The 36th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) is just weeks away. From September 11th to 22nd, audiences will have access to 97 films from 25 countries, including 28 features, 5 series debuts, 64 short films, 8 world premieres, 3 international premieres, 6 North American premieres, and 28 Canadian Premieres.
The Festival will include a program with international film and episodic content authored by 2SLGBTQIA+ creators and centred on 2SLGBTQIA+ protagonists. VQFF will also feature parties, performances from local and international artists, post-screening Q&As with filmmakers, and industry events. The program is in-person with some films available to stream online within BC and there will be encore screenings of festival favourites.
VQFF’s 2024 Opening Presentation kicks off the festival with Closer a collection of short films that highlight the solidarity and brilliance of the diverse queer community. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with special guests and the Opening Night Party all taking place at the Vancouver Playhouse and FREE to attend with tickets to the Opening Presentation screening. VQFF is proud to have many visiting artists this year including Johnny Sibilly (Hacks, Pose), who stars in the Closer presentation of Ella May Sahlman’s romantic comedy short GREAT CANYON (US)
“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.”
The 2024 Centerpiece Presentation will be the BC Premiere of Canadian director Julia Jackman’s BONUS TRACK (UK), which follows 16-year-old songwriter George who longs to break free of his parents expectations and the small English town they call home.
This year’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. The Closing Night Party will be hosted at The Birdhouse post-screening, FREE to those with tickets to the Closing Presentation.
Other highlights of the 2024 VQFF program include:
The Episodic Program includes a special presentation of 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.
The Features Line up includes 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.” 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.
Curated Shorts Program: T4T is an impressive collection of shorts by trans and non-binary storytellers centers the trans experience with captivating characters, inspiring perspectives, and an uplifting tone. The Curated Shorts Programs will also include the return of the homegrown talent showcase The Coast is Queer, local films made by and featuring artists in our neighbourhood, like Rose Butch, Romi Kim (SKIM), and Persephone Estradiol (jaye simpson).
VQFF is also pleased to announce its continued partnership with Lead Partner RBC Royal Bank. “As proud supporters of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, we are thrilled to continue our commitment as the lead partner of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival this year,” says Martin Thibodeau, Regional President, British Columbia, RBC Royal Bank. “We know that showcasing and celebrating the work and stories from diverse voices, has an impact within our local communities.” The Narrative Change Award, which launched at VQFF in 2023, made possible with RBC’s support, returns this year with a $5,000 CAD cash prize that will honour a storyteller whose work overturns outdated narratives, inspires change and expands the perception of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities.
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.
As the VQFF dates fall within the school year for the first time, the Festival introduces 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.
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival runs September 11-22, 2024 at venues around the city. The full VQFF 2024 lineup can be found online at outonscreen.com/vqff
Tickets and passes are on sale now, with sliding scale pricing starting at just $7.