News Archives - Out On Screen

Out On Screen is thrilled to welcome fanny kearse (she/they) as our new Development & Communications Director. fanny is a values-driven arts leader with a strong background in fundraising, storytelling, and community engagement. fanny began her career with the Shania Twain Children’s Foundation where she led campaigns raising over $50,000 and helped secure $200,000 in grant funding.

After moving to Vancouver, they served as Communications & Production Director for Vines Art Festival, where they led communications for a ten-day outdoor arts festival and oversaw fundraising for the Artist Survival & Healing Fund, securing more than $40,000 while growing a network of 2,000+ engaged subscribers and donors.

A creative producer and strategic builder, fanny most recently co-created & project managed the independent docuseries Glimmers, securing $20,000 in grants & sponsorships to support equitable artist compensation. With experience spanning arts organizations and philanthropy, they bring a collaborative, community-rooted approach to strengthening Out on Screen’s impact and sustainability.

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.

Sign up to receive Festival Updates directly in your inbox!

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

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

Filmmakers, and Special Guests in Attendance:

Awards Jurors:

Industry Panelists & Pitch Competition Finalists:

Performers:

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