QUEER NORTH FILM FESTIVAL: 4 DAYS OF THE BEST IN QUEER CINEMA

Over the course 4 days, Queer North Film Festival will showcase the best in queer cinema with 8 feature films and 30 shorts! This is the festival’s 4th year and it is currently the only queer film festival in Northern Ontario. QNFF celebrates the diversity of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender & two-spirited communities through quality cinema.

The Queer North Film Festival will be hosted at Subury Indie Cinema (162 Mackenzie Street) and will run from Thursday June 13 until Sunday June 16. You can prepurchase your tickets today at the link. Here are some of the highlights from the festival that you won’t want to miss:

Paris Is Burning | Thursday June 13 6:30pm

This restoration of Jennie Livingston’s 1990 classic, Paris Is Burning, is kicking off the film festival! It is a landmark documentary that provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of Harlem’s drag ball scene. Made over seven years, Paris Is Burning offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion “houses,” from fierce contests for trophies, to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia and transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women Paris Is Burning brings it, celebrating the joy of movement, the force of eloquence, and the draw of community. This screening is co-Presented with River & Sky Music and Camping Festival.

The film will be followed by the festival’s launch party at the Indie Cinema! A cash bar will be open at 5:45 PM (before the show) and your ticket from the show will get you into the party at 8:00 PM. River and Sky will be there and presenting prizes for the best voguing. So be prepared to bring the house down!

Rafiki | Friday June 14 7:00pm  

Set in Nairobi’s vibrant youth culture, Rafiki is a tender love story between two young women in a country that still criminalizes homosexuality. Kena and Ziki have long been told that “good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives” — but they yearn for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls encourage each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, Kena and Ziki must choose between happiness and safety.

The film was initially banned in Kenya but has gained international acclaim — being compared to the early work of Spike Lee.

Wild Nights With Emily | Saturday June 15 9:15pm

This American indie-comedy, Wild Nights With Emily, reframes the story of famed 19th Century poet Emily Dickinson by focusing on her passionate, lifelong romantic relationship with another woman, her friend and sister-in-law Susan… yes this is the iconic American poet, popularly thought to have been a recluse. In this film, beloved comic and SNL alum, Molly Shannon, leads this humorous yet bold reappraisal of Dickinson, informed by her private letters. The film is vibrant, irreverent and tender — and perhaps a closer depiction of Emily Dickinson’s real life than anything seen before

The festival also has 4 shorts programs that includes: Women’s International Queer Shorts (Friday June 14 5:00PM),  the In Your Pocket shorts program (Saturday June 15 at 1:00PM), Men’s International Queer Shorts (Saturday June 15 at 5:00PM), and the Canadian and Local Queer Shorts (Sunday June 16 at 2:00PM).

50th anniversary of Stonewall Vigil | Sunday, June 16 11 AM

On Sunday June 16, 11AM Queer North Film Festival and Fierté Sudbury Pride will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The vigil will welcome a handful of guest speakers to share stories of pride and resilience. QNFF and Pride will be honouring the memory of all the civil rights activists who have come before us, the many people who still face discrimination, violence, and murder due to their identities, and those we have loved and lost in our own lives. Join afterwards for screening of the movie Stonewall Uprising at 12:00PM, which will be a pay-what-you-can event.