Queer cinephiles this news is for you!
This year Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival is celebrating its 34th event and today they revealed thier lineup and which is full of nothing but queer excellence.
For those unfamiliar with the fest thier mission is to champion innovative 2SLGBTQ+ filmmakers from around the world and to do so this year they will feature 106 films from 25 countries, including 30 feature films and 5 world premieres. The festivities kick off on May 24 and run through June 1 in Toronto, Canada at TIFF Lightbox — and for those unable to make it to Great White North this year it will also be online.
This year’s event kicks off with a show of Megan Park’s My Old Ass fresh from its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The queer comedy stars Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella, and Maddie Ziegler, and follows a woman who is visited by her future self who warns her not to fall in love. The festival will wrap up with a screening of Karen Knox’s sophomore feature We Forgot To Break Up at the festival’s closing gala, which follows a band of misfits who decide to leave thier small town to chase thier rock god dreams in the big city. And between these films, oh so many incredible queer films including Susie Yankou’s Sisters, Anthony Schatteman’s Young Hearts, Alice Maio Mackay’s Carnage for Christmas, and Brian J. Smith’s poignant Fire Island documentary A House is Not a Disco. But that’s not close to all! Keep reading for the full lineup coming to the fest this year.
Watch the 2024 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival program launch trailer below.
My Old Ass, directed by Megan Park (United States - Narrative)
In this fresh coming-of-age story, an 18th birthday mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). But when Elliott’s “old ass” starts handing out warnings about what her younger self should and shouldn’t do, Elliott realizes she has to rethink everything about family, love, and what’s becoming a transformative summer.
We Forgot to Break Up, directed by Karen Knox (Canada - Narrative)
Within Toronto’s vibrant bar scene, a diverse group of musicians come together to form a band with a mission: to ignite a musical revolution. As they channel their individual struggles and experiences into their music, The New Normals create a dynamic rock sound that transcends gender and sexuality. But as they rise to fame, personal and romantic entanglements complicate their journey.
Canadian Premiere
Sisters, directed by Susie Yankou (United States - Narrative)
Lou and Esther are the best of friends. They do absolutely everything together, speak their own language through inside jokes and code words, and share a dreamy curiosity about what their lives would be like had they grown up with a sister. When Lou’s father unexpectedly passes away, she discovers that she has a very real, and very chic, long-lost half-sister, Priya.
World Premiere
Young Hearts, directed by Anthony Schatteman (Belgium/Netherlands - Narrative)
When Alexander moves in next door, Elias is intrigued. Their budding friendship blossoms amidst after-school escapades, exploring abandoned homes and hidden swimming spots, but when Alexander reveals his romantic past a revelation is triggered in Elias.
Canadian Premiere
Carnage for Christmas, directed by Alice Maio Mackay (Australia - Narrative)
When true-crime podcaster and sleuth Lola visits her hometown for the first time since running away and transitioning, the local urban legend, The Toymaker, is the least of her worries. A transgender holiday film by prolific teenage filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay and edited by ‘The People’s Joker’ filmmaker, Vera Drew.
Canadian Premiere
All Shall Be Well, directed by Ray Yeung (Hong Kong/China - Narrative)
Angie and Pat have lived together for over three decades in their flat in Hong Kong - a flat that often hosts friends and family for dinners and get-togethers. When Pat unexpectedly passes away without a will, Angie learns that she has no legal right to the home they shared and finds herself at the mercy of a once supportive family displaying dwindling goodwill toward her.
Canadian Premiere
Join the Club, directed by Kip Andersen, Chris O’Connell (United States - Documentary)
Dennis Peron is San Francisco's biggest pot dealer. But when the AIDS epidemic sweeps through his community, he realizes that marijuana is more than a good time – it’s medicine. In the wake of his lover’s death, Peron opens the Cannabis Buyers’ Club, a five-storey dispensary complete with rainbow murals, drag shows, and onsite doctors.
North American Premiere
Langue Étrangère, directed by Claire Burger (France/Belgium/Germany - Narrative)
Fanny, a 17-year-old student from France, goes on a language exchange trip to Germany where she will stay with her pen pal, Lena. Willing to do anything to impress Lena, Fanny sees her time in Germany as an opportunity to invent a different life for herself, but as she and Lena grow closer, she runs the risk of becoming caught up in her own web of lies.
North American Premiere
Spark, directed by Nicholas Giuricich (United States - Narrative)
Aaron, a hopeless romantic, finds himself reliving the same day after an awkward but intense encounter with the mysterious Trevor. His excitement at the opportunity for a do-over soon turns sour as Aaron suspects Trevor may be the cause of his time loop.
World Premiere
A Mother Apart, directed by Laurie Townshend (Canada - Documentary)
How do you raise a child when your own mother abandoned you? In a remarkable story of healing and forgiveness, Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin, renowned for performances in Def Poetry Slam and hit solo shows like MotherStruck!, radically re-imagines the essential art of mothering.
Dalton’s Dream, directed by Kim Longinotto, Franky Murray Brown (United Kingdom - Documentary)
Singer Dalton Harris’s dreams came true when he won The X Factor in the UK in 2018. But the joy of winning was mixed with pain when people back home in Jamaica threatened boycotts and violence against him, perceiving Dalton to be gay after seeing a photo of him sitting on a man’s lap.
Canadian Premiere
Teaches of Peaches, directed by Philipp Fussenegger, Judy Landkammer
(Germany - Documentary)
Filmed during The Teaches of Peaches anniversary tour in 2022, this documentary seamlessly weaves together exclusive archival gems with dynamic tour footage, capturing the transformative journey of local superstar Merrill Nisker into the internationally acclaimed cultural powerhouse Peaches.
The First Women, directed by Adriana Yañez (Brazil - Narrative)
The First Women follows a group of women nearing their 60s who live in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and share a common past: they were a part of the first ever women's soccer team in Brazil.
North American Premiere
Focus grant recipient
Unusually Normal, directed by Colette Johnson-Vosberg (Canada - Documentary)
Have you had the pleasure of meeting Canada’s gayest family? Unusually Normal (Our Gay Family) follows three generations of women in one family who, get this, are all gay. Set against the backdrop of their loving and wholly authentic household, this family, with over 165,000 devoted TikTok followers, invites you into their world – a world where normal takes on a whole new meaning.
World Premiere
Bulletproof: A Lesbian's Guide to Surviving the Plot, directed by Regan Latimer (Canada - Documentary)
Filmmaker Regan Latimer takes an insightful, immersive, and deeply perso nal look at Queer representation in television, and the power of the media to shape how we see ourselves.
World Premiere
Close to You, directed by Dominic Savage (Canada/UK - Narrative)
Elliot Page delivers an emotionally resonant performance in this honest and moving drama that follows Sam as he decides to visit his childhood home in Coburg for the first time since his transition.
Mother Father Sister Brother Frank, directed by Caden Douglas (Canada - Narrative)
The Jennings family are having a regular suburban Sunday dinner. Mother wants everything to be perfect. Father wants everyone to drink, which Sister refuses to do. And Brother keeps texting his husband, even though no phones are allowed at the table. Just as tensions reach a boiling point, an unwanted guest arrives: Frank, Father’s wayward brother.
Ontario Premiere
nanekawâsis, directed by Conor McNally (Canada - Documentary)
nanekawâsis follows the acclaimed nêhiyaw artist George Littlechild as he invites audiences into his storied career spanning over four decades. Using archival footage and newly filmed 16mm interviews, the film provides previously unheard insights about his life and work.
Ontario Premiere
Stories from my Gay Grandparents, directed by J Stevens (Canada - Narrative Episodic, episodes 1-6)
After a near-death experience lights a flame within both Grandma and Grandpa, they decide to grab life by the boas and tell the world their deepest secret: they're gay. Having lived under the guise of a straight relationship for decades, they’re coming out of the closet, ditching their small-town life, and going after their big gay dreams.
World Premiere
A House is Not a Disco, directed by Brian J. Smith (United States - Documentary)
A year in the life within the world’s most iconic homonormative community: Fire Island Pines. Situated 50 miles from New York City, this storied queer beach town finds itself in the midst of a renaissance, as a new generation of millennial homeowners reimagine The Pines for a new, more inclusive era.
Toronto Premiere
A Big Gay Hairy Hit! Where The Bears Are: The Documentary, directed by Eduardo Aquino (United States - Documentary)
This hilarious and touching documentary tells the story of three older, gay "bears" working in Hollywood, who, tired of having their gay-themed ideas rejected by the mainstream, decide to self-produce their own web series.
Canadian Premiere
Bonus Track, directed by Julia Jackman (United Kingdom - Narrative)
In the screenplay written by Mike Gilbert, the year is 2006 and George, a small-town sixteen-year-old who’s convinced he’s a gifted musician, can’t seem to get anyone’s attention long enough to prove it. When the son of a famous rock star enrolls in his school, George experiences a clarity of passion and a road to success.
Canadian Premiere
Chuck Chuck Baby, directed by Janis Pugh (United Kingdom - Narrative)
As Helen goes back and forth between working at the chicken factory and taking care of everyone at home, her dreary routine begins to take its toll. A bright spot appears in her otherwise mundane life when her high school crush, Joanne, returns to town.
Cora Bora, directed by Hannah Pearl Utt (United States - Narrative)
A few things about Cora: she is a budding musician trying to make it in Los Angeles, she is determined to make her long-distance open relationship work, and she is extremely chaotic. In a moment of desperation, she heads back to her hometown of Portland, Oregon on a mission to fix her shaky relationship.
Canadian Premiere
Desire Lines, directed by Jules Rosskam (United States - Documentary)
Past and present collide as an Iranian American trans man time-travels through an LGBTQ+ archive on a dizzying quest to unravel his own sexual desires.
Toronto Premiere
Extreme Unique Dynamic, directed by Harrison Xu, Ivan Leung, Katherine Dudas (United States - Narrative)
In the (likely) first-ever and (possibly) award-winning meta-Asian-stoner-coming-of -age-bromantic-dramedy, two best friends who will soon be living in different countries decide to make a movie about two best friends making a movie about two best friends making a movie.
International Premiere
León, directed by Andi Nachon, Papu Curotto (Argentina - Narrative)
For Julia, facing life after the loss of her partner seems like an impossible task. But León, their son, is the fuel to keep going. Nothing is easy after Barby’s death, between the return of León’s biological father, Barby’s mother's distant attitude, and the struggle to keep their restaurant open.
Canadian Premiere
Rookie, directed by Samantha Lee (Philippines - Narrative)
Ace’s first day at her new school starts out on the wrong foot and ends up with her becoming the newest member of the volleyball team against her will. Jana, the team captain, sees Ace as a threat, and a rivalry is born. But love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and little by little, they will discover their feelings for each other.
North American Premiere
Sebastian, directed by Mikko Makela (UK/Finland/Belgium - Narrative)
Young Max is determined to make a name for himself in London’s literary circles, but his work as a freelance writer isn’t quite getting him there fast enough. In order to gain on the job experience to inspire his first novel, he poses as Sebastian, an online sex worker.
Canadian Premiere
Toll (Pedágio), directed by Carolina Markowicz (Brazil/Portugal - Narrative)
Suellen, a Brazilian toll booth attendant and mother, is willing to do almost anything to keep her family afloat. When the opportunity to case drivers passing by her toll booth presents itself, she falls in with a gang of thieves promising a chance at a better life.
OFFICIAL SHORTS PROGRAM
The full shorts lineup can be found here.
