Clothing can be a means of self-expression as well as a way to represent the communities we belong to; we dress up both to stand out and to fit in. This shorts program recommended for grade 8+ explores fashion, culture, personal style, and identity from multiple perspectives, demonstrating how clothing provides opportunities for creativity, acceptance, and social change.
Followed by a 90 minute Gender Expression workshop with Out In Schools, with supplies provided and activities for you to experiment with, explore, and create your unique gender expression! Bring clothes to modify or swap, and learn to modify your clothes into items that bring you joy.
All films in this program will also be available to watch online.
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This program is a part of The Future is Queer: Youth Programs at VQFF and is FREE to attend for individual youth under 25 and school groups.
To purchase a free youth ticket, click “Get Tickets” and select the Youth option for in-person or online. Educators may register their class to attend now. Learn more.
The World According to Pussy Noir
Amy Oden / United States / 2023 / 24 min / English
Pussy Noir, also known as Jason Barnes, is mounting a drag fashion show at the prestigious Kennedy Center. The show is an opportunity for Pussy to reflect on the history of drag, its roots in Black culture, and its exclusion from mainstream fashion and fine art.
Dyeing for a Pocket
Mairi Eyres / United Kingdom / 2024 / 7 min / English
A flower farmer in the English countryside makes her own clothes with large pockets inspired by 17th-century sewing patterns.
Scrapped Fabric
Jake Muñoz Consing / Philippines / 2024 / 11 min / Tagalog
Fran sews her dream prom dress from her mother’s scrap fabric (“retaso” in Tagalog) and reveals her trans identity to her family and community.
Wouldn't Make It Any Other Way
Hao Zhou / United States, Guam / 2024 / 21 min / English
A queer designer travels from Idaho to their childhood home in Guam to make costumes for a children’s theatre production.
How To Dress Like Me
Juanita Ebbs, Aaron Alvarez / Australia / 2023 / 5 min / English
A charming portrait of Rose Chong Costumiers, a queer community hub in Melbourne that helps its clientele look their best for any occasion.
GIRLY
Zoe Black / United States / 2024 / 20 / English
Children of all genders often absorb the message that to be “girly” is bad. This documentary revisits those assumptions from a queer perspective, following a nonbinary filmmaker and their friends as they explore different cultural expressions of femininity.