#TIFF: TIFF PRESENTS “QUEER BECOMING” PROGRAMME AS PART OF PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATIONS

TIFF celebrates Pride month with a selection of Films and Conversations as part of their QUEER BECOMING Programme.

Overview: Queer Becoming challenges the commonly used “coming out” trope, and instead highlights a spectrum of powerful “coming into” stories that explore queer identity, queer community, or queer family. Through various tales of self-discovery — some whimsical, others heart-wrenching — these intersectional films demonstrate queer self-actualization at every stage of life, from childhood to late adulthood.

FILMS TO SCREEN (digital TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Cowboys dir. Anna Kerrigan (Vortex Media) A father (Steve Zahn) and his adoring young trans son (Sasha Knight) take to the Montana wilderness to get away from the boy’s transphobic mother. Rental includes a special introduction from Sasha Knight. The True Adventures of Wolfboy dir. Martin Krejčí (Vertical Entertainment) A young boy who feels like an outcast runs away from home to find his estranged mother, meeting a colourful cast of characters along the way. The Heiresses dir. Marcelo Martinessi (Luxbox) After her partner of 30 years is jailed, a woman rediscovers herself and her identity, in Paraguayan director Marcelo Martinessi’s debut feature. Tongues Untied dir. Marlon T. Riggs (Frameline) Through poetry readings, music, dance and personal testimony, Marlon T. Riggs’ lyrical documentary examines the homophobia and racism Black gay men face. No Ordinary Man dirs. Chase Joynt & Aisling Chin-Yee (levelFilm) 🍁 The legacy of Billy Tipton, a 20th-century American jazz musician and trans icon, is brought to life by a diverse group of contemporary trans artists. Rafiki dir. Wanuri Kahiu (Film Movement) The latest from Wanuri Kahiu charts a precarious love story between two young Kenyan women in a society where homosexuality is banned. A Fantastic Woman dir. Sebastián Lelio (Mongrel Media) Sebastián Lelio’s 2017 drama follows a young trans woman struggling with both her own grief and societal prejudice after the death of her older lover. Spa Night dir. Andrew Ahn (Strand Releasing) A closeted Korean American teenager, desperate to support his struggling family, finds work at a Korean spa — where he experiences both fear and a strange thrill as he discovers his own sexuality. Pariah dir. Dee Rees (Entertainment One) Dee Rees’s 2011 narrative feature debut, about a teen claiming her identity as a lesbian, remains a revelation nearly a decade since it first screened at TIFF. This selection of films was programmed by TIFF’s LGBTQ+ Staff Advisory Committee.

Digital Talks + Events

Free on TIFF’s social accounts and Zoom

June 2 at 7pm ET Ahead of the Curve Q&A Free on TIFF’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube With a fistful of credit cards, a lucky run at the horse track, and chutzpah for days, Frances “Franco” Stevens launched the bestselling lesbian lifestyle magazine Curve. The team behind the documentary Ahead of the Curve — including Stevens, co-directors Jen Rainin and Rivkah Beth Medow, and subjects Kim Katrin and Andrea Pino-Silva — join us to discuss the intricacies of making a documentary about your spouse, the lived experiences of queer women and non-binary people in America, and the love that brought them all together. June 24 at 7pm ET Deep Focus: Poetic Becoming with Syrus Marcus Ware Live on Zoom TIFF Community Impact hosts artist, activist, and scholar Syrus Marcus Ware for a free interactive workshop inspired by the themes of TIFF’s Queer Becoming programme and Marlon T. Riggs’ documentary Tongues Untied (1989). Join us to explore poetry as a vehicle for self-expression, community building, and activism. Registration will open June 9. Space is limited, with priority for registrants who self-identify as LGBTQ+ and BIPOC. Please note that films and event dates are subject to change.

More here.

(Photo credit: TIFF)