Since 1988, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) has provided a platform for convening safer spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ people and communities to be seen, heard, and celebrated through art, dialogue, and film.
The VQFF has announced the complete lineup for its 35th anniversary. From August 10-20, 2023 audiences can catch 92 films from 27 countries, of 24 features, and 68 shorts. In addition to in-person and province-wide digital screenings, the Festival will feature performances by 2SLGBTQIA+ artists, post-screening Q&As with filmmakers, industry workshops, and encore screenings of the festival favourites on August 20, 2023.
2022 Polly Pierce, ONE BABY, PLEASE!
Of the 92 films, five are by B.C.-filmmakers, including the British Columbia premiere of ONE BABY, PLEASE! by Polly Pierce, part of the Episodic: Fresh Starts programming. Rylan Friday’s TERROR/FORMING is a one-shot mumblegore, nail-biter screening during Shorts: Midnight Foreplay. Experimental short film E.S.S. SCENES, by Romi Kim, screens with narrative short films STAY, by King Louie Palomo, during Shorts: The Coast is Queer, along with Lauren Marsden’s TABANCA.
2022 Romi Kim, E.S.S. SCENES
For 2023, VQFF’s lineup exclusively showcases films by 2SLGBTQIA+ storytellers. “Our programming team used authentic and positive representation as our north star,” said Charlie Hidalgo, Artistic Director, Out On Screen. “The media we consume shapes the cultural narrative about our communities and profoundly influences our emotional, political, and social landscapes. We embraced stories celebrating our freedom, joy and expansiveness, and are proud to present an empowering lineup that is a testament to the extraordinary visions of 2SLGBTQIA+ creators.”
