2020 Festival

QT Pies

Friday February 14 – 8:30PM – Apollo Cinema – Downtown Kitchener

We bring you a night of love, cuteness, trivia, pies, and Val/Palentine’s at the Apollo Cinema! Here’s a look at the night:

8:30 PM: Doors Open + Val/Palentine’s sales by Gentle Art
9:15 PM: Queer Trivia & Piezes (pie prizes from Just Love Pie and Sweet Serendipity)
9:30 PM: Billie & Emma screening

Vegan & non-vegan 9″ pie options from Just Love Pie Cafe & gluten free + vegan pie from Sweet Serendipity

PWYC:
$5 Student/Underwaged
$10 Regular
$15 Arts Supporter

Cards sold separately

Though this day is riddled with consumerist, problematic aspects we also want to celebrate queer love, films, and artists

Apollo has an accessible entrance through their Duke St. doors next to RBC.

Super Gay Cabaret - Queerantine Edition

Saturday June 20 – 7:30PM – Online (via Zoom)

It is our 4th annual production of the Super Gay Cabaret… virtual style.

Join us for a magical evening of music, poetry, drag, storytelling, and wit on the Zoom stage!

For Super Gay Cabaret 2020, they have a *surprise* activity book up for grabs through Rainbow Reels Dress Rehearsal is over children, it’s time for a no-sew fashion extravaganza featuring paper dolls and other accessories! Delivered to you for your colouring, cutting and playing.

Artist Bios

Mike Fan

Mike Fan is a Gaysian, gender-queer opera singer whose career also defies category! Mike discovered their voice at age 21 as a premed student and in just a few years has astounded listeners across Canada, the US, Italy, and Australia. Mike discovered his female drag Sasha Fierce alter-ego, Tanya Smania, performing at Halifax’s Opera Backwards concert. Since then, he has performed with numerous queer organizations including McGill’s Queer History Month, Guelph Pride, KW Tri-Pride, and Halifax Pride. An absolute highlight was performing the title role of Carmen for the first time at Rainbow Reels’ 2nd annual Super Gay Cabaret at the Jazz Room with queer pianist Darren Creech. Mike recently won a prestigious Canada Graduate Scholarship for their performance project “Using Drag to Explore Gender and Queerness in Songs of Viardot and Contemporaries” from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Polyglot and polymath, Mike performs in 9 languages, speaks 6 of them, works as an opera soloist, pianist, actor, educator…and much more! Learn more at their website www.MikeZFan.com and follow their socials MIKE FAN – artiste lyrique

Adrian Quijano

My name is Adrian Quijano, and I am a fourth-year student at the University of Waterloo.I have made so many friends who have turned into family being a part of the UW Drag Club. My drag persona’s name is Manny Manila. He’s this rough and tough, badass dude who’s a little bit of a dick but still pretty cool. I created him to be a proud Filipino to make back some years I spent not being so proud. He’s really helped my confidence and everything, really.

Jaedon Daly

From the Violin Studio of Jeremy Bell, Jaedon Daly (21) is a graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University music faculty. Volunteering as a violin teacher as well as being part of the Hamilton Youth Philharmonic has greatly helped him in his musical pursuits. “I got to work with different people of all ages and help bring everyone together to make music.”
Performance has always been a constant presence for him throughout his life. “Playing the violin gives me a sense of emotional satisfaction and is a healthy outlet that I have utilized throughout my life.” He always hopes to have a positive impact on the audience whenever performing; “there is no greater feeling than having an audience member tells me that my performance has touched them in some way.” He considers this to be one of the many gifts of music.
This year he volunteered to perform with my chamber quintet on Giving day, which was a great success in helping Laurier’s Faculty of Music raise over $175,000 for their Making Space for Music fundraising campaign.
As he has thought about his future with music, he has decided that he wants to pursue a graduate degree in violin performance and possibly a Doctorate. As a queer person of colour, he hopes to, through his studies in violin performance, make pursuing post-secondary music education more accessible to people of colour and other minority groups.

Rain Saran Senavinin

Rain Saran Senavinin is originally from Thailand. He is currently enrolled in M.Mus in early music at McGill University, where he is under tutelage of Professor Dominique Labelle, Stephen Hargreaves and Suzie Leblanc. He made his first appearance as a countertenor singing solo in Unsuk Chin’s Cantatrix Sopranica under the baton of Guillaume Bourgogne with McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble in April 2019. He joined Opera McGill in his second year and performed in “A Shakespeare’s Serenade” directed by Patrick Hansen and became a member of Cappella Antica led by Suzie Leblanc.

As a baritone he had performed as a soloist for numerous opera productions and concerts internationally in Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and England. He was in Young Soloist Programs of Opera Siam and Grand Opera Thailand where he had performed the role of Dan Caïro in Carmen, Sciarrone in Tosca, originated the roles of Lord Munemori in Dan No Ura and Tvashtra in Nemiraj, Novice in Mae Naak. He also has performed in the role of Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas and Madhavia/Häsch in Schubert’s opera Sakuntala with NUNi production in Thailand. He was a featured artist for Asia / America New Music Institute and sang under the baton of Kahchun Wong, the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition Winner in Asia Europe New Music Festival in Hanoi, Vietnam. He has performed in front of important people including HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, HRH Princess Soamsavali of Thailand and HRH Princess Marie-Esmeralda of Belgium.

Rose Naggar-Tremblay

Rose Naggar-Tremblay is a versatile mezzo-soprano, noticed for the richness of her voice and the intelligence of her interpretations. “”This was a voice to make one sit up and take notice. It’s a dark and resonant contraltoish timbre and very expressive but she showed in the Liszt that she has genuine unforced high notes too. Definitely one to watch.””John Gilks, Operaramblings

She makes use of her creativity and love of languages through varied artistic projects including song writing, composing original librettos and music and dramaturgical conception of staged concerts and of musical workshops for children. She is particularly inclined to perform contemporary opera. She recently took part into the Opera de Montreal production of Svadba (Sokolovic) that won the Opus Prize for musical event of the year. She also sang the lead role of Gertrude Stein in the Atelier Lyrique’s production of Twenty-Sven (Gordon and Vavrek) and she is creating the role of Gabrielle in La nuit est ma femme (Côté and Ivy) over the 2019-2020 season.

Her vast musical experience and curiosity allowed her to explore a very diverse repertoire. She was recently heard at the Opéra de Montreal, the Halifax Summer Opera Festival, with La Compagnie baroque Mont-Royal, the Opéra de Lévis, Stella Musica, Production point d’arrêt, the Lyric Montreal Ensemble,and Opera McGill, appearing most notably in the roles of Zora (Svadba, Sokolovic), Tisbe (Cenerentola, Rossini), Carmen (Carmen, Bizet), Dejanira (Hercules, Handel), and Dido (Dido and Aeneas, Purcell). Her interpretation of Dido was warmly described by L’Opéra – Revue québécoise d’art lyrique ”La voix sombre et veloutée de Rose Naggar-Tremblay- presque une voix de contralto- intrigue et séduit” Anne Denise Carette

Rose is also a very active chamber music performer, taking part in many concerts and recitals. She is recently heard in the Mozart Requiem (Orchestre philharmonique et chœur des mélomanes), in the Duruflé Requiem (Chœur de l’Orchestre Métropolitain) in the cantatas BWV 7, BWV 89, BWV 21 (Serenata at St-John) and in recital with Festival Montréal Baroque, the Highlands Opera Studio and the Toronto Summer Music festival. Joseph So enthusiastically described her performance in Ludwig Van Toronto: ”I loved “Von ewige Liebe” by Brahms, which she sang with dramatic acuity. “Comment disaient-ils” showed off her excellent technique, complete with a beautifully controlled pianissimo. But the best was “Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer” which really showed off the richness and resonance of her sound.

Becca Redden

Becca Redden is a filmmaker and comedian, if by filmmaker and comedian you mean emerging every 6 months to do a comedy set or make a movie then disappear into the ether again. She won best filmmaker in waterloo region twice in a row, once when she wasn’t even living there. She also lives off gossip, which in quarantine now means whatever thing their cat is doing at any given time. She is currently an MA student at Concordia studying climate change communications, a decidedly unfunny topic.

Comedy Night - Queerantine Edition

Thursday September 17 – 7:30PM – Kitchener Market & Online (via Zoom) – Free

Who’s ready for some cathartic laughs, queer/trans/2Spirit jokes, and all around a good time? Rainbow Reels annual comedy night is coming to you September 17th, 2020! Taking place at the Kitchener Market – outside but protected from any strong winds or rain! We are excited and can’t wait to see all of your cool, gay, and fun masks!

Because this is our queerantine edition, this will be an outdoor event at the Kitchener Market, masks and physical distance required! The venue will have washrooms available, and we even have portable heaters if the weather is chilly. If you’re unable to attend in person, please join us virtually (Click the ticket link to receive the zoom link)! Free event – donations accepted online via the ticket link.

OUR COMICS
Tamara Shevon
Renee Groux
Danz Altvater

Hosted by Kez Vicario-Robinson

Huge thank you to the Kitchener Market for making this event possible! Funders: City of Waterloo, City of Kitchener Tier 2, RofW Arts Fund

Q&A with "Stories from Land Back Camp" filmmaker Eric O'Neill

Thursday September 24 – 8:30PM – Online

Join us on Rainbow Reels’ Facebook page for a live Q&A at 8:30pm with “Stories from Land Back Camp” filmmaker Eric O’Neill and Land Back Camp organizers Amy Smoke and Shawn Johnston.

Trivia Night

Thursday - October 1 – 7:30PM – Kitchener Market & Online

Join us for online and in-person pre-show trivia and screening of Queer Genius at the Kitchener Farmer’s Market. If you are unable to meet in person (physically distanced with a mask on), there will be a 24 hour online access code to view independently. Register for a ticket to receive the online screening code and zoom link for the pre-show trivia.

Free event – donations accepted on the ticket link.

Hot drinks provided by The Yeti Cafe. Overhead heaters will be turned on, but still dress for the weather. Kamikaze Gifts will be there selling reusable masks.

Thank you to our funders: City of Kitchener Tier 2, City of Waterloo, RoW Arts Fund. Huge thank you to our partnership with The Kitchener Farmers Market for making this event possible

Holigay Market

Online: December 4-6 – In person: December 5 @ 10AM-4PM – Mill-Courtland Community Centre, Kitchener, & online

Rainbow Reels 4th annual Holigay Market! What better way to prepare for the Holigays than with gift shopping from the most talented 2SLGBTQ+ makers the KW region has to offer?

Online market will showcased vendors from Friday Dec 3 to Sunday Dec 5.

Browse gifts for yourself and others from a variety of the best 2SLGBTQ+ artists in the area. EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND.