#FIRSTLOOK: 2020 INSIDE OUT FILM FESTIVAL TO GO DIGITAL THIS YEAR

All is not awash in 2020. INSIDE OUT, North America’s largest LGBTQ Film Festival has announced earlier this week it will be going digital, effectively merging their Toronto and Ottawa editions of the Festival. The Festival, now it its 30 edition runs October 1-11, 2020.

In converting to a digital format this year, the Festival will be hosted on the Cinesend platform incorporating films with live events, Q&As, and exclusive conversations with LGBTQ talent.

The full lineup of short films below, many grouped by Carly Rae Jepsen song names! Feature films to come.

BOLD

POMPEII (United Kingdom) – Marco Alessi / Harry Lighton / Matthew Jacobs Morgan      
Wearing only a crop-top and high-waisted jeans, Tam feels conspicuous. So he plugs in his earphones and begins reliving his messy Halloween night via social media.

2 DOLLARS (United States) – Robin Cloud    
As a black queer artist, Syd deals with daily challenges from ignorant co-workers and a killer workload. When they enter the office lotto pool, everything changes.

ACROSS, BEYOND, AND OVER (United States) – Brit Fryer / Noah Schamus    
Two trans men who used to date in middle school reconnect over a long weekend and develop a hybrid documentary about their past.

ADELINE, THE GREAT (United States) – Jessica Siqueiros          
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.

ZANMI (Martinique) – Nadia Charlery
A New Year’s Eve party in Martinique with friends and champagne leads to an innocent game with unexpected consequences.

BODY SO FLUORESCENT (Canada) – David Di Giovanni 
Desiree and Shenice go out for a fun night of dancing, but when Shenice takes things a step too far, Desiree is confronted with who Shenice really is and how Desiree may be the one responsible for her insidious transformation.

POSTMARKED (United States) – Malakai    
With the help of an eccentric woman, some gas station snacks, and a torch of bright burning hope, Scooter sets out to find his estranged trans sister.

Boy Problems

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE (Brazil) – Leandro Goddinho       
It is the first week of 2019 in Brazil and a new president takes office. Locked in a hotel room, two teenagers decide to change the course of their lives.

HOW TO SAY I LOVE YOU AT NIGHT (United States) – Andree Ljutica 
A single-take film explores notions of male-on-male intimacy, sexuality and violence,during one romantic encounter gone wrong.

HAVANA (United States) – Faith Strongheart        
Antonio, an immigration officer by day, sells exit visas illegally by night. His secrets go beyond his work, though: he is also hiding his relationship with Jian.

EN MI ALMA (United States) – Sara Pinar Onder     
Power dynamics shift between an asylum officer and an asylum seeker when they run into each other at a bar.

WE’RE NOT HERE (Australia) – Bonnie Moir           
Anton, a closeted right-wing Finnish politician, meets his secret lover, Ryan, for a weekend getaway in the Mediterranean.

POMPEII (United Kingdom) – Marco Alessi / Harry Lighton / Matthew Jacobs Morgan      
Wearing only a crop-top and high-waisted jeans, Tam feels conspicuous. So he plugs in his earphones and begins reliving his messy Halloween night via social media.

BUCK (United States) – Elegance Bratton / Jovan James   
Caught in the midst of a depressive fugue, Lynn turns to debauchery to ease his troubled soul only to discover that achieving happiness is complicated.

I WANT TO SEE GELLIVARE BURN (Sweden) – André Vaara      
Teenage misfits Amandus and Johan find solace in an unconventional friendship, challenging the norms of their provincial Swedish town.

Call Me Maybe

CINDY (Australia) – Rosanagh Griffiths        
Cindy’s first time performing in drag might be camp and outrageous, but is it a success?
 
QUEST FOR JASMINE (United States) – Amanda Hawkes / Jackie MacLean       
Amara tries to make a love potion in hopes of finding romance.

LADYLIKE (United States) – Rachel Bickert / Emily Tapanes          
A queer woman in the American South shatters deep-rooted religious beliefs and cultural stereotypes within her conservative community.

THROUPLE (United States) – Chrissie De Guzman 
Hungover from a bad breakup, a not-so-great stripper makes a house call to a progressive married couple.

ORIGAMI (Iran) – Marjan Hashemi   
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.

SQUARE ONE (United Kingdom) – Emily Jo Sargent          
A semi-autobiographical film demonstrates fishing as a way to avoid sex.

I KNOW HER (United States) – Fawzia Mirza           
In the afterglow of a seemingly fated hookup, two women realize that perhaps they have a little too much in common.

SUPER ZEE (Canada) – Nathalie Younglai  
A queer Black superhero swoops in to save her woman crush from the microaggressions at the office.

Cut to the Feeling

DIRTY (United States) – Matthew Puccini    
Marco cuts class to spend the afternoon with his boyfriend. Things do not go as planned.

ARE WE HERE YET? (United States) – S. Chidi Amadiume
A couple moving in together discover they don’t know as much about each other as they thought.

SUNDAY (India) – Arun Fulara          
When Kamble makes his weekly visit to the neighbourhood barber shop, it’s not just for a shave.

BLACK HAT (United States) – Sarah Smith  
Shmuel is a pious Hasidic man but, when his family leave town for a few days, he will step out of his simple life and into a more complex world.

BOLDLY GO (Australia) – Christopher Cosgrove     
A young gay man is hiding an embarrassing secret about his body but when a long-term crush begins seducing him at a party, he is forced to confront his shame.

SEE YOU SOON (United States) – Tyler Rabinowitz
A gay man travels across the country to spend the weekend with someone he’s been talking to for months on a dating app.

ACUITZERAMO (United States) – Miguel Angel Caballero  
Salvador, a gay Mexican elder who has lost his partner of 15 years, calls his partner’s estranged son, Anthony, to tell him of his father’s passing.

DUNGAREES (United Kingdom) – Abel Rubinstein 
Transgender Blake and cisgender Cane hang out, play video games and grapple with their insecurities. This is their love story.

E•MO•TION

TAPE (United States) – Jojo Ernholtz
A high school hockey team is preparing for the most important game in their season. However, sixteen-year-old Rooney is more focused on her teammate Alex.

THE BUTTERFLY (Japan) – Shiho Fukada  
Kota Ishijima spent most of her life hiding from who she is. After finding the strength to live that truth, her life comes full circle as she awaits the birth of her first grandchild.

REHEARSAL (United Kingdom) – Valentina Gordeeva       
Anna and Emma have decided to marry but first they must come out to Anna’s conservative mother.

LA GLORIA (United States) – Mary Evangelista       
In the days following her suicide attempt, a queer lovelorn teen finds connection and solace with her abuela through the secret language of dreams.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER (Taiwan) – Siew Hong Leong    
On the day Taiwan passes its same-sex marriage law, Wen-de’s daughter is at home, celebrating her new engagement to her girlfriend.

THE MISTRESS (Puerto Rico) – Pati Cruz   
During her husband’s funeral, Maritere receives an unexpected visit.

MOMSTER (United States) – Drew Denny   
When notorious bank robber “the Momster” catches her daughter Angel mid-gunfight, Angel thinks she’s being rescued — until she realizes she has to do the saving.

I Didn’t Just Come Here to Dance

THE WOODPECKER (United States) – Courtney Bush / Will Carington / Jake Goicoechea
On his way to Brad’s animal-themed housewarming party, Richard stops at a pharmacy and calls a close friend for advice about his costume.

ISLAND QUEEN (United States) – Zackary Grady / Jenn Harris     
On the day a teenage hockey player secretly plans to try out for the figure skating team, he gets trapped on a ferry boat.

MUY GAY TOO MEXICANO (United States) – Lorena Lourenco    
As he prepares for a date, J.D. seeks advice from two dissimilar people.

ACRIMONIOUS (United Kingdom) – Olivia Emden  
Set against the backdrop of multicultural, leave-voting West London, Acrimonious follows Emeka, a gay British Nigerian who is newly divorced.

PETE CAN’T PLAY BASKETBALL (United States) – Nick Borenstein         
In a world where all that matters is basketball, Pete can’t play basketball.

AFTER THAT PARTY (Brazil) – Caio Scot   
Leo never imagined he would see his dad kissing another man in the middle of a party…until it happened.

DECEASED ONES (United States) – Kate Hopkins 
When two friends get involved in the niche service of role playing the dead, they’re forced to help heal grieving strangers through a surreal game of make-believe.

LAZY (SUNDAY) (United States) – Cameron Miller-Desart  
Tired of their friends trying to set them up, two friends turn errands into a fake date, only to find it might not be fake at all.

Icons

PERFECTLY FRANK (United States) – Dan Hunt    
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.

LIVING OUT LOUD: LBTQI MOVEMENT BUILDING AND FEMINISM IN GEORGIA (United States) – Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy          
While officially a secular nation, church and state are far from separate in Georgia, where homophobia is common. Eka Aghdgomelashvili, a Georgian feminist activist and trailblazer, is on the front lines of the fight against homophobia.

KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY (United Kingdom) – Posy Dixon          
Capturing five decades of relentless musical output and shifting manifestations of gender and sexual identity, and set against a backdrop of profound social change, the film celebrates the life of Beverly Glenn Copeland who, at 75, is embarking on his first international tour.

Local Heroes

LIAR (Canada) – Wayne Burns         
Two young men meet for a hookup on a church rooftop.

THEY LOOKED AT ME AND I SMILED (Canada) – Ben Edelberg  
Artists use their bodies as a medium and canvas while existing in their natural environments. Are they performing?

SWIMMERS (Canada) – Chris Ross 
Swimmers follows two strangers—Gloria and Sarah—after they meet one summer evening when Sarah pool hops through Gloria’s backyard.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNICORN (Canada) – Mina Sewell Mancuso
A young girl argues with her parents and her Catholic school, demanding that her confirmation sponsor be her transgender aunt.

THE WAY WE ARE (Canada) – Amanda Ann-Min Wong    
The stories of four queer Asian women are presented within an immersive experience of past and present, revealing the real-lives of a different generation.

GHOST (Canada) – M. H. Murray     
Benjamin is ghosted by his lover.

BING! BANG! BI! (Canada) – Jessica Huras
At an inopportune moment, a struggling actor takes a stance on her bisexuality.

Mixed Episodic

MY TRANS JOURNEY (Canada) – Elizabeth Trojian           
Transgender icon Dr. Carys Massarella helps patients work to overcome personal challenges and thrive in their transitions.

BANANAS (Australia) – Rachel Anderson    
Bananas takes a curious, playful look at two awkward, honest, and warm Australian-born Asian friends who are growing up between two cultures in Australia’s Sunshine State, Queensland.

THE OTHERSIDE (Nigeria / Côte d’Ivoire) – Adesua Okosun         
This story follows three people in the LGBTQ community, one queer woman, one trans man, and one trans woman, living in Abidjan. Each character takes us into their world and changes the narrative of West Africa.

MISEDUCATED (United States) – Kevin Pinckney   
In this coming-of-age story, Anton finds himself in his first love triangle –which happens to involve his “straight” best friend Dillion.

CRAZY (United States) – Rachel Leyco        
Crazy follows two queer Asian-American frenemies in their early twenties who are battling mental health conditions that teach them they are more alike than they realize.

APRICOT (United States) – Sam Icklow / Jake G Thompson          
A queer Romy and Michele for the 21st century, Apricot is your fruity summer obsession packed into ten dreamy episodes.

BUTCH PAL FOR THE STRAIGHT GAL (United States) – Assaad Yacoub          
This reality-based comedy about five women, known as the Fierce5, empowers straight women to throw away societal gender norms and fearlessly harness their unique inner voice.

Now That I Found You

BREAK IN (United States) – Alyssa Lerner   
When Nousha accidentally texts erotic fiction to her crush, she enlists best friend Oliver to set out on a mission to delete the text.

CANDIS FOR PRESIDENT (United States) – Michelle Peerali        
Candis Cayne sets out to become the President of the United States with the help of her sarcastic television producer sidekick, Andrea.

DON’T FORGET TO GO HOME (Australia) – Victoria Singh-Thompson     
Two Indo-Fijian sisters miss their cousin’s wedding to go on a drug-fuelled bender.

TOMOKO (France) – Margaux Esclapez       
After losing her eyesight, Tomoko meets a young stripper named Amber who allows her to explore her fantasies and liberate herself.

A POSTCARD TO NINA (United States) – Ronald Baez      
Longtime Instagram pen pals Jean and Nina meet in person for the first time and stumble through a well-meaning dinner with Nina’s ultra-conservative father.

HYPED (Greece) – Alkis Papastathopoulos  
Vera and Lola are anxious about their first big night out together, and struggle to connect.

FRIENDS LIKE THAT (United States) – Francesca De Fusco         
After getting dumped, Maia seeks solace by crashing with her best ex Alex.

HUSH (United States) – Tin Lee        
A teenage girl sets out to discreetly master her burgeoning sexuality with the help of a new friend.

Real Love

WHERE MY GIRLS (United States) – Mads Engel   
Three queer women reflect on the creativity, community, and hustle required to make it in a culture that has left them to their own devices.

A WIDER SCREEN (United Kingdom) – Joe Hunting           
Shot within VRChat, A Wider Screen takes an intimate, insightful look into how virtual reality is affecting people’s social lives for the better.
 
BREAKWATER (Brazil) – Cris Lyra   
A group of young lesbians from São Paulo go on a trip to a remote beach for the new year’s celebration.

JESSE JAMS (Canada) – Trevor Anderson  
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.

THE SUCK (United States) – Austin Bunn    
A collector finally decides to give up his strange collection.

DRESS UP LIKE MRS. DOUBTFIRE (United States) – Will Zang   
This throwback looks at the 1993 film, Mrs. Doubtfire, and its cultural impact on drag culture in Hollywood films.

Thrive

DARLING (Pakistan / United States) – Saim Sadiq  
An erotic dance theater in Lahore prepares for a new show just as a sacrificial goat disappears.

MEMORIES REVEALED (France) – Quentin Worthington   
Over the course of 10 months, a camera travels to Buenos Aires, Argentina and Hanover, Germany to meet the founding members of the Archivo De La Memoria Trans Argentina, the first existing Trans Archive in the world.

WELCOME BACK, LENNY (United States) – Vuk Lungulov-Klotz   
Lenny is back in NYC and crashing at her cousin’s place. As a thank you, she cooks dinner for her and some friends, but the night takes a turn.

ACROSS, BEYOND, AND OVER (United States) – Brit Fryer / Noah Schamus     
Two trans men who used to date in middle school reconnect over a long weekend and develop a hybrid documentary about their past.

THE CHANGE UP (United States) – Jordan Auten  
When Tatum and Harley go out for drinks, Tatum becomes distracted by memories of his troubled childhood.

THE ROGERS (United States) – Dean Hamer / Joe Wilson
An intimate glimpse of the Rogers of Samoa, the first visible group of transgender men in the Pacific.

FRATELLO (United States) – Jamie DiNicola           
Fratello explores the ways in which gender warps and infiltrates intimacy.
 
HERE WITH YOU (United States) – Noah Schamus
When Imani goes to her friend’s housewarming party, she meets a man who piques her interest.

Tug of War

VERT (United Kingdom) – Kate Cox 
When Jeff and Emelia are gifted a virtual reality set that reveals a person’s “ideal self,” they discover a secret that could shift their relationship indelibly.

IN ORBIT (France) – Soham Chakraborty / Hanxu Chen / Meton Joffily / Justin Polley / Julia Trouvé       
In a far future, Sonia is about to be transferred from her space station to a newer one, but isn’t ready to let go.

THIS IS A TEENAGE LOVE LETTER (Canada) – Tessa Hall         
A young woman writes a letter to her past love and to what the future might hold.

SAFE AMONG STARS (United States) – Jess X. Snow      
A queer Chinese-American woman struggles to tell her immigrant mother and her partner the reason why she left school.

FIFTH FLOOR ON THE LEFT (Croatia) – Renata Lucic     
When Maja’s parents come to Zagreb to visit their daughter, she must hide the truth about her relationship with her roommate, Nika.

RIDE OR DIE (United States) – Josalynn Smith       
Paula and Jamie are on their way to Thebes—Thebes, Kentucky that is. As they drive through the Midwest, they make a few stops along the way that deepen their relationship.

SWIPE UP, VIVIAN! (United States) – Hannah Welever      
Two agoraphobic women find love via a virtual dating app.

TENDER (United States) – Felicia Pride       
After an unexpected one night stand, two women at very different stages of their lives, share an even more intimate morning after.

FEELING FLUSH (United States) – Erin Brown Thomas     
Vicki idolizes her new girlfriend Samantha but draws the line when it comes to her time on the porcelain throne.

Want You in My Room

SUCKMEOFF, PRINCESS! (United States) – Tristan Scott-Behrends        
Enjoy this menagerie of colourful Busby Berkeley dicks and heartbreaking autobiographical anecdotes.

MOTTA (Netherlands / United Kingdom) – Nish Gera          
Motta follows Brazilian artist Fabio da Motta as he questions the boundaries between fantasy, power, provocation and art.

PLANTONIC (Canada) – Krit Komkrichwarakool      
A unique relationship flourishes between an aspiring artist and the plant man who is growing in his garden.

KIKO’S SAINTS (France) – Manuel Marmier
Kiko, a Japanese illustrator on assignment in France, is suddenly overwhelmed with inspiration while spying on a gay couple on the beach.

FLOSS (China) – Popo Fan   
Ting finds it difficult to commit to his relationship because he has a secret that is difficult to reveal: he has a tooth fetish.

FREE FUN (Turkey) – Fehmi Öztürk 
When Kika enters a virtual reality world looking for fun, she encounters something she never expected.

THE FATHERS PROJECT: CHAPTER 4 (United States) – Leo Herrera     
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.

DEEP CLEAN (United Kingdom) – David Wilson      
Cleanliness is next to godliness, as illustrated in this celebration of objectophilia and self-pleasure.

Warm Blood

CONNECTIVE TISSUE (United States) – Oliver Bernsen    
Over the course of one night, six people are bound together by one thing: a 7-year-old girl’s severed leg.
 
SOMETHING IN THE CLOSET (United Kingdom) – Nosa Eke       
A queer teenager struggles with her sexuality, as desires manifest their way from the depths of her eerie closet into reality.

FAMILY (Canada) – Mark Pariselli    
Partners Cal and Jamal embark on an autumn road trip to the cottage. A roadside flirtation turns ominous and the creeping sense of dread intensifies at a deserted farm.

BLACK PILL (United States) – Jessi Gaston 
Set in a near-future techno-dystopia, a suicidal shut-in orders pills from a mysterious online company in a last-ditch attempt to fulfill their wildest fantasies.

CLEANSE (United States) – Magdalene Burger       
A lonely energy healer continues to push her body and her spiritual health to the brink when she is confronted with an especially horrific healing session.

HAND OF POWER (Canada) – Dara Gellman          
Interrogating both present-day and retrospective cultural narratives about gender, this video work examines the gestures of the filmic hand.

THE QUIETING (Canada) – Ali Liebert         
On the night before an important date, Maggie, 33 and newly queer, confronts her crushing anxiety and internalized homophobia.

THE OFFICE IS MINE (United States) – Michael Varrati     
Fuelled by paranoia that he’s being replaced by a new gay at work, Zac sets off on a collision course, ready to prove the office isn’t big enough for them both.

Youth Day

POLLY AND THE POCKETS (Canada) – Gabriella Arno     
Lead singer of the band Polly and the Pockets, Polly must face her fears when her crush arrives at the school dance where her band is performing.

MY BROTHER IS A MERMAID (United Kingdom) – Alfie Dale        
My Brother is a Mermaid is a social realist fairy tale about a transfeminine teenager, as seen through the eyes of their 7-year-old brother.

WERE YOU GAY IN HIGH SCHOOL? (United States) – Niki Ang   
Two queer women recall their awkward, closeted high school days of kissing boys and experiencing straight-girl crushes.

LIT (United Kingdom) – Emma Miranda Moore         
Tension and excitement run high as a clandestine game of Spin the Bottle has unexpected consequences.

S.A.M. (United Kingdom) – Neil Ely / Lloyd Eyre-Morgan     
Two teenage boys, both named Sam, meet at the swings each week to escape their dysfunctional home lives, while slowly falling in love.

WONDER (United States) – Javier Molina    
An 11-year-old kid growing up in the hood secretly dreams of trick-or-treating as Wonder Woman for Halloween.
 
NANCY FROM NOW ON (New Zealand) – Keely Meechan
Nancy From Now On is a coming-of-age film about a young Maori boy who has a burning desire to become a drag queen.
 

The full Festival line-up to be announced in coming weeks, in addition to how to purchase tickets.

More here.

(Photo credit: Inside Out)