News Archives - Out On Screen

VANCOUVER, BC (September 29, 2025) – The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) is pleased to announce the esteemed group of 2025 Award recipients. $62,350 CAD in cash and in-kind prizes will be distributed to 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers.

This year’s People’s Choice Awards winners include:

The Canadian Feature winner is REALLY HAPPY SOMEDAY directed by J Stevens, who will receive a $2,500 cash prize supported by Canada Media Fund (CMF).

The Canadian Short winner is ORGANZA’S REVENGE directed by Walter Scott, who will receive a $2,500 in-kind prize in post-production services from Elemental Post.

The International Feature winner is BETWEEN GOODBYES (USA) directed by Jota Mun.

The International Short winner is DIE BULLY DIE (Australia) directed by Nathan Lacey and Nick Lacey.

The winning team of the inaugural VQFF Pitch Competition are Peihwen J. Tai, Hannah Yang, and Ronald Lee for their short film pitch PRETTY BOY$ about a K-pop inspired boy band with two closeted members who fall for each other, forcing them to confront the exploitative machinery of the industry and their need for freedom. The judges were award-winning Indigenous (Cree-Métis) director and screenwriter Asia Youngman and Co-founder & Chief Content Officer for Revry TV Christopher J. Rodriguez. The winning project and team will receive a $17,000 in-kind prize package supported by Lark Productions, K & K Casting, Cracked Compass Media, as well as mentorship opportunities and a public screening as an official selection of a future VQFF.

As previously announced on Opening night of the Festival, the highest accolades this year include:

The inaugural Matriarch of the Year (MOTY) Award winner is Sonya Ballantyne (she/they), a Swampy Cree writer, filmmaker, and speaker based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The MOTY Award, introduced by new Artistic Director Mary Galloway, honors an Indigiqueer or Two Spirit (2S) Matriarchal leader in film and television across Turtle Island who has made a significant impact on Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ storytelling. Nominated by community members and selected by a committee of Indigiqueer filmmakers, including Artistic Director Mary Galloway, Tristin Greyeyes, and Olivia Brooks, the winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and $2,500 in-kind publicity package from Pender PR to amplify their positive impact and support their work.

Galloway presented the award on Opening night on September 11, 2025 and said:

“Sonya has always dared to imagine beyond the limitations the world tried to place on her. She has grown into a creative force who writes Indigenous women and girls not as relics of the past, but as heroes of our present and our future. In doing so, she shows us all that not only do we exist—but that we thrive, we lead, and we belong in every story, every genre, every universe.”

The Narrative Change Award winner is director Rheanna Toy for her feature directorial debut A PLACE WHERE I BELONG, a local documentary spotlighting the challenges of queer and trans individuals with intellectual disabilities. This award comes with a $5,000 cash prize and was determined by an international jury, honouring a Canadian or International feature film that uses the power of cultural strategy to overturn outdated narratives, inspire change, and expand the audience’s perception of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities. This year’s jurors were actor-activist Rain Dove and festival programmer Lu Linares of Inside Out. A PLACE WHERE I BELONG is the first Canadian and local film to win the Narrative Change Award since its inception in 2023.

The jury also recognized BETWEEN GOODBYES with an honourable mention in this category.

Dove presented the award on Opening night on September 11, 2025 and said:

“Led by a director who, like the subjects of this outstanding documentary, never gave up, A PLACE WHERE I BELONG is a profound testament to resilience and community. At its core, it calls on all of us, within the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and beyond, to recognize the urgent work still needed to ensure that every single member of our communities are valued and supported. With care and deep understanding, Rheanna Toy introduces us to Amyn, Alison, Lyle, Noah, Peter, and Brian, members of Connecting Queer Communities (CQC), and takes us on an incredibly honest, tender, and at times eye-opening journey through their lives as they navigate belonging and connection.

“A PLACE WHERE I BELONG shines an essential light on the unique struggles at the intersection of disability and 2SLGBTQIA+ justice. Toy’s debut feature is both a moving portrait of the queer disabled community in Vancouver and the visual representation of our collective truth: all of us, or none of us.”

The Gerry Brunet Memorial Award: Best British Columbia Short winner is director Jess McLeod for their directorial debut DTF?, a comedy short about a struggling writer who ends up on a date with his former English professor. The Gerry Brunet Memorial Award was established in 1997 in recognition of Brunet, a lifelong contributor to the arts and an early board member of Out On Screen. The award includes a $2,850 cash prize and mentorship opportunities from the Directors Guild of Canada BC, a $20,000 camera package prize from Keslow Camera, and a $5,000 gear package prize from Cinelease. This award was determined by an expert jury of local filmmakers, Brianne Nord-Stewart, Jason Karman, and Kent Donguines.

Nord-Stewart presented the award on Opening night on September 11, 2025 and said:

“The jury was charmed by Jess McLeod’s DTF?, a film buzzing with youthful energy and a humour that felt both fresh and deeply connected to the moment. Comedy is no easy feat, yet this one balanced wit and heart while not shying away from an honest, playful depiction of intimacy.”

Out In Schools, VQFF’s award-winning sibling education program, has acquired six films that screened at VQFF 2025 to add to our Film Catalogue. These films will be available online to educators starting in the fall 2025 semester with lesson plans and other teaching tools. They will additionally be screened within Out In Schools presentations in schools and communities across BC in the 2025-2026 school year.

Loud and Cleo (Cléo se fait des films) (Belgium) dir. by Tallulah Farquhar
Embers of Queer Joy (Canada) dir. By Mary Galloway
With Love, Lottie (Australia) dir. by Lily Drummond
Immature (Taiwan, Netherlands) dir. by Eddy Wu
Becoming Ruby (Canada) dir. by Quan Luong
Wait, Wait, Now! (New Zealand) dir. by Ramon Te Wake

We expect to confirm the acquisition of additional films from VQFF 2025 for the Out In Schools film catalogue in the coming weeks.

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MORE INFORMATION:
Download our Media Kit
Photos from VQFF 2025 are now available on Flickr.
Browse the full program: www.queerfilmfestival.ca
Bios for all participating industry guests and visiting artists HERE and headshots HERE.

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For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
media@outonscreen.com

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About Out On Screen

Out On Screen illuminates, celebrates, and transforms 2SLGBTQIA+ lives through film, education, and dialogue. We pursue our mission with two core programs: The annual Vancouver Queer Film 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 anti-trans and anti-gay sentiments and bullying, and to provide the language and tools for inclusion. Out On Screen works to create an equitable society where 2SLGBTQIA+ people are respected, valued, and protected across all our intersections of identity. www.outonscreen.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/queerfilmfest
Instagram: https://instagram.com/queerfilmfest

Artists in attendance include Vico Ortiz, Lea Delaria, Rain Dove, and Jaylene Tyme

Vancouver, BC (September 9, 2025) – The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) has announced over 150 artists and special guests who will be in attendance this year, including filmmakers, performers, panelists, hosts, award jurors, and pitch competition finalists. The 37th annual edition of VQFF will take place in person September 11-21, 2025, and online September 22-28, 2025, with screenings, parties, industry panels, Q&As, and networking socials.

Filmmakers, and Special Guests in Attendance:

Actor and multi-disciplinary artist Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death, Sex Lives of College Girls) will be in attendance throughout as the Festival’s “Hosting Hottie Festival Darling”, hosting, moderating Q&As, and performing in their drag king persona. Other notable names in attendance include actor Lea Delaria (Orange is the New Black) for the world premiere of the short film OLD DYKES, alongside director-writer Ezra Rose; and actor Johnny Wu (Joy Ride) with director Jason Sakaki for the BC Premiere of short RAMEN BOYS.

Local directors in attendance with feature films include: director-writer Panta Mosleh (Eternity, TIFF 2025) with the world premiere of PRIDE & PRAYER, a deeply personal documentary on Mosleh’s queerness and Muslim faith; filmmaker Rheanna Toy with the world premiere of documentary A PLACE WHERE I BELONG that follows people with intellectual disabilities connecting with each other and the broader queer community; and Anishnaabe filmmaker and theatre artist Corey Payette with the hometown premiere of musical-drama STARWALKER.

Additional local directors in attendance with World Premiere short films include: director and winner of the 2023 Gerry Brunet Memorial Award for Best BC Short, Lauren Marsden (THE PALACE); Ana AJ Jimenez (JEEZ LOUISE); Eva Grant (FOREST ECHOES), Lizzy DeVita and Marceline Hugot (I TURN GRILLS ON); also screening are local filmmakers King Louie Palomo (QUEEN MOTHER (INANG REYNA); Rosie Choo Pidcock (SORRY FOR YOUR COST); Charlene R Moore (CONFLUENCE); Jess McLeod (DTF?); Jackie Hoffart (The Reveal).

International artists in attendance include: Emmy-award-winning American producer Samantha Wender and documentary editor Sasha Perry of this year’s Centrepiece Presentation: JUST KIDS; German directors Isis Rampf and Juan Bermudez (WHERE YOU FIND ME (OBEN OHNE)); American documentary filmmaker Courtney Hermann (OUTLIERS AND OUTLAWS); Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jota Mun (BETWEEN GOODBYES). Special guest Debra K Madsen will be in attendance for the screening and Q&A of ROW OF LIFE about her late wife, Paralympian medalist Angela Madsen’s fatal attempt to row unassisted from Los Angeles to Hawai’i.

Awards Jurors:

The jurors for the Narrative Change Award are actor and model Rain Dove and Toronto-based festival programmer Lu Linares (Inside Out Film Festival). This award comes with a $5,000 cash prize and honours a Canadian or International feature film that uses the power of cultural strategy to overturn outdated narratives, inspire change, and expand the audience’s perception of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities.

The jurors for the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award for Best British Columbia Short are three celebrated, award-winning local queer filmmakers: Jason Karman (Golden Delicious), Kent Donguines (This Ink Runs Deep, Kalinga (Care)), and Brianne Nord-Stewart (The Dangers of Online Dating).

The newly introduced Matriarch of the Year (MOTY) Award will be selected from nominations by a committee of Indigiqueer filmmakers, including Artistic Director Mary Galloway, Tristin Greyeyes, and Olivia Brooks.

These three juried awards will be announced and presented at the Opening Presentation: Then. Now. Forever. on the evening of September 11, 2025, and are generously supported by Pender PR, Directors Guild of Canada – BC, Keslow Camera, and Cinelease. Additional Audience Choice Awards will be selected by audience vote and announced after the Festival.

Industry Panelists & Pitch Competition Finalists:

Funding Your Project panelists include representatives from major Canadian funding bodies: Mathew Parry (Creative BC), Shirley Vercruysse (National Film Board), Janine Steele (Canada Media Fund), Meghna Haldar (Telefilm), Christina Willings (Telus Storyhive), and Georgina Chaplin (Telus Storyhive). Selling Your Project panelists include the co-founders of queer streaming platform Revry TV: CEO and producer Damian Pelliccione and Chief Content Officer Christopher J. Rodriguez; and Cole Vandale, Métis filmmaker and executive of Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).

The five finalist projects for the inaugural VQFF Pitch Competition are as follows. Each team will pitch their projects to a live audience and the judges, which include award-winning Indigenous (Cree-Métis) director and screenwriter Asia Youngman, and Co-founder & Chief Content Officer for Revry TV Christopher J. Rodriguez. The winning project and team will receive a prize package supported by Lark Productions, K & K Casting, Crack Compass Media, as well as mentorship opportunities and a public screening as an official selection of a future VQFF.

Pretty Boy$ (Peihwen J. Tai, Hannah Yang, Ronald Lee) – short film

Logline: In the glittering but suffocating world of a K-pop-inspired boy band, two closeted idols in their late 20s struggle between desire and survival when they fall for each other, forcing them to confront the exploitative machinery of the industry and their need for freedom.

Astronomical Bodies (Melanie Jones, Kristyn Stilling) – short film

Logline: Nonbinary passenger Petra is adrift in an escape pod with no propulsion capabilities. As time passes and ship rations start to run out, Petra must convince the onboard AI to ignore its programming in order to die peacefully.

Orpheus (Helen Shen, Xintong Hong) – short film

Logline: Orpheus is an experimental sci-fi surrounding a young physicist in a future world, embarking on a journey to bring her late wife back from death through cross-dimensional travel.

Vigil (Lora Campbell) – proof of concept for a feature film

Logline: Vigil is an intimate, naturalistic short film exploring grief, chosen family, and the painful transition into orphanhood as a transgender child estranged from bio fam.

Aking Parol (My Lantern) (King Louie Palomo, Paean “Yap” Sabangan) – short film

Logline: In 1994, in a close-knit Filipino-Canadian community, a young boy’s painstakingly crafted Christmas parol transforms from a beacon of welcome into a ritual of release when the father he awaits fails, once again, to return home.

Performers:

Two Indigenous ensembles, the Indigenous women musical ensemble M’Girl and the award-winning all-Indigenous burlesque troupe Virago Nation Burlesque, will kick off the Opening night program with live performances at the Vancouver Playhouse on Thursday, September 11th.

Canada’s Drag Race S4 star and legendary local Two-Spirit drag queen Jaylene Tyme will perform alongside fellow drag artists Whore-ia Estefan and Amanda Peters at the world premiere of A PLACE WHERE I BELONG on Sunday, September 14th, the latter–who goes by Peter out of drag–is also a subject of the film.

The Opening Weekend Party: FUEGO/FOGO at The Birdhouse on Saturday, September 13th, co-presented with the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival will feature performances from Vico Ortiz, Salseo Queer Dance, additional drag and vogueing performances, and DJ sets from DJ Millie Wissar and DJ Sopresa. The Closing Weekend Party at the Birdhouse on Saturday, September 20th will feature a live music performance from Tahltan and Tlingit musician Edzi’u, drag performances from Velvet Ryder and Vico Ortiz, and DJ sets from DJ O Show and Binky. Ortiz will also be hosting.

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MORE INFORMATION:
Download our Media Kit
Browse the full program: www.queerfilmfestival.ca
All individual tickets are sliding scale from $7-$21.
Passes and tickets are on sale now. Festival Pass is available at $100 (accessible pricing) or $195 (regular price). Select films will be available to stream online within BC.

Bios for all participating industry guests and visiting artists HERE and headshots HERE.

Digital Pass is $100

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For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
media@outonscreen.com
Apply for Media Accreditation

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About Out On Screen

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/queerfilmfest
Instagram: https://instagram.com/queerfilmfest

Out On Screen regretfully announces the departure of Gavin K Somers (they/them) from their role as Education Director, effective August 14, 2025.

Gavin first joined Out On Screen over ten years ago as a facilitator for the Out In Schools program in 2014. They later served as Program Coordinator and Manager, before becoming Education Director in 2020. Prior to the pandemic, Gavin worked with several cohorts of dedicated staff and facilitators to grow the Out In Schools program to reach every school district in British Columbia; expand and customize presentations to youth in Grades 5 and up, educators, support staff, and parents; and establish Out In Schools as a trusted and quality educational institution in the province.

As Education Director, Gavin stewarded the Out In Schools programs through the early pandemic and transitioned the program to virtual delivery for the first time in early 2020. After returning from parental leave in early 2023, Gavin led a major update of the Out In Schools curriculum, moving it away from a prior focus on 2SLGBTQIA+ language and terminology to an inquiry-based learning approach that encourages open-ended reflection and understanding of gender and sexuality. In 2024, Gavin was instrumental in launching and curating The Future is Queer, a series of free, dedicated school group and youth screenings at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival in collaboration with The Cinematheque. They have also built and stewarded key relationships with the Aune Foundation, the McGrane Pearson Foundation, and many other supporters of the Out In Schools program.

In the face of escalated attacks in recent years on trans and queer people and specifically against Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity education, Gavin has led important public advocacy and education work through coalition-building and a series of press releases and media appearances, including leading up to the most recent provincial election in fall 2024.

Hear from Gavin about their time at Out On Screen:

“I am humbled by the lessons I’ve learned and the ways I’ve grown alongside the Out In Schools program over the past decade. From delivering workshops to working closely with queer and trans youth, supporting community events, and being part of the film festival, every experience has left a mark on me.

One of the greatest honours has been nurturing several cohorts of Out In Schools facilitators—watching 2SLGBTQIA+ youth grow confidently into themselves and go on to pursue careers as counselors, social workers, educators, researchers, and advocates. Many have shared that their time with OIS gave them the skills and courage to show up as their full, authentic selves—and I couldn’t be prouder of the ripple effect this work continues to have.

I truly believe in the leadership of Danny Lybbert and Lydia Alemu (Out In Schools’ Program Manager and Program Coordinator, respectively), and have full confidence that they will carry this program forward with the care, creativity, and conviction it deserves. Out On Screen’s mission—to illuminate, celebrate and transform 2SLGBTQIA+ lives through film, education, and dialogue—feels more urgent than ever.

This work has never happened in isolation. It relies on the continued support of our allies: partner organizations, donors, educators, and policymakers. If we are to build a world where queer and trans youth not only survive but thrive, we need you alongside us—championing this work every step of the way.

I often say that Out In Schools doesn’t just impact the youth in classrooms—it shapes those of us who deliver it, and everyone we go on to meet. What happens between worlds changes all the worlds. Through this process, we move together toward collective liberation.”

On behalf of the staff and board of Out On Screen, we sincerely thank Gavin for all their years of dedicated service to the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community and our province’s educators, parents, and youth, and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

VANCOUVER, BC August 14, 2025 — The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) has announced the entire lineup for their 37th annual edition, which will take place in person September 11-21, 2025 and online September 22-28, 2025. The program features 100 films from 25 countries centering 2SLGBTQIA+ creators and stories, including 12 world premieres, 6 international premieres, 7 North American premieres, and 21 Canadian premieres across 26 features and 74 short films. The Festival will also feature parties, performances, post-screening Q&As with filmmakers and special guests, and an exciting new slate of industry events.

Led by new Artistic Director Mary Galloway, the Festival will kick off with the Opening Presentation: Then. Now. Forever., an electrifying collection of 7 short films from across 2SLGBTQIA+ communities that celebrate queer past, present, and futures.

“Stories are medicine,” says Galloway. “This year’s program honours our past and makes space for the queer and trans voices rising now. It’s about who we are, how we got here, and where we are going.”

This year signals a pivotal shift in leadership with Galloway, a Cowichan filmmaker, at the helm as the Festival’s first Indigenous and Indigiqueer Artistic Director. Under Galloway’s direction, VQFF shifts to an Indigenized vision that highlights Two Spirit and Indigiqueer stories and artists. The 2025 Festival artwork is designed by Vancouver-based Cowichan artist Charlene Johnny, blending traditional Coast Salish art with contemporary queer and Indigenous symbolism. Galloway introduces the new Matriarch of the Year Award (MOTY Award) honouring an Indigiqueer or Two Spirit (2S) Matriarchal leader in the film and television industry across Turtle Island who has made a significant impact on Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ storytelling with a $5,000 cash prize. VQFF also proudly presents the hometown premiere of the Indigenous feature-length musical drama STARWALKER directed by Corey Payette, about an Indigiqueer Two Spirit call boy finding family and identity through drag. VQFF’s commitments to uplifting and championing Indigenous stories and voices are woven throughout the Festival experience, which takes place on the unceded, ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

This year’s Centrepiece Presentation: JUST KIDS is a timely and powerful documentary about three families living in states that have banned gender-affirming care. Directed by documentarian and journalist Gianna Toboni and featuring Jacklyn Toboni (The L Word: Generation Q), JUST KIDS exposes the inhumane politicization of trans healthcare and its devastating impacts on trans youth and their families.

This year’s program includes 4 feature film world premieres: local documentary A PLACE WHERE I BELONG about a group of people fighting for queer disabled rights directed by Rheanna Toy; queer Muslim filmmaker and actor Pantah Mosleh’s (Eternity) deeply personal documentary PRIDE & PRAYER; sapphic French drama AMANTES directed by Caroline Fournier; and of LA filmmaker Maritza Navarro’s ANOTHER TAKE which exposes a broken film industry. Eight short films will also world premiere, including two films in annual local shorts program The Coast is Queer: Lauren Marsden’s THE PALACE and Ana AJ Jimenez’s JEEZ LOUISE.

The Festival’s Closing Presentation: FOUR MOTHERS from Darren Thornton, is a heartwarming and moving Irish comedy and the Winner of the Audience Award at the BFI London Film Festival, about a gay novelist who is saddled with the care of his friends’ eccentric, strong-willed mothers over Pride weekend.

Actor and activist Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death, The Sex Lives of College Girls) will be in attendance throughout the festival, moderating several post-screening Q&As with filmmakers and special guests, as well as performing as their drag king persona. Other familiar faces in this year’s program include Elliot Page and Laverne Cox in documentary HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY about trans civil rights attorney Chase Strangio’s fight for gender-affirming care at the Supreme Court; Lea DeLaria (Orange Is the New Black) in feature drama OUTERLANDS and the short OLD DYKES; Asia Kate Dillon (Billions, Orange Is the New Black) in OUTERLANDS; comedians Murray Hill, James Tom, Roz Hernandez and others in WE ARE PAT; comedian Vic Michaelis (Dropout TV) in the opening narrative short DANDELION; and beloved local stars including artist Phranc and business owner Burcu in their respective short documentaries PHRANC: THE BUTCH CLOSET and BURCU’S ANGELS.

This year’s Festival boasts an array of exciting new Industry programs and initiatives, including the inaugural VQFF Pitch Competition, which is accepting applicants now until August 17, 2025. Special guests from the hit sapphic horror show Yellowjackets will feature in the panel “Eat You(r Heart) Out: Queer Horror with Yellowjackets”. VQFF will also offer 1:1 Industry Speed-Dating; panels with major Canadian film funding bodies (“Funding Your Project”) and Canada’s largest networks, broadcasters, and streaming platforms (“Selling Your Project”); and several industry networking socials. VQFF is once again offering a limited number of free all-access industry passes to equity-deserving and emerging 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers and students, as well as free ticketing for self-identified Indigenous folks.

VQFF has once again partnered with the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (September 4-14, 2025) to co-present a queer Latine shorts program (“Through Our Kaleidoscope”) and the Opening Weekend Party: Fuego Fogo on September 13, 2025. VQFF is also bringing back The Future is Queer: Youth Programs co-presented by our sibling program Out In Schools and The Cinematheque, which includes two days of FREE youth programs and school-group screenings aimed at increasing young people’s access to transformative 2SLGBTQIA+ stories.

The 2025 Festival program was curated by Artistic Director Mary Galloway; programmers Cole Forrest, Kathleen Mullen, Layla Cameron, and Syriah Bailey; VQFF Program Coordinator Maiya Dexel. The Future is Queer: Youth Programs at VQFF was curated with additional support from outgoing Education Director Gavin K Somers, Out In Schools Program Manager Danny Lybbert, and Chelsea Birk (Learning and Outreach Director at The Cinematheque).

MORE INFORMATION:
Download our Media Kit
Browse the full program: www.queerfilmfestival.ca
All individual tickets are sliding scale from $7-$21.
Passes and tickets are on sale now.
Festival Pass is available at $100 (accessible pricing) or $195 (regular price). Select films will be available to stream online within BC.
Digital Pass is $100

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For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
media@outonscreen.com
Apply for Media Accreditation

–

About Out On Screen

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/queerfilmfest
Instagram: https://instagram.com/queerfilmfest

The 37th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival takes place September 11-21, 2025 (online Sept 22-28) and will feature 100 bold, beautiful films from 25 countries. Led by new Artistic Director Mary Galloway (she/they), this year’s programme is a vibrant celebration of 2SLGBTQIA+ presence and ways of being—past, present, and future. Our lineup proudly affirms: we have always existed–then, now, forever.

“As a Cowichan woman and the first Indigenous Artistic Director at Out On Screen, it is my honour to lead with an Indigenized vision—one that centres Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, and matriarchal voices; uplifts our communities; and acknowledges the unceded lands on which we gather. From our Festival artwork by Charlene Johnny, to a new Matriarch Of The Year Award, to the many Indigenous stories and films highlighted across the entire programme: these commitments are woven throughout the Festival experience.” – Mary Galloway, Artistic Director

VQFF 2025’s creative artwork was conceptualized and illustrated by Charlene Johnny (she/her), a Coast Salish artist based in Vancouver, from the Quw’utsun Tribes. Her interdisciplinary practice spans graphic design, murals, traditional jewelry, and weaving. She blends ancestral teachings with contemporary expression. Through public art and community projects, she creates spaces for cultural connection, resistance, and storytelling.

Artist Statement

“This piece brings together traditional Coast Salish art forms with contemporary symbolism to honour Indigiqueer, queer, and Two-Spirit identities. A central raven carries sweetgrass, a medicine of connection, ceremony, and healing, while a yellow sun radiates warmth and life. Below, a canoe of paddlers reflects the strength of community and introspection. Figures with varied silhouettes represent the fluidity and diversity of our stories. Cedar and sage frame the image, grounding it in our medicines and mirroring the spirit of reflection central to both cinema and cultural resurgence. Layered with Pride-inspired colour and meaning, the artwork is a celebration of transformation, kinship, and joy.” – Charlene Johnny

Out On Screen would additionally like to thank Chase Gray who consulted on this project, and our designers at CoEffect Creative who assisted with art direction and adapted Charlene’s work across numerous formats.

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The 37th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival takes place September 11-21, 2025 in person (online Sept 22-28) with film screenings, industry events, parties, and more. The full programme and ticket sales launch on August 14, 2025.

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Vancouver, BC, February 11, 2025 – Out On Screen, a leading organization dedicated to 2SLGBTQIA+ media arts and education, is pleased to announce Mary Galloway as the new Artistic Director, effective February 4, 2025.

Galloway is an award-winning mixed Cowichan filmmaker and actor with deep roots in the Vancouver film industry as well as the Indigenous, Canadian, and international film communities. She brings over a decade of artistic leadership as a writer/director/producer in film and TV and over five years of experience in film festivals and on award juries selecting films that champion diverse voices.

As Artistic Director at Out On Screen, Galloway will lead the programming of the annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival and other year-round programming. She is the first Indigenous and Indigiqueer person to assume the role of Artistic Director in the Festival’s 37-year history.

As an Indigiqueer cis female artist, I have always believed in the transformative power of storytelling to foster empathy, ignite change, and amplify the voices of those who are too often silenced. I have dedicated my career to uplifting my queer, Indigenous, and neurodiverse communities. As the new Artistic Director, my goal is to help shape a festival that challenges harmful mainstream portrayals and fosters thoughtful, intersectional representations of our beautifully queer identities. – Mary Galloway (she/they), Artistic Director

“As a matriarch of the local and national film industry and a fierce advocate for Indigenous and queer communities, Mary is a natural fit to lead the next chapter of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival. In this moment, it feels more important than ever that we build solidarity across our communities for our collective liberation. Mary does just that, bringing an impressive wealth of cross-departmental industry experience, a collaborative and empowering approach to leadership, and a deep commitment to our values to her work.” – Eli Morris (they/them), Executive Director

The upcoming 37th edition of VQFFwill take place from September 11-21, 2025 in Vancouver and online BC-wide. VQFF is currently accepting film entries: the regular deadline for submissions is February 28, 2025, and the late deadline is April 15, 2025. Learn more at https://outonscreen.com/entries/

As a filmmaker, Galloway bravely tells stories that represent marginalized communities in a heartfelt, entertaining, and enlightening manner. Her 2021 web series Querencia about a love story between two Indigenous queer women was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards for Best Web Series and the Cogeco Audience Choice Award 2022. Galloway’s other director credits include the APTN/BellFund digital series D dot H (2023), the CBC documentary The Cowichan Sweater: Our Knitted Legacy (2023), Crave/APTN original comedy series Acting Good (2023).

Galloway was previously named a TIFF Rising Star and Whistler Film Festival Talent to Watch, a recipient of WIFTV’s Newcomer Award, and on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of Breakouts Making An Impact on Hollywood. She is a graduate of the prestigious Canadian Film Centre’s Director’s Lab 2021, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and TV’s Executive Residency Program in 2022, and Canadian Academy x Warner Brothers Discovery Director’s Program 2023/2024.

On top of her own filmmaking work, she has spent years volunteering on committees and serving on juries for initiatives like the Canadian Screen Awards, Reelworld Film Festival, GEMS Vancouver and many others.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
media@outonscreen.com

About Out On Screen

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Out On Screen is announcing the departure of Artistic Director Charlie Hidalgo, who is leaving the organization to pursue other opportunities.

Charlie joined Out On Screen as Artistic Director in September 2022, and stewarded the creative vision of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival for the 2023 and 2024 seasons with a focus on guest experience, cultural strategy and industry development. We thank Charlie for his service and wish him well in his future endeavours.

Out On Screen will begin the hiring process for a new Artistic Director in the coming weeks with a start date in early 2025.

Please subscribe to our Industry & Job Opportunities newsletter to be notified when this job posting is published.

VANCOUVER, BC (October 16, 2024) – The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) is pleased to announce the esteemed group of 2024 Award recipients. $57,500 CAD in cash and in-kind prizes will be distributed to 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers, with the highest accolades bestowed upon the RBC Narrative Change Award winner director Jules Rosskam (USA) for DESIRE LINES, who will receive a cash prize of $5,000 CAD, and the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award: Best British Columbia Short winner directors David Ng and Jen Sungshine for DRAG IS FOR EVERYONE, who will take home a cash prize of $2,500 CAD courtesy of the Directors Guild of Canada, BC as well as a $20,000 camera package prize from Keslow Camera and a $5,000 gear package from Cinelease.

The winner of the RBC Narrative Change Award winner is American director Jules Rosskam for DESIRE LINES, a liberating exploration of transmasculine sexuality that blends narrative and documentary forms. This award comes with a $5,000 cash prize and was determined by an international jury, honouring a Canadian or International feature film that uses the power of cultural strategy to overturn outdated narratives, inspire change, and expand the audience’s perception of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities.

The 2024 jurors for the RBC Narrative Change Award were Executive Director of Frameline Allegra Madsen, Director of Programming at NewFest Nick McCarthy, and actor, creator, producer Scott Turner Schofield. They said in a statement: “In the face of cultural and industrial pressures to tell expansive and marketable stories, queer and trans audiences are worthy of films that affirm and celebrate the intricacies of our intersectional identities, we deserve the films that reveal the multiple layers and revel in the prismatic light that defines our queerness. For its fearless ethics of and commitment to risk-taking – aesthetically, formally, thematically, and culturally – and for the depths of trans and queer sexuality that it artfully explores, we present DESIRE LINES from director Jules Rosskam with the RBC Narrative Change Award.”

VQFF is grateful for their ongoing partnership with RBC and for their support of the Narrative Change Award.

VQFF’s annual prize for the Festival’s best BC short film, the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award: Best British Columbia Short was established in 1997 in recognition of Brunet, a lifelong contributor to the arts and an early board member of Out On Screen. This year, this prize was determined by audience vote. This year’s winners Ng and Sungshine previously won the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award in 2019 for Yellow Peril: Queer Destiny.

“The Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia, is proud to sponsor the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award for Best British Columbia Short at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival. We would like to congratulate directors David Ng and Jen Sungshine, along with their Drag is for Everyone team, on winning the 2024 Gerry Brunet Memorial Award!” says Matthew Chipera, DGC BC Executive Board Chair.

“Keslow Camera has been passionate about supporting the next generation of filmmakers from our very inception. We believe that film sets should be inclusive, equitable, and diverse – just like the world that surrounds us every day. Through our work with Vancouver Queer Film Fest, we are proud to have had a direct impact on changing the face of the film industry, for the better, from within. We are honored to sponsor this year’s winner of the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award for Best British Columbia Short with a $20,000 camera package prize, we know the winner will craft something truly remarkable. Congratulations to all official selections, and to the People’s Choice winner: we’re ready to bring your vision to life,” says the Keslow Camera team.

An additional $25,000 CAD in cash and prizes will be distributed amongst the winners for this year’s People’s Choice Awards. The 2024 winners are:

The Canadian Feature winner is A MOTHER APART directed by Laurie Townshend, who will receive $2,500 cash prize supported by Canada Media Fund (CMF).

“What an honour it is to be the “People’s Choice”. A Mother Apart is as much a film about one inspirational mother figure as it is about all those who mother or have been mothered. It’s a film about all of us—and our capacity for grace and for healing in the face of wounding.” – Laurie Townshend, Director

The Canadian Short winner is JANELLE NILES: INCONVENIENT directed by Kelly Zemnickis and Cass Gardiner, who will receive $20,000 in-kind prize from Panavision and $2,500 in-kind prize in post-production services from Elemental.

“I am absolutely thrilled and so honoured that our film was selected for the Best Canadian Short! My hope with sharing Janelle’s story was simply that I wanted even more people to know about the incredible work she’s doing and all that Janelle has done since she first took the mic. That it’s been embraced by the VQFF audience like this is icing on the cake!!” – Kelly Zemnickis, co-director

The International Feature winner is VERA AND THE PLEASURE OF OTHERS (Vera y el placer de los otros) (Argentina) directed by Romina Tamburello, Federico Actis and the International Short winner is SEAT 31: ZOOEY ZEPHYR (USA) directed by Kimberly Reed.

“Thank you for this wonderful award. It is wonderful for us to see how this story touches and identifies people of all ages and countries. This film was made possible by the great friendship and trust of those who make it. We believe that pleasure is not only a right but a search that we should never lose. Thank you for sharing this wish with us.” – the VERA AND THE PLEASURE OF OTHERS (Vera y el placer de los otros) team

VQFF thanks its generous partners for their support of our industry programming, including lead partner RBC Royal Bank; screening partners UBCP/ACTRA and the Canadian Media Producers Association, BC Producers Branch; premiere partners Canada Media Fund, Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada, and Telefilm Canada; festival supporters IATSE 891 and Vancouver Film Studios; and award partners Directors Guild of Canada BC, Panavision Vancouver, and Keslow Camera.

Out In Schools, VQFF’s sibling program, has acquired seven films that screened at VQFF 2024 to add to our Film Catalogue. These films are available online to educators now and will be screened as a part of Out In Schools presentations in schools and communities across BC in the 2024-2025 school year and beyond.

DYEING FOR A POCKET (UK) dir. by Mairi Eyres
THE LITTLE PIRATEMAID (USA) dir. by Luke Beatrice
TO ALL THE WE ARE (USA) dir. By Kris Cahatol
BAY CREEK TENNIS CAMP (USA) dir. by Michele Meek
FORZA, REA (Switzerland) dir. by Isabel Pahud, Isabel Clerici, Laura Zimmermann, Polina Tyrsa
THE PRINCE’S DILEMMA (USA) dir. by Devin Rowe
DIRT PRIDE (USA) dir. by Christina Rosetti

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MORE INFORMATION:

Media Kit can be downloaded here.

More info and Festival images at the VQFF Press & Media page.

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
Media Requests:
Nicola Pender, Pender PR
m: 604.617.4807 / nicola@penderpr.com
penderpr.com / @penderpr

VANCOUVER, BC (September 5, 2024) – The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) has announced its Industry Programming as well as all artists who will be attending and performing this year. The Festival, which takes place across Vancouver from September 11-22, 2024, includes parties, performances, screenings and panels that celebrate the community and centre queer joy.

Industry highlights include four panels featuring local and international 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers: Queer Intimacy on Screen is a discussion with VQFF 2024 filmmakers and intimacy coordinators on depicting queer intimacy on screen; Nonbinary Creatives in Film is a panel featuring nonbinary artists from across the industry discussing how to create nonbinary characters and support nonbinary people in front of and behind the camera; in Levelling Up Your Projects four filmmakers share how they “levelled up” their projects and careers; and The Creation of ‘Layla’ is a discussion with the team from Amrou Al-Kadhi’s Layla about the making of the film. Layla premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year and is making its Canadian premiere screening as the closing night presentation at VQFF.

Industry panelists and moderators this year include two-time Canadian Screen Award nominated Indigiqueer director, writer and actor Mary Galloway (Querencia); Aryn Mott (Shogun) a queer, non-binary, neurodivergent Intimacy Coordinator, and Canada’s first Certified Mental Health Coordinator; Giselle Miller the writer/director of Vancouver’s first black queer web series Novelette is Trying; Amy Fox showrunner and co-creator of the first TV fictional series starring trans people in sitcom The Switch; Donia Kash, an agender multi-disciplinary performer and filmmaker; French documentary filmmaker Alexis Taillant, who is bringing his feature documentary If I Die, It’ll Be Of Love to the Festival this year; award-winning director and writer Alex Caulfield (What Comes Next); Panta Mosleh a queer Muslim Middle Eastern-Canadian director/writer; and Olivia Marie Golosky (pîķîwî) a Two-Spirit Michif writer/director. This year’s Festival boasts many more artists, speakers, industry experts and performers who will be in Vancouver to celebrate VQFF this year.

A selection of directors attending the festival this year include screenwriter, director, drag queen, actor and author Amrou Al-Kadhi (Layla), Toronto-based filmmaker, writer and educator Laurie Townshend (A Mother Apart), filmmaker Regan Latimer with Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot, Tom Stuart with the Ben Wishaw starrer Good Boy and Ivan Leung, Harrison Xu and producer Noel Do-Murakami with their triple-meta film Extremely Unique Dynamic. And films and filmmakers with local connections in the shorts categories who will be attending include Hayley Morin (i’ll tell you when i’m ready), Taylor James (ILY, BYE), Romi Kim (The Birdhouse), Justin Ducharme (KIN.) Patrice Leung (12 Angry Lesbians), lisa g (artist / autist), Gabriel Souza Nunes (Passiflora), David Ng and Jen Sungshine of Love Intersections with (Drag is for Everyone) and many more.

Actors and subjects from some of this year’s standout films who will be in Vancouver include British rising star Samuel Small (Game of Thrones) who plays ‘Max’ in Bonus Track, Two-spirited Black-Mi’kmaq comedian and filmmaker Janelle Nilles will be in attendance for Janelle Nilles: Inconvenient and is hosting the Closing Presentation screening, Oji-Cree Saulteaux Indigiqueer writer, activist, and drag performer jaye simpson (Persephone Estradiol), who is featured in three short films i’ll tell you when i’m ready, Passiflora and The Birdhouse all playing at this year’s Festival.

The VQFF Opening Night Party will be taking place at the Playhouse after the Opening Presentation: Closer and will include fabulous performances by Persephone Estradiol and Continental Breakfast (Chris Reed, cast of The Birdhouse), and music from DJ Bella. Other parties include The Coast is Queer Reception, a casual networking social for filmmakers; the FUEGO/FOGO party co-produced with Vancouver Latin American Film Festival which will include voguing, DJs, gogo dancers and Brazilian batucada; and the Closing Party, one last star-studded dance party, featuring multi-talented local artists from this year’s VQFF films: drag performers SKIM (Romi Kim, director of The Birdhouse) and Maiden China (Kendell Yan, cast & editor of The Birdhouse), and DJs DJAMA (Aya Clappis, cast of KIN.) and Softieshan (Shanique Kelly, cast of The Birdhouse). Watch the show & dance the night away at The Birdhouse, the beloved local queer & trans-run DIY event space featured in a documentary in this year’s The Coast is Queer local shorts program.

All parties are free with tickets to related same-day screenings or ticketed at our regular sliding scale prices of $7-$17.

VQFF is pleased to offer 175 complimentary all-access Industry Passes to equity-deserving filmmakers, programmers, and students in related fields. This initiative, powered by Warner Bros. Discovery, aims to reduce financial barriers and improve access to networking, professional development, and community-building opportunities for 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers and students. We invite industry members and students who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled, BIPOC, or experiencing financial barriers to apply for an Industry Pass now.

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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.
More info on VQFF Industry Panels & Parties.

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

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

Media Requests:
Nicola Pender, Pender PR
m: 604.617.4807 / nicola@penderpr.com
penderpr.com / @penderpr

The beloved festival takes place Sept. 11-22 and will showcase 97 projects from 27 countries, with 28 features, 5 series debuts and 64 short films, complemented by 5 spectacular parties

VANCOUVER, BC (August 12, 2024) — The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) has announced the entire lineup for their 36th annual Festival, which will take place across Vancouver from September 11-22, 2024 this year. The programme includes international film and episodic content authored by 2SLGBTQIA+ creators, centred on 2SLGBTQIA+ protagonists, and celebrating queer storytelling and joy. The Festival includes parties, performances, post-screening Q&As with filmmakers, and industry events.

VQFF’s Opening Presentation: Closer features a collection of short films that highlight the solidarity and brilliance of our diverse queer community. Familiar faces, such as beloved actor Ben Whishaw (GOOD BOY, US) and rising local talents like Oji-Cree-Saulteaux poet jaye simpson (I’LL TELL YOU WHEN I’M READY, Canada) star as queer heroes in this dynamic collection. First dates, beautiful friendships, and tender parent-child relationships round out this rousing call to action: be ready to party and love one another throughout this year’s Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

The 2024 Centerpiece Presentation will be the BC Premiere of Canadian director Julia Jackman’s BONUS TRACK (UK), which follows 16-year-old songwriter George who longs to break free of his parents expectations and the small English town they call home. Canadian feature film premiere highlights include: Tribeca favourite RENT FREE (Fernando Andrés, US) follows ageing millennials who launch a social experiment to spend an entire year living “rent-free” by couch-surfing in a rapidly changing Austin, Texas; IF I DIE, IT’LL BE OF JOY (Alexis Taillant, France) follows three rabble-rousers who contemplate and advocate for their right to recognition, love, and sexual liberation as older adults; and the powerful documentary LIFE IS NOT A COMPETITION, BUT I’M WINNING (Julia Fuhr Mann, Germany), which debuted at Venice and explores the achievements, challenges, and legacies of a group of trans, intersex, and queer Olympic athletes who create a radical utopia to challenge the rigid gender rules of competitive sports and envision a more inclusive future.

“I’m thrilled to follow up the success of last year’s festival with another lineup of outstanding films. It’s been a pleasure to witness the incredible calibre of work that 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers around the globe are creating,” says Charlie Hidalgo, Artistic Director, Out On Screen. “My respect to the programming team for all their dedication. This year’s festival is an opportunity for Vancouver audiences to discover urgent, innovative and empowering stories by us, for us and about us.”

Other VQFF 2024 feature film highlights include: winner of this year’s Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature at the Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, FRAGMENTS OF A LIFE LOVED (Chloé Barreau, Italy) a hypnotic film that explores the complexities of sex and relationships; PARADISE IS BURNING (Mika Gustafson, Sweden) which won two awards at the Venice Film Festival, captures the turbulence of three sisters growing up without a safety net among the margins of working-class Sweden; the critically acclaimed YOUNG HEARTS (Belgium, Netherlands) from Anthony Schatteman, a giddy ode to teenagehood with its winsome and warm-hearted exploration of fierce young love; and the hometown premiere of Harrison Xu’s EXTREMELY UNIQUE DYNAMIC (Harrison Xu, Ivan Leung and Katherine Dudas, US) in which a pair of twenty-something Asian-American creatives are determined to make a movie reflecting their experiences as best friends where one happens to be gay and the other, straight; A MOTHER APART (Canada) the award-winning NFB documentary from Laurie Townshend follows powerhouse Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin and a deeply personal journey to uncover the mysterious past of her elusive mother. Another must-see film this year is the previously announced closing night film LAYLA (UK), which debuted at Sundance earlier this year and follows an up-and-coming British-Palestinian drag queen lighting up local clubs with impressive creativity in the London queer scene.

Episodic projects including series KIN., from directors Justin Ducharme and Theo Jean Cuthand, which will screen to BC audiences for the first time. The five-part scripted series is an honest and comedic exploration of the contemporary, urban queer and trans Indigenous experience, following a group of friends and their social media-engrossed lives starring Ta’Kaiya Blaney (Monkey Beach) alongside an all-Indigenous cast and crew. Giselle Miller’s NOVELETTE IS TRYING; Vancouver’s first Black queer web series will have its world bow and a duo of Australian series TOUCH will have its festival premiere & TRIPLE OH! its Canadian Premiere. French series SPLIT written and directed by feminist author Iris Brey, starring Alma Jodorowsky from Blue Is the Warmest Colour will have its first screening to a Canadian audience at the fest.

With 10 shorts programs this year, there are so many wonderful films to watch. The Coast is Queer program features local films made by and featuring artists in our neighbourhood, like Rose Butch, Romi Kim (SKIM), and Persephone Estradiol (jaye simpson). THE BIRDHOUSE, a film that centres the titular queer and trans-run event space and the untold labour and love poured into creating a haven beyond physical walls from director Romi Kim will screen amongst other notable films including: DRAG IS FOR EVERYONE a film that reflects on the support, pride, and joy fostered at the Carousel Theatre’s Drag Camp from filmmakers David Ng and Jen Sungshine (Love Intersections). 12 ANGRY LESBIANS from Patrice Leung, Gabriel Souza Nunes’ PASSIFLORA, Olivia Marie Golosky’s PÎĶÎWÎ, lisa g’s ARTIST / AUTIST and DIRT PRIDE from Christina Rosetti will also play.

For the first time ever, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival’s dates will fall within the school year and will bring programming specifically to youth and school groups with The Future is Queer: Youth Programs 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. Troublemakers 8.0, the intergenerational film project returns to the big screen for the eighth year! Reel Youth and Out On Screen present four new films by youth filmmakers documenting the lives of local queer elders who inspire us through art and advocacy. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with the youth filmmakers.

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:

The full programme lineup for VQFF 2024 can be found on the website now.

Tickets and passes are on sale now, with sliding scale pricing starting at just $7.

Media Kit can be downloaded here.

More info and Festival images at the VQFF Press & Media page and on The Future is Queer.

About Out On Screen

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

Media Requests:
Nicola Pender, Pender PR
m: 604.617.4807 / nicola@penderpr.com
penderpr.com / @penderpr

VQFF FEATURE FILM PROGRAM:

For the lineup of all the Short Films playing at VQFF and the entire 2024 program visit www.queerfilmfestival.ca.

The complete list of feature films and episodic debuts are included below.

BONUS TRACK, BC Premiere (Centrepiece Presentation)

Julia Jackman | United Kingdom | 2023 | 98 min English with captions

Daydreaming through class every day about crafting his big radio hit—with the failing grades to show for it, 16-year-old songwriter George longs to break free of his parent’s expectations and the small English town they call home. Inspiration arrives when Max, the son of a world-famous rockstar, enrolls in George’s school and recognizes the megawatt talent hidden behind George’s teenage awkwardness. As their friendship deepens and their creative collaboration blossoms, George and Max are thrust into the spotlight while navigating the complexities of a possible first love.

LAYLA, Canadian Premiere (Closing Night Presentation)

Amrou Al-Kadhi | United Kingdom | 2024 100 min | English and Arabic with English subtitles

Drag liberation and sparkling self-expression turn the beat up loud in this joyful, exhilarating crowd-pleaser which premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition of 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 lighting up local clubs with impressive creativity. Featuring a colourful community of artists and everyday queer superstars, Layla’s life off-stage takes a surprising direction when they start a love affair with a young corporate professional.

With relentless comedic timing and a contagious sense of discovery, Xu and Leung play Ryan and Daniel, a pair of twenty-something Asian American creatives in Los Angeles determined to make a movie reflecting their experiences as best friends where one happens to be gay and the other, straight. Invigorated by their desire to bust taboos and blend genres, they battle their low-budget limitations (on and off the screen) to craft a hilarious, heartfelt expression of their titular extremely unique dynamic.

IF I DIE, IT’LL BE OF JOY (SI JE MEURS, CE SERA DE JOIE), BC Premiere Alexis Taillant | France | 2024 | 80 min | French with English subtitles

As GreyPride in Paris approaches, three rabble- rousers contemplate and advocate for their right as older adults to recognition, love, and sexual liberation. This beautifully filmed and inspiring documentary follows 81-year-old Micheline, brimming with sexual desire and looking for ways to express it; 70-year-old Francis, a feisty anti-ageism activist; and 68-year-old Yves, seeking love and companionship. The three set out to revolutionize senior living, challenge stereotypes, and combat discrimination through a collective effort to debunk preconceived notions of sex, love, and aging.

THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN (TO KALOKAIRI TIS KARMEN), Canadian Premiere Zacharias Mavroeidis | Greece | 2023 | 106 min Greek with English subtitles

The setting: The rocky, sun-kissed shores of a gay nude beach perched above the Mediterranean Sea in Athens, Greece. Our heroes: Best friends and former actors-turned-aspiring filmmakers Demos and Nikitas. Their objective: Finally crack their feature screenplay, a steamy autofiction about the highs and lows of their flings, family drama, and dog-sitting escapades of two summers earlier.

WHAT A FEELING, BC Premiere

Kat Rohrer | Austria | 2024 | 110 min | German with English subtitles

A chance encounter at a lesbian bar brings two women leading strikingly different lives together in this winning romantic comedy.

“You can dance right through your life” is the mantra of free-spirited, unattached Fa (Proschat Madani, Cuckoo), whose charm and popularity with women are well-established. She runs her own carpentry business and cares for her aging Iranian mother, who doesn’t know Fa is a lesbian. Marie Theres (Caroline Peters, Walk on Water) is a successful but slightly uptight doctor whose conventional life is upended when her husband of 20 years abruptly asks for a divorce. The two women could not be more different…or more attracted to each other. Each will have to break free from the confines they have built for themselves if they truly want to be happy.

DESIRE LINES, BC Premiere

Jules Rosskam | United States | 2024 | 83 min English with captions

Winner of the NEXT Special Jury Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, director Jules Rosskam cracks open a portal with his liberating exploration of transmasculine sexuality that blends narrative and documentary forms. Within the halls of a vast queer archive, trans Iranian- American scholar Ahmad mines for a historical answer to his question: Is his gender identity at odds with his sexual desire for other men? Guided by a charismatic research assistant played by Theo Germaine (The Politician), Ahmad’s journey takes a turn when the archive transforms into a time-traveling gay bathhouse of erotic discovery. From here, Rosskam weaves together illuminating archival treasures and thrillingly candid interviews featuring trans men sharing their intimate odysseys of hooking up with cis gay men. Rosskam’s dynamic approach flips the script to create a sexier, more authentic, and bountifully gay film.

BULLETPROOF: A LESBIAN’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE PLOT, BC Premiere

Regan Latimer | Canada | 2024 | 105 min | English with captions

Every time a lesbian character dies on TV is a stake through the heart for director Regan Latimer. Latimer 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, Latimer interviews TV writers and executives, queer community members, and fans to unravel this troubling phenomenon. Featuring enlightening conversations with industry insiders, this insightful, funny, and personal hybrid documentary captures the crucial role of queer media representation while following Latimer’s journey of self-discovery and the powerful impact of seeing oneself on screen. Queer fandom is fighting back–join our media revolution!

RENT FREE, Canadian Premiere

Fernando Andrés | United States | 2024 | 93 min English with captions

After a misguided seduction leaves them broke and without an apartment, aging millennials Ben and Jordan (played by charismatic duo Jacob Roberts and David Treviño) launch a social experiment to spend an entire year living “rent- free” by couch-surfing with friends, family, and strangers in a rapidly changing Austin, Texas. Collaborators Fernando Andrés and Tyler Rugh follow up their winning Three Headed Beast (VQFF ’23) with this renegade character-driven comedy tackling contemporary issues of rising rent, urban instability, and the tech-sector takeover of everyday life, and the nuances of queer male friendship.

SISTERS, BC Premiere

Susie Yankou | United States, Canada | 2024 88 min | English and Farsi with English subtitles

Singer-songwriter Lou (Susie Yankou) and stand-up comedian Esther (Sarah Khasrovi) are inseparable best friends. They share everything from inside jokes to a deep curiosity about what it would be like to have a sister. Their codependent bliss is shattered when Lou’s father unexpectedly passes away, and Priya (Kausar Mohammed), a long-lost, very stylish half-sister, shows up to his funeral. As Lou explores her relationship with Priya, the newfound connection disrupts her bond with Esther and creates a growing rift. Facing the potential loss of her closest friend, Lou must navigate this complex new dynamic and redefine what family truly means.

VERA AND THE PLEASURE OF OTHERS (VERA Y EL PLACER DE LOS OTROS), Canadian Premiere

Romina Tamburello, Federico Actis | Argentina 2023 | 103 min | Spanish with English subtitles

In this erotic coming-of-age comedy 17-year-old Vera steals keys from her real estate agent mother to run a secret business renting out an apartment to her classmates who need a place to get intimate. Bored by the banal routine of high school and volleyball practice, she discovers a thrilling outlet in her side hustle as she covertly eavesdrops on her clients’ most private moments. Listening to other people’s pleasure unexpectedly allows Vera to gain an understanding of her own desires. However, just as she begins to develop a sexual appetite of her own, Vera’s pleasure gets interrupted.

THIS IS BALLROOM (SALÃO DE BAILE), Canadian Premiere

Juru, Vitã | Brazil | 2024 | 92 min | Portuguese and English with English subtitles

Ballroom filmmakers Juru and Vitã explore Rio de Janeiro’s unique Ballroom scene and House culture. For this ambitious project, the filmmakers organized a special event inviting Rio’s top Ballroom artists, representing 11 Houses from the city centre and beyond. Led by prominent 2SLGBTQIA+ Afro-Brazilian performers, the Houses serve as life-affirming chosen families for the queer, trans, and nonbinary people of this tight community. Mixing elements of local traditions, popular culture, and North American influences, Rio’s Ballroom artists cook up their unique flavours of voguing, performance, music, fashion and dance. Infused in their artistry are the lived experiences of a resilient community pushing back against a racist, patriarchal state.

PRIDE VS. PREJUDICE: THE DELWIN VRIEND STORY, BC Premiere

Darrin Hagen | Canada | 2024 | 80 min | English with captions

In 1991, Delwin Vriend was fired from his teaching position at a Christian college in Edmonton for being gay. An unlikely hero, Vriend found himself at the centre of a pivotal point in history. The case of Vriend v. Alberta, fought all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, challenged homophobic discrimination and expanded LGBTQ+ rights in Canadian workplaces.

A HOUSE IS NOT A DISCO, BC Premiere

Brian J. Smith | United States | 2024 | 90 min English with captions

Fire Island comes alive in director Brian J. Smith’s loving portrait of the legendary gay hotspot and the makeshift community that travels by ferry every summer to call it home. Filmed with a warm sense of place and an eye toward its gorgeous natural environment, this documentary thrusts the viewer into the fun, euphoria, and kinship that ripple throughout the iconic Pines. Through on-the-fly interviews with its memorable inhabitants and rich observational insights that illuminate its charm, Smith evokes the island’s half-century of history as a queer haven while also exploring the possibilities for its more inclusive future. For those whose calendars aren’t complete without an annual jaunt to this New York paradise or those who’ve always wished to visit: climb aboard and bask in Fire Island’s glow.

LESVIA, BC Premiere

Tzeli Hadjidimitriou | Greece | 2024 | 78 min | Greek, English, French, and Italian with English subtitles

The Greek island of Lesbos, the birthplace of Sappho, has long been a pilgrimage destination for lesbians worldwide. For decades, lesbian native director Tzeli Hadjidimitriou has documented the lives of locals and the annual gatherings of lesbians on Eressos’ beaches. Using archival film, photos, and personal diaries, Tzeli delves into the evolving relationships, struggles, and connections between the local Greek and these lesbian communities. Lesvia weaves Sappho’s poetry and legacy with Lesbos’ unique culture, capturing a fascinating group of people who all feel a deep connection to this island.

YOUNG HEARTS, BC Premiere

Anthony Schatteman | Belgium, Netherlands 2024 | 99 min | German, English, French, and Dutch with English subtitles

In an idyllic countryside town in Belgium, young Alex moves in next door to Elias, a popular 14-year-old with a fun-loving family. Excited about the new kid in town, Elias soon becomes fast friends with Alex, even making a trip into the city to meet some of Alex’s family who run the local drag club. When Alex reveals he has dated boys before, Elias realizes he likes Alex more than just a friend, throwing him into a crisis of identity. Elias must find out if he can be as free in his own sexuality and desires as Alex seems to be.

FRAGMENTS OF A LIFE LOVED (FRAMMENTI DI UN PERCORSO AMOROSO), BC Premiere

Chloé Barreau | Italy | 2023 | 95 min | French and Italian with English subtitles

When you look back at your relationships, do you ever wonder why you had amazing sex with some lovers and not others? Or why you ended up with some partners long-term while others flitted in and out of your life?

Since she was 16 years old living between Paris and Rome, director Chloé Barreau has been photographing, filming, and collecting mementos from every woman and man she has ever loved. This fascinating documentary unfolds through candid interviews with her exes, from fleeting one-night stands to enduring relationships.

CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS, BC Premiere

Alice Maio Mackay | Australia | 2024 | 70 min English with captions

Santa slays in Australian wunderkind Alice Maio Mackay’s latest handmade horror delight. Her fifth feature in three years, this inventive slasher flick follows true-crime podcaster Lola as she returns to her conservative hometown for the first time since transitioning—just in time for the terrifying resurrection of a red suit-wearing urban legend with an axe to grind. As the body count rises and the killer circles closer, Lola’s ragtag team of queer and trans compatriots— complete with one totally wicked drag queen— must band together to rip the mask off this psychopath and take him down once and for all. Eye-popping colour and razor-sharp editing from new collaborator Vera Drew (The People’s Joker) fuels the playful nightmare flair of this exhilarating celebration of community power. Mackay’s infectious visual imagination proves that, when it comes to battling bigotry through pure cinematic force, this 19-year-old trans filmmaker is out for blood.

A MOTHER APART, BC Premiere

Laurie Townshend | Canada | 2024 | 89 min English and German with English subtitles

Powerhouse Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin embarks on a deeply personal journey to uncover the mysterious past of her elusive mother, Hazel—a woman whose absence has shaped Staceyann’s poetry, politics, and bond with her daughter, Zuri. Traveling from Brooklyn to Montreal, Cologne to Jamaica, Staceyann navigates a complex emotional landscape as she grapples with Hazel’s choices. She must also balance her enduring childhood pain with the profound joy of motherhood.

THE ASTRONAUT LOVERS (LOS AMANTES ASTRONAUTAS), Canadian Premiere

Marco Berger | Argentina | 2024 | 116 min Spanish with English subtitles

When Pedro returns to Argentina for an extended vacation at his family home by the sea, he’s greeted by familiar faces and the promise of a leisurely, drama-free summer with friends. One afternoon on the beach, he runs into Maxi, a flirtatious but foolhardy—and straight—friend from the past who expresses an unrelenting curiosity about the easygoing Pedro’s sexuality as a gay man. Sparks fly as they fall into a surprising rhythm of mutual interest in spite of—or perhaps because of—this line in the sand. So when Maxi asks Pedro to play-act as his new boyfriend to rile up his ex-girlfriend, Pedro goes along with it…

PARADISE IS BURNING (PARADISET BRINNER), BC Premiere

Mika Gustafson | Sweden | 2023 | 108 min Swedish with English subtitles

Thrumming with the rough-and-tumble spirit of youth in rebellion, director Mika Gustafson’s film captures the turbulence of growing up without a safety net among the margins of working- class Sweden. Scraping by with ingenuity, sisters Laura (sixteen), Mira (twelve), and Steffi (seven) look after themselves in a council house with no guardian in sight. When social services comes knocking, Laura must find an adult willing to impersonate their mother to keep her family together. Her journey ignites a spark of self- discovery as the wild rituals of adolescence give way to the rush of a first crush.

UNUSUALLY NORMAL, BC Premiere

Colette Johnson Vosberg | Canada | 2024 98 min | English with captions

Meet Canada’s gayest family! Unusually Normal follows three generations of women in the Ford family, all of whom are gay. Director Colette Johnson-Vosberg got the opportunity of a lifetime when Karen Ford reached out and opened the doors to her home and her family’s extraordinary story.

THROUPLE, Canadian Premiere

Greyson Horst | United States | 2024 | 90 min English with captions

Injecting a welcome dose of polyamorous desire to the landscape of contemporary gay romance, director Greyson Horst crafts a comedy of unexpected connection on the road to self- discovery. Aimless and stuck in an artistic rut, lonely singer-songwriter Michael (played by actor-screenwriter Michael Doshier) can’t seem to find his lane in either life or love. One fateful night while attending a friend’s show, his luck turns as he strikes up a conversation with Georgie and Connor, a friendly—and newly open—married couple. As Michael quickly falls into bed with the couple, both his creativity and the possibility of romance soar.

LIFE IS NOT A COMPETITION, BUT I’M WINNING, Canadian Premiere

Julia Fuhr Mann | Germany | 2023 | 79 min German and English with English subtitles

If history is written by the victors, where does that leave those who were never allowed to be part of the game? In this powerful documentary, a collective of queer athletes enters the Olympic Stadium in Athens to honour those who were excluded from standing on the podium. They meet Amanda Reiter, a trans marathon runner battling the prejudices of sports organizers, and Annet Negesa, an 800-metre runner pressured by international sports federations to undergo hormone-altering surgery. Together, the athletes create a radical utopia to challenge the rigid gender rules of competitive sports and envision a more inclusive future.

ROOKIE, BC Premiere

Samantha Lee | Philippines | 2023 | 95 min Tagalog and English with English subtitles

Ace’s first day at her new Manila high school is one she’ll never forget. As she awkwardly navigates the unfamiliar surroundings, she finds herself reluctantly joining the volleyball team. Jana, the team captain, perceives Ace as a threat, sparking an immediate rivalry. But, little by little, they discover that love and hate are two sides of the same coin and find themselves admitting their attraction to each other.

ALL SHALL BE WELL (從今以後), BC Premiere

Ray Yeung | Hong Kong | 2024 | 93 min | Chinese with English subtitles

Long-term couple Pat and Angie have lived happily in their beautiful Hong Kong flat for decades, surrounded by family and friends who delight in their lively dinner parties. Pat’s sudden death changes everything in a split second. As Pat hasn’t left a will, her once seemingly supportive family now wrests control from Angie, leveraging Hong Kong law against her to make all the decisions and arrangements. Angie desperately wants to fight for Pat’s wishes and turns to her community of queer friends for support as she navigates not only her grief but also the impending loss of her home.

PERFECT ENDINGS (13 SENTIMENTOS), Canadian Premiere

Daniel Ribeiro | Brazil | 2024 | 100 min Portuguese with English subtitles

Guaranteed to get your heart pumping, the latest from Teddy Award-winner Daniel Ribeiro (crowd-pleasing favourite The Way He Looks, VQFF Opening Gala ‘14) pulses to the beat of a hot and heavy summer in the city. Fresh off a breakup from a long-term relationship and ready for a rebound, aspiring Brazilian filmmaker João battles writer’s block while diving headfirst into hookup apps in search of a spark, on and off the page, for his sexy new screenplay. He discovers a surprising fusion of both passions when he begins directing amateur erotic films, uncovering how art can imitate life and vice versa. Surrounded by supportive, fun-loving friends, João endeavours to put the pen down and surrender to self-discovery.

LOVE & REVOLUTION (TE ESTOY AMANDO LOCAMENTE), Canadian Premiere

Alejandro Marín | Spain | 2023 | 106 min | Spanish with English subtitles

Nominated for five Goya awards, Spanish filmmaking’s highest honour, and winner of one, this fist-pumping period drama from director Alejandro Marín thrusts audiences into the budding gay rights movement flooding the streets of 1977 Seville. Coming of age in a time of criminalized homosexuality and stifled free speech, teenage brainiac Miguel lives in the city with his adoring single mother Reme, a hardworking widow whose fierce love for her son guides her every step. When Miguel’s increasingly visible queerness lands him in the crosshairs of the state, Reme unexpectedly finds herself linking arms with a community of queer activists to ensure his safety.

VQFF EPISODIC PROGRAM:

NOVELETTE IS TRYING, World Premiere

Giselle Miller | Canada | 2024 | 100 min | English with captions

Vancouver’s first Black queer web series introduces Novelette, a cynical, anti-social, and newly single bisexual woman who reluctantly takes on a roommate to help with the rent on her East Van apartment. At first, the extroverted, outspoken Audre seems like the wrong choice. But, although their personalities clash, Audre’s boldness soon rubs off on Novelette in the best way, encouraging her to dive back into the dating pool. The world premiere screening launches the first five episodes of this ten-part comedy series from local filmmaker Giselle Miller, who writes and directs from her own experiences of identity and belonging in Vancouver.

KIN., BC Premiere

Justin Ducharme, Theo Jean Cuthand | Canada 2023 | 34 min | English with captions

This five-part scripted series is an honest and comedic exploration of the contemporary, urban queer and trans Indigenous experience following a group of friends and their social-media- engrossed lives. Exploring romance, identity, and belonging with an all-Indigenous cast and crew, KIN. offers a realistic window into the lives of Indigenous queer and trans people and the complexities they face as they come of age. This BC Premiere is a hometown celebration and a showcase of KIN.’s powerhouse on-screen talent.

SPLIT, Canadian Premiere

Iris Brey | France | 2023 | 111 min | French with English subtitles

Written and directed by feminist author Iris Brey, this French miniseries is a refreshing narrative about unexpected connections, intimate relationships, and sexual fluidity.

Stunt double Anna (Alma Jodorowsky, Blue Is the Warmest Colour) is intrigued by her latest assignment as a stand-in for charismatic star Eve (Jehnny Beth, Anatomy of a Fall). Anna has been content in her long-term relationship with Natan, who is the cinematographer on set. As desire grows between Anna and Eve, leading to a secret rendezvous in the dressing room and visits to the countryside, their relationship becomes harder and harder to keep hidden.

TOUCH, Festival Premiere

Monique Terry, Abby Gallaway | Australia | 2024 | 55 min | English with captions

Fiercely competitive Cameron (Diana Popovska) seeks revenge on her cheating ex-girlfriend by beating her in the local touch-football competition. But when she catches feelings for her new teammate Angie, Cameron has to keep her plan a secret in order to win the competition…and Angie’s love.

TRIPLE OH!, Canadian Premiere

Poppy Stockell | Australia | 2023 | 42 min | English with captions

Queer dramatic rom-com Triple Oh! follows the lives of two ambulance paramedics, Tayls (Brooke Satchwell) and Cate (Tahlee Fereday), as they get to grips on life, death, and each other.

Artists in attendance include Vico Ortiz, Lea Delaria, Rain Dove, and Jaylene Tyme

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