ROUND 5
feb 21, 2020
"Making an Other of that which is also Life" by Beeta Senedjani (she/her)
Making an Other of that which is also Life is a short experimental film that explores body-based perception, the encounter between humans, and the oneness of Life. Racism, European colonization and the resulting dominance of Western ideologies of individualism and duality have damaged our innate capacity for connection, requiring us to re-learn how to perceive with our bodies to break down barriers of separation among us. Eye-gazing is one method of body-based perception that offers possibilities of cultivating greater connection – within the self, through rejecting mind/body dualism; and with each other, in a visceral recognition of our common embodiment of Life. This work features a series of faces gazing into the camera lens in a simulation of eye-gazing. The viewer is invited to intentionally look back into the eyes of another person and explore their own somatic sensations during this technologically-mediated encounter in an open-ended, non-prescriptive manner. Can body-based perception open up generative possibilities for embodied connection beyond the self? Can we see the reflection of ourselves in the eyes of the other? This work asks: who am I? And who are you? What possibilities for freedom are offered in our encounter?
"Swiping for Love (in all the wrong places)" by Prakash Krishnan (they/them) / @prakris
A young queer navigates cosmopolitan living through an anonymous sexual encounter.
"Nite Ride" by Olivia Marie Golosky (they/them) / @0liv3_Mari3
Four friends go on an evening bike ride, while, unbeknown to them, they are being stalked by supernatural creatures of the night. Inspired by 1970's & 1980's exploitation films and Queer DIY asethetic, Nite Ride is a grindhouse film, with an intersectional feminist twist, that will take you on a campy and kick ass ride.
"Mooz Miikan" by Evelyn Pakinewatik (they/them) / @pakinewatik
On October 8th, 2019, I went hunting with my father for the first time in my life. On October 11th, 2019, my father awoke in pain. We went to the hospital in town together, where I learned that my mother was at another hospital alone a half hour away. There is joy and grief in equal parts.
"My Boy" by Sage (any pronouns)
In 2014 Lydia’s son, Colten Pratt, went missing off the streets of Winnipeg. In the weeks that followed, Lydia was met with adversity as she tried desperately to find her son. It seemed to her, that the plight of a lost Indigenous man fell on deaf ears. Weeks turned to months, months turned to years. After the disappearance of her son, Lydia suddenly became all too aware of the desperate state of Indigenous Men’s rights. But no matter what she did, no one seemed to care about her son. Colten has yet to be found.
"Delayed Echoes" by Sharrae Lyon (she/her) / @sharraelyon
Delayed Echos centres the life of a first-generation, low-income Jamaican family living in Regent Park. Through the lens of a young adult man living with autism, Messiah Campbell is grieving the loss of his mother. To honour her he attempts to complete a task that his mother always had to assist him with;putting
on his clothes. On the day of her funeral, Messiah wants nothing but to overcome his limitation, but he is trapped both in the echo of his past, and the echo of a dream of how he would imagine his life to be.
"The Puppy Problem" by Samantha Morgan / @sammymmrgan
In this short non-dialogue film, a young couple adopts an adorable but mischievous dog found on the streets, not quite knowing what they're getting themselves into as he wreaks havoc through their home.
"Light Down Low" by Ayo Tsalithaba (they/them) / @ayotsalithaba
This video tells the story of X, a Black trans* person who escapes to another world through dance as they struggle with in/visibility. The song gives them the permission to let go of what plagues them in their daily life and they are able to simultaneously let loose and confront many of the difficult emotions they are feeling through dance. We watch them navigate feeling hypervisible and struggling to be seen as their true self while fostering a relationship with the artist where they feel seen and supported. The audience jumps back and forth between a voyeuristic and immersive point of view in the video, leading us to question our role in the story.
Gay As In Happy: A Queer Anti-Tragedy" by Jordana Valerie Allen-Shim (she/her) / @jordanavalerie
An experimental autoethnographical documentary about queer joy, resistance, and resilience in the face of abuse, trauma, and transphobia.
"Saneish Middle Class Asians" by Alyx "Lisa" Bui (they/them) / @daredevilalyx
Saneish Middle Class Asians is a queer love story that incorporates tarot, mysticism and the feelings of longing for someone forbidden. Lisa enters a tarot reading that is deeply reflective of the complex choices they must make and have made in their love life. They are in love with Lela Domingo, a woman with a past and a connection to their future. This fortune teller helps guides Lisa to make sense of their own life through the story telling of their Asian ancestors. This film attempts to straddle between the space and intersections between different identities and cultures.
ROUND 4
july 13, 2019
Fluid by Mari Ramsawakh / @merkyy_waters
Fluid is a very short film on what it’s like to exist on spectrums, never having a concrete single
identity.
HARD TO LOVE by Chloe Kirlew-Geddes / @chlogrows & Tiana Smith
HARD TO LOVE is a documentary short that features 5 Black Canadians across different ages and experiences as they discuss love, and their own intersecting identities and patterns that at times make them feel hard to love.
Vampyric PSA by M.C. Cruz / @aisha_amcic
A hipster listening to his ipod on the street meets a thirsty vampire. What could possibly go wrong? Starring Luke Nelson as the Vampire Ralph Smith as the Hipster.
Lunar Schism by JL Whitecrow / @lulullull
Lunar Schism is a visual lament to the end of childhood; it creatively explores Anishinaabeg and Western cultural views of femme identity through the story of Noun, an alien youth that is wounded by a lunar eclipse and is in search of closure.
As I Sat In His Car by Kalil Haddad / @kalil.haddad
Through a collage of found footage, reenactments, and digital manipulation, the intersection between queerness and age is explored through a reflection of youthful regrets.
Undressed by Alex Tse / @awftse
This Toronto-based documentary centres on three drag queens and their experiences around consent, body, and identity.
My Pride Is… by Wāpahkēsīs / @Wāpahkēsīs
In My Pride Is, Wāpahkēsīs reflects on what Pride means to themselves as a non-binary filmmaker, as well as how it relates to their other marginalized identities. They assert that they can
not fully celebrate pride without celebrating their other identities, which is a struggle as an Afro-Indigenous person to Turtle Island who lives on land that has been stolen, occupied, and
colonized.
Paladin by Lu Asfaha / @kxng_lu
A young black queer woman struggles with her own identity while imagining herself as her favourite superhero. Paladin is a beautiful and fierce warrior who shows no fear in the face of danger, representing a means of escape for the young conflicted Sam. As Sam is bombarded with traumatic memories, and unable to run from her life anymore, she faces her greatest villain.
WMB by Conilyn Herrera / @condebomb
This was composed as a reflection of how maginalized peoples voices are viewed in today’s society. With the effects of colonization (white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism as one of the many effects) and that narrative being shared amongst a spectrum of people affected by oppressive structures.
Sweet Water by Ev Pakinewatik / @pakinewatik
“Sweet Water” serves as a test for an upcoming long-term documentary project following the lives of my parents.
ARTIFRACTURE by melannie monoceros / @melanniemonoceros
Fragmented memories cast in iron, glazed in enamel. ARTIFRACTURE traces the filament of memory sparked into flame by the unlikely presence of an artifact of domestic déjà vu.
Italian 101 by Emily Gutierrez / @emilygutierrez
Jen, a shy university student, falls for her cool and confident classmate, Riley. When partnered up for a class project, Jen must decide whether or not she can gather up the courage to ask Riley out on a date.
Food: Milo / @foodbycomiditas
Thanks to @charlesstreetvideo and @tomediaarts
ROUND 3
december 7, 2018
Outdated(오래된) by Enna Kim (she/her)
Outdated(오래된) is a time-based media installation that uses digital animation, computer models and projection mapping to investigate the difficulties of communication between immigrant parents and their children by comparing them to computer hardware. This piece is my attempt to use technology to decrypt my family dynamic and identity.
This film was projected as an installation before the screening began.
“DeGaga” Proof-of-Concept by Thoko Masikini
De-Gaga is a proof-of-concept for a sitcom that follows the lives of four queer friends of colour as they navigate life, love, sex, career and what it means to be an adult in a world that is in flux. De-Gaga as a piece of work sheds a light on a generation and collective that has been underrepresented. Ultimately De-Gaga is a conversation piece that is bold, brash and unapologetic.
“WAASEYAA” by Evelyn Pakinewatik (he/him/they/them)
A young Ojibwe combats isolation while healing on her own terms.
“Becoming Leela” by AJ (they/them)
A closeted gendernorm breaking teenager, who is in love with her secret girlfriend, leaves Delhi and her ever present authoritative mother to go to school in Toronto, where her quest for freedom is confronted by the realities of her new world.
“You Will Go Home…” by Rhonda Lucy (she/her)
You Will Go Home… is a look at what it is like to say no for the last time. To accept that journey to heal. To end the toxic cycles and listen to that blood memory that leads us on that good path. Our trans people are often kept hidden and forced into dangerous situations. This film is about walking away for the last time.
“A KIKI WITH: Bobby Bowen” by Ayo Tsalithaba (they/them)
A run-through of some key terms with stylist and creative director Bobby Bowen.
“Homeland and Decolonialism” by Ashley Caranto Morford (she/her)
Building on the work of Cherokee scholar Angela Haas and her article Wampum as Hypertext, this film posits that traditional Pilipinx tattoos are complex codes conveying de-colonial ancestral information.
“Positions” by Justin (he/him)
A simple and naturalistic approach to a day in the life of an indigiqueer, male sex worker as he visits his clients. Positions is an unapologetic and realist exploration of sexual desire, the quest for financial stability, and the pursuit of agency over one’s own body.
“Ubuntu, I Am Because We Are” by Xica Dadiva (she/her/they/them)
Ubuntu is a story of Love and Perseverance, Vulnerability and Realization. Xica’s Journey from rural Honduras to Canada’s largest city Toronto where she keeps reinventing as a way of survival. She finds herself looking for things in all the wrong places until she realizes her answers are within. I am Because We Are delievers a message of union and compassion, you are me, I am you in different experience.
“Marvellous Grounds Short Film” by ILL NANA/DIVERSECITY DANCE COMPANY and Min Sook Lee
Marvellous Grounds worked with Min Sook Lee in early 2016 to create this film with the concept of performance and dance as a means of dialoguing with space, contesting/occupying, creating and creatively reinterpreting space. We invited Ill Nana/DiverseCity Dance Company to dance at public sites on Church Street as a key visual narrative. The film features voiceovers from interviews with Monica Forrester, Richard Fung, Aemilius Ramirez, and Rebeka Tabobondung, talking about early organizing in the 80s, street corner activism by trans sex workers, and the walkout from Crews and Tangos.
“Will You Listen? Rio’s Story” by Samay Arcentales Cajas (she/her)
Will You Listen?: Latinx Voices in Tkaronto is a collection of stories which explore how people of colour experience public spaces. Centering the lives of women and non binary latinx identified people, these short films contextualize urban stories and histories often buried in the mainstream white experience. While chronicling their brave journeys, these stories highlight personal power and self-healing in the face of feelings of insecurity, unacceptance and heteropatriarchal power struggles. Rio’s Story is one of 5 films of this series. Rio Rodriguez shares stories tied to “The Village”. It is a “window” into the labour and necessary resilience that we face, calling attention to the effects that external pressures have on Latinx bodies on stolen land, particularly those of indigenous, black, queer, and genderqueer people.
“Later, in the Life” by Tamai Kobayashi (she/her)
Two middle-aged butch lesbians of colour, once activists, come to a crossroads. in their friendship when one of them starts dating.
“He Found Himself Within Her” by Adalyn Díaz (she/her)
Growing up confused as to why I felt the way I did, led to a difficult lifestyle. I had to stop denying myself of what I desired to please others.
“Dreams Untold” by JL Whitecrow (she/her/they/them)
A distressed woman is urged by an encounter with a sleep paralysis demon to confront her deepest horror. Driven deep into her subconscious, she must choose to save herself or be eaten.
“Freedom Summer” by Lu Asfaha
Moon is a 13 year-old discovering what it means to take responsibility as a leader. Rihanna is a 7 year-old learning to love the skin she’s in. Freedom Summer follows them as they learn about themselves and others at Black Lives Matter Toronto’s Freedom School — a summer camp where Black kids learn that Black is beautiful.
ARTISTS TABLING:
ANGELO LUU, CASSIE “POETIC” TRUTH – Instagram
COMPRAAR – Instagram
GRRRL SPELLS – Website + Instagram
MELANCHOLY QUEERS CLUB – Website + Instagram
SAMAY - Instagram
SOMETHING NICE SUPPLY – Website + Instagram
TONI MARLOW CLOTHING – Instagram + Facebook + Website
WY JOUNG KOU Instagram + Facebook
ZAHRA BAKHSH
ROUND 2
december 7, 2018
“Twisted Machine” Proof-of-Concept Trailer by Carolyn Wu
A Chinese-Canadian lesbian teenager captains her hockey team against the will of her mother, while dating her powerhouse jock of a teammate in secrecy.
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by Derek Desierto
“Cab Ride” by Farrah Khan
A love letter to an estranged father in the hope of return.
“Elastic Band” by Alice Charlie Liu
“Samalaingik” by En Tze Loh
“Maybe if it were a nice room” by Alicia K. Harris
An incident between two people is examined through the exploration of rooms.
“Rimanakuna” by Samay Cajas
A group of women, ashamed they do not know their Indigenous language, attempt to learn Kichwa. The process proves frustrating but in the end is rewarding.
“Banana for Scale” by Khanh Tudo
“Village” by Alex Tse & Matt Knarr
A short, wordless look at the feeling of Toronto’s gay village on a weeknight.
“Process” by Thoko Masikini
“Work” by Claire Allore
Two sex workers in Toronto share experiences relating to race, gender, and emotional labour in their work.
“LUV” Music Video by Dubbee Ave & BrownGuyMadeIt
“Flicker” by Lori Si
“Swim Low” by Amanda Ann-Min Wong & Ryan Nesbitt
Alison loves to swim and can venture into the afterlife by holding her breath under water. There, she enters a world where she can be with her mother. When her nanny Hua suffers a heart attack, Alison dives too deep for too long, searching for what she had never known to appreciate.
When two best friends have to say goodbye, one of them is forced to confront her fear of the truth.
“Herat in my Head in my Heart” by Weeda Azim
A long-distance telephone call from Canada to Afghanistan remedies misplaced cultural nostalgia and soothes the pain of war.
“In Moment” by Samay Cajas
As the world suffocates in its own self destruction, the Spirit Callers pray to the Four Directions for help. The struggle of generations past, present, and future are about to come to a close, but are our minds, hearts, and spirits open enough to hear the call?
“Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls” by Julianna Notten
Erin, a spunky twelve year-old attempts to woo the coolest girl in school with the help of her best friend, Liz.
ARTISTS TABLING:
Crystal Root & Conjure – Instagram + Website
Grrrl Spells – Instagram + Website
Something Nice Supply – Instagram + Website
Thomarya ‘Tee’ Fergus – Instagram + Website
ROUND 1
sept 5, 2017
Diane Shaher- SKATE (1:00)
En Tze - Bury or Be Buried (3:53)
Thoko Masikini - The Parts that Speak (3:36)
Dinaly Tran - at home (12:34)
Heyishi Zhang - Joy (15:00)
Amika Cooper - Frida & Dingwall Talk about Love (4:14)
Raven Davis - I Still Believe (2:24)
Thoko Masikini - The Girls We Know Of (1:02)
Lezlie Lee Kam - The Journey of My Strong Brown Trini Carib Callaloo Dyke Body (6:20)
Monica Garrido - Love You to Death (9:48)
Raven Davis - It's Not Your Fault (doc) (4:00)
Lynx Sainte-Marie- way home (6:17)
Monica Garrido - Outage (5:19)
Adeline Salvador - Scarbs (1:45)
Dinaly Tran - With A Little Help (2:09)