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

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

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

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

–

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

–

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

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

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

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/VancouverQFF
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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 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 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