2019 Festival

Alaska is a Drag

Feature Film | 2017| USA | 1h 23min

Director: Shaz Bennet

Tough, but diva fabulous, Leo, an aspiring drag superstar, is stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska. He and his twin sister are trapped in the monotony of fist fights and fish guts. Out of necessity, Leo learned to fight back, which catches the attention of the local boxing coach. When a new boy moves to town and wants to be his sparring partner, Leo has to face the real reason he's stuck in Alaska.

We are the Radical Monarchs

Documentary | 2019| USA | 1h 35min

Director:

Set in Oakland, a city with a deep history of social justice movements, WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS documents the Radical Monarchs – an alternative to the Scout movement for girls of colour, aged 8-13. Its members earn badges for completing units on social justice including being an LGBTQ ally, the environment, and disability justice. The group was started by two, fierce, queer women of colour, Anayvette Martinez and Marilyn Hollinquest as a way to address and centre her daughter’s experience as a young brown girl.

Our Dance Revolution

Documentary | 2019 | CANADA | 1h 42min

Director: Phillip Pike

No, the revolution wasn’t televised. But it was hugged, chanted, marched, and danced into existence. Our Dance of Revolution tells the story of how Black queer folks in Toronto faced every adversity, from invisibility to police brutality, and over a four-decade span rose up to become a vibrant, triple-snap-fierce community. This untold history of Toronto's Black queer community spans four decades of passionate activist rebellion. Our Dance of Revolution celebrates the living legends among us by unearthing what has been made invisible. Come honor this hidden chapter of Toronto's history and witness the courage it took to dance in the street for the struggle.

Two-Spirit Short Films

SWEETHEART DANCERS

2019 | USA | 14 mins

Dir. Ben-Alex Dupris

SWEETHEART DANCERS is a story about Sean and Adrian, a Two-Spirit couple determined to rewrite the rules of Native American culture through their participation in the 'Sweetheart Dance.' This celebratory contest is held at powwows across the country, primarily for men and women couples, until now.

NIISH MANIDOOWAG (TWO SPIRITED BEINGS)

2017 | Wikwemikong | 6 mins

Dir. Debbie S. Mishibinijima

Some young 2Spirit youth talk about living their lives and how colonial ideas of gender tend to be enforced by elders during ceremony. 

EMERGE: STONE BRAIDS

2018 | CANADA | 9 mins

Dir. Evelyn Pakinewatik

Documenting the lives of loved ones during Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto.

MINO BINAADIZIWIN

2018 | ANISHINAABE (USA) | 10 mins

Dir. Shane McSauby

A trans Anishinaabe man meets a young Anishinaabe woman who pushes him to reconnect with their culture. ...The strength of Mino Bimaadiziwin lies in its simplicity: it’s a story of two people connecting in the process of reconnecting. The woman, Bangishimogikwe, represents a path forward, but Jim’s marginalization makes this a difficult choice—and he’s not entirely sure about her motives. This is a story about identity, beyond one’s physical appearance or gender, and the aspects of one’s self that are formed in one’s earliest years and experiences that some reject or lose touch with. Native traditions instill beauty and history, focussing on learning through community—it’s about people, not ideas, rooted in language. This is a lyrical and wonderfully honest film that takes small moments and imparts them with surprising resonance.

RESPECTER LA ROUE (RESPECTING THE WHEEL)

2016 | INNU (CANADA) | 5 mins

Dir. Melissa Mollen Dupuis

Some traditional values were pushed aside by colonisation, and Two-Spirited beings are now bullied and discriminated against. In order to heal, we need to bring back the medicine wheel, the wheel of life.

Billie and Emma

Feature Film | 2019 | PHILIPPINES | 1h 47min

Director: Samantha Lee

Set in the mid-90's, the film tells the story of Billie, a troublemaker from the big city, who finds herself exiled to San Isidro to live with her spinster aunt who is also the town's religion teacher. Determined to change her ways and get through the last year of high school without incident, Billie hides herself from the world until she meets Emma, the ambitious, star student who coaxes Billie out of her shell. They soon fall in love but things get complicated when Emma finds out that she's pregnant. Together, they explore the fleeting nature of love and life on this heartwarming journey.

Changing the Game

Documentary | 2019 | USA | 1h 28min

Director: Michael Barnett

Michael Barnett’s dynamic documentary takes us into the lives of three transgender high school athletes — all at different stages of their athletic seasons, personal lives, and their unique paths as transgender teens. Experiencing both success and fierce resistance in the world of sports; this film is their urgent, articulate plea.

ABU

Documentary | 2019 | USA | 1h 20min

Director: Arshad Khan

ABU is a journey to the centre of a fragmented family while they grapple with religion, sexuality, colonialism and migration. Through a tapestry of narratives composed of family footage, observation and classic Bollywood films, gay-identifying Pakistani-Muslim filmmaker Arshad Khan takes viewers through the tense relationships between family and fate, conservatism and liberalism and modernity and familiarity.