From September 11-22, 2024, audiences will catch 97 films from 25 countries, with 28 features, 5 series debuts, 64 short films, authored by 2SLGBTQIA+ creators and centred on 2SLGBTQIA+ protagonists, at the 36th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF).
Kicking off the festival, VQFF’s Opening Presentation: Closer will feature a collection of short films that highlight the solidarity and brilliance of our diverse queer community. The lineup includes the Canadian premiere of Tom Stuart’s Good Boy (UK) starring Ben Whishaw (Skyfall) as a desperate man preparing to rob a bank, when his overly supportive mother and an unexpected encounter with his family doctor derail his plans. Also featured is Ella May Sahlman’s romantic comedy Great Canyon (US) starring Johnny Sibilly (Hacks) as a gay man who navigates a whirlwind of anxieties and insecurities on a first date. T
“Cultural change always precedes political change. Culture is power, it shapes who we are and sets the terms of the world we live in,” says Charlie Hidalgo, Artistic Director, Out On Screen. “This year VQFF features a remarkable lineup of queer and trans stories centering our joy and collective power. Our goal with this programme is to evoke laughter, emotion, and a call to action. We hope the festival will bring us together and inspire us to come closer to our authentic selves, closer to one another, and closer to our collective liberation.”
VQFF’s Closing Presentation will be the Canadian Premiere of Layla, a narrative feature film which premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Making their feature debut with raise-your-voice realness, director Amrou Al-Kadhi channels their experiences in the east London queer scene into the unforgettable saga of Layla: an up-and-coming Palestinian drag queen (played by newcomer Bilal Hasna) lighting up local clubs with impressive creativity.
One of this year’s Special Presentations in the Episodic Program is the world premiere of the first Vancouver Black queer web series Novelette is Trying (Canada) from writer/director Giselle Miller who was inspired by her own experiences of identity and belonging in the city of Vancouver. The festival will screen the first five episodes of the never-before-seen series following Novelette, a cynical, anti-social, bisexual woman who finds herself newly single at age 30, and reluctantly decides to take on a roommate to help with the rent on her East Van apartment. At first, inviting the extroverted, outspoken Audre seems like the wrong choice; it may have been a mistake. But, although their personalities clash, Audre’s boldness and lack of boundaries soon rub off on Novelette in the best way, encouraging her to put herself back into the dating pool.
Notable titles in the features lineup include the British Columbia Premiere of documentary Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot (Canada), from director Regan Latimer who embarks on a cross-country quest to uncover why Hollywood keeps “burying their gays.” Exploring how and why there are a disproportionate number of lesbian deaths in media. Another highlight is the Vancouver premiere of Anthony Schatteman’s Young Hearts (Belgium, Netherlands), which has received much praise from around the globe since its debut in Berlin and Cannes this year. The narrative debut is a giddy ode to teenagehood with its winsome and warm-hearted exploration of fierce young love.
Other festival highlights include the Curated Shorts Program: T4T. This impressive collection of shorts by trans and non-binary storytellers centers the trans experience with captivating characters, inspiring perspectives, and an uplifting tone. T4T features five films that offer a glimpse into the magical world of trans identity, love, and power. The Robbers (Austria), directed by Isa Schieche, is just one of the amazing films featured in this shorts program. The film follows three trans women who meet in a country house to plan a robbery. In order to create a false trail, they must disguise themselves as men, pushing their emotional and physical limits. The film is an insightful social commentary about gender performance. The Curated Shorts Programs will also include the return of the homegrown talent showcase The Coast is Queer which will be announced in full with the entire VQFF lineup in August.
New this year is VQFF’s partnership with the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (VLAFF), which includes co-presented programs on VQFF’s opening weekend which is VLAFF’s closing weekend. As a part of this crossover there will be 1 shorts program, 2 features, and a party. Highlights from this new partnership include the Canadian premiere of feature film Vera and the Pleasure of Others (Argentina) and El Paisa (US), an award-winning short film that played at Cannes.
For the first time ever, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival’s dates will fall within the school year. For the first time, the festival will introduce The Future is Queer: Youth Programs at VQFF co-presented by Out In Schools and The Cinematheque, two days of FREE youth programs that will increase young people’s access to transformative 2SLGBTQIA+ stories and support educators in building core competencies in many related subject areas.