Vancouver Queer Film Festival Announces 2024 First Wave of Festival Highlights

The beloved festival will showcase 97 projects from 25 countries this September

VANCOUVER, BC (July 29, 2024) –  The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) has announced select highlights from their 36th annual festival lineup. From September 11-22, 2024, audiences can catch 97 films from 25 countries, with 28 features, 5 series debuts, 64 short films, 8 world premieres, 3 international premieres, 6 North American premieres, and 28 Canadian Premieres among the selections. The Festival will include a programme with international film and episodic content authored by 2SLGBTQIA+ creators and centred on 2SLGBTQIA+ protagonists. The Festival will also feature parties, performances from local and international artists, post-screening Q&As with filmmakers, and industry events. Some films will be available to stream online within BC and there will be encore screenings of festival favourites. 

Kicking off the festival, VQFF’s Opening Presentation: Closer will feature a collection of short films that highlight the solidarity and brilliance of our diverse queer community. The lineup includes the Canadian premiere of Tom Stuart’s GOOD BOY (UK) starring Ben Whishaw (Skyfall) as a desperate man preparing to rob a bank, when his overly supportive mother and an unexpected encounter with his family doctor derail his plans. Also featured is Ella May Sahlman’s romantic comedy GREAT CANYON (US) starring Johnny Sibilly (Hacks) as a gay man who navigates a whirlwind of anxieties and insecurities on a first date. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with special guests and the Opening Night Party all taking place at the Vancouver Playhouse and FREE to attend with tickets to the Opening Presentation screening. VQFF is proud to have many visiting artists this year including Johnny Sibilly, best known for roles in Hacks, Pose and Queer as Folk. 

“Cultural change always precedes political change. Culture is power, it shapes who we are and sets the terms of the world we live in,” says Charlie Hidalgo, Artistic Director, Out On Screen. “This year VQFF features a remarkable lineup of queer and trans stories centering our joy and collective power. Our goal with this programme is to evoke laughter, emotion, and a call to action. We hope the festival will bring us together and inspire us to come closer to our authentic selves, closer to one another, and closer to our collective liberation.” 

VQFF is thrilled to announce that this year’s Closing Presentation will be the Canadian Premiere of LAYLA, a narrative feature film which premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Making their feature debut with raise-your-voice realness, director Amrou Al-Kadhi channels their experiences in the east London queer scene into the unforgettable saga of LAYLA: an up-and-coming Palestinian drag queen (played by newcomer Bilal Hasna) lighting up local clubs with impressive creativity. The Closing Night Party will be hosted at The Birdhouse post-screening, FREE to those with tickets to the Closing Presentation. 

One of this year’s Special Presentations in the Episodic Program is the world premiere of the first Vancouver Black queer web series NOVELETTE IS TRYING (Canada) from writer/director Giselle Miller who was inspired by her own experiences of identity and belonging in the city of Vancouver. The festival will screen the first five episodes of the never-before-seen series following Novelette, a cynical, anti-social, bisexual woman who finds herself newly single at age 30, and reluctantly decides to take on a roommate to help with the rent on her East Van apartment. At first, inviting the extroverted, outspoken Audre seems like the wrong choice; it may have been a mistake. But, although their personalities clash, Audre’s boldness and lack of boundaries soon rub off on Novelette in the best way, encouraging her to put herself back into the dating pool. 

Notable titles in the features lineup include the British Columbia Premiere of documentary BULLETPROOF: A LESBIAN’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE PLOT (Canada), from director Regan Latimer who embarks on a cross-country quest to uncover why Hollywood keeps “burying their gays.” Exploring how and why there are a disproportionate number of lesbian deaths in media. Another highlight is the Vancouver premiere of Anthony Schatteman’s YOUNG HEARTS (Belgium, Netherlands), which has received much praise from around the globe since its debut in Berlin and Cannes this year. The narrative debut is a giddy ode to teenagehood with its winsome and warm-hearted exploration of fierce young love.

Other festival highlights include the Curated Shorts Program: T4T. This impressive collection of shorts by trans and non-binary storytellers centers the trans experience with captivating characters, inspiring perspectives, and an uplifting tone. T4T features five films that offer a glimpse into the magical world of trans identity, love, and power. THE ROBBERS (Austria), directed by Isa Schieche, is just one of the amazing films featured in this shorts program. The film follows three trans women who meet in a country house to plan a robbery. In order to create a false trail, they must disguise themselves as men, pushing their emotional and physical limits. The film is an insightful social commentary about gender performance. The Curated Shorts Programs will also include the return of the homegrown talent showcase The Coast is Queer which will be announced in full with the entire VQFF lineup. 

VQFF is also pleased to announce its continued partnership with Lead Partner RBC Royal Bank. “As proud supporters of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, we are thrilled to continue our commitment as the lead partner of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival this year,” says Martin Thibodeau, Regional President, British Columbia, RBC Royal Bank. “We know that showcasing and celebrating the work and stories from diverse voices, has an impact within our local communities.” The Narrative Change Award, which launched at VQFF in 2023, made possible with RBC’s support, returns this year with a $5,000 CAD cash prize that will honour a storyteller whose work overturns outdated narratives, inspires change and expands the perception of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities.

New this year is VQFF’s partnership with the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (VLAFF), which includes co-presented programs on VQFF’s opening weekend which is VLAFF’s closing weekend. As a part of this crossover there will be 1 shorts program, 2 features, and a party. Highlights from this new partnership include the Canadian premiere of feature film VERA AND THE PLEASURE OF OTHERS (Argentina) and EL PAISA (US), an award-winning short film that played at Cannes.

For the first time ever, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival’s dates will fall within the school year. We are thrilled to introduce The Future is Queer: Youth Programs at VQFF co-presented by Out In Schools and The Cinematheque, two days of FREE youth programs that will increase young people’s access to transformative 2SLGBTQIA+ stories and support educators in building core competencies in many related subject areas. 

The 2024 Festival programme was curated by VQFF Artistic Director Charlie Hidalgo; Senior Programmers Daniel Crooke and Kathleen Mullen; Programmers Cole Forrest, Laura Arboleda, and Syriah Bailey; Associate Programmers Alayna Y, Chelsea Birks, Gavin K Somers, Jasmine “Audder” Monton, Lu Linares, Maria Cecilia Saba, Seán Maheux Galway; and Programming Consultant Shayna Maci Warner.

VQFF would also like to thank its generous partners for their support, including lead partner RBC Royal Bank; screening partners UBCP/ACTRA and the Canadian Media Producers Association, BC Producers Branch; signature partner Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association; premiere partners Canada Media Fund, Rogers, Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada and Telefilm Canada; exclusive media partner CBC Vancouver; transportation partner Modo; exclusive technical partner 24 Frames Digital Films; festival funders Canada Council For the Arts, Government of Canada, City of Vancouver, Creative BC, and British Columbia Arts Council; and festival supporters bed, Miller Titerle + Company, Gayvan.com, IATSE Local 891, Western Media Group, James Goodman, Squirrel Friendz, and Twin Sails Brewing. 

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MORE INFORMATION:
Media Kit can be downloaded here. 
Passes to VQFF are on sale now
More info and Festival images at the VQFF Press & Media page and on The Future is Queer.

For ticketing details, including sliding scale pricing beginning at just $7, The complete festival lineup will be announced August 12, 2024. www.queerfilmfestival.ca

About Out On Screen
Out On Screen is a charitable organization that illuminates, celebrates, and transforms 2SLGBTQIA+ lives through film, education, and dialogue. We pursue our mission with two core programs: The annual Vancouver Queer Festival celebrates and promotes authentic authorship and representation that uplifts, empowers, and furthers the liberty, culture, and justice of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. The award-winning Out In Schools program brings age-appropriate 2SLGBTQIA+ cinema into school classrooms and communities across BC to combat homophobia, transphobia, and bullying, and to provide the language and tools for inclusion. Out On Screen is proud to be a leading organization working to create an equitable society where 2SLGBTQIA+ people are respected, valued, and protected across all our intersections of identity. 

www.outonscreen.com / Instagram /  Facebook / X / #VQFF2024

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