Inside Out Queer Film Festival's Lineup for 2022

This piece initially appeared on Advocate.com. Read the original here.

The lineup for the 32nd annual Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival, which champions innovative 2SLGBTQ+ filmmakers from across the globe, has been revealed.

The event takes place in-person and virtually from May 26 to June 5 in Toronto, Canada, and will showcase 128 films from 28 countries — including 38 feature films, 3 episodic series, and 7 world premieres, according to a news release on the announcement.

“Emotions are at the forefront seeing team Inside Out return to their festival home at the TIFF Bell Lightbox two years on,” interim co-heads of the festival Andrew Murphy and Elie Chivi said. “As we ease back into our physical screenings, receptions, and expanded industry programming, we continue to express our gratitude to our sponsors and stakeholders, members and donors, and our queer filmmaking family, for their loyalty and support on our journey back into cinemas. We’ve missed you all so much and cannot wait to share our stories, our talents, and forge new collaborations both in cinema and via our Digital Screening Room available across Ontario.”

The festival will kick off opening night with the Canadian premiere of Gabriel Martin’s critically acclaimed family drama Mars One. The film examines the life of a Brazilian family during the 2018 election of Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro. Inside Out closes with the world premiere of the first two episodes of Prime Video’s first Canadian comedy scripted original series “The Lake” by Julian Doucet. The series — starring Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black), Julia Stiles (Hustlers), and Madison Shamoun — focuses on a man (Gavaris) who comes home to reconnect with his daughter (Shamoun) at a family cabin now owned by his sister (Stiles). It launches on Prime Video on June 17.

In addition to those viewings, the festival will also have a host of narrative features and documentaries to screen centering the queer experience. It will also host a special screening of Andrew Ahn’s queer romantic comedy Fire Island starring Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang.

“Inside Out has always been a dedicated space for the best in queer cinema but the last two years have shifted our thinking on what form a shared space can take,” director of festival programming Jenna Dufton said. “As we embark on our first-ever hybrid festival, we have carefully selected films that affirm the idea that no matter where we are, we are all connected. Whether watching from home or joining us in our return to TIFF Bell Lightbox, we are proud to showcase films from nearly 30 countries each presenting the opportunity to learn, to laugh, to feel, and most importantly, the opportunity for us to celebrate the power of queer cinema together.”

Individual tickets for digital screenings, ticket packages, and all-access passes are on sale at insideout.ca.

See the full 2022 lineup below:

OPENING NIGHT

MARS ONE, directed by Gabriel Martins. (Brazil / Narrative)

With keen affection and an understanding of its characters, Mars One explores the hopes and expectations, the anxieties and foibles, of a Brazilian family against the backdrop of the 2018 election of Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.

CLOSING NIGHT

“THE LAKE” - Episode 1 & 2, created by Julian Doucet and directed by Jordan Canning, Paul Fox. (Canada / Series)

Set in cottage country, the Canadian Amazon Original The Lake, follows Justin (Jordan Gavaris, “Orphan Black”) as he returns from living abroad, after a break-up with his long-term partner, with the hope of reconnecting with the biological daughter at the idyllic lake from his childhood.

“The Lake” is produced by AMAZE, with Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence serving as executive producers for AMAZE (Carter, Call Me Fitz), and is written and executive produced by Julian Doucet (“Killjoys”, “St Nickel”). “The Lake” will launch exclusively on Prime Video on June 17 in 240 countries and territories worldwide.

GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

SO DAMN EASY GOING, directed by Christoffer Sandler. (Sweden, Norway / Narrative).

So Damn Easy Going explores the absolute mess of love and relationships through the eyes of Joanna, an 18-year-old diagnosed with ADHD.

TRAMPS!, directed by Kevin Hegge. (Canada / Documentary).

TRAMPS! is a feature-length documentary focusing on London’s iconic fashion and musical movement, The New Romantics.

UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS, directed by Juan Felipe Zuleta. (USA / Narrative).

In Unidentified Objects a misanthropic gay dwarf and a plucky sex worker go on a road trip to Canada in search of aliens, but what sounds like a wacky premise is actually a heartfelt story about finding your people.

WE WILL NEVER BELONG, directed by Amelia Eloisa. (Mexico / Narrative).

Adolescence can be tough, especially for young queer people who haven’t quite figured it out. We Will Never Belong charts one teenager’s quest for the truth with style and grace.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

FIRE ISLAND, directed by Andrew Ahn. (USA / Narrative).

A pair of best friends set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a group of eclectic friends.

PREMIERES CAMILLA COMES OUT TONIGHT, directed by Inés Barrionuevo. (Argentina / Narrative).

From the hallways of a conservative school to streets filled with demonstrators, Camila Comes Out Tonight is a coming-of-age film inspired by the impact of an Argentine generation that grew up fighting for women's rights.

COMPULSUS, directed by Tara Thorne. (Canada / Narrative)

A staggering two-thirds of all Canadians know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Compulsus asks the question: what if women took matters into their own hands?

IN FROM THE SIDE, directed by Matt Carter. (UK / Narrative)

Come for the beefy guys and sweaty scrums, stay for the nuanced relationship drama unfolding among the players of a gay rugby club in South London

PHANTOM PROJECT, directed by Roberto Doveris. (Chile / Narrative)

A charmingly gay urban ghost story, The Phantom Project follows meandering millennial Pablo as he attempts to get his life together.

THE FIRST FALLEN, directed by Rodrigo De Oliveira. (Brazil / Narrative)

The First Fallen offers a sensitive look back at the early days of the AIDS epidemic in Brazil through the eyes of three friends: Suzano, a biologist; Rose, a trans singer; and Humberto, a student filmmaker.

WE DON’T DANCE FOR NOTHING, directed by Stefanos Tai. (USA / Narrative)

Captured amid the Hong Kong protests, We Don’t Dance for Nothing is a photo-montage love letter to the Filipina domestic workers of Hong Kong and their passion for dance.

ICONS

FIONA CLARK: UNAFRAID, directed by Lula Cucchiara. (New Zealand / Documentary).

Artist Fiona Clark, a misfit in society and a fearless storyteller, has spent a lifetime championing the unseen—fighting for individuals, hidden communities and the land she inhabits.

FRAMING AGNES, directed by Chase Joynt. (Canada, USA / Documentary).

Director Chase Joynt and an all-star cast of transgender artists and performers use re-enactment and genre-blurring storytelling techniques to breathe new life into the previously untold stories of the mid-century trailblazers who redefined gender.

FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE, directed by Marcus Pontello. (USA / Documentary).

Bars and nightclubs have long been an essential gathering place for queer communities and Numbers nightclub was one such place for LGBTQ patrons in Houston, Texas.

JEANNETTE, directed by Maris Curran. (USA / Documentary).

“I will never, ever, forget seeing the barrel of the gun,” says Jeannette Feliciano, a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre, in the opening moments of this emotional tribute to one woman’s astounding resilience.

SIRENS, directed by Rita Baghdadi. (USA, Lebanon / Documentary).

Growing up in the shadow of their parents during the war in Lebanon, guitarist Lilas Mayassi and her bandmates, Shery, Maya, Alma, and Tatiana (Slave to Sirens) have big dreams but few opportunities.

INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

BEYOND ED BUCK, directed by Jayce Baron, Hailie Sahar. (USA / Documentary).

From Jayce Baron and Hailie Sahar, Beyond Ed Buck follows the tragic murders that took place at the hands of a well-known Democratic political donor. This film comes with a content advisory please click here for more details.

BLOOMING ON THE ASPHALT, directed by Coraci Ruiz, Julio Matos. (Brazil / Documentary).

Blooming on the asphalt offers a unique perspective on Jack, a young Brazilian trans man whose life is dramatically changing as his country faces a global pandemic and an intolerant government.

DEATH AND BOWLING, directed by Lyle Kash. (USA / Narrative).

In a fractured, dream-like world, a transgender actor struggles with the death of the much-beloved captain of a lesbian bowling team.

GATEWAYS GRIND, directed by Jacquie Lawrence. (UK / Documentary).

The memory of so many lesbian bars, whose stories are integral to lesbian history, is in danger of slipping away. But filmmaker Jacquie Lawrence is determined to not let that happen to one of Britain’s most storied meeting places.

GIRL PICTURE, directed by Alli Haapasalo. (Finland / Narrative).

Over three consecutive Fridays, best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö’s friendship is put to the test as each embarks on an individual journey to ask the hard questions about who they are.

HOMEBODY, directed by Joseph Sackettt. (USA / Narrative).

Johnny loves his babysitter Melanie but, upon further reflection, is he really in love with her or does he just want to be her? There’s only one way to find out.

LA QUEENCIAÑERA, directed by Pedro Peira. (Mexico / Documentary).

As Los Angeles-based Latina trans activist Bamby Salcedo points out, the average life expectancy of a trans woman is a mere 35 years. In LA Queenciañera, this sobering statistic makes Bamby’s life and her impending 50th birthday something to truly celebrate.

LONESOME, directed by Craig Boreham. (Australia / Narrative).

In this sexually explicit drama, a scandal drives a young gay man from his small Australian town to Sydney.

MONEYBOYS, directed by C.B. Yi. (Austria, France, Belgium, Taiwan/ Narrative).

Moneyboys follows a Chinese hustler as he struggles to cope with the disapproval of his rural family.

NANA’S BOYS, directed by Ashton Pina. (USA / Narrative).

With subtle, vulnerable performances, Nana’s Boys focuses on the intimate life of a couple who are confronted with the fact that their relationship is not as solid as they thought.

NEPTUNE FROST, directed by Anisia Uzeyman, Saul Williams. (Rwanda, USA / Narrative).

Neptune Frost, one of the most visually striking films of the last several years, is an unmistakably queer, anti-capitalist, sci-fi musical created by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman.

OUT IN THE RING, directed by Ryan Bruce Levey. (Canada / Documentary).

Out in the Ring explores the rise and history of LGBTQ+ professional wrestlers and representation in the sport.

PRIVATE DESERT, directed by Aly Mritiba. (Brazil / Narrative).

Brazil’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film is a canny act of defiance against the homophobic jingoistic nastiness of the country’s current government and, unlike President Jair Bolsonaro, the film is thoughtful, nuanced, sensuous and affirming.

SUBLIME, directed by Mariano Biasin. (Argentina / Narrative).

Being a teenager in love can be hard. But being a teenager in love with your lifelong best friend is definitely harder. Sublime takes a look at a friendship that is facing the test of longevity.

THE DIVIDE, directed by Catherine Corsini. (France / Narrative).

The astounding Valeria Bruni Tedeschi delivers a tour-de-force performance as the high-strung half of a couple coming apart at the seams amid the anti-Macron “yellow vest” protests.

WAKE UP, LEONARD, directed by Kat Mills Martin. (USA / Narrative).

Part comedy, part self-help nightmare, Wake Up, Leonard follows one man's quest for wellness while failing miserably to stay on his vibe.

SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA

PAT ROCCO DARED,directed by Morris Chapdelaine, Bob Christie. (Canada / Documentary).

Whose movies include a naked man dancing on a freeway, a gay couple at Disneyland, and the world’s first Pride march? Pat Rocco, a trailblazing gay independent filmmaker who is given well-deserved recognition in the charming documentary, Pat Rocco Dared.

STUPID FOR YOU, directed by Jude Klassen. (Canada / Narrative).

Jude Klassen’s musical feature, Stupid for You, asks the knotty question: what’s a shy, awkward queer teen to do when the opportunity to be noticed by her crush presents itself? The answer? Whatever it takes.

THE EMPRESS OF VANCOUVER, directed by Dave Rodden Shortt. (Canada / Documentary).

She may not be a household name outside of her tight-knit Vancouver community, but make no mistake, maverick drag diva and performance artist Oliv Howe is a star.

WITH WONDER, directed by Sharon Lewis. (Canada / Documentary).

With Wonder takes an intimate look at members of the queer, Christian community of colour and their attempts to answer the question: Can you be both Christian and queer?

EPISODIC

BRIDESMAN, directed by Julian Buchan, John Onieal (USA / Series).

The first-ever series produced by Grindr, Bridesman follows a self-absorbed bridesman on his quest to steal his best friend’s husband-to-be.

MY TRIP TO SPAIN, directed by Theda Hammel (USA / Series).

Alexis, a successful trans woman, is heading to Spain for cosmetic surgery. Her embittered old friend Charlie arrives to house sit while she's away. During the handoff, he tries his best to convince her to cancel, while simultaneously pursuing a sexual liaison with her brooding gardener Bruno.

SHORTS

The full shorts lineup can be found here.