Shorts: Drag Darlings

In need of a quick mend to his work vest, a man returns to the space that fulfilled him the most.

Toronto-based filmmaker Yixuan Wang studies GuiHua in her first film: A charismatic drag performer shining in the underground, but torn from home. GuiHua navigates the collision of family obligation, state authority, and queer self-expression while challenging his survival within the system.

Content notes: Graphic violence and physical abuse, Homophobia and heterosexism, Smoking, drinking and substance abuse

Ayilya Thampuran’s debut documentary follows Badshah, the first Indian drag king in Canada. Moving between high-energy performances and intimate offstage moments, the film traces Badshah’s journey of self-discovery as they navigate identity, culture, and self-expression.

Filmed over eight years, Ray McEachern charts the rise of The Darlings, a Vancouver-based drag quartet composed of Continental Breakfast, Maiden China, PM (season finalist from Season 6 of Canada’s Drag Race), and Rose Butch.