The Kamloops Film Society (KFS) and Kamloops Pride Society are partnering to put on the inaugural Queer Film Festival June 20 through June 22.
KFS has been working with several different community and cultural groups, including the Kamloops Pride Society, to celebrate Kamloops’ diversity through films and special events. The goal is to engage with the community and encourage people to learn about cultures, groups and concepts that they may not normally have the opportunity to experience.
The inclusion of the Kamloops Pride Society in the planning and implementation of this festival was important. Kamloops is home to many people who are sexual and gender diverse, and showcasing and representing those voices on the big screen is another step towards inclusivity.
You can read more about the Kamloops Pride Society and the history of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Kamloops here.
The Wren spoke with Radhika Tabrez, KFS’ general manager, about the importance of having these smaller, more specific festivals throughout the year.
“Every micro festival has its own flavour and its own cultural and social appeal,” she explains. “It just gives us so many things to celebrate. I think everybody likes to engage with a culture or a community they know nothing about, and [film festivals] are a brilliant way to get people to take part in that.”
Micro film festivals emphasize showing films that aren’t currently streaming or available on online services Adding value through social events, connections and celebrations makes a film festival special.
The festival will kick off events with a launch party and drag show on June 15 at the Paramount Theatre. Presented by Whalemade Productions out of Kelowna, the show will feature performers such as Fuchsia Bush, Other Nature, Peter Packer and Wanda Lust.
“[The Queer Film Festival] is not just for people from the LGBTQ+ community, it’s for the general public of Kamloops as well,” committee member Jesse Ritcey says. “Seeing that representation and learning about other people…. I think it creates respect and understanding.”
The film selection process reflects how the committee wanted to share a wide range of voices from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, according to Ritcey. The film line-up features perspectives from different sexual and gender orientations as well as different cultural backgrounds, giving the audience an opportunity to see perhaps a completely new point of view.
“What I hope that people take away from an event like this is: greater acceptance, greater understanding and greater appreciation for that diversity of experience,” he says.
Check out the film line-up for the first annual Queer Film Festival here:
The Queen of My Dreams
This Bolloywood fantasy directed by Fawzia Mirza, follows a Canadian-born Pakistani woman named Azra, as she navigates her strained relationship with her conservative Muslim mother, Mariam. After the unexpected death of her father, she undergoes an emotional journey while re-living two different eras of time in this comedy-drama, coming-of-age story.
Show time: Thursday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. Watch the trailer here
This Place
This Canadian film directed by V.T. Nayani follows the coming-of-age story of Kawenniióhstha and Malai. Together, they navigate challenging and tumultuous family dynamic while falling in love with each other.
Show time: Friday, June 21 at 6 p.m. Watch the trailer here
Mutt
Directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, this film takes the viewer through a rollercoaster ride of emotions as Feña, an openly trans man, is thrust back into his past as he keeps meeting people that seemed to disappear from his life after he transitioned.
Show time: Friday, June 21 at 8:30 p.m. Watch the trailer here
Lightyear
Lightyear is the festival’s free family flick! After spending years marooned in space, Buzz Lightyear encounters a robotic army commanded by the mysterious Zurg, who is attempting to steal his fuel source.
Show time: Saturday, June 22 at 2 p.m. Watch the trailer here
All of Us Strangers
Directed by Andrew Haigh and based on the book Strangers, written by Taichi Yamada, this tender romance follows a screenwriter who begins an intimate relationship with his downstairs neighbour. The romance unfolds as they revisit memories of the past in this fantasy adaptation.
Show time: Saturday, June 22 at 6 p.m. Watch the trailer here
Fitting In
This Canadian film directed by Molly McGlynn is based on her “personal nightmare” of being diagnosed with the rare reproductive disorder, MRKH. Follow Lindy, a 16-year-old girl who is just starting to experience womanhood and deepening her relationship with her boyfriend. After receiving the diagnosis, her life is disrupted and she faces challenges in all of her relationships, and most prominently, with herself.
Show time: Saturday, June 22 at 8:30 p.m. Watch the trailer here
Learn more about the Queer film festival and buy tickets on KFS’ website.
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