going virtual, film buffs there’s one thing we’ve come to understand, it’s that our can continue to stay connected to each other and celebrate voices, our stories and our passion, cannot be cancelled. the best in queer film while physically distancing at home. For the past 30 years, Inside Out has been a staple of this As an international centre for film production, Toronto promotes city’s identity and an important platform for our LGBTQ+ the development of quality cinema by the creative and community to tell their incredible stories. innovative works of filmmakers whose talent and creativity have enhanced and enriched our entertainment industry. As presenting sponsor for the 12th time, we’ve seen this festival showcase some of the most compelling, thought-pro- On behalf of Toronto City Council, I wish everyone an voking and inspiring LGBTQ+ cinema in the world. enjoyable and memorable event. Please accept my best wishes for continued success. So congratulations to all the filmmakers. And congratulations to the Inside Out Toronto team for rising above the challenges and putting together an outstanding event this year.
Enjoy the festival! John Tory Mayor of Toronto
Kris Depencier It is my pleasure to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Regional President, RBC organizers and supporters of the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Greater Toronto Festival for the tremendous achievement of 30 successful years of artistic endeavor and social change in the city of Toronto.
By showcasing the best and most diverse queer cinema from Canada and around the world, this festival acts to inspire and unite Toronto’s LGBTQ community.
This year, the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival returns as a largely digital format from October 1st to October 10th 2020, showcasing over 175 films from thirty countries. For eleven exciting days, Toronto will be in the international spotlight, showing the world the incredible diversity and creativity of our city’s LGBTQ communities and the strength of Toronto’s rich cultural and social fabric.
Once again, congratulations on 30 years of success! I look forward to many more years of the Inside Out Festival in Toronto, which I know will continue to grow and make significant impacts on building a healthy, vibrant and dynamic city.
Happy film-festing,
Kristyn Wong-Tam City Councillor Ward 13, Toronto Centre 8 9 About Inside Out About Inside Out Inside Out 2020 Board, Committees & Staff
Pre-Screener Committee Finance Forum Producer Board Rachel Beattie Jan Nathanson Chair: Thomas Park Laurence Blais Aaron Brown Curator, 30th Anniversary Exhibition Treasurer: Dave Singh Krista Davis Secretary: Adam Stewart Tish Chambers Santiago Rodrigo Hilara Sujata Berry Grant Writer and Reel Access Coordinator Erum Khan Tania Cheng* Steen Starr Harry Cherniak Sarah Lane Ashley Cooper Julia Lewis Reel Access Working Group Aisha Fairclough Angela Morrison Steen Starr, Co-Project Manager Michael Ghent* Rupali Morzaria Michael McNeely, Co-Project Manager Japneet Kaur Catherine Williams-Brown Kelsey Butt Jo Proulx* Alicks Girowski Program Note Writers Andrew Gurza Mike Rudolph Rachel Beattie Ken Harrower Allen Braude Liviya Mendelsohn Jacob Crepeault Committees Jenna Dufton Graphic Design and Festival Identity Laura Friesen Monnet Design Finance Committee Paul Gallant About Inside Out Chair: Japneet Kaur Sarah Lane Program Guide Copy Editor Dave Singh Chloe Legault Jennifer Coffey Nathan Heinrichs Andrew Murphy Inside Out is a not-for-profit registered charity that exists to challenge attitudes Zak Miljanic Publicist and change lives through the promotion, production and exhibition of film by and David Vella Strategic Planning Committee K2 Publicity Thomas Park Chair: Sujata Berry Website Design and Development Andria Wilson Aisha Fairclough about LGBTQ persons of all sexual and gender identities, ages, races and abilities. Co-Effect Adam Morrison Fundraising Committee Jo Proulx Chair: Adam Stewart Official Ticketing Provider Andria Wilson Deanna Bickford** Elevent Ashley Cooper Vision Values 30th Anniversary Committee Festival Video Production John Duwyn Chris Chin Merik Williams Founded in 1991 as an LGBTQ Inside Out strives to reflect • Inclusion: Inside Out is Jason Novelli Michele Pearson Clarke Mitzi Reinsilber Scott Ferguson Technical Producer film festival in Toronto, the following values in our accessible and inclusive: Nik Redman Raphael Sanchez Governance & Nominating Committee Sonya Reynolds Inside Out is now the largest operations and programming: a safe and welcoming Chair: Thomas Park Digital Producer event of its kind in Canada, space for filmmakers and Harry Cherniak Kyle Jarencio • Innovation: We give our spanning multiple cities with film fans from around Sujata Berry audience new opportunities Staff Festival Communications Coordinator year-round programming. the world. We at Inside Human Resources Jason Szwimer to engage with LGBTQ Chair: Mike Rudolph Executive Director Out respect, reflect and Andria Wilson Industry Programs Assistant Inside Out seeks to be stories through the medium Deborah Berwick Ali Khan Camille Johnson celebrate our communities’ Director of Programming of film. We are constantly Alexander Khrapov • Andrew Murphy Memberships Assistant an innovative leader in the diversity and strive for Stef Rigada improving our program- Alexander Kentris production, exhibition and inclusion of all persons. Joel Rodrigues Director of Fundraising and Partnerships ming and efficiency of promotion of LGBTQ film Amy Talbert Elie Chivi Tech Customer Support operations by adopting In addition to its annual Ashind Thukral Jillian Campbell Andria Wilson Programming Manager • an incubator and support new technologies and festivals, offered this year as Jenna Dufton Box Office Customer Support for LGBTQ filmmakers both systems. a combined, Ontario-wide Marketing Committee Beth Airton Chair: Tania Cheng* Audience and Partnership Development Christopher Chiu emerging and established digital edition, Inside Out Melissa Benner Manager • Excellence: We are Kelsey Butt offers year-round program- Daniel Burns Interns • Beau Gomez** Emma Pitters-Fisher, Short Film Mentorship a leading advocate for committed to seeking out Marketing and Partnerships Manager ming, as well as filmmaker Rina Kazavchinski Program LGBTQ issues using the the best LGBTQ stories Carine Lalonde grant programs through the Carine Lalonde Hogan Lam, Archives and Research medium of film from around the world and Vivian Or Patron Services and Membership Manager Jillian Dale, Fundraising RE:Focus Fund, the Pitch Lauretta Wen, Marketing providing audiences Marcelino Rodriguez Bran Ramsey • an inclusive cultural Please Short Film Competi- Tom Threndyle Sarah Orman, 30th Anniversary Archive with unique film-based Jimmy Weaver Festival Operations Manager Keren Yu, Community Partnerships gathering place tion and the OUTtv Victoria Yeung Sarah Fellows, Assistant to Executive experiences. for Canadian LGBTQ Programming Committee Director Documentary Financing Ferdosa Abdi Office Manager communities • Community: We play a Fund. Inside Out is home to Rasheed Bailey Jayne Schneider Katherine Connell * Stepped down from the Board prior to vital role in the social, the world’s only LGBTQ Financial Clerk Jacob Crepeault the AGM Sunny Kim educational and cultural Feature Film Financing Jenna Dufton ** Stepped down prior to the 2020 Festival health of our communities Forum, presented by Ferrin Evans Publications and Materials Coordinator Scott Ferguson Nirujaa Vasantharajah by connecting them Netflix. Claire Jarvis with their stories. We are Zeinah Kalati Membership Coordinator To learn more about Inside Allia McLeod Kirsten Bligh dedicated to reflecting Out and to view our Andrew Murphy Nik Redman Programming Assistant and expanding the dialogue Jacob Crepeault 2018 - 2020 Strategic Plan, Scott Smart within the LGBTQ com- please visit please visit Sponsorship Assistant munities in collaboration insideout.ca James Nicholson with other organizations.
10 11 Accessibility and Tickets Accessibility and Tickets Pricing Box Office Info Ticketing FAQs Purchase your tickets, passes Where can I get tickets, passes, or packages? How can I use my vouchers? GENERAL MEMBER and memberships through Single Tickets, Reel Access Passes, and 5-Packs To use your vouchers, add all the films you would All-Access Pass $250 $200 our virtual box office at are available to Inside Out Members on September like to see into your cart and proceed to the insideout.ca. All major credit 7, 2020 at 12pm, and to the public on September 8, checkout page. At the top of the screen you will Reel Access Pass $60 $53 cards are accepted. 2020 at 12pm. see a pop up that says ‘Wait. You can use your extra vouchers for items in your cart’. Please click 5-Pack $40 $35 All-Access Passes are available now and can be Already purchased a ticket REDEEM NOW to apply the vouchers to the purchased at insideout.ca. Single Tickets $11 $9 package for the May 2020 appropriate items in your cart. festival? Contact If you are a member, please log into your account [email protected] for to receive your member discount on all passes, I want to watch a film but tickets are sold out! How it Works details on your digital packages, and tickets. Why? festival access. Just like with our in-person festival, each screening All single tickets are valid for 48 hours after you How do I get tickets? press ‘Play’. is subject to capacity and there is a finite amount Buy Now Please visit insideout.ca to view our full list of of tickets available for each film. Please ensure you The All-Access Pass allows for one viewing per Inside Out films. purchase your tickets early to avoid disappoint- ment. household of all films on the platform. Once you When you find a film that you would like to watch, press ‘Play’ on a film, you'll have 48 hours to simply add it to your cart and proceed to checkout. Box Office Can I refund or exchange my tickets? complete your viewing. You will receive a voucher code that will unlock Customer Support access to that film on our Inside Out online portal Contact Refunds and exchanges are not available. All sales Thanks to the generous support of CBC, all films in the at watch.insideout.ca. are final, so please ensure your order is correct [email protected] or before completing your transaction. Spotlight on Canada section are available for one free call 416-977-6847 and press 1 Tickets are subject to availability, so please book viewing per household, until capacity is reached. You yours in advance to avoid disappointment. must redeem a single ticket for these screenings. Membership Customer I have not received my ticket voucher or Support/Concierge How do I get tickets with a 5-Pack, All-Access confirmation email. What do I do? The Reel Access Pass allows for one viewing per Contact Pass or Reel Access Pass? Ticket vouchers and confirmation emails are sent household of all films that are provided with captions [email protected] Ticket packages need to be redeemed in order to automatically when an order has been made. If you or full subtitles. View our frequently updated list of or call 416-977-6847 and access individual films by logging into your do not receive them within a few minutes, please these films at insideout.ca. press 2 account and simply selecting the “package ticket” check your junk or spam folders. If you need any option on the films you would like to watch. assistance beyond this, please contact boxoffice@ Tech Support insideout.ca at any time. Contact [email protected] or Pass holders will receive an email to set up their Buy Now account and view films on-demand on our Inside call 416-977-6847 and press When can I begin streaming my films? 3 (10am-6pm, daily) Out online portal at watch.insideout.ca. If you did not receive an email to set up your password, You will have access to start streaming films at Customer Support Hours simply indicate that you ‘forgot your password’ in 12pm on October 1, 2020. Films will only be September 8–30, 2020 order to create a new one or contact boxoffice@ available for 48 hours after pressing ‘Play’ for the Industry Passes 10am-6pm, daily insideout.ca for additional support. first time. Please note that there will be some Email [email protected] for accreditation scheduled films this year. October 1–11, 2020 information. Do Inside Out members receive member pricing? 10am-10pm, daily Can I stream films if I am outside Ontario? Yes, this year we are offering member pricing on all tickets, passes, and packages being sold. Find out All films included in Inside Out’s digital festival are Inside Out is a lead organization in the Reel Access initiative Official Ticketing Provider more about Inside Out memberships at insideout. geo-blocked to Ontario. You must be within the that aims to improve the accessibility of film festival ca/become-a-member. province to stream our digital programming. programming in Toronto and beyond. For more information please visit insideout.ca/accessibility. Can I share my ticket package, or pass with Can I stream a film more than once? friends and family? Once you press ‘Play’ on your film, you will have 48 Passes are tied to the purchaser’s account and hours to view it. You can start it, and re-watch it cannot be shared. Passes only allow for one stream within this 48-hour viewing window. per film, per household. Tickets may be purchased for other people, but the voucher code cannot be used more than once. A voucher code will unlock the film when it is entered, and the viewer will only have 48 hours to complete the film after pressing ‘Play’ for the first time.
12 13 Funders and Sponsors Funders and Sponsors
Lead Sponsor Presenting Partner Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Premier Sponsor Official Airline
Bronze Sponsors
Government
Hospitality Partners
Foundations
Supporters
Industry and Awards
14 15 Members and Donors Members and Donors
Miriam Kaufman and Michelle Doyle Katharine Lee McEwan We Love Our Members and Donors! Roberta Benson Mark Klajman Martha Cole and Bob Gallagher Chantal S. Lackan Alan Maguire Inside Out exists only with the support of our Inside Out Members and Donors. Blair Caines and Brad Mara Chaplin Michael Legouffe Candy Patrick Keleher Miriam Kaufman and David Brennan and Roberta Benson Inside Out is grateful for your generosity and shared belief in the transformative Ralph Topp Michael Woodford Neil Betteridge power of LGBTQ film and its ability to bring people of diverse backgrounds together Raymond Seton Christopher Brohman Rachel E. Beattie to engage, empower, educate and entertain our audiences. Jason Brown Carol A. Deacon and Rick Sutton Heather Huber Rosanna Mastrandrea Robert Martel It is with tremendous gratitude that we thank all of our Members and Donors Arif Noorani and Rob Davis Scott Smart including our 2020 Associate to Deluxe Members listed below. Wesley Seto Serene Carter Tammy Milbury Cheryl Carter Shane Smith Christopher Harold SC Aubé Deluxe William and Gary Klein Murray Gaudreau Philip Wong Adonica Huggins Dora Catalarranas We appreciate the support of all our members and Adam Morrison and Geoff Lawrence and Steve Nardi and Amaze Film + Daniel Burns Steven Kim donors. We apologize for Neil Calhoun Television James Owen Kevin Meloche Davey Perry Samuel Laredo any omissions. Inside Greg Lichti and Garth Chris Black and Jason Novelli Out’s Charitable Carl Bremner and Derek Leebosh Peter Wren Registration Number is Kenneth Holt Norbraten Paul Butler Richard Berthelsen and David G. Hallman D. Arcand and A. 871515995RR0001. Adam Hyatt Jean-Marc Hachey Donald McKay and Paolo Cini and William Karmali Jim Laughlin Alexander and James Lulu Wei Benefactor Leffler Sam Festino Jim Knoop and Ed Boecker-Fitzgerald Michael Agnew Barry D. Adam Douglas Rienzo Alison Duke and Piotrowski Jim Lawrence and Allen Braude Thomas Park Eddie Lynn Notisha Massaquoi Joe E. Teves and David Salak Andrew Pruss Tom Tan Eric Schlosser Joel Rodrigues David Rankin Lambert Boenders and Tony De Franco and Trevor Scanlan and Evalyn Parry Jordan Levitin and Kimahli Powell Barry Trentham Stephen McGregor John Farrell Francisco Juarez Claire Lavoie and Lisa Gordon Davies Marcus Law Bassel Dick / Paul Michelle and Amy Landrey Gordon Gingras Marc Hill Mark Bonham Melville-Gray Talbert Michelle Robertson Ian Hand Michel Beauvais Dr. Richard Isaac and Adam Benn Ruby Bantock and Naomi Brooks Ingrid Randoja and Mike Rudolph Brian Sambourne Bradley Hilderley Dr. Ben Louie Mike Loader Emma Lewzey Mitzi Reinsilber and Steve Khan and B. Kitchell Henry D’Auchapt and Neville Austin Janine and Christine Melissa Fishman Frédéric Prigot Peter Harding Robert Martel Baillie-Roos Pat Vandesompele and Trevor Stevenson and Philip Rouse Gilles Marchildon and Steve McKeown Justin Schurman Ralph Pascht and Mark Christopher McKenzie Jayne Schneider and Grant Murphy Gord Klassen Le Messurier Julian Kitchen Pearse Murray Lawrence Bennett Jo-Ann Chiam and Cecilio Escobar Rachel E. Beattie Russell Mathew and Patrick David and Janet Koecher John Duwyn Michael Smith Donna Inch and Rebecca Gold Scott Ferguson Mark Stringer Jennifer Trant Ryan Birks Audrey Lobo Harold Chmara and Scott Windsor Michael J. Lockhart Jersey Anderson Suzy Zucker Doug Kerr and Danny Hoy Michael Went Nathan Heinrichs Jessica Park and Michael Leshner and Kristine Klement Rupen Seoni and Visionary Bruce Lawson Peter McNaughton Gerry Dimnik Mike Stark John O’Connor Andrew Mainprize and Fabio Mello and Sam D’Alfonso Tania Cheng and Philip Kocev Sarah Hunter Kathleen M. Harquail Brandon Brophy Samuel Lapidus and Dana Decent Anne-Marie Vanier Barry Waite Stephen L. Gillis Evan LeBlanc Michael Legouffe Jill Andrew and Aisha Bradley J. Campbell Greg W. Johns Leonardo Goncalves Donors and Obed Urquilla Fairclough, Body de Oliveira Confidence Canada Harvey Kaye Associate Adam Peer and Andres Flores Leonardo Zuniga Jeannette and Alan Abuchaibe and Laxamana Nelson Carvalho and Bernardine Perreira Brian Markle Drew Hemler Lucas Beaver Zak Miljanic David Carter Andrew and Kim Kamila Edwards Alan Moon Mark Duplacey Wilson, in memory of Andy Chong David M. Vella Karen Davis and Amir Azadeh Michael Moores Helen M. Wilson Christopher Field and Jack Candido / Susan Ewing Mac Gunter and Serdar Andrew Pruss Changming Guo Howard Craven Adam Peer and Andres Louis Charpentier and Laxamana Atav Christopher Racster Chris Chin John Clifford Robert Wakefield Adam Stewart Marcel Erick Rangel Ihor Tomkiw Dennis Findlay Keith Medley Lillian Gong Andrew Chang Beth Jordan Joel Licuanan Jenarra de Souza and Larry Hughsam L. Pragg and Nanky Rai Michael Bushara John Clifford Zinzi de Silva Martha LA McCain Thean W Beckerling Michel Helie John Stanley and Nik Redman Helmut Reichenbächer 16 17 Major Giving and Legacy Society Leadership Circle RE:Focus Fund Established in 2018, Inside Launched in Inside Out’s 25th anniversary year, The Out’s RE:Focus Fund aims to Leadership Circle brings together a special group of address industry inequities by supporters who wish to champion Inside Out’s goal of providing direct financial challenging attitudes and changing lives through support to women, non-bina- supporting our LGBTQ stories and storytellers. ry, and trans filmmakers telling LGBTQ stories. Founded through a lead gift Queer Film Jill Andrew and Aisha Fairclough from Martha McCain, the Neville Austin fund has distributed more Michael Bellefontaine than $150,000 in grants and professional development Is Essential Lawrence Bennett programs for filmmakers Paul Butler and Chris Black since its creation. #InsideOut30 #QueerFilmIsEssential Nelson Carvalho and Zak Miljanic Jo-Ann Chiam and Janet Koecher In 2019, Inside Out expanded the fund with the launch of Andy Chong the RE:Focus Fund Post-Pro- In this unprecedented year, our LGBTQ filmmakers Dennis Findlay duction Grants to support need our support more than ever before. As we Heather Gibson post-production and promotion of short and navigate what the future will hold for independent Larry Hughsam feature films. In 2020, in queer storytelling, Inside Out is committed to Richard Isaac and Brian Sambourne response to the COVID-19 Stephen Johnson pandemic and its impact on increasing our granting and professional development Steve Khan and Frédéric Prigot our industry, Inside Out programs to provide more financial aid and career- launched an emergency relief William and Gary Klein arm of the fund. advancing opportunities to our artists. Karim Ladak Marcus Law The RE:Focus Fund has also Through the generous assistance international travel is not an option, been generously supported Jim Lawrence and David Salak of donor Karim Ladak, all Neville’s generous contribution by the KM Hunter Foundation donations made to the Queer Film will allow all Inside Out filmmakers Greg Lichti and Garth Norbraten and David Carter, as well as Mike Loader the RBC Foundation. is Essential Campaign at the point to receive their festival welcome of sale when buying your Inside packages by mail, and to access Michael Lockhart Out Online tickets or All-Access the Inside Out film program online Andrew Mainprize and Philip Kocev Legacy Society Pass will be matched, up to through a filmmaker-only, inter- Russell Mathew and Scott Ferguson Inside Out’s Legacy Society $5,000. Every dollar counts, and national access portal. Neville’s Martha LA McCain donors have made a lasting this is a way to double your impact unwavering support of our LGBTQ Donald McKay and Jim Laughlin commitment to our future by adding a few extra dollars to filmmakers has been integral to by including Inside Out in Adam Morrison and James Owen your Inside Out 2020 purchases. the growth of our festival and their wills and estate plans. initiatives. Ralph Pascht and Mark Le Messurier Neville Austin We would also like to recognize Bernardine Perreira Lambert Boenders and Neville Austin, the longtime funder Visit insideout.ca/donate or Kimahli Powell Barry Trentham of ‘Neville’s Nudge,’ who helped contact [email protected] Philip Rouse Dennis Findlay cover travel and accommodation to learn more about how to support Mark Stringer Larry Hughsam costs for international filmmak- the Queer Film Is Essential Anne-Marie Vanier Karim Ladak ers to Inside Out. This year, while campaign. Greg Lichti and Garth David Vella Norbraten Jason Wagar Russell Mathew and Scott Windsor Scott Ferguson Dr. James Stewart
18 Navigating Your Real Estate Journey
Philip Kocev Nancy Grenier Lorand Sebestyen Dany Waldman Broker Sales Representative Broker Broker
Proudly supporting the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival since 2011
416.990.1886 | BeaconTeam.ca [email protected] Gala and Special Presentations Gala and Special Presentations Gala and Special Presentations
Stardust Jump, Darling
Have you ever wondered how David Bowie became Director: Gabriel Range One of the recent success stories to come out of Inside Director: Philip J. Connell the David Bowie? Stardust introduces us to those Screenplay: Christopher Bell, Out’s LGBTQ Finance Forum (2017) and Telefilm’s Talent Screenplay: Philip J. Connell Gabriel Range Canada | 2020 | 90:00 early days as he arrives in America and discovers his UK/Canada | 2020 | 104:00 to Watch program (2018), Jump, Darling is an offbeat alter-ego, the iconic Ziggy Stardust. family drama set in the heart of Eastern Ontario. Official Selection, 2020 Tribeca Film Festival Screening Sponsor In 1971, a young David Bowie (Johnny Flynn) is When rookie drag queen Russell, a.k.a. Fishy Falters promoting his newest record, The Man Who Sold (Thomas Duplessie), escapes to Prince Edward County the World. Leaving behind his pregnant wife, Angie Screening Sponsor to fulfill his wine country fantasy, he reunites with his (Jena Malone), Bowie sets out on a coast-to-coast ailing grandmother Margaret (Oscar and Emmy-winning promotional tour with struggling Mercury Records actress Cloris Leachman) to discover that he isn’t the Buy Tickets publicist, Rob Oberman (Marc Maron). Initially only one dealing with drama. Margaret is determined met with a less than welcoming audience, Bowie to avoid the local nursing home, but Russell knows she begins to reinvent himself – embracing his gender- won’t be able to take care of herself anymore. Torn bending glam rock true self and discovering that Buy Tickets between his career aspirations and helping his family, this is what audiences were craving all along. Russell is given the chance to decide what really mat- ters the most. Shot in Toronto, Stardust features stellar performances by an all-star indie cast, uncovering the origin story of Featuring, among others, legendary Toronto drag queens one of the most legendary queer icons in rock history. Tynomi Banks, Miss Fiercalicious, and Fay Slift, Jump, A stardust is born. Darling blends comedy and drama as seen from the colourful viewpoint of a newcomer to the world of drag.
24 25 InsideOut_Xtra_Ad_Final.pdf 1 2020-09-02 6:37 PM
Gala and Special Presentations
C
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MY The Obituary of Tunde Johnson CY CMY
Tunde Johnson, an African-American teen, is stuck in a Director: Ali LeRoi K Groundhog Day nightmare, waking up to experience the Screenplay: Stanley Kalu USA | 2019 | 104:00 same day over and over again – the day he dies at the hands of Los Angeles police officers. Q&A with filmmakers to follow online screening
On the day of his death, Tunde attends a film seminar; Official Selection, 2019 Toronto visits his secret boyfriend Soren (who happens to be International Film Festival dating his best friend Marley), and comes out to his supportive parents, all the while trying to survive as a Black gay high school student. We witness each ‘new’ Screening Sponsor day a little differently, as Tunde is forced to confront difficult truths about the world he lives in.
Written by Stanley Kalu at the age of nineteen, The Buy Tickets Obituary of Tunde Johnson tackles issues of racism, police brutality, LGBTQ acceptance, mental health, and addiction, offering an urgent and timely commentary on what it means to grow up as a Black American.
26 Spotlight on Canada
Spotlight on Canada Sponsor Spotlight on Canada Spotlight on Canada
Sex, Sin & 69 Spiral
The decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada may Director: Sarah Fodey Spiral, an atmospheric horror film set in 1995, head- Director: Kurtis David Harder seem like it happened centuries ago, but Sarah Fodey’s Canada | 2019 | 75:00 lines Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman Canada’s( Drag Race; Screenplay: Colin Minihan, English and French with English John Poliquin retrospective documentary explores how Canada’s push subtitles UnReal) and Ari Cohen (It) as couple Malik and Aaron. Canada | 2019 | 90:00 for LGBTQI2S equality was met with resistance in the 20th century. Ten years after a traumatic incident, Malik is still Screening Sponsor Screening Sponsor haunted by his past. To start afresh, he and Aaron, with In June 1969, Canada made the monumental decision Aaron’s daughter Kayla, move to a small town. Initially, to decriminalize homosexuality nationwide. Now, more they are warmly greeted by the town’s residents, but than 50 years later, contemporary queer voices from soon Malik senses that something is wrong. His dis- across the country share their thoughts and experiences comfort escalates when his new house is vandalized, about living as a young queer person amid these chang- View Trailer Buy Tickets and he begins having visions of hooded figures that View Trailer Buy Tickets es. While the legislation was put into action across are lurking in the dark. As Malik investigates the town’s Canada, prejudice against the LGBTQI2S community history and inhabitants, he finds himself tangled in a didn’t stop immediately. This film expands on how this spiral of ominous secrets. historical act overshadowed the misconceptions of how the legislation affected the more vulnerable members of Following in the footsteps of contemporary horror LGBTQI2S communities. films such as Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us, Spiral is a suspenseful tale that comments on the deeply rooted Told from the perspective of queer academics, histori- prejudices inherent in a small town and the sinister ans, activists, artists, and community builders, Sex, Sin traditions that accompany them. & 69 is essential viewing for all Canadians.
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There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace Well Rounded
If you grew up in Toronto, it’s likely that Honest Ed’s Director: Lulu Wei Well Rounded is a documentary for all the fat, queer, Director: Shana Myara comes to mind as one of the city’s historic landmarks. Canada | 2020 | 75:00 racialized women who so rarely see themselves repre- Canada | 2020 | 61:00 Unfortunately, the now demolished Honest Ed’s no Official Selection, 2020 Hot sented in the media. Here, six female entertainers are longer welcomes guests to its Bloor and Bathurst Docs Canadian International given space to share their stories and celebrate their Screening Sponsors corner, but its impact lives on in this captivating Documentary Festival bodies. documentary from local filmmaker Lulu Wei. Through interviews with fashion-lovers and academics, Located in one of Toronto’s liveliest neighbourhoods Screening Sponsors among them beloved comedian Candy Palmater, Well for almost 70 years, Honest Ed’s was an essential store Rounded discusses the impact of fatphobia, its origins View Trailer Buy Tickets for anyone wanting a great bargain. When it closed in and how we can fight back against it. Topics cover 2016, the closure became a warning sign for the Larry Hughsam dating, self-esteem, familial support (or lack thereof), impending gentrification of some of Toronto’s most medical biases and the societal stigma around being beloved buildings. Lulu Wei, a resident of the area at fat, these vibrant women share their traumas and their that time, reflects on the city’s rapid development and View Trailer Buy Tickets triumphs without holding anything back. how the construction of luxury condos has affected independent businesses and artists. This entertaining, colourful documentary encourages us all to be proud of our bodies and to love ourselves There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace constructs a and one another unabashedly. focused narrative of Toronto’s past, present, and potential future, anchored by testimonials about Honest Ed’s and how its memory lives on in the hearts and minds of Torontonians.
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Local Heroes Screening Sponsors Local Heroes Buy Tickets
Total program runtime: 91:00 Andrew Mainprize and Philip Kocev
Liar The Way We Are Director: Wayne Burns Director: Amanda Ann-Min Wong Canada | 2019 | 18:00 Canada | 2020 | 16:00 Two young men meet for a hookup on a The stories of four queer Asian women are church rooftop. presented within an immersive experience of past and present, revealing the real-lives of a different generation.
Liar The Way We Are
They Looked at Me Ghost and I Smiled Director: M. H. Murray Canada | 2019 | 11:00 Director: Ben Edelberg Canada | 2020 | 12:00 Benjamin is ghosted by his lover. Artists use their bodies as a medium and canvas while existing in their natural environments. Are they performing?
They Looked at Me and I Smiled Ghost
Swimmers Bing! Bang! Bi! Director: Chris Ross Director: Jessica Huras Canada | 2019 | 9:00 Canada | 2020 | 10:00
Swimmers follows two strangers – Gloria and At an inopportune moment, a struggling Sarah – after they meet one summer evening actor takes a stance on her bisexuality. when Sarah pool hops through Gloria’s backyard.
Swimmers Bing! Bang! Bi!
A Brief History of the Unicorn Director: Mina Sewell Mancuso Canada | 2019 | 15:00 A young girl argues with her parents and her Catholic school, demanding that her confirmation sponsor be her transgender aunt. A Brief History of the Unicorn
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Ahead of the Curve No Ordinary Man
Franco Stevens’ bestselling magazine Curve has raised Director: Jen Rainin, Rivkah Billy Tipton, the influential jazz musician, became Director: Aisling Chin-Yee, visibility and shown the world that lesbian culture is Beth Medow more of a sensation when, upon his death, it was Chase Joynt USA | 2020 | 98:00 Canada | 2019 | 80:00 everywhere. revealed that he was a trans man and the late-20th century world was unable to accept his identity. Official Selection, 2020 Toronto International Film Festival Ahead of the Curve documents the incredible life of Screening Sponsors Stevens through remarkable archival footage and For decades, Tipton’s private life was never a concern. Heather Gibson interviews with superstars Melissa Etheridge, Kim His eclectic talent for jazz music spoke for itself and Screening Sponsor Katrin Milan, Lea Delaria, among others. The film he mapped out a fulfilling career with his wife and follows Stevens’ ups and downs that include a divorce adopted children. When his death provoked a media Neville Austin at 19, homelessness, queer activism, a lawsuit brought frenzy surrounding his gender identity, Billy Tipton on by Catherine Deneuve, and an accident that became both the target for tabloid headlines and an changed her life. Through it all, including the potential unlikely role model for the transmasculine community. sale of the magazine, Stevens remains a steadfast Tipton’s story is the portrait of an unlikely hero, advocate for queer women around the world. stitched together in this documentary with accounts from Tipton’s son and trans artists in awe of his quiet View Trailer Buy Tickets Ahead of the Curve is a tribute to Franco Stevens’ accomplishments. bravery and to the power of a glossy lifestyle magazine that burst out, proclaiming, into a largely homophobic No Ordinary Man captures Billy Tipton’s complicated world. legacy, a burden for some and an inspiration for View Trailer Buy Tickets others, with in-depth critiques and affirmations for the trans icon and his portrayal in the media.
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Unapologetic Your Mother’s Comfort
Unapologetic is an empowering documentary that Director: Ashley O’Shay In the face of a crumbling Brazilian democracy, trans Director: Adam Golub shines a light on organizations that fight racial injus- USA | 2020 | 86:00 activist and politician Indianara Siqueira fights to Brazil | 2020 | 75:00 Portuguese with English tices against Black women in the United States. protect a safe house on behalf of herself and her subtitles chosen family. Screening Sponsor Janaé and Bella, two Black queer women living in Chicago, unveil a pocket of American corruption when Jill Andrew and Indianara has been ousted by her political party days View Trailer Buy Tickets two Black Chicagoans are murdered by police. Their Aisha Fairclough before the 2018 Brazilian national elections. In the organization, The Movement for Black Lives, challeng- same election cycle, extreme right candidate Jair es an administration complicit in state violence and Bolsonaro is the frontrunner for President of the police funding, the women’s clear goal resounding Buy Tickets Republic. As Brazil’s democracy – and in turn the through their passionate activism and protests against community’s safety – are threatened, Indianara sets her the Chicago police department. The film also high- sights on saving Casa Nem, a Rio de Janeiro homeless lights the prejudice against Black women and femmes shelter and community centre for trans sex workers. in particular, underscoring that these voices are often The shelter is a squat and the residents are facing silenced in conversations about racism. eviction, so Indianara and her followers occupy a nearby colonial palace in order to bargain with the city By chronicling Janaé and Bella’s fearless leadership, and save the house. Unapologetic elevates these icons, giving them a platform to voice their concerns and speak directly to A true fighter living under an unimaginable threat, those who are willing to help in the fight against Indianara risks everything to save her community from racism. uncertainty and to offer them a place of their own.
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Icons Mixed Shorts Sponsor Icons Mixed Shorts Buy Tickets Donald McKay and Total program runtime: 90:00 Jim Laughlin
Perfectly Frank Director: Dan Hunt USA | 2020 | 11:00 Perfectly Frank is a short documentary chronicling the life of Frank Vilardi, a retired accountant from Long Island who, in his late sixties and after forty years of marriage, comes out.
Perfectly Frank
Living Out Loud: LBTQI Movement Building and Feminism in Georgia Director: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy USA/Georgia | 2019 | 17:00 English and Georgian with English subtitles While officially a secular nation, church and state are far from separate in Georgia, where Living Out Loud homophobia is common. Eka Aghdgomelas- hvili, a Georgian feminist activist and trailblazer, is on the front lines of the fight against homophobia.
Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story Director: Posy Dixon U.K. | 2019 | 62:00 Capturing five decades of relentless musical output and shifting manifestations of gender
Keyboard Fantasies and sexual identity, and set against a backdrop of profound social change, the film celebrates the life of Beverly Glenn Cope- land who, at 75, is embarking on his first international tour. Proud design partner and Gold Sponsor of Inside Out.
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Alice Junior Breaking Fast
Shimmering on the surface and full of heart, Alice Director: Gil Baroni Where does a gay practising Muslim fit into the myriad Director: Mike Mosallam Junior centres on the titular Alice, a trans YouTuber Screenplay: Luiz Bertazzo, pleasures of West Hollywood life? In writer-director Screenplay: Mike Mosallam Adriel Nizer Silva USA | 2019 | 92:00 determined to experience her first kiss. Brazil | 2019 | 87:00 Mike Mosallam’s sweet romantic comedy, Breaking English and Arabic with English Portuguese with Fast, there are no hard and fast rules. subtitles The film introduces Alice as a fortunate youth who is English subtitles living with her father in the Brazilian city of Recife. Official Selection, 2020 Berlin Mo is out to his family, but fixed in his ideas of how the Screening Sponsor Alice has the world’s attention with her vlog series, International Film Festival world should work. “Even a single impure thought will which is decorated with emojis and bubbling with ruin this day’s fast,” he says, irritated during Ramadan. style. Her perfect world comes crashing down when When his lover announces that, for the sake of family Karim Ladak she moves to a small, conservative town in the South. View Trailer Buy Tickets harmony, he’s getting married, Mo finds himself single Unexpected obstacles arise when Alice is enrolled in and more lost than ever. Enter Kal, a WeHo hunk who the town’s Catholic school, but Alice’s unbreakable is full of surprises and who just might have what it View Trailer Buy Tickets personality allows her to thrive, even when her peers takes to help Mo rebuild. and teachers are difficult to handle. This charming feature-length expansion of Mosallam’s Alice Junior targets Gen Z youth with shiny visuals and much lauded short film (Inside Out 2016) fleshes out contemporary elegance, but its message transcends the characters’ deeply held emotions, and deftly generations. The film is a touching portrayal of a young explores how it feels to be religious in a secular and woman who wants nothing more than a normal high politicized world. school life.
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Cicada Cowboys
Set against the backdrop of New York in 2013, Cicada Director: Matthew Fifer, Kieran When all else fails, Troy and his son, Joe, head out into Director: Anna Kerrigan examines the bond between two troubled strangers Mulcare the Montana wilderness toward the Canadian border, Screenplay: Anna Kerrigan Screenplay: Matthew Fifer USA | 2020 | 83:00 who develop an honest connection. USA | 2020 | 93:00 and their freedom. Official Selection, 2020 Tribeca Ben, a brooding bisexual, greets each day with a Official Selection, Troy has struggled in his life but has always been a Film Festival routine of hookups, numbing the pain of his traumatic 2020 BFI Flare great father to Joe. When Joe’s mother, Sally, refuses
past. Ben’s casual encounters rarely make him feel at to accept him, Troy sees no other option than to take Screening Sponsors ease but when he meets Sam, a charming and recep- Screening Sponsor Joe away. When Sally discovers he is missing, she tive man, he finds a sense of comfort. As the two enlists the help of local police detective, Faith, but as Steve Khan and Frédéric Prigot become close they realize that to grow as a couple Adam Morrison and Faith unearths more clues about the case, she realizes they must take the necessary steps to come to terms James Owen there is more to this than Sally has admitted. As the with what is haunting them. manhunt intensifies, Faith must find the father and son before less understanding members of the search Ben and Sam's pairing feels effortless, both actors View Trailer Buy Tickets team do, and Sally must embrace Joe for who he is. bringing vulnerability and grace to their performances. Buy Tickets Cicada strikes a delicate balance in a complex narra- With standout performances by Steve Zahn, Ann tive where humour and melodrama share the spotlight. Dowd, Jillian Bell, and young trans actor Sasha Knight, Cowboys is the captivating story of a young man who knows exactly who he is, and a father who will do anything to protect that.
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Dark City Beneath the Beat Dating Amber
Marketed as an audiovisual experience, Dark City Director: TT The Artist Eddie and Amber decide to stage a relationship in Director: David Freyne Beneath the Beat explores Baltimore club culture USA | 2020 | 65:00 order to stop everyone speculating about their Screenplay: David Freyne Ireland | 2020 | 92:00 through profiles of the city’s rising DJs, dancers, Official Selection, 2020 SXSW sexuality. producers, and artists. Film Festival Official Selection, 2020 Hot Eddie is determined to follow in his father’s footsteps Screening Sponsor The musical odyssey kicks off with a vivid assortment Docs Canadian International and enlist in the military after graduation. Amber has of local club icons whose collective dream is to use Documentary Festival her sights set on moving to London. Dreams are good, their art for the betterment of the community. but dreams don’t help in the schoolyard when you’re Baltimore’s culture landscape and social climate are being teased and accused of being gay. And so the two Screening Sponsors the inspiration for many of the film’s imaginative friends hatch the perfect plan: to be each other’s View Trailer Buy Tickets segments. Each artist is given a turn to show off their Paul Butler and Chris Black beards, posing as high school sweethearts to deflect skills, which range from beat production to intense further speculation. The plan seems solid, but as their dance choreography. While the film does not shy away arrangement begins to fall apart, Eddie’s denial grows from addressing Baltimore’s clash with drugs and deeper as Amber realizes that a perilous future awaits violence, the artistic montages leaves an impression her best friend unless she intervenes. of hope during uncertain times. Fionn O’Shea (Handsome Devil, Normal People) and View Trailer Buy Tickets Dark City’s good intentions shine through with nonstop newcomer Lola Petticrew deliver delightful perfor- needle drops and eye-popping visuals. As far as music mances in this gentle, bittersweet Irish charmer that documentaries go, this is far from a passive quickly became the quarantine summer sleeper hit experience. Turn up the volume and get ready to dance. across the UK.
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Dear Leo Dry Wind
Dear Leo follows the story of Annie Duncan as told Director: Emma Rappold This provocative film, set in Brazil’s rural Southwest, Director: Daniel Nolasco through letters to her pen pal, her younger cousin, Leo. Screenplay: Emma Rappold, follows the daily life of Sandro, a middle-aged bear Screenplay: Daniel Nolasco Jill Young Brazil | 2020 | 110:00 USA | 2020 | 93:00 who is consumed by his sexual fantasies. Portuguese with English Annie Duncan is at a precarious time in her life, having subtitles graduated from high school and about to embark on Sandro’s daily routine reflects the monotony surround- Official Selection, 2020 Berlin Screening Sponsors her freshman year at college. Annie struggles to find ing him, from morning swims, to work at the fertilizer International Film Festival her footing as old friendships become strained and factory, to trips to the grocery store. One activity new friendships present opportunities to be more than bordering on routine as well is his sexual encounters just friends… maybe. Who can tell, really? When with co-worker Ricardo, be it in a car, in the woods, or View Trailer Buy Tickets family tragedy strikes, Annie must find the courage to in a silo. Sandro’s world (and routine) is turned upside face her problems and do what every college fresh- down, however, when he meets Maicon, a man who man must learn to do: grow up. Buy Tickets dresses in motorcycle leathers and resembles a Tom of Finland drawing come to life. Soon, Sandro’s sexual Leading a crew who are all under the age of 25, dreams become increasingly elaborate and explicit, director Emma Rappold and co-writer/star Jill Young and the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur. have burst onto the scene with their charming debut, proving that the future of queer cinema is in good Featuring powerful cinematography and lighting, hands. Daniel Nolasco’s feature provides an erotically charged look at the gaps between our sexual desires and our day-to-day lives.
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Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) Gossamer Folds
Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) is a refreshing – and Director: Monica Zanetti Two Kansas City neighbours forge an unlikely but Director: Lisa Donato hilarious – queer take on that age-old genre, the Screenplay: Monica Zanetti charming friendship in Gossamer Folds, the feature Screenplay: Bridget Flanery Australia | 2020 | 120:00 USA | 2020 | 96:00 romcom. film debut by Lisa Donato, who penned the Inside Out Preceded by Maggie Mysteries 2017 hit, Signature Move. Preceded by Last Summer with The film follows Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw) as she works (10:00) Uncle Ira (13:00) up the courage to ask her crush, Abbie (Zoe Terakes), It’s 1986 and Gossamer (a luminous Alexandra Grey to the formal (not prom, as this distinctly Australian from Transparent) is a Black trans woman with big Screening Sponsors film takes care to point out). Typical adolescent hijinks View Trailer Buy Tickets plans. Living with her father in a sleepy suburb, she and awkwardness ensue, especially when the ghost of designs costumes for a drag club in the city, but Marcus Law Ellie’s queer aunt Tara (Julia Billington) pops up to play dreams of becoming a designer in New York. When fairy godmother. Tate – a precocious ten-year-old obsessed with looking up new words in the dictionary – and his Monica Zanetti’s quirky, heartfelt feature debut is a troubled and soon to-be-divorced parents move in sweet treat that delivers big emotion along with peals next door to her, Gossamer recognizes a kindred spirit of laughter, made all the sweeter by the fact that the and steps up to befriend the lonely young boy. cast and crew are predominantly women, many of them queer themselves. With a beautiful script, nuanced performances, and a Buy Tickets delightfully nostalgic 80s pop soundtrack, Gossamer Folds reveals the sweet story of an unlikely but powerful bond.
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I Am Samuel Lingua Franca
“I can’t really be myself. It’s like they’re seeing just half Director: Peter Murimi Isabel Sandoval’s third feature film is a gentle portrait Director: Isabel Sandoval of who I am.” This harrowing statement is a common Kenya/Canada/UK/ of Olivia, an undocumented transgender Filipino Screenplay: Isabel Sandoval USA | 2020 | 70:00 USA/Philippines | 2019 | 89:00 phrase for closeted queer folks living in places where Swahili and English with English woman in desperate need of a green card in Trump’s English and Tagalog with English tradition is more valued than acceptance. subtitles America. subtitles
Official Selection, 2020 Hot Growing up in the Kenyan countryside, Samuel was Docs Canadian International Olivia works as a caregiver for Olga (Lynn Cohen), an Screening Sponsors never able to be himself. His conservative family’s Documentary Festival older woman with dementia who spends her days lost involvement with the local church has caused a rift in photo albums. Olivia’s hot-tempered, alcoholic between them. When Samuel’s family continuously grandson Alex (Eamon Farren) has recently returned asks why he is not married yet, Samuel takes the Screening Sponsors home under dubious circumstances. When he begins opportunity to leave home and start a new life in to share caregiving duties with Olivia, they form an Kimahli Powell Nairobi. There he meets a group of like-minded queer unlikely bond despite their differences, each looking View Trailer Buy Tickets men and falls in love with Alex. Now Samuel must for comfort and a hopeful, better future. choose whether or not to return home to face his family’s judgment and bring his two drastically As the director, writer, editor, producer, and star of different worlds together. Lingua Franca, Sandoval has created a quietly revolu- tionary film that never descends into melodrama Filmed over five years, I Am Samuel highlights Samuel despite its challenging subjects. Instead, she lingers on Buy Tickets and his queer friends as they grapple with the prospect the emotional intimacies of everyday life, even as the of freedom at the cost of losing connection with their threats of ICE raids and anti-trans hatred lurk in the families. background of every frame.
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Little Girl (Petite fille) Milkwater
Sasha has always known exactly who she is and, at Director: Sébastien Lifshitz Milkwater, Morgan Ingari’s sharp first feature, tenderly Director: Morgan Ingari seven years of age, she is letting the world know, too. France | 2020 | 85:00 balances humour and drama while focusing on the Screenplay: Morgan Ingari French with English subtitles USA | 2020 | 102:00 distinctive challenges faced by queer folks who are As society fails to treat her like other children her age, Official Selection, 2020 Berlin trying to become parents. International Film Festival Sasha’s supportive family lead a constant battle to Screening Sponsors ensure that her life is understood and accepted. Milo (played brilliantly by Molly Bernard) feels aban- Bernardine Perreira Throughout her daily life at school; during dance Screening Sponsor doned when Noor, her best friend, becomes pregnant lessons, and attending birthday parties, we see at and devotes all of her time to her wife. In a quick-think- close range moments of Sasha’s joy and her heart- Philip Rouse ing act of humility, and after a few drinks, Milo offers breaking challenges, as the family works to provide the to become the surrogate and egg donor for a gay bar best possible childhood for their little girl. owner who is struggling to have a child of his own. Buy Tickets From here, Milo endures all the trials of pregnancy Award-winning filmmaker Sébastien Lifshitz follows while trying to juggle friendships and a relationship Buy Tickets the family for a year, capturing with insightful and and, at the same time, attempting to define what delicate, subtle camerawork, a year in the life of a exactly her relationship is to Roger, the near-stranger family who are setting an example for trans youth and whose child she will give birth to. for families around the world. Ingari’s screenplay feels like a fresh take on the complexities of parenthood, blending the comedic antics of parental responsibility and the struggles facing members of the LGBTQ+ communities.
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Monsoon No Hard Feelings (Futur Drei)
Kit (Henry Golding) returns to his native Ho Chi Minh Director: Hong Khaou It’s easy to see why No Hard Feelings won this year’s Director: Faraz Shariat City for the first time since childhood to scatter his Screenplay: Hong Khaou Teddy, the award for best LGBT film at the Berlin Film Screenplay: Faraz Shariat, U.K. | 2020 | 85:00 Paulina Lorenz parents’ ashes across a city that is completely foreign English and Vietnamese with Festival. Smart and sexy, impassioned and playful, Germany | 2020 | 92:00 to him. English subtitles globally minded but dealing with matters of the heart, the German and Farsi with English film contains all the ingredients of a real festival smash. subtitles Decades after he and his parents fled the Vietnam War, Preceded by Flood (12:00) Kit finds himself on an emotional journey that takes Screening Sponsors As a punishment for shoplifting, Parvis (Benjamin him back to his roots in search of a connection with Radjaipour) must perform community service as a Farsi Teddy Award for Best Feature Ralph Pascht and Film, 2020 Berlin International a culture and country that is no longer entirely his. Mark Le Messurier translator at a refugee shelter. Born in Germany to Film Festival Unable to speak his native language, he nevertheless Iranian exiles, Parvis is not shy about his queerness. He’s attempts to reconnect with family members and meet always hitting the clubs and setting selfie thirst traps. new people, striking up a budding romance with a But there’s as much awkwardness as intrigue when he Screening Sponsors handsome expat named Lewis (Parker Sawyers). befriends Iranian shelter residents, brother and sister Through these new relationships and conversations, Amon (Eidin Jalali) and Banafshe (Banafshe Hourmazdi), Russell Mathew and Scott Ferguson Kit attempts to process his loss and find new hope Buy Tickets who are waiting to find out if they have a future in in the future. Germany.
Informed by personal experience, which found his own The partly autobiographical world that director Faraz family relocating as political refugees to the United Shariat creates for his young cast is engrossingly Kingdom in the 1980s, filmmaker Hong Khaou (Lilting) magical and yet utterly believable, handling themes of View Trailer Buy Tickets paints an intimate and evocative portrait of displace- displacement, migration, assimilation and racism with ment and the rootless experience of immigration. humour and hope.
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One in a Thousand (Las Mil y Una) Pier Kids
With its long, handheld takes, Clarisa Navas’ second Director: Clarisa Navas Pier Kids opens with a striking title card: “In the wake Director: Elegance Bratton feature feels like a documentary, intimately following a Screenplay: Clarisa Navas of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, the world cheered the USA | 2019 | 96:00 Argentina/Germany | group of queer teens as they dance bodily, swap 2020 | 120:00 advancement of white queers and ignored the fates of sensuous stories, and play sexually charged games of Spanish with English subtitles queer people of color.” Screening Sponsors hide-and-seek. Official Selection, Berlin Film Festival 2020 Elegance Bratton’s documentary rectifies this erasure Stephen Johnson Iris (Sofia Cabrera), one of those teens, is a self-de- through portraits of queer adolescents who are both scribed “angel,” and yet she’s been expelled from homeless and people of colour, and who find commu- school. While she tries to figure out who she is, she Screening Sponsors nity and connection in Christopher Street, NYC. The spends her days wandering through her claustrophobic film gently explores the many challenges they face in social housing complex, dribbling her basketball, shyly David Vella their day-to-day lives. When family members continu- chatting with friends, and dodging rude men. Things ally misgender Krystal LaBeija, one of the film’s main View Trailer Buy Tickets come into focus when the utterly cool, very mysterious subjects, we can tell that they genuinely love her Renata (Ana Carolina Garcia) catches her eye, and the despite their painful choice. In the same way, we two grow closer even as Iris’s friends spread rumours understand why another subject shoplifts to survive, or about Renata’s sexual history. View Trailer Buy Tickets ponders purposefully becoming HIV-positive in order to access health-related supportive housing programs. One in a Thousand poignantly captures the awkward, beautiful period between childish innocence and the This intimate, incisive work insists that all of these harsh realities of adulthood when anything is possible young people’s lives are no less precious for their and just as easily lost. precarity. Pier Kids is long overdue.
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Shiva Baby The Strong Ones (Los Fuertes)
Danielle is already dreading meeting her neurotic Director: Emma Seligman Located on the coast of southern Chile, the town of Director: Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo parents at a family shiva, but what awaits her is far Screenplay: Emma Seligman Niebla (“fog” in Spanish) is a uniquely evocative Screenplay: Omar Zúñiga USA | 2020 | 77:00 Hidalgo worse than she could have ever imagined. historic site and a stunning setting for a sexy story of Chile | 2019 | 98:00 Official Selection, 2020 SXSW romance and self-discovery. Spanish with English subtitles Following a date with sugar daddy Max, Danielle has to Film Festival rush to a shiva where she will no doubt be quizzed by Official Selection, 2020 Toronto While down south visiting his sister and her husband, relatives about her post-grad plans, or lack thereof. International Film Festival big city boy Lucas (Samuel González) meets small- Screening Sponsors Adding insult to injury, Danielle’s ex-girlfriend, Maya, is town boatswain Antonio (Antonio Altamirano). The two Nelson Carvalho and in attendance and has just been accepted into law young men first get to know each other piling fire- Screening Sponsors Zak Miljanic school, an accomplishment that Danielle’s family cannot wood. Although Niebla’s not the most open-minded shut up about. Making matters worse, Max has just Greg Lichti and Garth Norbraten place for a gay courtship, it’s not the main obstacle unexpectedly arrived with his wife, Kim, and their crying standing in their way. What rachets up the tension is baby. As the day unfolds, Danielle struggles to keep up the distinct path each man has been following – and appearances, fend off pressures from her family, and would like to follow – in life. manage the feelings that linger between her and Maya. View Trailer Buy Tickets Considered an expansion of writer-director Omar Zúñi- The debut feature from Canadian filmmaker, Emma Buy Tickets ga Hidalgo’s 2015 award-winning short San Cristóbal, Seligman, Shiva Baby is a quick-witted, delightfully dark his debut feature The Strong Ones sparkles with scenic comedy about a young woman trying to navigate the delights: bike rides, bingo, beach walks, adorable scenic route to adulthood. toques and excellent performances from handsome young actors.
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Tahara Through the Glass Darkly
First queer love – that painful, terrifying, yet ultimately Director: Olivia Peace An unlikely duo team up to solve the recent kidnapping Director: Lauren Fash freeing feeling – doesn’t always turn out the way we Screenplay: Jess Zeidman of a local girl in a community with a dark past. Screenplay: Lauren Fash, USA | 2020 | 82:00 Susan Graham expect, especially when the object of our desire is a USA | 2020 | 103:00 self-serving manipulator. Official Selection, 2020 Charlie has struggled to keep her head above water Slamdance Film Festival but has refused to give up on the search for her young Carrie (Madeline Grey DeFreece) and Hannah (Rachel daughter, who has been missing for over a year. Others Buy Tickets Sennott) have been inseparable since childhood. Screening Sponsor have lost hope, but Charlie is still plastering missing Things change suddenly when, during a grief counsel- posters throughout the small town of Elrod, Georgia. ling session following the funeral of a classmate who At home, her relationship with her partner Angela committed suicide, Hannah suggests that she and is falling apart, and her only remaining friends keep Carrie kiss for educational purposes. Carrie’s hidden her company at the local bar, where she drowns her feelings bubble to the surface, while Hannah casually sorrows. When another young girl goes missing, View Trailer Buy Tickets shrugs off the encounter. Rather than consider the Charlie believes the two disappearances are connected events around their classmate’s death, Hannah and and she teams up with local reporter, Amy, to connect Carrie are consumed by the toxicity in their own the dots, hoping to find the girls before it’s too late. relationship. With masterful twists and turns, Through the Glass Tahara’s pitch-perfect tone examines the loss and Darkly draws you into one woman’s desperate mission betrayal, and the messy rite of passage, of falling for to find her daughter and save her family. your best friend.
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Twilight’s Kiss (Suk Suk) Two of Us (Deux)
Romantic encounters can happen at any age, and Ray Directors: Ray Yeung Nina and Madeleine have hidden their deep, passion- Directors: Filippo Meneghetti Yeung’s new feature sweetly portrays the unexpected Screenplay: Ray Yeung ate love for decades but, when their love is put to the Screenplay: Filippo Meneghetti, Hong Kong | 2019 | 92:00 Malysone Bovorasmy attraction between two elderly men in Hong Kong. Cantonese with English subtitles ultimate test, only the truth can save them. France/Luxembourg/Belgium | 2019 | 95:00 Pak, a 70-year-old taxi driver committed to his job, Official Selection, 2020 Berlin To outsiders, including Madeleine’s meddling daugh- French with English subtitles International Film Festival meets Hoi, a 65-year-old retired single father, in a park ter, Nina and Madeleine are simply two neighbours Official Selection, 2019 Toronto one day and they form an immediate connection. sharing a hallway during their sunset years. In reality, International Film Festival Closeted, they live conventional lives with their Screening Sponsor this hallway is a bridge between two worlds: one families. But Pak and Hoi’s mutual infatuation flourish- belonging to a widowed, doting grandmother, the es, and Hoi worries that his son will discover his secret. Andy Chong other to a free-spirited, fiercely independent woman Screening Sponsor The new lovers must choose whether to remain who longs to spend her life with the person she loves. Anne-Marie Vanier grounded in their established way of life or embrace Clandestinely, Nina and Madeleine share a tender life, the freedom of personal desires. View Trailer Buy Tickets moving freely between their apartments until, one day, an unexpected event closes the portal. View Trailer Buy Tickets Twilight’s Kiss explores the everyday moments of two men in their golden years who, in each other’s compa- A heartbreakingly beautiful tale, and a romance rarely ny, uncover their true longing for a full life together. seen onscreen, Two of Us proves that love, no matter the obstacles, is worth fighting for.
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Welcome to the USA The Whistle
Don’t be misled by the title. This debut feature by Director: Assel Aushakimova LGBTQ2S+ communities have long developed symboli- Director: StormMiguel Florez Kazakhstani director Assel Aushakimova is a memorial Screenplay: Assel Aushakimova cal ways of finding one another while remaining in USA | 2019 | 57:00 Kazakhstan | 2019 | 95:00 not to the United States but to the director’s home Kazakh and Russian with English plain sight. The Whistle brings us to the town of country and the tortuous navigation it takes to be subtitles Albuquerque, New Mexico, where local queer women Screening Sponsor queer in a former Soviet republic. have discovered each other through, you guessed it, a whistle. Jo-Ann Chiam and In the opening shots, Aliya (Saltanat Nauruz) is View Trailer Buy Tickets Janet Koecher shocked when she learns she has been accepted as a Trans Latinx filmmaker StormMiguel Florez returns to permanent U.S. resident in the famed Green Card his hometown of Albuquerque to interview the women Lottery. After receiving the life-changing news, we who are his chosen family. Together, they talk about View Trailer Buy Tickets follow the introspective thirtysomething for several first love, coming out, finding friends, building commu- days as she evaluates every aspect of her life: her ailing nity, and just where that whistle came from. A picture mother, her unhappy sister who is trapped in a strict emerges of a town that had a thriving, and whistling, Muslim marriage, her inscrutable lover, the secretive- LGBTQ2S+ culture that, below the radar, still managed ness it takes to be a lesbian in Kazakh society, and the to be loud and proud. country’s corruption and subtle abuses. The Whistle shines a light on pre-Internet LGBTQ2S+ With sharp observance and in a beautifully shot community-building, creating an incredible archive of documentary style, Aushakimova avoids soapy clichés queer life in 1970s and ‘80s Albuquerque. and, in their place, has us sit with Aliya’s family and friends, all of whom she can, if she wants, leave behind.
70 71 Shorts and Episodic Shorts and Episodic Shorts and Episodic
I Am Syd Stone Rūrangi
Hollywood heartthrob Syd Stone finds a connection Director: Denis Theriault Returning home can be challenging, and Rūrangi Director: Max Currie that immediately creates drama onscreen and off. Screenplay: Denis Theriault reveals how one individual navigates the pitfalls of a Screenplay: Cole Meyers, Canada | 2020 | 80:00 Oliver Page rural, conservative town in order to reconnect with his New Zealand | 2019 | 97:00 Syd Stone, a former A-List Hollywood actor, has seen loved ones. English and Māori with English subtitles better days. In need of work, he reluctantly finds Screening Sponsor himself in a small town shooting a B-movie. While When tragedy strikes, young trans activist Caz (played getting drunk one night in his hotel bar, he meets Matt, William and Gary Klein by smouldering newcomer Elz Carrad) can’t bear the a handsome young lawyer on the verge of his biggest tense situation in Auckland and he decides to return to Screening Sponsors case yet. Through their work stresses, the men connect Rūrangi, his troubled hometown. He hasn’t seen his Jim Lawrence and David Salak instantly and things become more than friendly. An Buy Tickets father, his best friend, or his ex-boyfriend since before intense affair ensues, putting Syd’s personal life and his transition. Can Caz reconcile with the people he left career in jeopardy. so long ago and help in the environmental fight that is dividing the town? I Am Syd Stone is a beautifully directed six-episode series and an expansion of the award-winning 2014 Rūrangi features trans and gender diverse people both short of the same name. The project was selected as a onscreen and off, from the actors, to the crew and the View Trailer Buy Tickets series for Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program in 2019. creative team, the production fully embraces the #ByUsNotAboutUs philosophy of telling stories from the perspective of lived experience. This translates into a sensitive, nuanced and addictive new series that will leave you clamouring for Season 2.
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Mixed Episodic Screening Sponsor Mixed Episodic Buy Tickets
Total program runtime: 126:00
My Trans Journey Crazy Director: Elizabeth Trojian Director: Rachel Leyco Canada | 2019 | 25:00 USA | 2020 | 7:00
Transgender icon Dr. Carys Massarella helps Crazy follows two queer Asian-American patients work to overcome personal frenemies in their early twenties who are challenges and thrive in their transitions. battling mental health conditions that teach them they are more alike than they realize.
My Trans Journey Crazy
Bananas Apricot Director: Rachel Anderson Directors: Sam Icklow, Jake G Thompson Australia | 2019 | 16:00 USA | 2019 | 10:00 Bananas takes a curious, playful look at two A queer Romy and Michele for the 21st awkward, honest, and warm Australian-born century, Apricot is your fruity summer Asian friends who are growing up between obsession packed into ten dreamy episodes. two cultures in Australia’s Sunshine State, Queensland.
Bananas Apricot
The Alternative Butch Pal for the Director: Adesua Okosun Straight Gal Nigeria/Côte d’Ivoire | 2019 | 20:00 French and English with English subtitles Director: Assaad Yacoub USA | 2020 | 33:00 This story follows three people in the LGBTQ community, one queer woman, one trans This reality-based comedy about five man, and one trans woman, living in Abidjan. women, known as the Fierce5, empowers Each character takes us into their world and straight women to throw away societal changes the narrative of West Africa. gender norms and fearlessly harness their The Alternative Butch Pal for the Straight Gal unique inner voice. Miseducated Director: Kevin Pinckney USA | 2019 | 15:00 In this coming-of-age story, Anton finds himself in his first love triangle – which happens to involve his “straight” best friend Dillion.
Miseducated
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BOLD Screening Sponsor BOLD Buy Tickets Total program runtime: 86:00
Pompeii Zanmi Directors: Marco Alessi, Harry Lighton, Matthew Director: Nadia Charlery Jacobs Morgan Martinique | 2019 | 10:00 U.K. | 2019 | 8:00 French with English subtitles Wearing only a crop-top and high-waisted A New Year’s Eve party in Martinique with jeans, Tam feels conspicuous. So he plugs in friends and champagne leads to an innocent his earphones and begins reliving his messy game with unexpected consequences. Halloween night via social media.
Pompeii Zanmi
2 Dollars Body So Fluorescent Director: Robin Cloud Director: David Di Giovanni USA | 2019 | 15:00 Canada | 2020 | 9:00 As a black queer artist, Syd deals with daily Desiree and Shenice go out for a fun night of challenges from ignorant co-workers and a dancing, but when Shenice takes things a killer workload. When they enter the office step too far, Desiree is confronted with who lotto pool, everything changes. Shenice really is and how Desiree may be the one responsible for her insidious transforma- tion. 2 Dollars Body So Fluorescent
Across, Beyond, and Over Postmarked Directors: Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus Director: Malakai USA | 2019 | 12:00 USA | 2019 | 20:00 Two trans men who used to date in middle With the help of an eccentric woman, some school reconnect over a long weekend and gas station snacks, and a torch of bright develop a hybrid documentary about their burning hope, Scooter sets out to find his past. estranged trans sister.
Across, Beyond, and Over Postmarked
Adeline, The Great Director: Jessica Siqueiros USA | 2019 | 12:00 A woke boarding school student questions her commitment to activism when she finds herself with no friends, countless enemies and facing some very serious accusations that threaten to get her expelled.
Adeline, The Great
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Boy Problems Screening Sponsor Boy Problems Buy Tickets Michael Lockhart Total program runtime: 101:00
Before It’s Too Late We’re Not Here Director: Leandro Goddinho Director: Bonnie Moir Brazil | 2019 | 15:00 Australia | 2019 | 11:00 Portuguese with English subtitles Anton, a closeted right-wing Finnish It is the first week of 2019 in Brazil and a new politician, meets his secret lover, Ryan, for a president takes office. Locked in a hotel weekend getaway in the Mediterranean. room, two teenagers decide to change the course of their lives.
Before It's Too Late We're Not Here
How to Say I Love You Pompeii at Night Directors: Marco Alessi, Harry Lighton, Matthew Jacobs Morgan Director: Andree Ljutica U.K. | 2019 | 8:00 USA | 2019 | 17:00 Wearing only a crop-top and high-waisted A single-take film explores notions of jeans, Tam feels conspicuous. So he plugs in male-on-male intimacy, sexuality, and his earphones and begins reliving his messy violence, during one romantic encounter Halloween night via social media. gone wrong. How to Say I Love You at Night Pompeii
Havana Buck Director: Faith Strongheart Directors: Elegance Bratton, Jovan James USA | 2019 | 12:00 USA | 2020 | 13:00 English and Chinese with English subtitles Caught in the midst of a depressive fugue, Antonio, an immigration officer by day, sells Lynn turns to debauchery to ease his exit visas illegally by night. His secrets go troubled soul only to discover that achieving beyond his work, though: he is also hiding his happiness is complicated. relationship with Jian.
Havana Buck
En Mi Alma I Want to See Director: Sara Pinar Onder Gellivare Burn USA | 2019 | 12:00 Director: André Vaara Power dynamics shift between an asylum Sweden | 2019 | 13:00 officer and an asylum seeker when they run Swedish with English subtitles into each other at a bar. Teenage misfits Amandus and Johan find solace in an unconventional friendship, challenging the norms of their provincial En Mi Alma I Want to See Gellivare Burn Swedish town.
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Call Me Maybe Screening Sponsor Call Me Maybe Buy Tickets
Total program runtime: 91:00
Cindy Origami Director: Rosanagh Griffiths Director: Marjan Hashemi Australia | 2020 | 14:00 Iran | 2020 | 14:00 Persian with English subtitles Cindy’s first time performing in drag might be camp and outrageous, but is it a success? A young woman makes an origami bracelet for her crush but when it’s intercepted by her teacher, she must go to great lengths to retrieve it.
Cindy Origami
Quest for Jasmine Square One Directors: Amanda Hawkes, Jackie MacLean Director: Emily Jo Sargent USA | 2020 | 2:00 U.K. | 2019 | 12:00 Amara tries to make a love potion in hopes of A semi-autobiographical film demonstrates finding romance. fishing as a way to avoid sex.
Quest for Jasmine Square One
Ladylike Super Zee Directors: Rachel Bickert, Emily Tapanes Director: Nathalie Younglai USA | 2019 | 20:00 Canada | 2019 | 7:00 A queer woman in the American South A queer Black superhero swoops in to save shatters deep-rooted religious beliefs and her woman crush from the microaggressions cultural stereotypes within her conservative at the office. community.
Ladylike Super Zee
Throuple I Know Her Director: Chrissie De Guzman Director: Fawzia Mirza USA | 2019 | 19:00 USA | 2019 | 3:00 Hungover from a bad breakup, a not-so- In the afterglow of a seemingly fated great stripper makes a house call to a hookup, two women realize that perhaps progressive married couple. they have a little too much in common.
Throuple I Know Her
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Cut to the Feeling Buy Tickets
Total program runtime: 89:00
Dirty Boldly Go Director: Matthew Puccini Director: Christopher Cosgrove USA | 2020 | 11:00 Australia | 2019 | 6:00 Marco cuts class to spend the afternoon A young gay man is hiding an embarrassing with his boyfriend. Things do not go as secret about his body but when a long-term planned. crush begins seducing him at a party, he is forced to confront his shame.
Dirty Boldly Go
Are We Here Yet? See You Soon Director: S. Chidi Amadiume Director: Tyler Rabinowitz USA | 2020 | 10:00 USA | 2019 | 16:00 A couple moving in together discover they A gay man travels across the country to don't know as much about each other as spend the weekend with someone he's been they thought. talking to for months on a dating app.
Are We Here Yet? See You Soon
Sunday Acuitzeramo Director: Arun Fulara Director: Miguel Angel Caballero India | 2020 | 10:00 USA | 2019 | 16:00 Hindi with English subtitles English and Spanish with English subtitles When Kamble makes his weekly visit to the Salvador, a gay Mexican elder who has lost neighbourhood barber shop, it's not just for a his partner of 15 years, calls his partner's shave. estranged son, Anthony, to tell him of his father's passing.
Sunday Acuitzeramo
Black Hat Dungarees Director: Sarah Smith Director: Abel Rubenstein USA | 2018 | 15:00 U.K. | 2019 | 5:00 Shmuel is a pious Hasidic man but, when his Transgender Blake and cisgender Cane hang family leave town for a few days, he will step out, play video games and grapple with their out of his simple life and into a more insecurities. This is their love story. complex world.
Black Hat Dungarees
84 85 Shorts and Episodic Shorts and Episodic
E ∙ MO ∙ TION Buy Tickets
Total program runtime: 97:00
Tape Like Father, Like Daughter Director: Jojo Erholtz Director: Siew-Hong Leong USA | 2020 | 15:00 Taiwan | 2019 | 21:00 Chinese with English subtitles A high school hockey team is preparing for the most important game of the season. On the day Taiwan passes its same-sex Sixteen-year-old Rooney, however, is more marriage law, Wen-de’s daughter is at home, focused on her teammate Alex. celebrating her new engagement to her girlfriend.
Tape Like Father, Like Daughter
The Butterfly The Mistress Director: Shiho Fukada Director: Pati Cruz Japan | 2019 | 11:00 Puerto Rico | 2019 | 11:00 Japanese and English with English subtitles Spanish with English subtitles Kota Ishijima spent most of her life hiding During her husband’s funeral, Maritere from who she is. After finding the strength to receives an unexpected visit. emerge, her life comes full circle as she awaits the birth of her first grandchild.
The Butterfly The Mistress
Rehearsal Momster Director: Valentina Gordeeva Director: Drew Denny U.K. | 2019 | 13:00 USA | 2019 | 11:00 English and Russian with English subtitles When notorious bank robber “the Momster” Anna and Emma have decided to marry but catches her daughter Angel mid-gunfight, first they must come out to Anna’s conserva- Angel thinks she’s being rescued – until she tive mother. realizes she has to do the saving.
Rehearsal Momster
La Gloria Director: Mary Evangelista USA | 2019 | 15:00 English and Spanish with English subtitles In the days following her suicide attempt, a queer lovelorn teen finds connection and solace with her abuela through the secret language of dreams.
La Gloria
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Gimme Love Buy Tickets Gimme Love Screening Sponsors
Total program runtime: 91:00
Ìfé Kelet
Ìfé and Adaora fall in love on their first date, but can Director: Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim Being an outsider is a common queer trope. Kelet, a Director: Susani Mahadura their love withstand the reality of being lesbian in Screenplay: Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim Black trans woman living in Finland, embraces her Finland | 2020 | 56:00 Nigeria | 2020 | 35:00 English and Finnish with English Nigeria? individuality to follow her lifelong dream. subtitles
Nervous but excited for their first date, Ìfé invites View Trailer After leaving her family in Manchester, a young Adaora into her home. Three days later when the date Somalian woman named Kelet returns to her childhood View Trailer hasn’t ended and the two women have fallen in love, city in Finland to pursue a career as a professional they are faced with the first significant test of their model. In the meantime, she is also performing in relationship. Ìfé is looking for a partner with whom she vogue balls, shedding her shy personality to become can openly share her life, but Adaora has a less accept- the confident star she knows she can be. With the ing family and isn’t ready to take the leap. When a support of her friends and ballroom community, her critical secret is revealed, the two women will need to glamorous future seems within arms reach. Guided by face the truth and decide how much they are willing to journalist-turned-documentarian Susani Mahadura, the give up for each other. cinematic approach inspires a story of undaunted perseverance. Having already received threats from the Nigeria Censors Board, filmmaker Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim’s bold Complete with all the elegance of ballroom culture and film is a defining work of LGBTQ cinema that seeks to the glamour of the fashion world, Kelet is a melange of create much-needed space for queer characters in beauty and personal expression as seen through the Nollywood. eyes of a young Black trans woman possessed with a fiery passion for mainstream attention.
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I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance I Didn’t Just Come Here to Dance Buy Tickets Screening Sponsor
Total program runtime: 94:00
The Woodpecker Pete Can’t Play Basketball Directors: Courtney Bush, Will Carington, Director: Nick Borenstein Jake Goicoechea USA | 2019 | 8:00 USA | 2019 | 7:00 In a world where all that matters is basket- On his way to Brad’s animal-themed ball, Pete can’t play basketball. housewarming party, Richard stops at a pharmacy and calls a close friend for advice about his costume.
The Woodpecker Pete Can't Play Basketball
Island Queen After That Party Directors: Zackary Grady, Jenn Harris Director: Caio Scot USA | 2019 | 10:00 Brazil | 2019 | 15:00 Portuguese with English subtitles On the day a teenage hockey player secretly plans to try out for the figure skating team, Leo never imagined he would see his dad he gets trapped on a ferry boat. kissing another man in the middle of a party… until it happened.
Island Queen After That Party
Muy Gay Too Mexicano Deceased Ones Director: Lorena Lourenco Director: Kate Hopkins USA | 2019 | 13:00 USA | 2019 | 14:00 As he prepares for a date, J.D. seeks advice When two friends get involved in the niche from two dissimilar people. service of role playing the dead, they’re forced to help heal grieving strangers through a surreal game of make-believe.
Muy Gay Too Mexicano Deceased Ones
Acrimonious Lazy (Sunday) Director: Olivia Emden Director: Cameron Miller-Desart U.K. | 2020 | 14:00 USA | 2019 | 13:00 Returning to the London council house he Tired of their friends trying to set them up, grew up in after a non-acrimonious divorce, two friends turn errands into a fake date, Emeka’s caught between worlds – left only to find it might not be fake at all. wondering how to belong.
Acrimonious Lazy (Sunday)
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I Really Like You Screening Sponsors I Really Like You Buy Tickets
Total program runtime: 96:00
Polly and the Pockets S.A.M. Director: Gabriella Arno Directors: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, Neil Ely Canada | 2020 | 9:00 U.K. | 2020 | 16:00 Lead singer of the band Polly and the Two teenage boys, both named Sam, meet at Pockets, Polly must face her fears when her the swings each week to escape their crush arrives at the school dance where her dysfunctional homelives, while slowly falling band is performing. in love.
Polly and the Pockets S.A.M.
My Brother is a Mermaid Wonder Director: Alfie Dale Director: Javier Molina U.K. | 2019 | 20:00 USA | 2019 | 16:00 My Brother is a Mermaid is a social realist An 11-year-old kid growing up in the hood fairy tale about a transfeminine teenager, as secretly dreams of trick-or-treating as seen through the eyes of their 7-year-old Wonder Woman for Halloween. brother.
My Brother is a Mermaid Wonder
Were You Gay Nancy From Now On in High School? Director: Keely Meechan New Zealand | 2019 | 20:00 Director: Niki Ang English and Māori with English subtitles USA | 2019 | 13:00 Nancy From Now On is a coming-of-age film Two queer women recall their awkward, about a young Māori boy who has a burning closeted high school days of kissing boys desire to become a drag queen. and experiencing straight-girl crushes.
Were You Gay in High School? Nancy From Now On
Lit Director: Emma Miranda Moore U.K. | 2019 | 2:00 Tension and excitement run high as a clandestine game of Spin the Bottle has unexpected consequences.
Lit
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Now That I Found You Now That I Found You Buy Tickets Screening Sponsor
Total program runtime: 98:00
Break In A Postcard to Nina Director: Alyssa Lerner Director: Ronald Baez USA | 2020 | 15:00 USA | 2019 | 16:00 English and Spanish with English subtitles When Nousha accidentally texts erotic fiction Longtime Instagram pen pals Jean and Nina to her crush, she enlists best friend Oliver to meet in person for the first time and stumble set out on a mission to delete the text. through a well-meaning dinner with Nina's ultra-conservative father.
Break In A Postcard to Nina
Candis for President Hyped Director: Michelle Peerali Director: Alkis Papastathopoulos USA | 2020 | 12:00 Greece | 2019 | 13:00 Greek with English subtitles Candis Cayne sets out to become the President of the United States with the help Vera and Lola are anxious about their first of her sarcastic television producer sidekick, big night out together, and struggle to Andrea. connect.
Candis for President Hyped
Don’t Forget To Go Home Friends Like That Director: Victoria Singh-Thompson Director: Francesca de Fusco Australia | 2020 | 10:00 USA | 2019 | 8:00 Two Indo-Fijian sisters miss their cousin’s After getting dumped, Maia seeks solace by wedding to go on a drug-fuelled bender. crashing with her best ex Alex.
Don’t Forget To Go Home Friends Like That
Tomoko Hush Director: Margaux Esclapez Director: Tin Lee France | 2019 | 17:00 USA | 2019 | 7:00 French with English subtitles A teenage girl sets out to discreetly master After losing her eyesight, Tomoko meets a her burgeoning sexuality with the help of a young stripper named Amber who allows her new friend. to explore her fantasies and liberate herself.
Tomoko Hush
94 95 Shorts and Episodic Shorts and Episodic
Real Love Buy Tickets
Total program runtime: 99:00
Where My Girls The Suck Director: Mads Engels Director: Austin Bunn USA | 2019 | 22:00 USA | 2020 | 8:00 Three queer women reflect on the creativity, A collector finally decides to give up his community, and hustle required to make it in strange collection. a culture that has left them to their own devices.
Where My Girls The Suck
A Wider Screen Dress Up Like Director: Joe Hunting Mrs. Doubtfire U.K. | 2019 | 13:00 Director: Will J. Zang Shot within VRChat, A Wider Screen takes an USA | 2019 | 13:00 intimate, insightful look into how virtual reality is affecting people’s social lives for This throwback looks at the 1993 film,Mrs. the better. Doubtfire, and its cultural impact on drag culture in Hollywood films.
A Wider Screen Dress Up Like Mrs. Doubtfire
Breakwater Director: Cris Lyra Brazil | 2019 | 27:00 Portuguese with English subtitles A group of young lesbians from São Paulo go on a trip to a remote beach for the new year’s celebration.
Breakwater
Jesse Jams Director: Trevor Anderson Canada | 2020 | 16:00 A young Indigenous musician and his rock band bring mumblepunk to the Interstellar Rodeo. Jesse Jams is a rock ‘n’ roll survival story of a different stripe.
Jesse Jams
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Thrive Screening Sponsor Thrive Buy Tickets Dennis Findlay Total program runtime: 105:00
Darling The Change Up Director: Saim Sadiq Director: Jordan Auten Pakistan/USA | 2019 | 16:00 USA | 2020 | 14:00 Urdu and Punjabi with English subtitles When Tatum and Harley go out for drinks, An erotic dance theater in Lahore prepares Tatum becomes distracted by memories of for a new show just as a sacrificial goat his troubled childhood. disappears.
Darling The Change Up
Memories Revealed The Rogers Director: Quentin Worthington Directors: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson France | 2019 | 23:00 USA | 2020 | 16:00 Spanish with English subtitles English and Samoan with English subtitles Over the course of 10 months, a camera An intimate glimpse of the Rogers of Samoa, travels to Buenos Aires, Argentina and the first visible group of transgender men in Hanover, Germany to meet the founding the Pacific. members of the Archivo De La Memoria Trans Argentina, the first existing Trans Memories Revealed Archive in the world. The Rogers Welcome Back, Lenny Fratello Director: Vuk LK Director: Jamie DiNicola USA | 2019 | 9:00 USA | 2019 | 9:00 Lenny is back in NYC and crashing at her Fratello explores the ways in which gender cousin’s place. As a thank you, she cooks warps and infiltrates intimacy. dinner for her and some friends, but the night takes a turn.
Welcome Back, Lenny Fratello
Across, Beyond, and Over Here with You Directors: Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus Director: Noah Schamus USA | 2019 | 12:00 USA | 2018 | 6:00 Two trans men who used to date in middle When Imani goes to her friend’s school reconnect over a long weekend and housewarming party, she meets a man who develop a hybrid documentary about their piques her interest. past.
Across, Beyond, and Over Here with You
98 99 Shorts and Episodic Shorts and Episodic
Tug of War Buy Tickets
Total program runtime: 96:00
Vert Fifth Floor on the Left Director: Kate Cox Director: Renata Lučić U.K. | 2019 | 11:00 Croatia | 2018 | 15:00 Croatian with English subtitles When Jeff and Emelia are gifted a virtual reality set that reveals a person’s “ideal self,” When Maja’s parents come to Zagreb to visit they discover a secret that could shift their their daughter, she must hide the truth about relationship indelibly. her relationship with her roommate, Nika. Fifth Floor on the Left
Vert Ride or Die Director: Josalynn Smith In Orbit USA | 2019 | 10:00 Directors: Soham Chakraborty, Hanxu Chen, Paula and Jamie are on their way to Thebes – Meton Joffily, Justin Polley, Julia Trouvé Thebes, Kentucky that is. As they drive France | 2019 | 5:00 through the Midwest, they make a few stops along the way that deepen their relationship. In a far future, Sonia is about to be trans- Ride or Die ferred from her space station to a newer one, but isn’t ready to let go. Swipe Up, Vivian! Director: Hannah Welever In Orbit USA | 2019 | 14:00 Two agoraphobic women find love via a This is a Teenage virtual dating app. Love Letter Swipe Up, Vivian! Director: Tessa Hill Canada | 2019 | 7:00 Tender A young woman writes a letter to her past love and to what the future might hold. Director: Felicia Pride USA | 2019 | 15:00 After an unexpected one-night stand, two This is a Teenage Love Letter women at very different stages of their lives share an even more intimate morning after. Safe Among Stars Tender Director: Jess X. Snow USA | 2019 | 10:00 Feeling Flush A queer Chinese-American woman struggles Director: Erin Brown Thomas to tell her immigrant mother and her partner USA | 2019 | 9:00 the reason why she left school. Vicki idolizes her new girlfriend Samantha but draws the line when it comes to her time on the porcelain throne.
Safe Among Stars Feeling Flush
100 101 Shorts and Episodic Shorts and Episodic
Want You In My Room Want You In My Room Buy Tickets Screening Sponsors
Total program runtime: 92:00 Scott Windsor
Suckmeoff, Princess! Floss Director: Tristan Scott-Behrends Director: Popo Fan USA | 2019 | 2:00 China | 2019 | 15:00 Chinese with English subtitles Enjoy this menagerie of colourful Busby Berkeley dicks and heartbreaking autobi- Ting finds it difficult to commit to his ographical anecdotes. relationship because he has a secret that is difficult to reveal: he has a tooth fetish.
Suckmeoff, Princess! Floss
Motta Free Fun Director: Nish Gera Director: Fehmi Öztürk Netherlands/U.K. | 2020 | 16:00 Turkey | 2019 | 5:00 Portuguese with English subtitles Turkish with English subtitles Motta follows Brazilian artist Fabio da Motta When Kika enters a virtual reality world as he questions the boundaries between looking for fun, she encounters something fantasy, power, provocation and art. she never expected.
Motta Free Fun
Plantonic The Fathers Project: Director: Krit Komkrichwarakool Chapter 4 Canada | 2019 | 15:00 Director: Leo Herrera A unique relationship flourishes between an USA | 2019 | 10:00 aspiring artist and the plant man who is growing in his garden. Fathers is a sci-fi short docuseries that imagines the world if AIDS had never happened and a generation had lived to change the world. Plantonic The Fathers Project: Chapter 4
Kiko’s Saints Deep Clean Director: Manuel Marmier Director: David Wilson France | 2019 | 25:00 U.K. | 2019 | 4:00 Japanese with English subtitles Cleanliness is next to godliness, as illustrated Kiko, a Japanese illustrator on assignment in in this celebration of objectophilia and France, is suddenly overwhelmed with self-pleasure. inspiration while spying on a gay couple on the beach.
Kiko's Saints Deep Clean
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Warm Blood Screening Sponsors Warm Blood Buy Tickets Jason Wagar Total program runtime: 97:00
Connective Tissue Cleanse Director: Oliver Bernsen Director: Magdalene Burger USA | 2019 | 16:00 USA | 2019 | 12:00 Over the course of one night, six people are A lonely energy healer continues to push her bound together by one thing: a 7-year-old body and her spiritual health to the brink girl’s severed leg. when she is confronted with an especially horrific healing session.
Connective Tissue Cleanse
Something in the Closet Hand of Power Director: Nosa Eke Director: Dara Gellman U.K. | 2019 | 12:00 Canada | 2020 | 6:00 A queer teenager struggles with her Interrogating both present-day and retro- sexuality, as desires manifest their way from spective cultural narratives about gender, the depths of her eerie closet into reality. this video work examines the gestures of the filmic hand.
Something in the Closet Hand of Power
Family The Quieting Director: Mark Pariselli Director: Ali Liebert Canada | 2019 | 11:00 Canada | 2020 | 15:00 Partners Cal and Jamal embark on an On the night before an important date, autumn road trip to the cottage. A roadside Maggie, 33 and newly queer, confronts her flirtation turns ominous and the creeping crushing anxiety and internalized homopho- sense of dread intensifies at a deserted farm. bia.
Family The Quieting
Black Pill The Office is Mine Director: Jessi Gaston Director: Michael Varrati USA | 2019 | 11:00 USA | 2019 | 14:00 Set in a near-future techno-dystopia, a Fuelled by paranoia that he’s being replaced suicidal shut-in orders pills from a mysteri- by a new gay at work, Zac sets off on a ous online company in a last-ditch attempt collision course, ready to prove the office to fulfill their wildest fantasies. isn't big enough for them both.
Black Pill The Office is Mine
104 105 INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
STREAMING ONLINE OCTOBER 14-18, 2020
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PRESENTING PARTNER 2020 R E G E N T P A R K FILM FESTIVAL NOV 27-29 Toronto’s longest-running, free community film festival, serving BIPOC communities, people who are low-income FILM + MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL and people in social housing. ONLINE Stay up to date on all things RPFF by OCT 20-25, 2020 Signing up for our Newsletter at RegentParkFilmFestival.com www.imagineNATIVE.org or Follow us on Social Media @RegentParkFilm Awards and Jury Awards and Jury
This award includes a cash prize of $2,000 from Scott Jones is a writer, musician, and educator from Nova Scotia. After a hateful attack Audience Awards our Presenting Partner, Netflix, and a $1,000 left him paralyzed, Scott explored various forms of artistic expression to process his Exercise your right to vote! On the front page of in-kind package from Entertainment Partners grief. Scott worked with filmmaker Laura Marie Wayne and the National Film Board each film in CineSend, you will see five stars. When Canada. This award is presented to an established of Canada to create a feature length documentary, Love, Scott (2018) that explores his you finish viewing the film, simply click the number Canadian artist for their feature-length narrative or trauma in relation to small town homophobia. Scott is currently working with playwright documentary film. Robert Chafe (Artistic Fraud Theatre) and director Jillian Keilley (NAC) to co-write a of stars you wish to submit as your vote. play about the effects of toxic masculinity on young boys and society. He has received Emerging Canadian Artist the support of the Toronto Arts Council, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and the Canada “Who allowed you to take my breath Sponsored by RBC Royal Bank Council for past and future artistic projects (music, film, theatre, and memoir). away?” (Booksmart, 2019) Sponsored by Entertainment Partners Canada “Divine decadence, darling” (Cabaret, 1972) “Well, nobody’s perfect!” Natasha Negovanlis is a Canadian Screen Award winning, openly pansexual actress, best This award includes a cash prize of $2,500 from our (Some Like It Hot, 1959) known for playing the “broody lesbian vampire” in the digital phenomenon-turned-feature Lead Sponsor, RBC, and a $1,000 in-kind package filmCarmilla. Other LGBTQ2+ screen credits include: lead roles in Almost Adults (2016) “I’ll admit, I may have seen better…” from Entertainment Partners Canada. It will be and Freelancers Anonymous (2018) which both premiered at Inside Out. In addition to (All About Eve, 1950) presented to an early-career Canadian filmmaker. acting, Natasha has worked as a host, writer, and producer, and she co-created the New The recipient must have directed no more than two “This is life’s ultimate cruelty” York Web Fest award-winning queer series CLAIREvoyant. Currently, you can find her fiction narrative short films or no more than one (Death Becomes Her, 1992) acting in the female-driven comedy series Band Ladies now playing on HighballTV. fiction narrative feature-length film. Best Narrative Feature Best Canadian Short Sponsored by Entertainment One Sponsored by Accenture International Jurors This $2,500 cash award generously provided by This $750 cash award is presented to a Canadian Entertainment One will be presented to the filmmaker for their short-form narrative or Inuka Bacote-Capiga is a recovering attorney with 10+ years of entertainment professional audience’s favourite feature-length film. documentary film. experience. She develops and produces original unscripted and scripted content for digital, TV and film. She is co-executive producer for the Daytime Emmy-Nominated Best Documentary Feature LGBTQ series, EastSiders (seasons 1-4 can be seen on Netflix). Sponsored by Entertainment One International Juried Awards Inuka produced the feature film,The 40-Year-Old Version, which won the U.S. Dramatic Best First Feature Award Directing Award at 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was recently acquired by Netflix. Sponsored by Inside Out’s Leadership Circle This $2,500 cash award generously provided by She oversees music video and audiovisual content creation for Nettwerk Music Group. Entertainment One will be presented to the Inuka also served as marketing consultant for the publicity campaigns of Spike Lee’s audience’s favourite feature-length documentary film. This $5,000 cash award is presented to the She’s Gotta Have It (Netflix) and Academy-Award winningBlacKkKlansman (Focus International Jury’s selection for best film by a Features). She serves as an affiliate of The Blackhouse Foundation, a non-profit organi- Best Short Film first-time feature director. zation that promotes diversity in film and television. This cash award is presented to the audience’s favourite film within a shorts program. Pitch, Please! Our pitch competition livestreamed on May 30, 2020, and saw 10 competitors from across the Canadian Juried Awards globe present a short, two-minute pitch to a virtual Jude Dry is Associate Editor at IndieWire, where they write entertainment criticism with jury and audience, with one winner taking home a a focus on LGBTQ film and TV. Jude is also an actor, having most recently appeared in Canadian works completed in the last 18 months $5,000 production grant sponsored by Netflix, and Shaina Feinberg’s BRIC-produced web series Dinette and Matthew Fifer’s Cicada. Jude and screening at this year’s Festival are eligible for an in-kind production package sponsored by was a fellow of the 2013 New York Film Festival Critics Academy. Their previous work consideration by the jury. Chargefield Key Art, The Black List, Final Draft, can be found at Variety, Splitsider, FilmLinc, Office Magazine, and Teachers & Writers and Moondog Labs. Magazine. Best Canadian Feature (Narrative or Documentary) Sponsored by Netflix Congratulations to our winning project, Rejoice Sponsored by Entertainment Partners Canada in the Lamb, by Jake Goicoechea, Will Carington, and Courtney Bush.
Jazz Tangcay is the Artisans editor at Variety where she focuses on the craftspeople Canadian Jurors below the line. She is also on the awards team where she spotlights the Oscar race with her colleagues.
Ashley Iris Gill is a queer cinematographer from Toronto. She has worked on projects ranging from music videos, documentaries, shorts and commercials that have aired on many platforms. Her previous clients include Mercedes Benz Canada, Absolut Vodka, Sprite, NBA, Toyota, Fiat, Rogers, and Sleep Country. Ashley is currently working as a commercial DP at Video Nerve, a division of Publicis, and also freelances as much as her schedule allows. Ashley plans to continue capturing the world through her emotive and unique gaze. She’s continuously growing, exploring her craft, and wants to focus on scripted work in the future.
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Short Film Lab Showcase Buy Tickets 30th Anniversary The 2019-20 Inside Out & ASAAP Short Film Lab mentored eight LGBTQ South Asian Online Exhibition and Indo-Caribbean filmmakers in writing, directing, and producing their first short films. The participants receive dedicated mentorship from LGBTQ film professionals, Over the past 30 years, Inside Out events and over $20,000 of in-kind production support. have queered the streets of Toronto. From theatres to coffee shops to venues that have been torn down and replaced by condominiums, these coordinates Call Me Krishna map our history. Director: Rojelio Palacios For our 30th Anniversary we’ve dug into Producer: Aneel Vyas our archives for memories and pulled Afraid of what the world will think of their out pictures, press clippings, posters for true self, Aria sets off on a journey in which sing-a-longs, flyers for dance parties they must face their insecurities, by and exhibition co-presentations, overcoming their fear of passing and coming and a whole bunch of other materials out. With the support of their best friend we’ve saved. Join us for a walk Skyler, a trans woman, they are finally able Call Me Krishna through this digitized ephemera at to build up the courage to come out. insideout.ca/30years as we remember events that helped shape this queer city. Snowbird For more information regarding the 30th Anniversary exhibition, please contact Director: Sadiah Rahman Krista Davis at [email protected]. For Producer: Mirusha Yogarajah general inquiries about Inside Out’s Life at home for Maya isn’t the best. Things archival collection, please contact are different when she’s with Neelam, her Jacob Crepeault at free-spirited friend. After a heated argument [email protected]. with her parents, Maya goes over to Neelam’s home. They go on a walk and have a playful fight. Tensions rise and reveal an With support from Snowbird undeniable love and hurt they carry.
With Love from Munera Natalie Elisha A young queer Somali Muslim storyteller, Munera Yusuf, walks us through the spaces that have shaped her healing from the most trying moments of her past, from the chair of Tee Fergus’ tattoo studio, to strolling the streets of Toronto with her friends. Munera’s
With Love from Munera journey illustrates that self-discovery is an ongoing process, rather than an ultimate destination.
Presented by
110 111 Industry Thank You
Wayne Abell Lesage Kristine Murphy Inside Out Nick Adams Jennifer Frees Jan Nathanson Tarek Al-Azbat Irenaldo Fumero Damien Navarro Merchandise Tom Alexander Rachel Giese Derek Nguyen EJ Alon Beau Gomez Onyeka Oduh To support our creators through these Fazleena Ansar Andrei Gravelle Allie Page uncertain times and into an uncharted Neville Austin Terry Greene Anick Poirier future, we ask you to raise your voices in Lilit Azaryan Calvin Hambrook Suzy Potts support of queer film and filmmakers. Be Olivier Barbier Mark Haslam Kimahli Powell the first to wear one of our new Queer Meredith Best David Hatkoff Ross Putnam Film Is Essential shirts or Inside Out Themba Bhebhe Scott Henderson Christopher Racster branded cloth face masks! All proceeds Deanna Bickford Brett Hendrie Dino-Ray Ramos go to our grants and professional Sarah-Tai Black Sarah Hunter Debbie Read development programs. Jeremy Blacklow Jakub Jasinski Eric Rosset Pierre Bois Anthony Jiwa Berwyn Rowlands Join us in telling the world that now, Kelly Bokowski Naomi Johnson Lindsey Scully more than ever, Queer Film Is Essential. Mark S. Bonham Shant Joshi Olivia Seally Visit insideout.ca/shop. Angela Britto Gosia Kamela Jacqueline Segal Effie Brown Aijah Keith Magali Simard Todd Brown Stephen Kelliher Shane Smith Karen Bruce Doug Kerr Mason Speta Katherine Bruce Miranda King Ariel Sterlin Andy Caley Peter Kingstone Paul Struthers Lora Campbell Adam Kirkham Raegan Swanson Diane Cappelletto Philip Kocev and Andrew Karen Thorne-Stone Stephane Cardin Mainprize Fran Tirado Colin Carter Iana Kuidir Emily Trace David Carter Ben Kuller Wanda vanderStoop Lindsey Cassel Karim Ladak Taylor Vanderwey Tania Cheng Peggy Lainis Rain Valdez Jo-ann Chiam Steven Landry Sandra Valenzuela Kesila Childers Steven Larkin Joanne Vannicola Chris Chin Maura Lawless Leslie Vuchot Barbara Chirinos Jim Lawrence and David Salak Barry Waite Sean Chooti Clayton Lee Alan Walker Lee Clapp Mehernaz Lentin Philip Webb Christian Cole Alyssa Lerner Lulu Wei Jillian Colucci Roman Lifshitz Adrien Whan Joe Cressy Rebecca Louzado Merik Williams Bruce Dale Winnie Luk Tonya Williams Krista Davis Crystal MacDonell Jeremy Wine Line Dezainde Kara MacLean Jeffrey Winter Christa Dickenson Russell Mathew Sara McLaren Wiseman Ciaran Dickson Martha McCain Deanna Wong Han Dong Chris McDonald Philip Wong Robin Duffield Julie McLean James Woolley Jose Durdos Kevin McLean Derek Wuenschirs Cole Ferguson Declan McMullan Sanaz Yamin Scott Ferguson Liviya Mendelsohn Kim Yutani Sydney Foos Fawzia Mirza Suzy Zucker Christopher Fowler and Mike Stéphane Monnet Lisa Zych Adam Morrison
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Film Index
2 Dollars 78 Free Fun 103 Pete Can’t Play Basketball 91 A Brief History of the Unicorn 34 Friends Like That 95 Pier Kids 63 A Postcard to Nina 95 Ghost 35 Plantonic 102 A Wider Screen 96 Gossamer Folds 55 Polly and the Pockets 92 Acrimonious 90 Hand of Power 105 Pompeii 78, 81 Across, Beyond, and Over 78, 98 Havana 80 Postmarked 79 Acuitzeramo 85 Here with You 99 Quest for Jasmine 82 Adeline, The Great 78 How to Say I Love You at Quieting, The 105 After That Party 91 Night 80 Rehearsal 86 Ahead of the Curve 38 Hush 95 Ride or Die 101 Alice Junior 46 Hyped 95 Rogers, The 99 Alternative, The 76 I Am Samuel 56 Rūrangi 75 Apricot 77 I Am Syd Stone 74 Safe Among Stars 100 Are We Here Yet? 84 I Know Her 83 S.A.M. 93 Bananas 76 I Want to See Gellivare Burn 81 See You Soon 85 Before It’s Too Late 80 Ìfé 88 Sex, Sin & 69 30 Bing! Bang! Bi! 35 In Orbit 100 Shiva Baby 64 Black Hat 84 Island Queen 90 Something in the Closet 104 Black Pill 104 Jesse Jams 96 Spiral 31 Body So Fluorescent 79 Jump, Darling 25 Square One 83 Boldly Go 85 Kelet 89 Stardust 24 Break In 94 Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Strong Ones (Los Fuertes), Breaking Fast 47 Glenn-Copeland Story 42 The 65 Breakwater 96 Kiko’s Saints 102 Suck, The 97 Buck 81 La Gloria 86 Suckmeoff, Princess! 102 Butch Pal for the Straight Gal 77 Ladylike 82 Sunday 84 Butterfly, The 86 Last Summer with Uncle Ira 55 Super Zee 83 Find your next BIPOC creative, crew or executive Candis for President 94 Lazy (Sunday) 91 Swimmers 34 Change Up, The 99 Liar 34 Swipe Up, Vivian! 101 or join the growing community at HireBIPOC.com Cicada 48 Like Father, Like Daughter 87 Tahara 66 Cindy 82 Lingua Franca 57 Tape 86 #REPRESENTATIONMATTERS Cleanse 105 Lit 92 Tender 101 Connective Tissue 104 Little Girl (Petite fille) 58 There’s No Place Like This Cowboys 49 Living Out Loud: LBTQI Place, Anyplace 32 Crazy 77 Movement Building and They Looked at Me and I Dark City Beneath the Beat 50 Feminism in Georgia 42 Smiled 34 Darling 98 Maggie Mysteries 54 This is a Teenage Love Letter 100 Dating Amber 51 Memories Revealed 98 Through the Glass Darkly 67 Dear Leo 52 Milkwater 59 Throuple 82 Deceased Ones 91 Miseducated 76 Tomoko 94
Deep Clean 103 Mistress, The 87 Twilight’s Kiss (Suk Suk) 68 HIREBIPOC.COM Dirty 84 Momster 87 Two of Us (Deux) 69 Don’t Forget To Go Home 94 Monsoon 60 Unapologetic 40 Dress Up Like Mrs. Doubtfire 97 Motta 102 Vert 100 Dry Wind 53 Muy Gay Too Mexicano 90 Way We Are, The 35 Dungarees 85 My Brother is a Mermaid 92 Welcome Back, Lenny 98 Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead My Trans Journey 76 Welcome to the USA 70 Aunt) 54 Nancy From Now On 93 Well Rounded 33 En Mi Alma 80 No Hard Feelings (Futur Drei) 61 We’re Not Here 81 Family 104 No Ordinary Man 39 Were You Gay in High School? 92 Fathers Project: Chapter 4, Obituary of Tunde Johnson, Where My Girls 96 The 103 The 26 Whistle, The 71 Feeling Flush 101 Office is Mine, The 105 Wonder 93 Fifth Floor on the Left 101 One in a Thousand (Las Mil y Woodpecker, The 90 Flood 61 Una) 62 Your Mother’s Comfort 41 Floss 103 Origami 83 Zanmi 79 Fratello 99 Perfectly Frank 42
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V. T. Nayani Jennifer Podemski
Jennifer Liao Sasha Leigh Henry
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