Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival
Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival
For more than three decades, Inside Out has brought Toronto's LGBTQ community together in celebration of the best queer film from Canada and around the world. Through our annual Festivals in Toronto and Ottawa, our filmmaker initiatives, our youth engagement and our year-round events and screenings, Inside Out is engaged every day in challenging attitudes and changing lives.
In 1991, Inside Out celebrated its first film and video festival with a small community of people who yearned to see film and video created by and about lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans (LGBT) people. Currently the largest event of its kind in Canada, the Festival entertains film buffs of all stripes, showcasing the best and most diverse work of interest to LGBTQ+ communities. Taking place over 11 days, the Festival draws crowds of 35,000 to screenings, artist talks, panel discussions, installations and parties that highlight more than 150 films from Canada and around the world.
Audience Award - Short
Audience Award - Documentary Feature
Audience Award - Narrative Feature
Best First Feature
Emerging Canadian Artist
Best Canadian Short
Best Canadian Feature
2024 films...
A Big Gay Hairy Hit! Where The Bears Are: The Documentary
A House is Not a Disco
A Mother Apart
All Shall Be Well
Bonus Track
Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot
Carnage for Christmas
Chuck Chuck Baby
Close To You
Cora Bora
Dalton’s Dream
Desire Lines
Extremely Unique Dynamic
Join the Club
Langue étrangère
Mother Father Sister Brother Frank
My Old Ass
nanekawâsis
Rookie
Sebastian
Sisters
Spark
Stories from my Gay Grandparents
Teaches of Peaches
The First Women
Toll
Unusually Normal
We Forgot to Break Up
Young Hearts
Shorts: BOLD
Man>Code
Adrian Gardner
Director
Computer techie Lucas invites Theo around for what he thought would be no-strings-attached fun, but things take an odd turn when his ex-girlfriend returns home early.
Country
United Kingdom
Year
2023
Duration
14 mins
Grace
Natalie Jasmine Harris
16-year-old Grace prepares for her baptism in the 1950s rural South. When she learns she must repent before the ritual, Grace contemplates her romantic feelings toward her best friend, Louise.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
14 mins
MnM
Twiggy Pucci Garçon
Director
An exuberant portrait of chosen sisters Mermaid and Milan, two emerging runway divas in the drag ballroom community.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
15 mins
Bathsheba
Myah Jeffers
A widow struggling to readjust to a life of grief unexpectedly meets a woman whose presence is transformative.
Country
United Kingdom
Year
2024
Duration
13 mins
Black Trans Miracle
Tinaye Nyathi
Lindani, a neurotic young trans man, struggles to tell his partner, Tam, that he loves them after a random encounter with a stranger shakes his self-confidence.
Country
Australia
Year
2022
Duration
18 mins
The Way She Sounds
Halen Llewellyn King
Director
A love letter to oneself and the journey to becoming who you are.
Country
Canada
Year
2024
Duration
3 mins
La Ultima Ascensión
Kevin Osepa
Director
Rowin, a 22-year-old fisherman from Banda Abou, Curaçao has little luck catching fish until he encounters a mysterious young man who will change everything.
Netherlands
Year
2022
Duration
23 mins
Shorts: Boys Wanna Be Her
Keep It Open
Lucy Teitler
Director
A couple is tested when a mystery man comes to town.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
10 mins
The Robbers
Isa Schieche
Director
Three trans women meet in a country house to plan a robbery that requires them to disguise themselves as men.
Country
Austria
Year
2023
Duration
16 mins
all the words but the one
Nava Mau
Director
Maya and Santiago haven’t seen each other since their explosive relationship ended years ago, so neither is expecting to see the other at a dinner with their new partners.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
18 mins
Neo Nahda
May Ziadé
Director
Mona, a young woman in London, finds archived photographs of Arab women cross-dressing in the 1920s.
Country
United Kingdom
Year
2023
Duration
13 mins
Is Gay Marriage Next?
Emily Clark
Director
In 2003, history was made when a Newsweek cover asked: Is Gay Marriage Next? Now in a post-Roe world, the question resurfaces with a haunting twist: is gay marriage next – to go?
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
16 mins
To The Edge Of Our Sleepless Nights
Elsa Aloisio
Director
When a trans woman she works with is murdered, social worker Reb, must find the strength to keep fighting.
Country
France
Year
2023
Duration
29 mins
Shorts: F*ck the Pain Away
Body of Christ
Ángel Villahermosa
Director
After receiving his first communion, Pablo can’t stop thinking about Sebastián, the beautiful altar boy.
Country
Spain
Year
2023
Duration
11 mins
Honey To The Moon
Rob Woodcox
Director
Through surrealistic visuals and flowing dance, twin flames bend and grow together in nature.
Country
Mexico
Year
2023
Duration
9 mins
Pillow Chocolate
Charlie Tidmas
Director
Following a one-night stand with a celebrity, trans man, Jamie, is forced to choose between a relationship and his own self-worth.
Country
United Kingdom
Year
2023
Duration
9 mins
Merman
Sterling Hampton IV
Director
A 58-year-old Black Queer man speaks the truth about his life as an emergency nurse, a leather enthusiast, husband, and civil rights advocate.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
12 mins
Absent Bodies
Antonius Ghosn
Director
N returns to his hometown of Beirut after years of absence but remains invisible to his loved ones, who can only feel his presence.
Country
Lebanon
Year
2023
Duration
26 mins
Friend of a Friend
Simon Gualtieri
Director
Jules is bisexual and ready for his first experience with Samuel, a friend of friend.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
15 mins
Foraging
Matthew Jacobs Morgan
Director
A bored gay couple go cruising for the first time but, when they get lost in the woods, the cracks of their relationship become chasms.
Country
United Kingdom
Year
2023
Duration
11 mins
Shorts: High School Confidential
The Tweetations Revue
Fraser Collins
Director
A charismatic cast of songbirds take flight on a musical journey through a vibrant variety show, creating a fantastical celebration of cultural heritage and artistic brilliance.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
21 mins
GIGI
Cynthia Calvi
Director
From the tormented little mermaid to the fulfilled woman she is today, Gigi tells the story of her gender transition with humour and sensitivity.
Country
France
Year
2023
Duration
14 mins
We Met at Camp
MC Plaschke
Director
Hayden is new to camp and doesn’t fit in with the other girls. She’d rather spend time with her counselor, Alison, who makes her feel special in a way that she doesn’t quite understand.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
16 mins
THE NAME
Alexander Aguilar
Director
Conflicted and alienated by his given name, a young kid struggles to live a double life in secret, fearing that coming out might affect his relationship with his mother.
Country
France
Year
2023
Duration
2 mins
i'm in love with edgar allan poe
Andrea A Walter
Director
Two goth teens face an ingredient supply issue as they prepare to resurrect the soul of Edgar Allan Poe.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
13 mins
Forza, Rea!
Isabel Pahud
Isabel Clerici
Laura Zimmermann
Polina Tyrsa
Rea embarks on a breakneck tumble to catch a flyaway letter to her crush, dodging countless obstacles on the bumpy terrain of the old town streets.
Country
Switzerland
Year
2023
Duration
3 mins
ALOK
Alex Hedison
A compelling portrait of Alok Vaid-Menon, the internationally acclaimed, non-binary author, poet, comedian, and public speaker.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
19 mins
Shorts: I U She
Baby Gay
Arielle Frances Bagood
Director
Desperate to finally prove her bisexuality, Stevie Lee bluffs her way into a lesbian threesome, assuming she’ll “figure it out”. She does not figure it out.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
9 mins
Honeymoon
Alkis Papastathopoulos
Director
While traveling across the country by bus, a transphobic attack by two passengers leaves Fay and Sandra stranded on a highway in the middle of nowhere.
Country
Greece
Year
2023
Duration
23 mins
The Pleasure Is All Mine
Vanessa Sandre
Director
When 76-year-old Amélia realizes she has never had an orgasm in her life, she becomes determined to have one at any cost.
Country
Brazil
Year
2023
Duration
19 mins
F**KED
Sara Harrak
Director
When Dani tells her wife, Jess, she might be interested in sleeping with guys again, it doesn’t go down as expected.
Country
United Kingdom
Year
2023
Duration
6 mins
CCTV
Samira Karimi
Director
To avoid being outed two lesbian high schoolers must erase footage from the school’s CCTV cameras.
Country
Iran
Year
2023
Duration
10 mins
Bust
Angalis Field
Director
A cop with the New York City Police Department goes undercover to make a drug bust.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
10 mins
How We Have Loved
EE Kihlstrand
Director
Butch Jane lives alone with her memories of a long-lost life until Dilo moves in after their application for asylum is refused.
Country
Sweden
Year
2023
Duration
17 mins
Shorts: Icons
The History of the Carabiner
Gianna Mazzeo
Director
A tongue-in-cheek, historical documentary / fashion film hybrid that takes viewers on a journey through queer history to trace the origins of the carabiner as a lesbian symbol.
Country
Netherlands
Year
2023
Duration
7 mins
One Night At Babes
Angelo Madsen Minax
Director
At a rural Vermont dive bar called Babes, Cribbage tournaments overlap with afternoons of karaoke and nights of raucous Queer dance parties.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
29 mins
Jardines
Alfredo Torres
Director
While waiting in limbo, displaced LGBTQ folks hoping to cross into the United States find support and healing with one another.
Country
Costa Rica
Year
2023
Duration
26 mins
Sultana's reign
Hadi Moussally
Director
Palestinian drag queen, performer, and artist, Sultana of New York, reflects on her journey from Jordan, to Egypt, Lebanon, and New York.
Country
France
Year
2023
Duration
10 mins
Jamie
Darcy Hennessey
Director
Alpinist Jamie Logan has taken on some of the most dangerous climbs in the world but nothing felt as life-threatening as admitting that she wanted to begin a new life as a woman.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
19 mins
Shorts: Local Heroes
being queer here
Chloë Gordon
Director
A portrait of Toronto, as defined by the spaces its queer residents inhabit and the memories they’ve created there.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
7 mins
Ernesto's Bag
Isabelle Deluce
Director
Giulia De Vita
Director
Ruth’s skepticism of marriage clashes with her best friend’s engagement plans but a psychedelic journey on dress-fitting day forces her to reevaluate her deeply held beliefs.
Country
Canada
Year
2024
Duration
17 mins
How'd You Sleep?
Spencer Glassman
Director
A comedic slice-of-life exploration of one person’s battle with chronic insomnia.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
15 mins
This Light is My Birthplace
Shaun Soutar
Director
Two opposing TV signals compete for airtime. The usual narratives of trans identity touted by dominant media are disrupted by authentic stories from trans people.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
15 mins
Custard
Sania Khan
Director
Inside the lives of five artists and creatives in Toronto as they come together over a shared meal and reflect upon their lived experiences.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
7 mins
Something's Phishy
Chase Lo
Director
Bex impersonates her heartbroken bestie, Danny on a dating app to prove their irresistibility but this backfires, causing chaos.
Country
Canada
Year
2024
Duration
12 mins
I Never Promised You A Jasmine Garden
Teyama Alkamli
Director
Tara, a Queer Palestinian woman in her late 20s, attempts to suppress her internal emotional turbulence during a phone call with her best friend.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
21 mins
Shorts: Show Stopper
The Mountain
Will Mayo
Director
Ian Scott McGregor
Director
Successful news anchor Melanie Abraxas is blindsided by her husband on the same day the teleprompters fail, leading to a very public embarrassment.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
11 mins
Dinner Party Dictator
Bente Engelstoft
Director
A group of friends get together for a cozy dinner party, but their fun and fellowship is interrupted by a time-traveling soldier from the future.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
8 mins
The Burden
Tish Arana
Director
In 2044, immediately following the election of another racist president, a group of wealthy Black people start an exclusive new colony.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
15 mins
No, YOU'RE amazing!
Kate Pinchuck
Director
A girls’ night turns into a bar fight when two women refuse to accept each other’s compliments.
Country
South Africa
Year
2023
Duration
4 mins
Really Good Driver
Alex Song-Xia
Director
An Asian-American mom teaches her grown-up child how to drive, forcing both to confront parts of the car, and themselves, they never have before.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
8 mins
Complicated Order
Emmie Lichtenberg
Director
Remy, a depressed 20-something who’s just been dumped, accidentally places a food delivery order to her estranged girlfriend’s house.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
15 mins
Fanatic
Taran Killam
Director
Desperate for cash, Charlie and Gerald reunite their failed 2000s boy band for a competition that could remedy all of their financial woes.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
16 mins
ILY, BYE
Taylor James
Director
When socially anxious mess Siobhan’s call to schedule a job interview goes to voicemail, she panics and leaves a series of unhinged messages.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
13 mins
Shorts: Stories We Tell
I Was Here
Alyson Richards
Director
I Was Here follows Emma’s journey as she gets a tattoo and prepares for a photo shoot post mastectomy.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
8 mins
Passiflora
Gabriel Souza Nunes
Director
In a modern retelling of Brazilian folklore, nervous and insecure Theo discovers love for the first time at a fantastical, avant-garde party.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
14 mins
I'll Tell You When I'm Ready
Hayley Morin
Director
Critically acclaimed poet Jaye Simpson strives to write their next book amidst a career
gaining momentum in a literary industry that doesn’t always know what to do with them.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
13 mins
a tangled web drowning in honey
Tara Hakim
Director
Hannah Hull
Director
This experiential and textural film invites viewers into the inner workings of a mind to ponder the ways in which we love and unlove ourselves.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
10 mins
FuReality
Aly Labbé-Hervieux
Director
A journey into Aly’s world and their personal growth through the eyes of their new furry, Eden.
Country
Canada
Year
2024
Duration
4 mins
Potpourri
Marie-Michèle Wayland
Director
A bittersweet collection of moments between three roommates faced with an imminent move.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
13 mins
Dairy Boy
Hana Joosse
Director
A young trans man returns to his family’s farm in rural southern Ontario following his grandfather’s death where he must navigate the discomforts of familial rural life with his father.
Country
Canada
Year
2024
Duration
15 mins
I Only Kiss in the Dark
Kelly Paoli
Director
When her roommate is outed, Margot is forced to spend the evening with his disgruntled sister, discovering just how deep the family’s internalized homophobia runs.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
17 mins
Shorts: Talk to Me
Halfway
Kumar Chheda
Director
A turbulent couple finds themselves at opposing entrances of Juhu beach, compelling them to walk toward each other and meet in the middle.
Country
India
Year
2023
Duration
9 mins
Muscat
Philippe Grenier
Director
Samir, a 16-year-old Moroccan fisherman, discovers his attraction toward men when he meets Louis, a tourist traveling with his wife.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
17 mins
Congratulations, Dx!
Mark Felix Ebreo
Director
After receiving an undetectable HIV status, Dexter finally shows up at his friends’ party and reconnects with them, following a long and sudden ghosting.
Country
Philippines
Year
2023
Duration
20 mins
The Last Take
Brian Foyster
Director
Facing the end, a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood must reconcile with the only man he ever loved.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
14 mins
Stay Lost
Chris Coats
Director
A chance meeting with a nomadic musician sets an aimless and depressed young man’s life on an entirely new trajectory.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
12 mins
8 Minutes 20 Seconds
Harris Doran
Director
There are only 8 minutes and 20 seconds of sunlight left on earth and Max must race against time to reconcile with his ex-boyfriend.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
9 mins
Great Canyon
Ella Sahlman
Director
Chronicling the endearing anxieties and insecurities of two men on a first date.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
7 mins
Shorts: Thrive
Re-Entry
Ariel Mahler
Director
When a trans scientist rediscovers a lost satellite from her former life as a NASA engineer, she’s forced to confront her painful past.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
16 mins
to boyhood, i never knew him
Tram Anh Huu Nguyen
Director
Archival footage, distorted images, and internal monologues blend, resurfacing fragmented memories.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
4 mins
SKIN
Leo Behrens
Director
With the help of their inner manifestation, the iceman sheds their old skin and embraces their true identity.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
7 mins
Mirror, banana
EE Newman
Director
The Ignorant Cowboy first battles his ornery reflection, then mockery from aliens and kinky reindeer.
Country
United States
Year
2023
Duration
4 mins
Degenere
Sara Asprilla Palomino
Director
Doroty’s dream was to dance and be recognized as the woman she was, but death came first. Her best friend, Misael, a 60-year-old gay man, will make it happen.
Country
Colombia
Year
2023
Duration
19 mins
Le jardin des délices
Genevieve Marie Dale
Director
Dean G. Mang-Wooley
Director
Inspired by the absolutely unhinged masterpiece of Hieronymus Bosch, this collage animation journeys from the lush gardens of paradise through to the flaming hot recesses of hell.
Country
Canada
Year
2023
Duration
3 mins
Wouldn't Make It Any Other Way
Hao Zhou
Director
After building a colorful Queer life in an American prairie town, an aspiring costume designer visits their island homeland of Guam to lead the design team of a theatre production.
Country
United States
Year
2024
Duration
20 mins
Pillow Chocolate
Charlie Tidmas
Director
Following a one-night stand with a celebrity, trans man, Jamie, is forced to choose between a relationship and his own self-worth.
Country
United Kingdom
Year
2023
Duration
9 mins