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'joy and collective power': the vancouver queer film festival boasts 97 films from 25 countries
ben whishaw stars in an opening night short film at vancouver queer film festival
jul 29 2024
2 minute read
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the vancouver queer film festival (vqff) has announced highlights from their 36th annual festival lineup.
running sept. 11-22, the festival includes 97 films (28 features, 64 shorts) from 25 countries.
kicking off the festival is the opening presentation, called closer, which will feature a collection of short films.
included in that shorts lineup is the canadian premiere of u.k. filmmaker tom stuart’s good boy starring skyfall actor and the voice of paddington bear ben whishaw as a desperate man preparing to rob a bank. also on the closer bill is american ella may sahlman’s romantic comedy great canyon starring johnny sibilly as a gay man who navigates anxieties and insecurities on a first date.
sibilly, best known for his roles in hacks and pose will be attending the festival as a visiting artist.
the opening lineup will be followed by a q-and-a with special guests and the opening night party at the vancouver playhouse.
“cultural change always precedes political change. culture is power, it shapes who we are and sets the terms of the world we live in,” said charlie hidalgo, artistic director of out on screen in a statement. “this year vqff features a remarkable lineup of queer and trans stories centring our joy and collective power.”
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one of this year’s special presentations is the world premiere of the first vancouver black queer web series novelette is trying from writer/director giselle miller. the festival will screen the first five episodes of the never-before-seen series which follows novelette, a cynical, anti-social, bisexual woman who finds herself single at age 30, and reluctantly decides to take on an extroverted and outspoken roommate.
the festival is also hosting the curated shorts program: t4t, a collection of five shorts by trans and nonbinary storytellers which focuses on the trans experience.
closing this year’s vqff is the canadian premiere of layla. from director amrou al-kadhi, the film is set in the east london queer scene and follows the story of layla an up-and-coming palestinian drag queen (bilal hasna).
this year the festival is introducing the future is queer: youth programs . co-presented by out in schools and the cinematheque, the program offers two days of free youth programs.
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