A new trailer is now available for Disney and Pixar’s upcoming theatrical release, “Inside Out 2,” which welcomes new Emotions to now-teenager Riley’s mind. Joining Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith), Fear (voice of Tony Hale) and Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira) is a group of Emotions perfectly suited for the teenage years.
Maya Hawke voices Anxiety, the previously announced new arrival bound to shake up everything in headquarters and beyond. A bundle of frazzled energy, Anxiety enthusiastically ensures Riley’s prepared for every possible negative outcome.
Envy, voice of Ayo Edebiri, may be small but she sure knows what she wants. She’s perpetually jealous of everything everyone else has, and she’s not afraid to pine over it.
Ennui, who’s voiced by Adèle Exarchopoulos, couldn’t care less. Bored and lethargic with a well-practiced eye-roll, Ennui adds the perfect amount of teenage apathy to Riley’s personality, when she feels like it.
Embarrassment, voiced by Paul Walter Hauser, likes to lay low, which isn’t easy for this burly guy with a bright blush-pink complexion.
Additionally, Kensington Tallman lends her voice to Riley Andersen, who’s about to begin high school. Lilimar was called on to voice Valentina “Val” Ortiz, a high school hockey player who everyone, including Riley and her friends, looks up to. Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan return to voice Riley’s mom and dad; Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green and Grace Lu provide the voices for Riley’s besties; and Yvette Nicole Brown voices Coach Roberts, who heads up a summer hockey camp. The voice cast also includes Sarayu Blue, Flea, Ron Funches, Dave Goelz, James Austin Johnson, Bobby Moynihan, Frank Oz, Paula Pell, Paula Poundstone, John Ratzenberger, Kendall Coyne Schofield, June Squibb, Kirk Thatcher and Yong Yea.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen with a score by Andrea Datzman, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theatres June 14, 2024.
The little voices inside Riley’s head know her inside and out—but next summer, everything changes when Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” introduces a new Emotion: Anxiety. According to director Kelsey Mann, the new character promises to stir things up within headquarters. “Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, might be new to the crew, but she’s not really the type to take a back seat,” said Mann. “That makes a lot of sense if you think about it in terms of what goes on inside all our minds.” A trailer, poster and film stills are now available for what promises to be the feel-good (or feel-everything) film of Summer 2024.
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone. Maya Hawke lends her voice to Anxiety, alongside Amy Poehler as Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Lewis Black as Anger, Tony Hale as Fear, and Liza Lapira as Disgust. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theatres Summer 2024.
The winners of the 2023 Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival Awards were announced this weekend in Toronto where $32,000 in prizes were handed out to various 2SLGBTQ+ filmmakers. Top honours went to Juan Sebastián Torales’ ALMAMULA (Best First Feature), Lulu Wei’s SUPPORTING OUR SELVES (Best Canadian Feature), Beth Warrian’s ADORE (Best Canadian Short), and Karimah Zakia Issa with SCARING WOMEN AT NIGHT (Emerging Canadian Artist).
The Audience Award winners are Ally Pankiw’s I USED TO BE FUNNY (seen in still above) for Best Narrative Feature, Loveleen Kaur’s LEILANI’S FORTUNE for Best Documentary Feature, and Zeppelin Zeerip’s APAYAUQ for Best Short Film.
The festival is also proud to announce director Judith Schuyler’s upcoming project THERE IS LIGHT won the annual “Pitch, Please!” contest. The “Pitch, Please!” competition took place in person on June 3, 2023, with competitors from across the globe presenting a short, two-minute pitch to a jury and audience. Prizes awarded to the winner include a cash production grant of $5,000 sponsored by Netflix.
The 2023 festival took place in person and virtually from May 25 to June 4 in Toronto, Canada and showcased 107 films from 30 countries, including 33 feature films, and 7 world premieres, This year’s festival opened with the Canadian premiere of Ira Sach’s critically acclaimed drama PASSAGES, and closed with Tom Gustafson’s fantastical summer romance, GLITTER & DOOM, with cast Tig Notaro, Lea DeLaria, Missi Pyle, Alex Diaz, and Alan Cammish in town to present its world premiere.
The full winners and awards are as follows:
CANADIAN JURIED AWARDS
The jurors for the 2023 Canadian jury were filmmakers Odu Adamu, Dylan Glynn, and Alice Wang
Best Canadian Feature – sponsored by Warner Access Media
SUPPORTING OUR SELVES – Director, Lulu Wei
Best Canadian Short – sponsored by DGC National
ADORE – Director, Beth Warrian
Emerging Canadian Artist – Sponsored by RBC Royal Bank
SCARING WOMEN AT NIGHT – Director, Karimah Zakia Issa
INTERNATIONAL JURIED AWARD
The jurors for the 2023 International jury Them Editor Michael Cuby, actor Izaiah Dockery, and filmmaker Kait Schuster.
Best First Feature – Sponsored by NBC Universal
ALMAMULA – Director, Juan Sebastián Torales
Honourable Mention for Best First Feature
SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT – Director, Luis De Filippis
Leadership Circle Prize for Outstanding Performance – sponsored by Daydream
Payman Maadi in OPPONENT (MOTSTÅNDAREN)
AUDIENCE AWARDS – sponsored by eOne
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
I USED TO BE FUNNY – Director, Ally Pankiw
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
LEILANI’S FORTUNE – Director, Loveleen Kaur
Audience Award for Best Short Film
APAYAUQ – Director, Zeppelin Zerrip
“PITCH, PLEASE!” – sponsored by Netflix
THERE IS LIGHT – Director Judith Schuyler
(Photo credit: levelFILM)
Touted as a film celebrating all types of Queerness, Tom Gustafson‘s GLITTER & DOOM closes-out the 2023 Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival – presented by RBC – after kicking-off May 25th in-person and online. The Jukebox Musical, set to the catalog of Indigo Girls, is a Rom-Com which centers on a musician and a carefree kid who fall in love and only have a small window to decide if they are right for one another. The Film stars Canadian-Filipino actor Alex Diaz and the UK’s Alan Cammish as Glitter and Doom, respectively. They are supported by a stellar and season Cast that includes the likes of Lea DeLaria, Tig Notaro, Ming-Na Wen and Missi Pyle.
We had the absolute honour of interviewing this talented Cast at the Film’s Premiere at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Our George Kozera and I ask the Cast about their characters, their experience working on GLITTER & DOOM, in addition to their affinity for Toronto and more.
Don’t forget to follow the Film’s official Instagram account here for updates including when and where you can see it!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Taking place between May 25 to June 4, 2023, the INSIDE OUT 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival is back in Toronto both in-person and online! The Festival kicks-off this year with PASSAGES from Director Ira Sachs and closes with Tom Gustafson‘s GLITTER & DOOM, and is packed with several quality films including Toronto-filmed I USED TO BE FUNNY, which premiered at SXSW ’23 and also Sundance Next Audience Award winner KOKOMO CITY. BLUE JEAN also is coming to the Festival with huge accolades and award wins as well.
Our George Kozera had a chance to preview some of the Festival’s marquee titles and he shares his thoughts below.
Set in modern day South Africa, we first meet Varum (Ace Bhatti) as he makes finishing touches on a tailored suit jacket for his friend Stan (Rob van Vuuren), a casino owner with whom he shares a nefarious history with. Varum is now a reformed con artist, struggling to make ends meet, and when leaving the casino he gets a phone call from his estranged wife Monica, asking him to rescue her from rehab. Meanwhile, his son River (Gabe Gabriel), a trans male, is practicing alongside Ollie (Cleo Wesley) his drag queen BFF to win prize money at an upcoming drag competition to pay for his gender-affirming surgery. Despite Monica having abandoned River when he was only months old, Varum convinces his son to join him on the most entertaining and jaunty cinematic road trip to hit the screens since “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”.
RUNS IN THE FAMILY is directed by Ian Gabriel with a Script by his real-life son and star of the Movie, Gabe in his first role as a trans actor. Using their relationship as a template, this is a heartfelt and very funny movie that captivates and elevates, with one of the best cinematic drag shows since the aforementioned “Priscilla”. Witty lines are fast and furious: Varum who is of Indian descent slayed me when he said, “sacred cows make the best burgers”. Then, the final act of RUNS IN THE FAMILY takes a dramatic tonal shift where secrets are revealed, old wounds resurface and previous bad habits reoccur. It is a stunning achievement, handled with finesse and made me even more invested with all the characters.
I urge all to see the World Premiere of RUNS IN THE FAMILY. It’s an astonishing piece of work that grabs you like a pit-bull and never lets you loose. In a good way!!
Date: Thurs. June 1, 9:15p Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 1
Jake (Cardi Wong) cannot wait to start his senior year in high school alongside his sexually curious and voracious girlfriend Valerie (Parmiss Sehat). Furthermore, his father George (Ryan Mah) is putting pressure on him to no longer be a seat warmer but an active basketball team player (a sport that George was a star athlete when attending the same school). Whereas they practice daily, Jake seems more preoccupied with Aleks (Chris Carson), the openly-gay teenager and accomplished basketball player living across the alley of his family home where he surreptitiously takes photos of him from his bedroom window than shooting hoops with his dad. Despite his funny and engaging personality, life at home is also no picnic: his father is unyielding, his mother Andrea (Leeah Wong) hates working at the family Chinese restaurant and his sister Janet (Claudia Kai) wants to pursue a culinary career much to her mother’s chagrin. The shining light in Jake’s world is his newfound and close friendship with Aleks, despite questioning these new feelings he is experiencing.
Whereas it appears that Screenwriter Gorrman Lee hasn’t met a cinematic cliché that he won’t use (the Jake/Aleks “meets-cute” at school, the super serious and angry Chinese parents, the school’s Team Captain bully, the shallow excuses and so on), Director Jason Karman skillfully avoids the landmines in GOLDEN DELICIOUS and with great dexterity and glorious Cinematography gives the audience a rewarding movie. He magnificently manoeuvres all the possible pitfalls and the story’s potentially melodramatic undertones and fashioned a wonderful and entertaining movie experience. I truly appreciated the coming out process from an Asian-Canadian perspective and embraced the exceptional chemistry between Cardi Wong and Chris Carson, with a strong shout out to Claudia Kai, criminally-underused in an undeveloped character role. With some minor reservations, I strongly recommend GOLDEN DELICIOUS.
Date: Sat. June 3, 11:45a Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 1
Positioned as a Special Presentation at this year’s Festival, Writer/Director Ally Pankiw’s feature film debut, I USED TO BE FUNNY, is a bravura accomplishment that MUST be savoured. Emerging star Rachel Sennott plays Sam was once a stand-up Comedian of substance and acclaim and fast tracked on the road to stardom. But we first meet her as she struggles with PTSD, where just taking a shower feels like an accomplishment and noises make her skittish. Fortuitously, her two roommates, Paige (Sabrina Jalees) and Philip (Caleb Hearon) are extremely supportive; even more so after the very drunk 14-year-old Brooke (Olga Petsa) – a young girl Sam used to nanny – breaks a window in their house and is then reported missing. This event pushes Sam over the brink.
As I USED TO BE FUNNY takes us on a journey between the present (where Sam continues to try to cope and overcome her condition) and the past (where we learn more about the relationship between Sam and Brooke), Pankiw brilliantly tackles delicate subject matters as mental health and sexual violence with candor, humour, and intelligence.
After Brooke’s mother passed away, her father Cameron (played by the real-life husband of Samantha Bee, Jason Jones) hired Sam to look after his daughter as he is a police officer who works extended hours and also has no idea how to deal with a young girl. Overcoming the initial resistance from Brooke, she and Sam ultimately bond and their relationship flourishes until something horrible happens which changes the dynamics and both their lives.
What makes I USED TO BE FUNNY shine is that every single performance by everyone in this Movie is letter-perfect. Rachel Sennott (obscenely ignored during the awards season for her performance in “Shiva Baby”) shows the audience her remarkable dramatic range alongside her pitch-perfect comedic timing. Jalees and Hearon (both real-life stand-up Comedians) shine as they skillfully traverse between delivering wickedly funny one-liners and genuine compassion and empathy. Jones registers with a performance that incorporates confusion, compassion, and menace. In the role of Sam’s boyfriend Nathan, Ennis Esmer genuinely surprised me as he disappears completely into the character. The standout performance comes from Olga Petsa as Brooke. Her range is exceptional and belies the age of this young soon-to-be megastar.
This Telefilm Canada in association with Crave production is scheduled to be released theatrically in 2024 and I predict it will receive accolades and awards during next year’s Canadian Screen Awards. But why wait? See I USED TO BE FUNNY now!
Date: Fri. May 26, 9:15p Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 1
MUTT takes place over a very intense 24-hour period, set in New York City, where trans male Feña (Lio Mehiel) reconnects with his 13-year-old half-sister, ex-boyfriend and father arriving from Chile as he lost contact with them while transitioning. When first introduced to Feña, my initial reaction was that he was just a surly bitch, and I could not shake that impression throughout the Movie’s running time. Near the end of the Movie, when a character tells him satisfyingly that “People don’t hate you because you’re trans. They hate you because you’re an a**hole”, I literally applauded. But this is not to diminish the impact of Writer/Director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz’s Movie, which has won awards at Sundance and Berlin. The performances from Cole Doman as the ex-boyfriend, MiMi Ryder as the half-sister and Alejandro Goic (who has serious Pedro Pascal vibes!) as the father, are all compelling. Though riddled with cliché, MUTT offers a unique Latinx perspective rarely seen on screen and that is to be admired.
Date: Wed. May 31, 6:45pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 3
1987. Rural Alberta. Robin (Vaughan Murrae), recently transplanted from the States, is having a rough first day at his new school. It seems that everyone in school in unsure of Robin’s gender. He is either ignored, bullied, or beat up. When he finally makes friends with his chief tormentor and local troublemaker Carter (Dominic Lippa) at a school trip to the recently-opened West Edmonton Mall, all gets better until both of them develop a crush on Izzy (Lacey Oake). BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND goes downhill from there.
Canada is world-renowned for its sense of humour, yet there is little in this Movie that would support that. Particularly, what I take offence to is its treatment of teachers: a noble, undervalued, underpaid, and underappreciated profession. On what universe is a teacher showing 11-12 year-olds how to properly put on a condom on a peeled banana funny? In the Film’s landscape, there are no repercussions to physical violent attacks on youngsters, amongst other horrors and this is problematic.
In a positive vein, the attention to detail when it comes to the Art Direction is exceptional, as they truly captured the look of the late ’80s. And I am definitely a fan of young Vaughan Murrae as his performance here is not only admirable, embodying some much-needed humanity.
Check out the Schedule and offerings this year here.
The 33rd annual Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival, which proudly champions innovative 2SLGBTQ+ filmmakers from across the globe, has revealed its full film lineup. Showcasing 107 films from 30 countries, including 33 feature films, and 7 world premieres. The festival will take place both in-person and virtually from May 25th to June 4th, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. The announcement was made today by Inside Out’s Co-Head & Executive Director, Elie Chivi, and Co-Head & Artistic Director, Andrew Murphy.
The festival’s opening night film this year will be the Canadian Premiere of acclaimed filmmaker Ira Sachs’ French romantic drama PASSAGES, which premiered earlier this year at Sundance to rave reviews. The drama about three people caught in a love triangle marked by passion, jealousy, and narcissism stars Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, and Adele Exarchopoulos. Closing the festival will be the World Premiere of a fantastical summer romance with a big musical heart, GLITTER & DOOM by Tom Gustafson, which is a love story told through the song lyrics by the Indigo Girls and features Alex Diaz, Missy Pyle, Tig Notaro, Alan Cammish and Lea DeLaria, along with the Indigo Girls themselves.
This year’s RE:Focus Gala selection is the Sundance Next Audience Award and Berlin Panorama Audience Award winner, KOKOMO CITY by Grammy-nominated artist, D. Smith. Through laughter and conversation, D. Smith captures an unapologetic and unfiltered look into the lives of four Black transgender sex workers. The documentary also features a unique and exhilarating soundtrack that matches the film’s striking black and white visuals.
Inside Out’s Centerpiece Gala will host the World Premiere of Canadian documentary, SUPPORTING OUR SELVES, directed by Lulu Wei. The documentary is a moving exploration of more than four decades of the Toronto-based philanthropic organization, Community One Foundation, which continues to support the needs of the 2SLGTBQ+ communities.
Highlights from the Special Presentations lineup include the Canadian premieres of Ally Pankiw’s I USED TO BE FUNNY and Georgia Oakley’s BLUE JEAN. Fresh from its SXSW Grand Jury Nomination, I USED TO BE FUNNY features Rachel Sennott (SHIVA BABY), Olga Petsa, Jason Jones, Dani Kind, and Ennis Esmer. The Canadian writer-director’s debut feature is about an au pair and aspiring stand-up comic, struggling with PTSD, who must decide if she wants to join the search for a missing teen she used to nanny. BLUE JEAN is a story about a gym teacher living a double life in Thatcher’s England. It comes to Inside Out after winning Venice’s Giornate Degli Autori’s People’s Choice, Best Lead Performance for star Rosy McEwen at the British Independent Film Awards, as well as multiple BAFTA nominations, including Outstanding Debut for Oakley.
Other notable festival titles include the World Premieres of Loveleen Kaur’s music documentary LEILANI’S FORTUNE, which follows queer, immigrant Ethiopian-Eritrean artist Witch Prophet as she navigates newfound momentum in the music industry; and Ian Gabriel’s RUNS IN THE FAMILY, a heartfelt dramedy about a father-son road trip across South Africa. Inside Out will also host the Canadian premiere of MUTT, which played at the Berlin and Sundance festivals earlier this year to critical acclaim, and focuses on a trans character as they adjust into their new life and identity.
Additional festival highlights include the Canadian premieres of 20,000 SPECIES OF BEES by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. The Berlin Guild Film Prize winner is the story of a young child and her path to discover her identity alongside her mother and the women in her family; and ALL THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE, the Teddy Award winner by Nigeria’s Babtunde Apalowo about a delivery driver in Lagos whose quiet life is disrupted by a friendly, easy-going photographer.
Inside Out will also host a special 20th Anniversary screening of Richard Linklater’s SCHOOL OF ROCK, starring Jack Black, with cast member Rivkah Reyes in attendance (who also has a film they wrote, GIANNA, playing at the festival).
“We are thrilled to welcome audiences to the 33rd annual Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival. We are incredibly grateful to our members, donors, sponsors and stakeholders as well as our queer filmmaking family, for their continued loyalty and support, and without whom, this festival would not be possible,” said Elie Chivi, Co-Head and Executive Director.
“2023 is the year of Inside Out! Further solidifying our place in the spring pre-pride calendar, the Inside Out family has been hard at work to unveil today the best and most crucial cinematic voices from the 2SLGBTQ+ community.” said Andrew Murphy, Co-Head and Artistic Director. “Built around the heart of our cinematic experiences, we continue to strive to build experiences of connection, industry and professional development, and at the end of the night, a dance floor, because joy comes in many forms,” commented Andrew Murphy, Co-Head & Artistic Director.
“This year’s program offers an eclectic and captivating lineup of films, showcasing the rich and multifaceted experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ communities globally and right here in our own backyard. From the bold and innovative works of local talent Luis De Filippis, VT Nayani, and Ally Pankiw to the world premieres and festival favorites from 30 countries, we are excited for our audience to join us and explore the complex and joyful nuances of queer life,” added Jenna Dufton, Director of Festival Programming.
Inside Out, in addition to being a major resource for 2SLGBTQ+ filmmakers and showcasing their work through the flagship festival, is one the world’s leading 2SLGBTQ+ film organizations, having founded the world’s only 2SLGBTQ+ Feature Finance Forum. The selected participants and mentors for the 8th edition International Financing Forum, will be announced in the coming weeks. Finance Forum success stories screening in this year’s festival are BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND (Trevor Anderson), BLUE JEAN (Georgia Oakley), GLITTER & DOOM (Tom Gustafson), GOLDEN DELICIOUS (Jason Karman), MUTT (Vuk Lungulov-Klotz), and SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT (Luis De Filippis).
The programming team is led by Director of Festival Programming Jenna Dufton, and is comprised of Lucia Linares (Programming Coordinator), and programmers Ferdosa Abdi, Rasheed Bailey, Ashley Bodika, Katherine Connell, Jacob Crepeault, Ferrin Evans, Ahlam Hassan, Claire Jarvis, Allia McLeod, Emma Pitters-Fisher, Nik Redman, and Scott Smart.
All in-person screenings at the festival will take place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, and all industry events, including the opening and closing night parties, as well as the activities for the LGBTQ International Financing Forum, will take place at Artscape Sandbox. Many films will also be available virtually and available in Ontario.
Individual tickets for screenings (in person and digital), ticket packages, and all-access passes are on sale as of today at insideout.ca.
The full 2023 festival selections include:
OPENING GALA
PASSAGES, directed by Ira Sachs (France/Narrative)
The latest work by acclaimed filmmaker Ira Sachs starring Ben Whishaw, Franz Rogowski and Adele Excharpouplo, is a tale about two men who wonder if their crumbling marriage can survive when one of them has an affair with a woman.
CLOSING GALA
GLITTER & DOOM, director by Tom Gustafson (USA/Narrative)
When carefree Glitter and aspiring musician Doom meet it is love at first sight but they have only 29 days to discover if their love will last. Told through song lyrics by the Indigo Girls, the romance features some of their greatest hits, including the iconic anthem “Closer to Fine.” The film stars Alex Diaz, Alan Cammish, Lea DeLaria, Missi Pyle, Tig Notaro, and the Indigo Girls themselves.
RE:FOCUS GALA
KOKOMO CITY, directed by D. Smith (USA/Documentary)
Through conversation and laughter, Grammy nominated artist D. Smith presents a vibrant portrait of four black transgender sex workers in New York and Georgia who reflect on belonging and identity within the Black community and beyond.
CENTREPIECE GALA
SUPPORTING OUR SELVES, directed by Lulu Wei (Canada/Documentary)
A moving exploration of more than four decades of activism, told through the lens of the Toronto-based philanthropic organization, Community One Foundation. What started as a predominantly white, middle-class collective redefined itself during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and ’90s and continues to adapt today to better meet the needs of our Toronto communities.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
I USED TO BE FUNNY, directed by Ally Pankiw (Canada/Narrative)
An au pair and aspiring stand-up comedian, struggling with PTSD, must decide to join the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny as she tries to recover from her trauma and get back on stage.
BLUE JEAN, directed by Georgia Oakley (UK/Narrative)
Jean, a gym teacher, struggling to live her life openly under Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government faces a crisis with the arrival of a new student that challenges Jean to her core.
PREMIERES
20,000 SPECIES OF BEES (20.000 ESPECIES DE ABEJAS), directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain / Narrative)
An eight-year-old child struggles with identity, her birth name feels very wrong, and her nickname Cocó doesn’t feel quite right either. During a summer among the beehives, she explores her name and identity alongside her mother and the women of her family.
OPPONENT (MOTSTANDAREN), directed by Milad Alami (Sweden/Narrative)
Iman and his family were forced to flee Iran and end up in northern Sweden. To protect his family he joins a local wrestling club. However, one sparring partner in particular ignites old feelings and Iman must choose between his own desires and the safety of his family.
RUNS IN THE FAMILY, directed by Ian Gabriel (South Africa/Narrative)
Former scam artist Varun and his trans drag performer son, River, embark on a road trip across South Africa. As River worries about missing Her Majesty’s Drag Competition and the opportunity to win the prize money to pay for his top surgery, secrets bubble to the surface and the duo’s relationship will be tested like never before.
SISI & I (SIS & ICH), directed by Frauke Finsterwalder (Germany, Switzerland, Austria/ Narrative)
Countess Irma finds Empress Sisi in Greece, away from the etiquette of the court. They live in freedom, but no matter how much Irma and Sisi resist, in the end they are left with only one fatal path that will bind them together forever.
ICONS
COMMITMENT TO LIFE, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz (USA / Documentary)
Hollywood played a critical role in the battle against HIV/AIDS as doctors, movie stars, studio moguls and activists came together to change the path of the epidemic and how the world saw it.
HUMMINGBIRDS, directed by Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefania ‘Beba” Contreras (USA/ Documentary)
Filmmakers and activists Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía “Beba” Contreras are coming of age in Laredo, Texas. Stuck in an immigration process with the threat of deportation for their families, they boldly refuse to be scared into submission and spend their days planning protest actions while expressing themselves with music, poetry, and art, creating magic in everyday moments.
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?, directed by Ella Glendining (UK/Documentary)
Filmmaker Ella Glendining was born with a very rare disability. Using intimate video diary entries, conversations with similarly bodied people and doctors treating her condition, Ella explored what it takes to love oneself fiercely despite the pervasiveness of ableism.
IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL, directed by Alexandria Bambach (USA/Documentary)
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers began performing together in high school as queer friends who never expected to make it big. Against all odds, they broke through in the 1980s, maintaining musical careers on their own terms with an unwavering commitment to progressive politics and queer rights.
LEILANI’S FORTUNE, directed by Loveleen Kaur (Canada/Documentary)
An intimate journey with queer, immigrant, Ethiopian-Eritrean artist Witch Prophet, as she navigates newfound momentum in the music industry. After a decade of making music she is now receiving critical acclaim and nominations, finally getting the validation and support she needs to embark on the creation of the album of her prophecies.
SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA
A QUEER’S GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL LIVING, directed by Ari Conrad Birch and Michal Heuston (Canada/Documentary)
The lives of four queer folks from various religions meet at the intersection of faith and queerness – Summeiya, the genderfluid founder of Queer Muslim Network Toronto, Juliana, a bisexual teacher and former Baptist Christian, Vaibhav, a gay Hindu dancer, and Ari, a trans Coptic Orthodox drag artist.
BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND, directed by Trevor Anderson (Canada/Narrative)
Robin’s arrival at a small-town Alberta middle-school causes a stir because the students aren’t sure of Robin’s gender. When Robin becomes friends with Trevor, the school bully, their friendship is put to the test when they are both attracted to Izzy.
BLOOM ROOM, directed by Tristen Sutherland, Yasmijn Nicolle, Christian Anderson, Sochima Nwakaeze, Ajahnis Charley (Canada/Series)
This six-episode series follows a group of Black millennials in an online community who love plants. As the group becomes entangled in each other’s lives, they find purpose in caretaking for their plants and their budding relationships.
GOLDEN DELICIOUS, directed by Jason Karman (Canada/Narrative)
Everyone wants something from high school senior Jake. But it’s not until Aleks, an openly gay teen with a love for basketball, moves in across the street that Jake begins to struggle with his own desires. To get closer to Aleks, Jake devotes himself to making the basketball team – only to realize it’s not basketball he really wants.
SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT, directed by Luis de Filippis (Canada, Switzerland/Narrative)
Ren reluctantly accompanies her very Italian family on a beach resort holiday. As Ren navigates a resort not suited to her trans identity and coped with her parents’ loving yet overbearing nature, she tries to balance the yearning for independence and the need to rely even more on her family’s support.
THIS PLACE, directed by V.T. Nayani (Canada/Narrative)
Kawenniióhstha leaves her community of Kahnawà:ke for Toronto and to find her Iranian father, who she has never met. Malai is a Tamil woman dealing with her father’s terminal illness and trying to decide what her future should look like. The women meet by chance but form an intense attraction and bond as they navigate complex issues of identity and family.
INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE
A PLACE OF OUR OWN (EK JAGAH APNI), directed by Ektara Collective (India/Narrative)
Trans women Laila and Roshni are looking for housing after they are evicted from their rental. As their search continues, it transcends physical spaces and biological bonds, and as new friendships blossom, help arrives from unexpected places.
ALL THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE, directed by Babatunde Apalowo (Nigeria/Narrative)
Bambino is a delivery driver in Lagos, living a quiet life but when he meets Bawa, a friendly and easygoing photographer, something clicks. But in a country where homosexuality is illegal and taboo, Bambino doesn’t know what to do with their connection; judging by the life choices of his friend Ifeyinwa, the options seem limited.
ALMAMULA, directed by Juan Sebastian Torales (France, Argentina, Italy/Narrative)
After being gay bashed by local boys, Nino’s family moves to their country home. Nino is forced to attend confirmation class and is warned not to enter a nearby forest or risk being captured by the Almamula, a mythic creature that takes away those who commit carnal sins. But he is pulled to explore the forest and find out if the Almamula is real.
BIG BOYS, directed by Corey Sherman (USA/Narrative)
Jamie’s dream camping trip is ruined before it even begins when he finds out that his beloved cousin is bringing her new boyfriend. Jamie’s initial jealousy of the competent and confident Dan quickly turns into a friendship as the weekend progresses, and Jamie comes to terms with who he is.
MUTT, directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz (USA/Narrative
Over the course of a single hectic day in New York City, three people from Feña’s past are thrust back into his life after he lost since transitioning – his relationships with his father, his younger half-sister, and his ex-boyfriend – all while tackling the day-to-day challenges of living life in-between.
NARROW PATH TO HAPPINESS, directed by Kata Olah (Hungary, USA/Narrative)
A young Romani couple living in a remote village in Hungary have a very big dream: to make a musical based on their lives so they go to Budapest where they can live more openly. But, they must return to their village for one final reckoning, hoping to finally find the inspiration to write their own happy ending.
NORWEGIAN DREAMS, directed by Levi Igor Devold (Norway, Poland, Germany/Narrative)
Robert travels from Poland to begin work in a salmon processing plant off the Trøndelag coast in Norway. He begins spending time with colleague, and aspiring drag queen, Ivar. When a strike breaks out, his loyalty to his fellow workers is tested.
QUEENDOM, directed by Agniia Galdanova (USA/Documentary)
Gena, an artist from a small town in Russia, dresses in otherworldly costumes and protests on the streets of Moscow. She stages radical performances in public, which becomes a new form of art and activism and puts her life in danger.
SPECIAL 20th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING: SCHOOL OF ROCK, directed by Richard Linklater (USA/Narrative)
Fired from his band, down and out rockstar Dewey Finn (Jack Black) is desperate for work and takes a job as a substitute music teacher at an uptight private school where his attitude and hijinks have a powerful effect on his students.
Special guest, Rivkah Reyes (Katie), will be in attendance to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mike White and Richard Linklater’s classic comedy.
THE VENUS EFFECT (VENUSEFFEKTEN), directed by Anna Emma Haudal (Denmark/Narrative)
Responsible and level-headed Liv believes she has her whole life figured out but cracks begin to show in her stable and simple life the arrival of eccentric artist Andrea. As the two women grow closer Liv’s life is thrown off course and she must contend with a breakup, a divorce, and an identity crisis that jeopardizes her shot at a happy life with the woman she loves.
WOLF AND DOG (LOBO E CAO), directed by Claudia Varejao (Portugal, France/Narrative)
Friends Ana and Luis were born on the island of São Miguel. Both have been expected to fit into the lives that have been laid out for them. But watching Luis push back against his father’s expectations, Ana begins to question the world around her.
SHORTS PROGRAM
The full shorts lineup can be found here.
The 2022 INSIDE OUT Festival brought to us by Lead Sponsor RBC, takes place May 26-June 5, 2022 in-person and online in Ontario. The Festival is comprised of 128 films from 28 countries, including 38 feature films, 3 episodic series, and 7 world premieres.
Now in its 32nd year, the Festival celebrating LGBTQ2S+ Film and Television, is highlighted by some high-profile programming, including 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!
Our George Kozera had the pleasure of previewing a few of the Festival’s key titles in-advance of this year’s Festival! Here’s his thoughts!
What sounds suspiciously like a bad joke set-up…a scatterbrained sex worker and a bitter gay Little Person meet and go on a road trip from New York to Labrador in a shockingly pink vehicle so that she can reconnect with the aliens that abducted her when she was 15 years old…UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS is a captivating comedy/drama/sci-fi hybrid that will have you invested from the very first scene. Acclaimed for his winning short movies, this is multi-hyphenate Juan Felipe Zuleta’s first feature-length film and there is nary a false move, from the stunning cinematography and to the haunting score from Sebastian Zuleta. Much like Rom-Coms, road trip movies tend to fall into predictable patterns which this film obliterates with finesse and originality.
As Winona, Sarah Hay gives a fully rounded performance in a difficult role that could have been a cliched mess in a less talented hands. Beautifully-nuanced and impressively balancing the quirky humour or pathos required, I hope to see more of her in the future. Matthew August Jeffers, who many will recognize from his recurring role on TV’s “New Amsterdam,” dominates every scene as Peter. He portrays loneliness, rage, sarcasm, grief, insecurities, intelligence and fear with superior assurance and grace, and I will not be at all surprised if he is nominated for Best Actor at next year’s Independent Spirit Awards.
Hold onto your hats as UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS soars to stratospheric heights.
Fri May 27, 7:15 pm
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I was drawn to the Documentary BEYOND ED BUCK as the story of a rich political insider arrested of drugging and killing two Black men was fictionalized in a recent episode of “Law and Order”. What I watched instead was a by-the-books “talking heads” feature that inexplicitly switched gears one third into the Movie. The first portion held my attention, albeit with many reservations, as I found the case against Ed Buck interesting, and the storyline incorporated sexual fetishes into the equation with aplomb. Then it completely switched gears and turned into a Documentary about Black Trans Lives (neither of Buck’s victims were Trans) with testimonials of those who survived prostitution, violence, and drug addiction. This is fine, but not what we were led to think the Documentary is about.
Documentarians Jayce Baron and Hailie Sahar sadly have taken on many topics that they are passionate about and tried to present too many things in a scant 91 minutes. There’s an unfinished, somewhat unsubstantiated and an incredibly angry one-sided vision presented in BEYOND ED BUCK. There are many stories to be told here and you can’t throw everything into one pot and call it Fusion.
Sat Jun 04, 2:15 pm
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NANA’S BOYS opens with Q (Jared Wayne Gladly) finding nothing in the fridge and sneaking out a beautifully-furnished Manhattan apartment to buy a birthday breakfast for his, still asleep in bed, life partner Amari (David J. Cook) who is celebrating his “Dirty 30” that day. We quickly ascertain that Q, a successful Lawyer, is a bit of a control freak and Amari is unemployed and shiftless. They bicker in a way that only those in a long-standing relationship do culminating with Amari being overwhelmed by his gift of a wedding ring. When an explosion in Times Square forces the city into lockdown, the two men go into “The Boys in the Band” route and play a truth-seeking game using Polaroids of their life together. Shattering secrets are revealed.
NANA’S BOYS expertly portrays the dynamics of a relationship that changes and evolves much to the blind eye of a partner. Cracks in the foundation appear upon each new revelation. Writer/Director Ashton Pina confidently and concisely makes this very theatrical piece engrossing and elicits earnest performances and a believable chemistry between the two actors. The movie is an emotional roller coaster with gratifying results.
Tue May 31, 9:30 pm
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London in the ’60s may have been the epicenter of music and fashion and trends but it was short-lived, and it took 20 years for that city to regain that mantle once again. “It is the duty of every generation to reject the old” says one of many interviewees in the Inside Out Centerpiece Gala, TRAMPS!, a wildly-entertaining and vibrant Documentary about the birth of The New Romantics movement. Adapting from its Punk Rock roots and eschewing the grunge of the Sex Pistols and The Clash, The New Romantics were more theatrical in fashion and melodic in their music which captivated the world. Whereas I personally am a bit of an expert about the New York City Alternative scene of that era, I was transfixed by how it came to be across the pond and relished the Filmmakers use of archival filmed footage and recent interviews with the artistic pioneers of those days. The creatively flamboyant gay roots, exemplified by Boy George, were a crucial factor in the New Romantics success as it spawned new musical identities, informative magazines and genuinely original fashion and jewelry. It also respectfully honours those lost to AIDS (including maverick Filmmaker Derek Jarman and Performance Artist extraordinaire Leigh Bowery) or heroin addiction.
TRAMPS! reminded me of my favourite Grade School Teacher; he taught me new things, expanded my narrow environments, and made it all fun to boot! Highly-recommended.
Tue May 31, 7:00 pm
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Making a nod to the 1992 song by The Cure, FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE is Documentary Filmmaker Marcus Pontello’s love letter to Numbers, a nightclub in Houston Texas. Bullied as a teenager in and out of high school for being out and proud, Pontello found solace in the Alternative music scene and dancing the night away at the gay watering hole. Originally a GayDisco in the late ’70s, Numbers went through many iterations until it found success as a venue that catered to fans of musical acts that include Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan and Grace Jones (shown minimally performing on the club’s stage). One of the co-owners of the bar during its heyday years was also the owner of Houston’s most successful record stores and worked tirelessly to promote new bands and music.
I wish FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE was as bouncy and compelling as the song remains to be. It is a rather sophomoric Documentary with endless interviews and little refreshing insights. Record stores have gone the route of the dinosaurs and nightclubs are not jammed to the rafters as they used to be everywhere currently, so the revelations here are not unique as this documentary wishes it could be. The Movie works as an unabashedly paean to a place that forever changed the Filmmaker. Other than that, I see a limited appeal to anyone outside of the Houston area and of a certain age.
Sun May 29, 2:15 pm
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First-time Filmmaker Ryan Bruce Levey explores the world of professional wrestling and its impact on the LGBTQ2S+ community in the Documentary OUT OF THE RING with passion and insight. Using archival footage alongside recent testimonies from Journalists, Historians and Wrestlers, Levey paints a fascinating and, at times, infuriating portrait of this incredibly unique form of entertainment. The rampant Homophobia and Racism that existed in the past is revelatory, but what profoundly disturbed me is the hypocrisy and greed from current Promoters as they exploit these Entertainers for financial gain. Whereas I could have done without some of the armchair psychological rhetoric presented, the interviews with current LGBTQ2S+ Professional Wrestlers were enlightening and inspiring as they strive for true and honest representation.
OUT IN THE RING introduced me to a world I had no interest in and I am now an informed and less judgmental about this unusual Sport and its Entertainers.
Fri Jun 03, 4:45 pm
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In 1993, the Movie “Strawberry and Chocolate” made an international impact as it depicted gay life in Cuba. Though filmed in Taiwan and coming here after a successful screening at the Cannes Film Festival last year, MONEYBOYS may be the first film that addresses gay life in China. Despite a somewhat morose aura that permeates throughout, this is an accomplished piece of work that deserves attention.
When we first meet Fei (Kai Ko), he is a gay hustler working the rounds somewhere in South China and living with Xiaolai (J.C. Lin) with whom he has an intimate relationship with. After a brutally-violent incident, the story continues five years later when Fei returns to his small hometown village to see his dying grandfather. Despite a joyful reunion with his childhood friend Long (Yufan Bai), Fei’s family members treat him with disgust as, whereas they eagerly accept the money he sends, the method of how he makes his living is anathema to this patriarchal and homophobic environment. Fei leaves the village for good, followed by Long a few days later.
Much of Chinese Cinema has its own unique rhythm and style which may be discerned as over-the-top and soap opera-like by Western audiences. Everyone has their own story of love, be it requited or not. Seeing how Fei’s quest to find his heart’s soulmate falter often had me rivetted. With glorious Cinematography and heartfelt performances, MONEYBOYS is worth searching to experience.
Thu Jun 02, 9:15 pm
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Visit here for more on scheduling and tickets!
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.
In case you missed some of these fan favourites that did the Festival circuit this year, now’s your chance to see some compelling films this Summer outdoors, brought to you by INSIDE OUT, the world’s premiere 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival.
Playing this Summer as part of the Series in around Ontario:
July 23
FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK (in co-presentation with Hot Docs)
Directed by: Bobbi Jo Hart
Fanny: The Right to Rock tells the story of one of the best bands—Filipina-American and LBGTQ+ bandmates included—that you have likely never heard.
July 24
SWAN SONG
Directed by: Todd Stephens
An aging hairdresser escapes his nursing home and embarks on an odyssey across his small town to style a dead woman’s hair for her funeral, rediscovering his sparkle along the way.
*Preceded by short film: I AM GAY
Directed by: Ajahnis Charley
After working abroad for five years, filmmaker Ajahnis Charley returns home to Oshawa, Ontario, in the age of quarantine.
*Includes pre-show musical performance by Tafari Anthony
July 25
SUMMERTIME
Directed by: Carlos López Estrada
Inspired by a showcase featuring diverse high school performers, Carlos López Estrada collaborates with young poets, many of whom are LGBTQ, to develop their work into an inspiring narrative and love letter to the youth of Los Angeles.
*Preceded by short film: NOOR & LAYLA
Directed by: Fawzia Mirza
Noor and Layla are breaking up. It’s the end of the road for these two Muslim women…or is it just the beginning? Five life-changing moments in their relationship are marked by the Muslim call to prayer.
*Includes pre-show musical performance by TÖME
MUSTANG DRIVE-IN (LONDON)
Address: 2551 Wilton Grove Rd, London, ON N6N 1M7
Doors Open: 7PM
Program Start: 8PM
July 28
DOUBLE FEATURE: SWEETHEART & BEYTO
SWEETHEART
Directed by Marley Morrison
As sun-soaked as one can get at a caravan park in Dorset, Sweetheart follows A.J. as she attempts to balance an embarrassing family vacation with the terrifying adventure of first love.
BEYTO
Directed by Gitta Gsell
Adapted from a novel by Swiss-Kurdish writer Yusuf Yesilöz, Beyto, which won the Prix du Public audience award at Switzerland’s Solothurn Film Festival, wrestles with the tension between cultures, and between a family’s sense of honour and a person’s need to be true to themselves.
*Preceded by short film: NOOR & LAYLA
Directed by: Fawzia Mirza
Noor and Layla are breaking up. It’s the end of the road for these two Muslim women…or is it just the beginning? Five life-changing moments in their relationship are marked by the Muslim call to prayer.
TORONTO OUTDOOR PICTURE SHOW (TORONTO)
Address: “Walled Fort” of Fort York National Historic Site – entry at west gates of 100 Garrison Road
Doors Open: 7:00PM
Program Start: Sundown
*This is an outdoor screening, not a drive-in
August 20
CHUTNEY POPCORN
Directed by: Nisha Ganatra
As a struggling artist and Honda-riding out-lesbian, Reena (Nisha Ganatra) feels she has nothing on her older married do-perfect sister Sarita (Sakina Jaffrey) – except her ovaries, that is. When Sarita and her husband discover that they cannot have children, Reena offers to serve as a surrogate mother. All that stands in the way is convincing her sister, mother, friends, and commitment-phobic girlfriend, Lisa (Jill Hennessey,) to go along with it.
*Preceded by short film: NOOR & LAYLA
Directed by: Fawzia Mirza
Noor and Layla are breaking up. It’s the end of the road for these two Muslim women…or is it just the beginning? Five life-changing moments in their relationship are marked by the Muslim call to prayer.
MUSTANG DRIVE-IN PICTON (PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY)
Address: 1521 Prince Edward County Rd 1, Bloomfield, ON K0K 1G0
Doors Open: 7PM
Program Start: 8PM
August 24
DOUBLE FEATURE: SWEETHEART & BEYTO
SWEETHEART
Directed by Marley Morrison
As sun-soaked as one can get at a caravan park in Dorset, Sweetheart follows A.J. as she attempts to balance an embarrassing family vacation with the terrifying adventure of first love.
BEYTO
Directed by Gitta Gsell
Adapted from a novel by Swiss-Kurdish writer Yusuf Yesilöz, Beyto, which won the Prix du Public audience award at Switzerland’s Solothurn Film Festival, wrestles with the tension between cultures, and between a family’s sense of honour and a person’s need to be true to themselves.
*Preceded by short film: PITOC E ICINAKOSIAN
Directed by: Gerry Ottawa, Jos-Onimskiw Ottawa-Dubé
Gerry and their big brother Jos show us that there is more to being different than bullying, discrimination, and harassment.
THE DRIVE-IN EXPERIENCE OTTAWA WEST (OTTAWA)
Address: RBC Festival Field – Wesley Clover Parks, 401 Corkstown Road, Nepean, ON K2H 8G2
Doors Open: 7PM
Program Start: 8PM
August 27
FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK (in co-presentation with Hot Docs)
Directed by: Bobbi Jo Hart
Fanny: The Right to Rock tells the story of one of the best bands—Filipina-American and LBGTQ+ bandmates included—that you have likely never heard.
*Preceded by short film: I AM GAY
Directed by: Ajahnis Charley
After working abroad for five years, filmmaker Ajahnis Charley returns home to Oshawa, Ontario, in the age of quarantine.
August 28
BEYTO
Directed by Gitta Gsell
Adapted from a novel by Swiss-Kurdish writer Yusuf Yesilöz, Beyto, which won the Prix du Public audience award at Switzerland’s Solothurn Film Festival, wrestles with the tension between cultures, and between a family’s sense of honour and a person’s need to be true to themselves.
*Preceded by short film: PITOC E ICINAKOSIAN
Directed by: Gerry Ottawa, Jos-Onimskiw Ottawa-Dubé
Gerry and their big brother Jos show us that there is more to being different than bullying, discrimination, and harassment.
Click here for more and tickets.
(Photo credit: Inside Out)
The full programming line-up for the 2021 INSIDE OUT 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival has been unveiled and it includes some hits that came out of SXSW even like Potato Dreams of America, Alone Together (Charli XCX Documentary), Ma Belle, My Beauty and Opening Night Selection. Language Lessons starring Natalie Morales (who directs also) and Mark Duplass. Hot Docs hit FANNY: RIGHT TO ROCK also surfaces here giving us a chance to see it again! The Festival runs Ontario-wide online May 27-June 6, 2021.
Check-out the line-up below:
OPENING NIGHT
LANGUAGE LESSONS, directed by Natalie Morales. (USA / Narrative)
Natalie Morales explores platonic love masterfully in Language Lessons, demonstrating that no matter how hopeless, isolated or distant we are, finding love and friendship is always possible.
CLOSING NIGHT
ALONE TOGETHER, directed by Bradley Bell, Pablo Jones-Soler. (USA / Documentary)
Alone Together goes in depth with Charli XCX as she faces mental health issues, rekindles her relationship, and connects with vulnerable LGBTQ+ fans in need.
PREMIERES
A DISTANT PLACE, directed by Park Kun-Young. (South Korea / Narrative).
A Distant Place is a wistful drama about love and family, set in the dazzling countryside of Hwacheon County in South Korea.
KNOCKING, directed by Frida Kempff. (Sweden / Narrative).
When Molly moves into a new apartment after a tragic accident, a strange noise from upstairs begins to unnerve her.
MA BELLE, MY BEAUTY, directed by Marion Hill. (USA, France / Narrative).
The buzz about this Sundance Audience Award winner suggests that Ma Belle, My Beauty primarily explores a polyamorous relationship. In fact, what the film more poignantly explores are the yearnings and complexities of characters who happen to be, among other things, polyamorous.
POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA, directed by Wes Hurley. (USA / Narrative).
Potato Dreams of America is an unlikely autobiographical fantasia that uses magical realism and plenty of humor to honour mothers, immigrants and dreamers everywhere.
SEE YOU THEN, directed by Mari Walker. (USA / Narrative).
A decade after abruptly breaking up with Naomi, Kris invites her to dinner to catch up on their complicated lives, relationships, and Kris’s transition.
ICONS
CAN YOU BRING IT, directed by Tom Hurwitz, Rosalynde LeBlanc. (USA / Documentary).
Can You Bring It resurrects one of the most essential works of art to come out of the AIDS era and celebrates the people who brought the masterpiece to life.
FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK, directed by Bobbi Jo Hart. (Canada / Documentary).
Fanny: The Right to Rock tells the story of one of the best bands—Filipina-American and LBGTQ+ bandmates included—that you have likely never heard.
MAMA GLORIA, directed by Luchina Fisher. (USA / Documentary).
Mama Gloria invites you into the world of role model, charm school founder and powerful trans activist, Gloria Allen.
YES I AM – THE RIC WEILAND STORY, directed by Aaron Bear. (USA / Documentary).
Ric Weiland is a name you’re probably not familiar with, especially in association with a tech giant like Microsoft. This captivating documentary explores Weiland’s life and work as an out and proud computer genius.
INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE
A SEXPLANATION, directed by Alexander Liu. (USA / Documentary).
From neuroscience labs to church pews, A Sexplanation features provocative conversations in the pursuit of sexual truth and knowledge.
BEING THUNDER, directed by Stephanie Lamorre. (France / Documentary).
Sherente Harris, a two-spirit genderqueer teenager from the Narragansett tribe in Rhode Island, boldly challenges the status quo of what it means to be a queer Indigenous person in a world bound by binary gender roles.
BEYTO, directed by Gitta Gsell. (Switzerland / Narrative).
Adapted from a novel by Swiss-Kurdish writer Yusuf Yesilöz, Beyto, which won the Prix du Public audience award at Switzerland’s Solothurn Film Festival, wrestles with the tension between cultures, and between a family’s sense of honour and a person’s need to be true to themselves.
BOY MEETS BOY, directed by Daniel Sánchez López. (Germany / Narrative).
Taking inspiration from the mumblecore genre, Boy Meets Boy is a brief but romantic encounter between two young men who fall for each other over the course of a single day.
DRAG INVASION, directed by Alberto Castro. (Peru / Documentary).
Drag Invasion tells the story of a surprising phenomenon that mobilized, energized and empowered LGBTQ Peruvians.
EVERYTHING AT ONCE, directed by Alberto Fuguet. (Chile , Spain / Documentary).
Blurring the lines between traditional documentary and film essay, Everything at Once observes the work of two Catalan photographers and their vision of emphasizing the sex appeal of the working class.
GENDERATION, directed by Monika Treut. (Germany / Documentary).
In 1999, Monika Treut made one of the first documentaries—Gendernauts—about trans people living in San Francisco. Twenty years later, Monika reunites with some of the film’s subjects to see how their lives have evolved in the intervening years. Screens with a newly restored version of Gendernauts.
I CARRY YOU WITH ME, directed by Heidi Ewing. (USA, Mexico / Narrative).
Acclaimed filmmaker Heidi Ewing makes her narrative feature debut with I Carry You with Me, a bittersweet true story of an aspiring chef’s dreams and romantic encounters.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SURVIVAL, directed by Yana Ugrekhelidze. (Germany / Documentary).
Instructions for Survival, one of the most striking documentaries to come out of this year’s Berlinale, elegantly navigates the story of a couple fighting for freedom against terrifying threats in their homeland.
KAPANA, directed by Philippe Talavera. (Namibia / Narrative).
Kapana takes a familiar narrative and gives it new life in the first Namibian film featuring a gay love story, supported by breakout performances and a promising message for queer African rights.
LEADING LADIES, directed by Ruth Caudeli. (Colombia / Narrative).
Ruth Caudeli (Second Star on the Right) returns to Inside Out with Leading Ladies, a reflection on how different perspectives and memories affect one group of queer women.
LOVE, SPELLS AND ALL THAT, directed by Ümit Ünal. (Turkey / Narrative).
United by a twenty-year-old spell, two women journey through the neglected corners of their memories as they explore the island of Büyükada, Istanbul, in Love, Spells and All That.
MOFFIE, directed by Oliver Hermanus. (South Africa, UK / Narrative).
South African auteur Oliver Hermanus delivers a brutal but radiant story of young gay desire on the Angolan war front.
MY FIRST SUMMER, directed by Katie Found. (Australia / Narrative).
Nestled in the delicate interactions of two teenage girls, My First Summer offers viewers the distant, pastel colours of a first childhood romance.
POPPY FIELD, directed by Eugen Jebeleanu. (Romania / Narrative).
In Poppy Field, it is not only misguided zealots shouting “Abomination!” that create the problem; it’s the machismo that holds the thin blue line together, and the anger that simmers underneath.
SUMMERTIME, directed by Carlos López Estrada. (USA / Narrative).
Inspired by a showcase featuring diverse high school performers, Carlos López Estrada collaborates with young poets, many of whom are LGBTQ, to develop their work into an inspiring narrative and love letter to the youth of Los Angeles.
SWEETHEART, directed by Marley Morrison. (UK / Narrative).
As sun-soaked as one can get at a caravan park in Dorset, Sweetheart follows A.J. as she attempts to balance an embarrassing family vacation with the terrifying adventure of first love.
TWO, directed by Astar Elkayam. (Israel / Narrative).
Two follows a couple as they set out on the long road to conception and realize their dream of having a baby.
WALK WITH ME, directed by Isabel Del Rosal. (USA / Narrative).
Walk With Me follows a young mother who must take some personal risks to find the happiness she has been seeking.
SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA
BLOODTHIRSTY, directed by Amelia Moses. (Canada / Narrative).
Bloodthirsty, the latest astonishing film from Canadian director Amelia Moses, is guaranteed to make your skin crawl with its vivid imagery and eerie sound design.
DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR, directed by Shelley Thompson. (Canada / Narrative).
When a young woman with a startling resemblance to her mother arrives home for her mother’s funeral, one family begins an odyssey toward understanding.
HOW TO FIX RADIOS, directed by Casper Leonard, Emily Russell. (Canada / Narrative).
In Casper Leonard and Emily Russell’s stunning first feature, young queers carve out their own destiny in a rural community in Southern Ontario.
EPISODIC
#TMI, directed by Ashlei Shyne. (USA / Series).
#TMI is a comedy series that follows Aaliyah Jones, a bisexual woman who recently became single when her ex-girlfriend Simone moved to Berlin.
DINETTE SEASON 2, directed by Shaina Feinberg. (USA / Series).
The staff and regulars at a Brooklyn-based diner scramble to keep their favourite hangout afloat after the sudden death of its owner.
ENBY, directed by Morgan Strug. (Canada / Series).
Enby, a 20-something human living in East Van has finally found the words that match their identity.
QUERENCIA, directed by Mary Galloway. (Canada / Series).
Querencia is a love story that follows two Indigenous queer women from divergent backgrounds as they navigate and explore their complex Indigiqueer identities and their differing cultural upbringings.
TRANS IN TRUMPLAND, directed by Tony Zosherafatain. (USA / Series).
Trans in Trumpland takes an intricate, inspiring road trip from State to State into the lives of four remarkable, resilient trans people.
SHORTS
The shorts lineup can be found here.
More here on the Festival.
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