The 2022 INSIDE OUT 2SLGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL takes place in-person May 26th to June 5th in Toronto, showcasing 128 films from 28 countries, including 38 feature films, 3 episodic series, and 7 world premieres. Now in its 32nd year, the Festival is highlighted by a Premiere of upcoming Prime Video Series THE LAKE starring Jordan Gavaris and Julia Stiles, plus also Opening Night Film MARS ONE, a Family Drama directed by Gabriel Martin! Upcoming Disney+ release FIRE ISLAND starring Bowen Yang and Margaret Cho also will be screening at the Festival!

Trailer here for the Festival.

The full 2022 festival selections include:

OPENING NIGHT

MARS ONE, directed by Gabriel Martins. (Brazil / Narrative)

With keen affection and an understanding of its characters, Mars One explores the hopes and expectations, the anxieties and foibles, of a Brazilian family against the backdrop of the 2018 election of Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.

CLOSING NIGHT

“THE LAKE” – Episode 1 & 2, created by Julian Doucet and directed by Jordan Canning, Paul Fox. (Canada / Series)Set in cottage country, the Canadian Amazon Original The Lake, follows Justin (Jordan Gavaris, “Orphan Black”) as he returns from living abroad, after a break-up with his long-term partner, with the hope of reconnecting with the biological daughter at the idyllic lake from his childhood.

“The Lake” is produced by AMAZE, with Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence serving as executive producers for AMAZE (Carter, Call Me Fitz), and is written and executive produced by Julian Doucet (“Killjoys”, “St Nickel”). “The Lake” will launch exclusively on Prime Video on June 17 in 240 countries and territories worldwide.

GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

SO DAMN EASY GOING, directed by Christoffer Sandler. (Sweden, Norway / Narrative).

So Damn Easy Going explores the absolute mess of love and relationships through the eyes of Joanna, an 18-year-old diagnosed with ADHD.

TRAMPS!, directed by Kevin Hegge. (Canada / Documentary).
TRAMPS! is a feature-length documentary focusing on London’s iconic fashion and musical movement, The New Romantics.

UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS, directed by Juan Felipe Zuleta. (USA / Narrative).
In Unidentified Objects a misanthropic gay dwarf and a plucky sex worker go on a road trip to Canada in search of aliens, but what sounds like a wacky premise is actually a heartfelt story about finding your people.

WE WILL NEVER BELONG, directed by Amelia Eloisa. (Mexico / Narrative).
Adolescence can be tough, especially for young queer people who haven’t quite figured it out. We Will Never Belong charts one teenager’s quest for the truth with style and grace.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

FIRE ISLAND, directed by Andrew Ahn. (USA / Narrative).
A pair of best friends set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a group of eclectic friends.

PREMIERES

CAMILLA COMES OUT TONIGHT, directed by Inés Barrionuevo. (Argentina / Narrative).
From the hallways of a conservative school to streets filled with demonstrators, Camila Comes Out Tonight is a coming-of-age film inspired by the impact of an Argentine generation that grew up fighting for women’s rights.

COMPULSUS, directed by Tara Thorne. (Canada / Narrative)
A staggering two-thirds of all Canadians know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Compulsus asks the question: what if women took matters into their own hands?

IN FROM THE SIDE, directed by Matt Carter. (UK / Narrative)
Come for the beefy guys and sweaty scrums, stay for the nuanced relationship drama unfolding among the players of a gay rugby club in South London

PHANTOM PROJECT, directed by Roberto Doveris. (Chile / Narrative)
A charmingly gay urban ghost story, The Phantom Project follows meandering millennial Pablo as he attempts to get his life together.

THE FIRST FALLEN, directed by Rodrigo De Oliveira. (Brazil / Narrative)
The First Fallen offers a sensitive look back at the early days of the AIDS epidemic in Brazil through the eyes of three friends: Suzano, a biologist; Rose, a trans singer; and Humberto, a student filmmaker.

WE DON’T DANCE FOR NOTHING, directed by Stefanos Tai. (USA / Narrative)

Captured amid the Hong Kong protests, We Don’t Dance for Nothing is a photo-montage love letter to the Filipina domestic workers of Hong Kong and their passion for dance.

ICONS

FIONA CLARK: UNAFRAID, directed by Lula Cucchiara. (New Zealand / Documentary).

Artist Fiona Clark, a misfit in society and a fearless storyteller, has spent a lifetime championing the unseen—fighting for individuals, hidden communities and the land she inhabits.

FRAMING AGNES, directed by Chase Joynt. (Canada, USA / Documentary).
Director Chase Joynt and an all-star cast of transgender artists and performers use re-enactment and genre-blurring storytelling techniques to breathe new life into the previously untold stories of the mid-century trailblazers who redefined gender.

FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE, directed by Marcus Pontello. (USA / Documentary).
Bars and nightclubs have long been an essential gathering place for queer communities and Numbers nightclub was one such place for LGBTQ patrons in Houston, Texas.

JEANNETTE, directed by Maris Curran. (USA / Documentary).
“I will never, ever, forget seeing the barrel of the gun,” says Jeannette Feliciano, a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre, in the opening moments of this emotional tribute to one woman’s astounding resilience.

SIRENS, directed by Rita Baghdadi. (USA, Lebanon / Documentary).
Growing up in the shadow of their parents during the war in Lebanon, guitarist Lilas Mayassi and her bandmates, Shery, Maya, Alma, and Tatiana (Slave to Sirens) have big dreams but few opportunities.

INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

BEYOND ED BUCK, directed by Jayce Baron, Hailie Sahar. (USA / Documentary).
From Jayce Baron and Hailie Sahar, Beyond Ed Buck follows the tragic murders that took place at the hands of a well-known Democratic political donor. This film comes with a content advisory please click here for more details.

BLOOMING ON THE ASPHALT, directed by Coraci Ruiz, Julio Matos. (Brazil / Documentary).
Blooming on the asphalt offers a unique perspective on Jack, a young Brazilian trans man whose life is dramatically changing as his country faces a global pandemic and an intolerant government.

DEATH AND BOWLING, directed by Lyle Kash. (USA / Narrative).
In a fractured, dream-like world, a transgender actor struggles with the death of the much-beloved captain of a lesbian bowling team.

GATEWAYS GRIND, directed by Jacquie Lawrence. (UK / Documentary).
The memory of so many lesbian bars, whose stories are integral to lesbian history, is in danger of slipping away. But filmmaker Jacquie Lawrence is determined to not let that happen to one of Britain’s most storied meeting places.

GIRL PICTURE, directed by Alli Haapasalo. (Finland / Narrative).
Over three consecutive Fridays, best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö’s friendship is put to the test as each embarks on an individual journey to ask the hard questions about who they are.

HOMEBODY, directed by Joseph Sackettt. (USA / Narrative).

Johnny loves his babysitter Melanie but, upon further reflection, is he really in love with her or does he just want to be her? There’s only one way to find out.

LA QUEENCIAÑERA, directed by Pedro Peira. (Mexico / Documentary).
As Los Angeles-based Latina trans activist Bamby Salcedo points out, the average life expectancy of a trans woman is a mere 35 years. In LA Queenciañera, this sobering statistic makes Bamby’s life and her impending 50th birthday something to truly celebrate.

LONESOME, directed by Craig Boreham. (Australia / Narrative).
In this sexually explicit drama, a scandal drives a young gay man from his small Australian town to Sydney.

MONEYBOYS, directed by C.B. Yi. (Austria, France, Belgium, Taiwan/ Narrative).
Moneyboys follows a Chinese hustler as he struggles to cope with the disapproval of his rural family.

NANA’S BOYS, directed by Ashton Pina. (USA / Narrative).
With subtle, vulnerable performances, Nana’s Boys focuses on the intimate life of a couple who are confronted with the fact that their relationship is not as solid as they thought.

NEPTUNE FROST, directed by Anisia Uzeyman, Saul Williams. (Rwanda, USA / Narrative).
Neptune Frost, one of the most visually striking films of the last several years, is an unmistakably queer, anti-capitalist, sci-fi musical created by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman.

OUT IN THE RING, directed by Ry Levey. (Canada / Documentary).
Out in the Ring explores the rise and history of LGBTQ+ professional wrestlers and representation in the sport.

PRIVATE DESERT, directed by Aly Mritiba. (Brazil / Narrative).
Brazil’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film is a canny act of defiance against the homophobic jingoistic nastiness of the country’s current government and, unlike President Jair Bolsonaro, the film is thoughtful, nuanced, sensuous and affirming.

SUBLIME, directed by Mariano Biasin. (Argentina / Narrative).
Being a teenager in love can be hard. But being a teenager in love with your lifelong best friend is definitely harder. Sublime takes a look at a friendship that is facing the test of longevity.

THE DIVIDE, directed by Catherine Corsini. (France / Narrative).
The astounding Valeria Bruni Tedeschi delivers a tour-de-force performance as the high-strung half of a couple coming apart at the seams amid the anti-Macron “yellow vest” protests.

WAKE UP, LEONARD, directed by Kat Mills Martin. (USA / Narrative).
Part comedy, part self-help nightmare, Wake Up, Leonard follows one man’s quest for wellness while failing miserably to stay on his vibe.

SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA

PAT ROCCO DARED, directed by Morris Chapdelaine, Bob Christie. (Canada / Documentary).
Whose movies include a naked man dancing on a freeway, a gay couple at Disneyland, and the world’s first Pride march? Pat Rocco, a trailblazing gay independent filmmaker who is given well-deserved recognition in the charming documentary, Pat Rocco Dared.

STUPID FOR YOU, directed by Jude Klassen. (Canada / Narrative).
Jude Klassen’s musical feature, Stupid for You, asks the knotty question: what’s a shy, awkward queer teen to do when the opportunity to be noticed by her crush presents itself? The answer? Whatever it takes.

THE EMPRESS OF VANCOUVER, directed by Dave Rodden Shortt. (Canada / Documentary).
She may not be a household name outside of her tight-knit Vancouver community, but make no mistake, maverick drag diva and performance artist Oliv Howe is a star.

WITH WONDER, directed by Sharon Lewis. (Canada / Documentary).
With Wonder takes an intimate look at members of the queer, Christian community of colour and their attempts to answer the question: Can you be both Christian and queer?

EPISODIC

BRIDESMAN, directed by Julian Buchan, John Onieal (USA / Series).
The first-ever series produced by Grindr, Bridesman follows a self-absorbed bridesman on his quest to steal his best friend’s husband-to-be.

MY TRIP TO SPAIN, directed by Theda Hammel (USA / Series).
Alexis, a successful trans woman, is heading to Spain for cosmetic surgery. Her embittered old friend Charlie arrives to house sit while she’s away. During the handoff, he tries his best to convince her to cancel, while simultaneously pursuing a sexual liaison with her brooding gardener Bruno.

More on this, the Shorts Program and tickets at insideout.ca.

By Amanda Gilmore

Midwives documents a small birthing clinic in the highly politicized region of western Myanmar, where Rohingya Muslims are persecuted. The owner of the Centre, a Buddhist named Hla, helps all women who enter the facility. She works along with the assistance of Nyo Nyo, a member of the Rohingya Muslim community and Hla’s apprentice.

This is one of the best Documentaries of the year. Hlaing brings us to an area of the world where a civil war has been waging for years and the minority group, the Rohingya people, have been made to live in fear under the military regime. But amongst this war, Director Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing shows us a story of empathy and hope through the beautiful act of caring for the ill and bringing new life into the world.

She followed Hla and Nyo Nyo for over five years, and what she captured is a story of resilience. 

Even though Hla faces huge risks and possibly getting her clinic shut down for treating Rohingya Muslims, she continues to do it. Hla is doing all she can to help, however, she still uses a name for the Rohingya people that they find insulting, even when speaking to or about Nyo Nyo. Including these moments shows how ingrained prejudices can still have an effect on even those who are actively fighting to help.

Over the five years, Nyo Nyo learns how to become a medical practitioner from Hla. After desiring to flee western Myanmar for a different city where her sister lives, life gets in the way and she is forced to stay. However, her determination and resilience to make something of her life leads her to raise money and build her own clinic. Through the interviews with Nyo Nyo, we get a wider view of not only the conflict happening but the positions women are placed. Her inspiring story shatters the boxes that society had packed her into.

Overall, see Midwives whenever and wherever you can. You won’t regret it.

Midwives screens at Hot Docs ’22:

Sun, May 1 at 8:15 PM at Isabel Bader Theatre

Thu, May 5 at 11:45 AM at Varsity

Online streaming is available for five days starting on MAY 2 at 9:00 AM

JO KOY stars in EASTER SUNDAY! Here’s a first look at the Trailer.

Synopsis:

Stand-up comedy sensation Jo Koy (Jo Koy: In His Elements, Jo Koy: Comin’ in Hot) stars as a man returning home for an Easter celebration with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, loving family, in this love letter to his Filipino-American community.

Easter Sunday features an all-star comedic cast that includes Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley series), Tia Carrere (True Lies, Wayne’s World films), Brandon Wardell (Curb Your Enthusiasm series), Tony nominee Eva Noblezada (Broadway’s Hadestown), Lydia Gaston (Broadway’s The King and I), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Rodney To (Parks and Recreation series), Eugene Cordero (The Good Place series), Jay Chandrasekhar (I Love You, Man), Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip) and Lou Diamond Phillips (Courage Under Fire).

Easter Sunday, from DreamWorks Pictures, is directed by Jay Chandrasekhar (Super Troopers, The Dukes of Hazzard, I Love You, Man), from a script by Ken Cheng (Sin City Saints series) and Kate Angelo (Sex Tape) based on a story by Ken Cheng.

The film is produced by Rideback’s blockbuster producers Dan Lin (The Lego Movie franchise, It franchise) and Jonathan Eirich (Aladdin, The Two Popes), and is executive produced by Nick Reynolds, Joe Meloche, Jo Koy, Jessica Gao, Jimmy O. Yang, Ken Cheng and Seth William Meier.

EASTER SUNDAY arrives in theatres August 5, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

By Amanda Gilmore

Director Daniel Roher gives his audience access to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent implicated in attacks on other opponents of the Russian government. We follow from the moments immediately following the attack, his time spent in Germany, and his dangerous return to Russia.

What makes Navalny standout is the man himself. One interview with Alexei Navalny repeatedly plays between the narrative. Roher’s questions gain access to Navalny’s infectious and optimistic personality. It comes as no surprise that Russia loves him and Vladimir Putin is terrified of him (so much so, he has never uttered his name).

In the opening, Navalny is asked if he is worried something bad will happen upon his arrival in Russia. He responds by saying that he doesn’t want this Documentary to be a sad one, but a Thriller. And that is precisely what Navalny is, a gripping Thriller that’s made even more terrifying because it’s real. The most memorable moment is a long sequence where Navalny is calling the Russians who are believed to be a part of his poisoning. This immensely tense and riveting moment will leave you on the edge of your seat and shock you to your core.

Roher shows the importance Yulia, Navalny’s wife, played in keeping her husband alive. Yulia was the force behind getting her husband out of a Russian hospital and to Germany. Her unwavering bravery against the corrupt system is inspiring. As we learn more about their partnership, Roher focuses-in on their bond and the close-knit family they have. Therefore, capturing a portrait of the domestic all can relate to.

Overall, Navalny is a timely, gripping Documentary that gets to the truth behind the poisoning and the lethal lengths Putin’s Government will go.

Navalny screens at Hot Docs ’22:

Sat, Apr 30 at 6:30 PM at Hot Docs Cinema

Mon, May 2 at 1:30 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1

Sat, May 7 at 2:00 PM at Hot Docs Cinema

Online streaming is available for five days starting on MAY 1 at 9:00 AM

We’d like to introduce you to BUDJERAH! The R&B Singer-Songwriter just was named 2021 ARIAs Breakthrough Artist of the Year and he will be supporting Vance Joy in-tour this Summer, including a Toronto date at Budweiser Stage. If he isn’t yet on your radar, he should be. People Magazine named him one of their Spring 2022 Emerging Artists!

Check-out Budjerah‘s track “Get Down”:

(Photo/video credit: Warner Music)

May 20, 2022 will be Asian Gold Ribbon Day and the community will be called upon to demonstrate visible solidarity towards anti-Asian racism.

The campaign kicks off during Asian Heritage Month, May, with a focus on the psychological impact of microaggressions and race-based traumatic stress. Participants are encouraged to join the visibility campaign by posting a selfie and tagging @asiangoldribbon along with using the hashtag #asiangoldribbon while wearing a yellow ribbon. The organization will also be supporting fundraising efforts through various community initiatives and events found on https://asiangoldribbon.com.

The campaign was co-founded by Psychologist Gina Wong who has been vocal in her support for awareness and speaks about the Anti-Asian sentiments she experienced growing-up in Montreal.

On May 20th, Canadian landmarks like Vancouver City Hall, Burrard Bridge, Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place in Toronto, with more to be confirmed. The AGR gold is used to reclaim the colour yellow that has been used historically to denigrate and disparage the Asian race (“yellow peril”) and in turn become a symbol of celebrating Asian heritage and culture.

How you can get involved:

● Fundraising for Mental Asian Well-being – This year’s fundraising goal is $100k. The Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter (CNCTO) and Project 1907 reports 943 racist incidents across
Canada last year, a 47 per cent increase over 2020. Women make up the highest proportion of reported cases representing 64 per cent of all incidents but reports by children and adolescents increased by 286 per cent. In reality, the numbers are likely much higher when factoring in unreported incidents.

In Canada, 73.22 per cent of those who filed an incident of anti-Asian racism reported mental health distress and emotional harm as a consequence of the attack. This underscores the fundamental need for Asian mental health support services to be available in local communities. A portion of all funds raised will go towards the development of initiatives for mental health support programs and services for Asian wellbeing. Link to donation page here.

● Community Outreach—Asian Gold Ribbon will be offering social justice advocacy, education, and support activities for community residents, schools, and organizations including virtual presentations. There will be two virtual mental health summits following the theme of Bending Not Broken: Stories of Resilience. Click here, a full list of speakers and to register.
○ Asian Youth Mental Health Summit will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, 7:00pm-9:00pm EDT. Join this two-hour community conversation with honoured guests and panel of Asian youth sharing their stories, experiences, and concerns; as well as ideas for needed change at individual, community, educational, and systemic levels.
○ Asian Women Mental Health Summit will be held on Friday, May 20, 2022, 3:00pm-5:00pm EDT. Together with community allies, we will remember Michelle Go and Christina Yuna Lee and hear about the impact of gender-based and race-based racism on Asian women. We will unite and develop Calls to Action for Asian Women’s mental health support in Canada, where bold changes are
needed to end race-based traumatic stress.

● Support Asian Inspired Restaurants— Asian Gold Ribbon recognizes how hard the restaurant industry has been hit by the pandemic and anti-Asian racism. Our aim is to collaborate with restaurants to support and amplify them.
● Initiate a visibility campaign on Friday, May 20 ,2022— Asian Gold Ribbon Day is Friday, May 20, 2022 corresponding with Asian Heritage month. Asian and non-Asian persons will wear gold ribbons or pins to signify hope, unity, and solidarity for a better tomorrow

New stills from Season Three of THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY have finally surfaced! Euphoria fans won’t want to miss this as Javon Walton joins the Cast!

Synopsis:

After putting a stop to 1963’s doomsday, the Umbrella Academy return home to the present, convinced they prevented the initial apocalypse and fixed this godforsaken timeline once and for all. But after a brief moment of celebration, they realize things aren’t exactly (okay, not at all) how they left them. Enter the Sparrow Academy. Smart, stylish, and about as warm as a sea of icebergs, the Sparrows immediately clash with the Umbrellas in a violent face-off that turns out to be the least of everyone’s concerns. Navigating challenges, losses, and surprises of their own – and dealing with an unidentified destructive entity wreaking havoc in the Universe (something they may have caused) — now all they need to do is convince Dad’s new and possibly better family to help them put right what their arrival made wrong. Will they find a way back to their pre-apocalyptic lives? Or is this new world about to reveal more than just a hiccup in the timeline?

Season Three of THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY arrives June 22, 2022 on Netflix.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

Danny Boyle directs and serves as Executive Producer on upcoming Disney+ series PISTOL, based on the Sex Pistols.

Synopsis:

Based on Jones’ 2017 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, “Pistol” was created and written by Craig Pearce and will be executive produced by Boyle, Pearce, Tracey Seaward, Gail Lyon, Anita Camarata, Steve Jones, Paul Lee, Hope Hartman and wiip. The series is produced by FX Productions.

“Pistol” is a six-episode limited series about a rock and roll revolution. The furious, raging storm at the center of this revolution are the Sex Pistols- and at the center of this series is Sex Pistols’ founding member and guitarist, Steve Jones. Jones’ hilarious, emotional and at times heart-breaking journey guides us through a kaleidoscopic telling of three of the most epic, chaotic and mucus-spattered years in the history of music. Based on Jones’ memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, this is the story of a band of spotty, noisy, working-class kids with “no future,” who shook the boring, corrupt Establishment to its core, threatened to bring down the government and changed music and culture forever.

“Pistol” stars Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Anson Boon as John Lydon, Christian Lees as Glen Matlock, Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Sydney Chandler as Chrissie Hynde, Talulah Riley as Vivienne Westwood, Maisie Williams as punk icon Jordan, Emma Appleton as Nancy Spungen and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Malcolm McLaren.

PISTOL arrives Tuesday, May 31, 2022 exclusively on Disney+ in Canada.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

A new Trailer has arrived for DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS! Check it out!

Synopsis:

In “DC League of Super-Pets,” Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the superheroes. Stern, a veteran writer/consultant on the “LEGO®” movies, makes his animated feature film directorial debut, directing from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator John Whittington, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film is produced by Patricia Hicks, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Jared Stern. The executive producers are John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Nicholas Stoller, Allison Abbate, Chris Leahy, Sharon Taylor and Courtenay Valenti. Stern’s creative team includes production designer Kim Taylor (“The LEGO® Ninjago Movie”) and editors David Egan (“Game Night,” “Vacation”) and Jhoanne Reyes (“Teen Titans GO!” “Young Justice”). The music is by Steve Jablonsky (the “Transformers” films).

Cast: Kevin Hart (the “Jumanji” and “Secret Life of Pets” films), Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live,” the “Magic School Bus Rides Again” films, “Ferdinand”), John Krasinski (the “Quiet Place” films, “Free Guy”), Vanessa Bayer (“Saturday Night Live,” “Office Christmas Party,” “Trainwreck”), Natasha Lyonne (“Show Dogs,” “Ballmastrz 9009”), Diego Luna (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Maya and the Three”), Marc Maron (“Joker,” “GLOW”), Thomas Middleditch (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie”), Ben Schwartz (“Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Duck Tales”), and Keanu Reeves (the “Matrix” and “John Wick” films).

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release #DCSuperPets July 29, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros..Pictures Canada)

British-Japanese Pop Sensation RINA SAWAYAMA has been raring to go and after several setbacks during the Pandemic, is now in high gear on her Dynasty Tour. The Tour in support of her debut album SAWAYAMA has been selling-out city to city and in many instances requiring venue upgrades.

Sawayama played a 16-song set spanning material from her debut EP, latest Disc and new unreleased material. She even got the Toronto audience to sing her mother in Japan, “Happy Birthday”!

The talented Entertainer spreads a message of self-love and acceptance, especially to those who deal with prejudice on the daily. She sported a rainbow flag during her track “Chosen Family” reaffirming herself proudly pansexual. The Track also has been released as a duet version with Elton John. We were thoroughly impressed how polished a show she put on and the audience couldn’t have had more fun!

After collaborating with Lady Gaga on a Remix of “Free Woman“, Sawayama is rumoured to be joining the icon on her upcoming Chromatica Tour this Summer.

Some snaps from Sawayama’s second ever show in Toronto, and first show at HISTORY. We did meet her quickly earlier in the day although she was in a rush, waving over. One day we’ll get that Selfie!

See Sawayama perform “Happy Birthday” with the audience, and “Cherry“, which she calls her ‘coming out song’.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)