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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vancouver, June 3, 2024 – Out On Screen, a leading organization dedicated to 2SLGBTQIA+ media arts and education, is pleased to announce Eli Morris is the new Executive Director, effective June 3, 2024.

Morris joined Out On Screen in May 2023 as the Deputy Executive Director and has stepped into the role of Interim Executive Director in the last two months since the departure of former Executive Director Brandon Yan.

They previously served as the Executive Director of GEMS Vancouver, where they spearheaded the organization’s name change from Women in Film and Television Vancouver to be more inclusive of trans and nonbinary people and reflect the organization’s mission to foster gender equity in the screen-based media industry.

Morris’s experience spans film production, marketing, education, and arts administration. They served as production manager of the award-winning queer coming-of-age film Golden Delicious (2022) directed by Jason Karman. They hold a Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising from the University of New South Wales (Australia).

For the last year, I’ve had the privilege of working with an all-queer and trans team at Out On Screen. As a trans and nonbinary person, I have never felt so safe in a workplace. I am humbled to have this opportunity to create more spaces like this for other people in our community,” said Morris.

“To be honest, it is not an easy time to be doing this work. The political and economic forecast is bleak. The Out In Schools team, in particular, is facing increasing hostility and reduced funding opportunities. It is even more important that we remain unwavering in our commitment to provide 2SLGBTQIA+ people—especially kids and teens in schools—with the positive representations and affirming messages we all need and deserve.”

The Board of Directors selected Morris after a nationwide search supported by recruitment firm GerardSearch. Board Chair Christopher Hallamore said:

“The hiring committee, which consisted of board members and staff, sought a candidate to lead us through our next chapter as we live into our new 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. We are so fortunate not only to have someone with deep connections to the local filmmaking community and experience in arts and education non-profits, but also to have witnessed firsthand Eli’s collaborative, transparent, and courageous leadership style over the past year. Out On Screen believes in developing and nurturing our people, and it’s a point of pride to be able to promote a member of our team. I am immensely optimistic for Out On Screen’s future with Eli at the helm.”

The upcoming 36th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival will take place September 11-22, 2024. Out On Screen is now accepting bookings for school groups in a new youth film screening program at VQFF titled The Future is Queer, in collaboration with The Cinematheque.

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

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

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Vancouver, January 15, 2024 – Out On Screen, a leading organization dedicated to 2SLGBTQIA+ media arts and education, regretfully announces the departure of Brandon Yan from his role as Executive Director, effective March 27, 2024.

Yan has been an instrumental part of the Out On Screen team since 2015, contributing his leadership and passion for 2SLGBTQIA+ representation and education. As the sole Program Coordinator and later Education Director, Yan grew the Out In Schools program into a powerhouse, reaching over 20,000 youth annually at its peak. Under his leadership, Out In Schools also collaborated with the BC Ministry of Education to implement new policies and procedures supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in every BC school district.

As Executive Director since mid-2020, Yan led the organization through unprecedented challenges with a focus on building staff capacity, financial sustainability, and continued program delivery in hybrid online and in-person formats. He leaves the organization having successfully re-launched in-person programs in 2023 with the best-attended Vancouver Queer Film Festival in the last decade and led the update to Out On Screen’s next strategic plan. Yan’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment is reflected in the transformative growth of Out On Screen’s programs and internal operations. Yan said,

While I am sad to bid farewell to this incredible community, I am also filled with hope and excitement for the future of Out On Screen. The organization is in excellent hands, and I have full confidence that it will continue to grow and make a positive difference in the lives of queer, trans, and Two Spirit peoples.

The Board of Directors expresses its gratitude for Brandon’s dedication and contributions to Out On Screen. Board Chair Chris Hallamore said,

Brandon’s leadership of Out On Screen through the COVID-19 pandemic, shifts in political discourse on 2SLGBTQIA+ expression and education, and our ever-changing community’s needs has been defined by his care for people, his warm leadership style, and his strategic focus. We are grateful for his service to this organization and are excited to see where his career takes him next.

The Board will commence a search for a new Executive Director to build on Out On Screen’s successes and lead the organization into its next chapter. Information will be made available on our careers page.

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

About Out On Screen

Out On Screen is a charitable organization that illuminates, celebrates, and transforms 2SLGBTQIA+ lives through film, education, and dialogue. The 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 queer 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 among the leaders in Canada working to create an equitable society where 2SLGBTQIA+ people are respected, valued, and protected across all our intersections of identity. www.outonscreen.com 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/queerfilmfest
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VancouverQFF
Twitter: www.twitter.com/queerfilmfest

VANCOUVER, August 21, 2023 – The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) is pleased to announce the 2023 Award recipients. $52,500 CAD in prizes will be distributed to 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers, with the highest accolades bestowed upon RBC Narrative Change Award winner director Sharon “Rocky” Roggio’s 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE (USA), who will receive a cash prize of $5,000 CAD and the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award: Best British Columbia Short winner director Lauren Marsden’s TABANCA, who will take home a cash prize of $2,500 CAD courtesy of the Directors Guild of Canada, BC plus a $15,000 CAD camera package from Keslow Camera.

“I am deeply moved by and immensely grateful for the support of the VQFF audiences. We saw more attendees this year than in pre-pandemic times. Thank you, Vancouver, for coming out and embracing our storytellers; your presence and warm reception had a profound impact on their Festival experience,” said Charlie Hidalgo, Artistic Director, Out On Screen. “We took a stand and committed to only showcasing stories made by our community, and the difference was felt by all who attended. This 2023 edition of VQFF has been the most extraordinary and rewarding experience of my curatorial career.”

“I am truly humbled and profoundly honoured to be the first recipient of the RBC Narrative Change Award. Thank you Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Out On Screen and RBC, for establishing this incredible award that uplifts the power of storytelling and its ability to reshape the very fabric of our society. I extend my heartfelt gratitude for this recognition to the jury who saw the power and potential in 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE. I am proud to be a part of a community that believes in the ability of storytelling to bridge gaps, foster empathy, and ignite meaningful dialogue,” said Sharon “Rocky” Roggio director of 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE.

TABANCA director Lauren Marsden commented, “It is a great honour to receive the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award and join the incredible list of past awardees. I am deeply proud of everyone on the TABANCA team who helped bring this story of self-love and queer Caribbean joy to life. Here’s to many more!”

$30,000 CAD in cash and prizes will be distributed amongst the winners for this year’s People’s Choice Awards. The 2023 winners are:

Canadian Feature
THIS PLACE dir. V.T. Nayani 
Includes a $5,000 CAD cash prize from the Canada Media Fund (CMF) 

Canadian Short
SCARING WOMEN AT NIGHT dir. Karimah Zakia Issa
Includes a $20,000 CAD camera package from Panavision 

International Feature
1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE (USA) dir. Sharon “Rocky” Roggio
Includes a $2,500 CAD cash prize from Out On Screen 

International Short
FOREIGN UNCLE (China/USA) dir. Sining Xiang
Includes a $2,500 CAD cash prize from Out On Screen 

The 2023 jurors for the RBC Narrative Change Award were acclaimed film producer and Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD, Alex Schmider; award-winning journalist and media personality Shar Jossell; and Firelight Media’s Documentary Lab Director, Lucy Mukerjee. 

Jury’s statement: 

“The RBC Narrative Change Award goes to 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE, for its ability to excavate and deliver deep cultural revelations in a way that’s both educational and entertaining. 1946 is a film that the jury believes will help transform the worldviews of others, as it did them, and encourage necessary exploration and inquiry by all who watch it.”

The 2023 jurors for the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award: Best British Columbia Short were filmmakers V.T. Nayani (THIS PLACE), Gabe Gabriel (RUNS IN THE FAMILY), and Twiggy Pucci Garçon (MnM).   

Jury’s statement: 

“The Gerry Brunet Memorial Award: Best British Columbia Short goes to TABANCA, a film that artfully explores the numbing ache of loneliness. Not the kind one feels when missing a single person but rather the kind that pulls one’s heart towards home — home as in community, culture, and self. Though universal, this is a quintessentially queer experience embodied here by a lead actor who communicates pain and hope in equal but subtle measure, and captured simply and beautifully through thoughtful direction and cinematography.”

Out In Schools is excited to add three films that screened at the VQFF to our Film Catalogue: Pete (USA) dir. Bret Parker, Twin Sparks (USA) dir. Ollie Yao, Heather Yun and MnM (USA) dir. Twiggy Pucci Garçon. These films will be screened online by educators, and in person with Out In Schools facilitators reaching approximately 10,000 youth over the course of the 2023-2024 school year.

This year, VQFF’s lineup exclusively showcased films by 2SLGBTQIA+ storytellers. Throughout the Festival, audiences attended in-person and virtual screenings and were captivated by 92 films from 27 countries, including 24 feature films and 10 World Premieres. In the festival, first, the Opening Presentation: Stronger Together, showcased six short films; the Centrepiece Presentation featured the Canadian Premiere of Sharon “Rocky” Roggio’s astonishing documentary 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE (USA) and Ian Gabriel’s RUNS IN THE FAMILY (South Africa) closed the Festival. 

The 2023 Festival programme was curated by VQFF Artistic Director Charlie Hidalgo; Festival Programmers Sarah-Tai Black and Rico Johnson-Sinclair; 2023 VQFF Programming Disruptor Fellowship recipients Jasmine “Audder” Monton, Romi Kim, and Eva Grant; Guest Programmer Simone Ling. 

Festival images and press materials can be downloaded here. 

The VQFF would also like to thank its generous partners for their support, including lead partner RBC Royal Bank, premiere partners Canada Media Fund, Rogers, Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada and Telefilm Canada, signature partner Twin Sails Brewing, screening partners UBCP/ACTRA, Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, Herschel Supply Company and the Canadian Media Producers Association, festival funders Canada Council For the Arts, Government of Canada, City of Vancouver, Creative BC, The Province of British Columbia and British Columbia Arts Council, cultural partner SFU Woodward’s, exclusive technical partner 24 Frames Digital Films, transportation partner Modo, exclusive media partner CBC Vancouver, advertising partner Western Media Group and festival supporters bed, Vancouver Civic Theatres, MT+Co, IATSE Local 891, Gayvan.com, James Goodman, Black Screen Office and ACFC West, Local 2020 Unifor. 

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Media Contact
Laura Steen
Route 504 PR
laura@route504pr.com 

About Out On Screen

Out On Screen is a charitable organization that illuminates, celebrates, and advances queer lives through film, education, and dialogue. The Vancouver Queer Film Festival creates a dynamic platform for queer cinema that reflects a diversity of experiences while connecting and strengthening our communities. The award-winning Out In Schools program brings age-appropriate queer cinema into school classrooms to combat homophobia, transphobia, and bullying, and to provide the language and tools for inclusion. Out On Screen is proud to be among the leaders in Canada working to create an equitable society where sexual and gender diversity are embraced. www.outonscreen.com 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/queerfilmfest
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VancouverQFF
Twitter: www.twitter.com/queerfilmfest
#VQFF2023

VANCOUVER, August 8, 2023 – The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) is delighted to welcome over 35 directors, stars, writers and producers to Vancouver from August 10-20. Guests slated to attend the 35th edition of the Festival represent 29 of the films showcased and will participate in Q&As following each in-person screening. Tickets can be purchased at www.queerfilmfestival.ca.

“For our 35th anniversary, we are hosting more visiting artists than ever. I’m thrilled that we can provide space for many international and local queer filmmakers to make meaningful connections and network,” said Charlie Hidalgo, Artistic Director, Out on Screen. “2SLGBTQIA+ film festivals are a hub for community strengthening and much-needed collaboration.”

VQFF will award 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers $52,500 CAD in cash, in-kind prizes, and play encore screenings of the winning films on August 20. $30,000 CAD in cash and prizes will be distributed amongst the Audience Choice Award winners for Best Canadian Feature, Best Canadian Short, Best International Feature and Best International Short.

The jury for the inaugural RBC Narrative Change Award with a $5,000 CAD cash prize include acclaimed film producer and Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD, Alex Schmider; award-winning journalist and media personality Shar Jossell; and Firelight Media’s Documentary Lab Director, Lucy J. Mukerjee.

The jurors for the 2023 Gerry Brunet Memorial Award: Best British Columbia Short, with a $2,500 CAD cash prize sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada, BC plus a $15,000 CAD camera package from Keslow Camera are; visiting feature filmmakers V.T. Nayani (THIS PLACE), Twiggy Pucci Garçon (MnM) and Gabe Gabriel (RUNS IN THE FAMILY).

On Monday, August 14, VQFF is proud to host a series of three online industry panels centered on the past, present and future of 2SLGBTQIA+ storytelling.

A Present History of LGBTQ Storytelling will feature a panel of LGBTQ experts from GLAAD, including; Alex Schmider, Megan Townsend, Monica Trasandes, Nick Adams, and Tre’vell Anderson, award-winning journalist and author of We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through Film and TV. They will reflect on the progress they’ve witnessed in LGBTQ storytelling and how they’re pushing the future of LGBTQ storytelling forward.

Cultural Strategy and Narrative Change will see a conversation with cultural strategist Sonya Childress, Co-founder of Color Congress; Tre’vell Anderson, author of We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film; and film strategist Asad Muhammad, the Vice President of Impact and Engagement Strategy at POV. This powerhouse trio will walk the audience through practical ways that storytellers can use their work to transform how 2SLGBTQIA+ people are seen and understood.

Positionality/Authentic Authorship and Stereotype will feature Rico Johnson-Sinclair, Director of the Anti-Racist Taskforce for European Film and Gian Franco, Co-Founder and Chairman of The Stereotype Project, offering an immersive and interactive workshop on authentic authorship and positionality, designed to give 2SLGBTQIA+ filmmakers practical tools to enable authenticity both above-the-line and below-the-line.

In addition to guests from this year’s film selections, the Opening Night party at Vancouver Playhouse will feature performances from Toddy, Mermaid and Milan Garçon with music by DJ Softieshan. The party is FREE to attend with tickets to the Opening Night Presentation: Stronger Together. The Closing Night party at Vancouver Playhouse will also feature a stellar lineup of performances from Continental Breakfast, Kara Juku and Genesis, with music by DJ Bella. Entry to the party is also FREE with tickets to the Closing Presentation screening of RUNS IN THE FAMILY.

Short programmes that will feature special drag performances following the screenings include; Midnight Foreplay with a performance by Maiden China, The Coast is Queer with a performance by Mx. Bukuru, and Slay 4 Me, which will see live performances by Bongganisa and Juan Alcuitas-Imperial. The screening of the feature documentary QUEENDOM (France) will also treat its audience to a special drag performance by Vixen Von Flex!

Special guests attending the 2023 Vancouver Queer Film Festival by film:

1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE (USA) Sharon “Rocky” Roggio (Director) Jena Serbu (Producer) A QUEER’S GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL LIVING (Canada) Ari Conrad Birch (Director/Co-Writer) Michal Heuston (Director/Co-Writer) AC UNIT (USA) Grace Godvin (Director) Drew Anderson (Actor/Co-Writer) Hilton Dresden (Actor/Co-Writer) AND THEY WERE LOVED (USA) Malik Julien (Director) APARTMENT 605 (USA) Bianca Catbagan (Director) BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND (Canada) Trevor Anderson (Director/Co-Writer) BITTERSWEET BECOMING (Canada) Polina Teif (Director) Karla Rae James (Documentary Protagonist, Co-Writer) D. Morrison (Composer, Sound Recordist) DOTTING THE “I” (USA) Doug Tompos (Director/Writer) E.S.S. SCENES (Canada) Romi Kim (Director) EGGHEAD & TWINKIE (USA) Sarah Kambe Holland (Director/Writer) GEN (UK) Vivian Barton (Director/Producer) GORDITX (USA) Malik Ever (Director) GROCERY LIST (USA) Joanne Mony Park (Director/Writer) HOOK UP (Canada) Coby Friesen (Director) Kathleen Gallagher (Producer) I LOVE YOU MORE (Kosovo/Albania) Erblin Nushi (Director/Writer) Don Shala (Actor, Producer)

MnM (USA) Twiggy Pucci Garçon (Director) Mermaid Garçon (Documentary Protagonist) Milan Garçon (Documentary Protagonist) MOONCAKE (USA) Rraine Hanson (Director/Co-Writer) ONE BABY, PLEASE! (Canada) Polly Pierce (Director) Adrian Neblett (Producer, Actor) POLYWOOD (USA) Alessio Mineo (Director) PSYCHO BABY (USA) Charlotte Kennett (Director/Writer) Savannah Summers (Actor) Nikki Javadi (Producer) RETURN TO OMBABIKA (Canada) Ma-Nee Chacaby (Director) RUNS IN THE FAMILY (South Africa) Gabe Gabriel (Actor/Writer) STAY (Canada) King Louie Palomo (Director) TABANCA (Canada) Lauren Marsden (Director/Writer) TERROR/FORMING (Canada) Rylan Friday (Director/Writer) THE MATTACHINE FAMILY (USA) Andy Vallentine (Director/Co-Writer) THE WALL (USA) Valeska Miller (Director/Writer) THIS PLACE (Canada) V.T. Nayani (Director/Co-Writer) THREE TIDY TIGERS TIED A TIE TIGHTER (Brazil) Gustavo Vinagre (Director/Writer) THRIVING: A DISSOCIATED REVERIE (Canada) Kitoko Mai (Actor/Writer/Producer) TWIN SPARKS (USA) Ollie Yao (Director) YAHA WAHA (UK) Sarah Li (Director)

Festival images and press materials can be downloaded here.

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Media Contact
Laura Steen
Route 504 PR
laura@route504pr.com

About Out On Screen
Out On Screen is a charitable organization that illuminates, celebrates, and advances queer lives through film, education, and dialogue. The Vancouver Queer Film Festival creates a dynamic platform for queer cinema that reflects a diversity of experiences while connecting and strengthening our communities. The award-winning Out In Schools program brings age-appropriate queer cinema into school classrooms to combat homophobia, transphobia, and bullying, and to provide the language and tools for inclusion. Out On Screen is proud to be among the leaders in Canada working to create an equitable society where sexual and gender diversity are embraced. www.outonscreen.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/queerfilmfest
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VancouverQFF
Twitter: www.twitter.com/queerfilmfest
#VQFF2023

VQFF’s new training and mentorship program for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ film programmers welcome the 2023 cohort.

VANCOUVER – Out On Screen and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival are delighted to announce that Eva Grant, Romi Kim, and Jasmine Monton are the inaugural recipients of the VQFF Programming Disruptor Fellowship, a new training and mentorship program for emerging BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ film programmers. 

Led by Out On Screen’s new Artistic Director, Charlie Hidalgo (he/him), the Disruptor Fellowship program seeks to catalyze transformative change in the Canadian film industry and shepherd new talent into a field in critical need of diversification.

“The talent and vision of this group are astounding,” says Artistic Director Charlie Hidalgo. “Each brings a unique lens and robust creative practice to the program, ranging from film, performance, music, cultural programming, and community development. I couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with this brilliant team in the curation of the 35th anniversary of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.”

The 2023 Disruptor Fellows were selected from a pool of 54 applicants. Each Fellow will receive at least $10,000 throughout the fellowship which will run from February to August. Spanning five phases, the Fellowship program combines masterclasses, workshops, and hands-on experience. Speakers will include Emmy, Peabody, and Critics Choice Award-nominated film producer Alex Schmider (Changing the Game, DISCLOSURE, Framing Agnes) and renowned LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization GLAAD. 

“This program is designed to provide participants with a practical toolkit and robust ethical framework that will enable them to approach their curatorial practice in a restorative and impactful way, centering accountability, integrity, and community care,” added Hidalgo. “Over the coming years, we hope the graduates of this program become a force of transformative change in the Canadian film industry.”

The Fellowship program will culminate in the 35th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival, an 11-day festival taking place in-person and online August 10-20, 2023. The Disruptor Fellows will be credited as Festival Programmers for their contributions in curating films and events for VQFF.

This year’s Festival programming team will also welcome Sarah-Tai Black (they/them) as Festival and Industry Programmer. Sarah-Tai is a film programmer and arts curator who works to center embodied Black, queer, trans, and crip futurities. They are interested in spaces and moments that inspire immediate, all-encompassing feeling, speak back to conventional ways of seeing and being seen, and experiment with presupposed boundaries of form and narrative.

The 2023 Programming Disruptor Fellows

Eva Grant (she/her) is a bilingual filmmaker operating at the intersection of queer and BIPOC storytelling, and the founder of Tooth & Nail Pictures.  She is the creator of the dark comedy web series Degrees of Separation, a guest director on Couleurs du Nord, and in pre-production on her short film as an ImagineNATIVE Screenwriting Shorts Fellow. The CMF, IPF, BIPOC TV and Film, ISO, RWSI, BANFF Spark, and AGO have supported her work. Eva is a graduate of Stanford University, where she studied literature and philosophy. Her work is influenced by fantasy, futurism, mythology, death, love, and her mixed St’at’imc Indigenous, South and West Asian, and European heritage.

김새로미 Romi Kim (they/them), also known as SKIM in drag, is a genderfluid, second-generation Korean lesbian. Kim is an interdisciplinary artist that works in video, performance, installation, and photography. Their work has been exhibited in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Canada, most recently at SUM Gallery and Polygon Art Gallery in Vancouver. They have performed internationally in South Korea, Vietnam, Berlin, San Francisco and Vancouver (Cultch Theatre, Upintheair Theatre, and Transform Cabaret Festival). SKIM is also a co-producer of the all-drag king and thing show Magic Dykes.

Jasmine Monton (they/she), who also goes by the stage name Audder, is an artist of multiple genres and multiple feelings. They are a self-defined “gate-reaper”, combating industry gatekeeping and growing healthy arts leadership. Jasmine values storytelling that brings dignity, depth, and wonder to the queer community. Once acknowledged at a film festival as “the overly enthusiastic volunteer”, they believe film and media are powerful sources of connection to personal identity and each other. Jasmine’s background is in community outreach, youth mentorship, event coordination, and music. They are co-producer of the Filipino Fridays Podcast.

About Out On Screen

Out On Screen is a charitable organization that illuminates, celebrates, and advances queer lives through film, education, and dialogue. The Vancouver Queer Film Festival creates a dynamic platform for queer cinema that reflects a diversity of experiences while connecting and strengthening our communities. The award-winning Out In Schools program brings age-appropriate queer cinema into school classrooms to combat homophobia, transphobia, and bullying, and to provide the language and tools for inclusion. Out On Screen is proud to be among the leaders in Canada working to create an equitable society where sexual and gender diversity are embraced. www.outonscreen.com 

For further information and interview requests, please contact:
media@outonscreen.com
604-844-1615

MEDIA RELEASE

July 12, 2022

2022 LINEUP FOR VANCOUVER QUEER FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED

FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAMME GUIDE RELEASED

ALONGSIDE MORE THAN 90 FILMS

FESTIVAL PASSES AND TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT WWW.QUEERFILMFESTIVAL.CA

DOWNLOAD MEDIA IMAGES

DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) released today its complete lineup for the 11-day online and in-person film festival taking place August 11–21, which includes the best in queer film from local and international artists. 97 films from 20 countries are featured at this 34th Festival presented by RBC, along with in-person celebrations featuring local performing artists, post-screening Q&As with filmmakers, and industry and community workshops. Purchase all-access Festival Passes, online-only Digital Passes, or individual tickets at queerfilmfestival.ca. Browse the full programme online or in the PDF of the print Festival guide. 

“In the early days of Out On Screen, the act of 2SLGBTQIA+ people unapologetically taking up physical space and putting our films on the big screen was revolutionary. This year’s theme “Make It Yours” is not just an echo of the DIY spirit this Festival was founded upon, but also a roar for our collective future. Our shared experiences and collective dreams are returning to our screens—big and small—again in this year’s wonderful program. I hope you find something you need in these beautiful films.” – Executive Director, Brandon Yan.

The Festival’s Opening Gala screening is the local premiere of Dave Rodden-Shortt’s feature documentary The Empress of Vancouver, an ode to local drag icon Oliv Howe, crowned the 10th Empress of the Vancouver Dogwood Monarchist Society in 1981. In the 80s, Oliv’s punk rock energy, gender-bending performances and DIY glam aesthetic spoke to a political and artistic shift in Vancouver’s drag community. This proudly local documentary brings to light queer artistic legacies and histories that have previously been unseen. This film will be available exclusively in person on opening night, with a fabulous queer royalty-themed Opening Night Party to follow the screening.

Our local shorts program The Coast Is Queer returns for its 25th anniversary year, available in person and online. Also returning are shorts programs: Obidian: Black Queer Cinema, subtitled AS I AM, and Two Spirit and Indigiqueer Cinema, which has been expanded into two shorts programs this year, A Brave and Tender Lineage and Sovereign Bodies.

This Festival proudly presents the Canadian premiere of French film Besties (Les Meilleures), a beautifully shot coming-of-age drama about two young women from opposing groups in suburban Paris navigating womanhood and queer identity. Other prominent feature film programs include local documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows on navigating queer identity in South Asian families; ground-breaking Filipinx drama Metamorphosis on intersex identity; the delightfully absurdist, queer body-swap comedy Homebody; our Youth Gala film Being Thunder about a Two Spirit teen of the Narragansett tribe; Afrofuturist sci-fi musical Neptune Frost; and Lebanese documentary Sirens about the first and only all-women Middle Eastern thrash metal band.

VQFF’s closing feature is Dramarama, a heartfelt comedy and instant classic about a group of graduating theatre kids in 1994 spending one last slumber party together where tensions and true identities come to light. This in-person only screening is the perfect theatre-going experience to close out the Festival.

In addition to in-person and video-on-demand screenings, VQFF will be hosting its first in-person celebrations in three years, the Opening Night Party and The Coast is Queer 25th Anniversary Celebration, and three workshops on queer arts practice and community-building: Queer Collective: VQFF Programers Talk; We’re Here We’re Queer, Let’s Activate!; and Out In Schools: Beyond SOGI.

For ticketing details, including pricing, and the complete Festival lineup, along with screening dates and times, please visit www.queerfilmfestival.ca.

For interview requests and additional images, please contact Michael Ianni at michael@praid.ca

For more information, please visit the following platforms:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/queerfilmfest 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/VancouverQFF 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/queerfilmfest 

#VQFF2022

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Media Contact

Michael Ianni | Festival Publicist | michael@praid.ca | 604.345.7689

About Out On Screen

Out On Screen is a charitable organization that illuminates, celebrates, and advances queer lives through film, education, and dialogue. The Vancouver Queer Film Festival creates a dynamic platform for queer cinema that reflects a diversity of experiences while connecting and strengthening our communities. The award-winning Out In Schools program brings age-appropriate queer cinema into school classrooms to combat homophobia, transphobia, and bullying, and to provide the language and tools for inclusion. Out On Screen is proud to be among the leaders in Canada working to create an equitable society where sexual and gender diversity are embraced. www.outonscreen.com