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Muskoka Queer Film Festival
Friday, 16 May 2025 until Friday, 16 May 2025
The Muskoka Queer Film Festival is a joint project of Muskoka Pride, FedNor(Canadian Experiences Fund), and Sanctuary Studios Inc. It is built on the success of the 2020 festival and several mini-festivals screened as part of Muskoka Pride's annual events. Located in the heart of Ontario's cottage country, MQFF attracts audiences from Toronto to North Bay, from Haliburton to London, and far beyond.
The goal of MQFF is to bring a queer brightness to Muskoka and to make diverse queer life more visible in the region. We are aiming to show the public all the bright sides of queer life and to inspire and support the local LQBTQI2S community with positive role models. With this, we are looking for the queer film stories that will carry an uplifting attitude and show the examples of overcoming the challenges of existing in the cis-gendered heterosexual (cis-hetero), world, or would demonstrate the beauty and spirit of lesbian, gay, bi or trans life, culture, and relationships.
We welcome applications from filmmakers of all genders and sexual orientations from all over the world. There is no limit to the number of films one person or collective would like to submit. The length of one item must not exceed 90 minutes. English is an official language of MQFF and all films presented must be in English or with English voiceover or subtitles.
MQFF will present the Festival Favorite Award and Audience Choice Award.
The festival curators, Michelle Emson and Olena Semenova are the human rights documentary filmmaking team behind "Pride of Ukraine” (2015) and "Transgender Life in Slovenia” (2016) are joined by Shawn Forth from Muskoka Pride. The entire MQFF team are excited to screen films from LGBTQI2S filmmakers about our community, in all its breadth and diversity.
We shall be inviting a select number of directors, actors, actresses, and producers to join us at the festival for presentations and Q&A.
Audience Choice Award
Festival Favourite Award
2025 films...
Synopsis Buzz waits outside the apartment building of his anonymous Grindr hookup, imagining all the depraved ways this night could end. Horrified yet horny, Buzz buzzes the buzzer. Director Biography - Nora Dahle Borchgrevink & Lyndon Henley Hanrahan Nora is a...
Synopsis Sam brings Olivia home from a first date gone very well. After a few stumbling blocks getting into the rhythm, the two find their way back after confronting something that could make or break this burgeoning queer romance... comfort in your own body. Director...
Synopsis Pride vs. Prejudice delves into the riveting narrative of the Vriend v. Alberta case, where Delwin Vriend, an unlikely hero, courageously battles against discrimination from a government determined to deny his human rights . Uncover the twists and turns that...
Synopsis A middle-aged church organist seeks help caring for his aging mother and finds the courage to start exploring his identity. Directed by Bryan McHenry
Synopsis Sister Wives is a multi-layered love story that tells the tale of young women living in a strict, fundamentalist, polygamous society in 2003 Utah, USA. Kaidence and Galilee find themselves bound to one another, under the same roof, in the same marriage, as...
Synopsis Mathias, 18, is at the age when he has to make choices about his future, while his relationship with the world and those close to him has been turned upside down since he began a gender transition. Blocked by his anxieties, he isolates himself. Until one day...
Synopsis A three-day gathering on the Florida panhandle becomes a rollicking party of queer resistance, grief and joy in the face of increasing censorship and division. Director Biography - Maura James McNamera & Daniel Fox Maura James McNamara and Daniel Fox have...
Synopsis A late-blooming trans woman grapples with a life-altering, assigned-male-at-birth Trans specific dilemma and, with the help of her besties, navigates the complexities of this debacle as she determines her path on her own terms. Director Biography - Sally Tran...
Synopsis Following a young trans man who embarks on a journey to tattoo over his top surgery scars, this short documentary explores the power of community, queer resilience, and body adornment as gender-affirming care. Director Biography - Amushay Sheikh & Lee...
Synopsis Unique dance-documentary hybrid explores the challenges of finding romantic connections among the gay community in the digital age. Directed by Ian Hopkins & Timothy Friend
Synopsis "Changing Tides" delves into the trials of Black LGBTQ+ Caribbean asylum seekers like Jhanik Bullard, a Bahamian screenwriter, and features insights from Dennis Wamala, a Ugandan activist at Rainbow Railroad. Unveiling the intricate asylum process, the...
Synopsis In IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ME we follow Max and Bastian from the end of their childhood into puberty. A chaotic time where mind and body grows apart. Max is born as a girl but just came out as a transgender boy. Bastian is born as a boy but he feels he is a girl....
Synopsis Jack, a gay cowboy from Nebraska, finds anything but the promised land he envisioned when he visits a San Francisco gay club for the first time. Director Biography - Eric Delehoy Eric K Delehoy (he/him) holds an MFA in Creative Writing, Fiction, from Antioch...
Synopsis Sally Gearhart was a lesbian-feminist firebrand, professor, and fantasy author who helped transform the world for gay people—but too few folks know of this “hidden figure.” Our film celebrates Sally’s dynamism and complexity, as well as the collective (if...
Synopsis Haider, a Bengali Muslim taxi driver faces the reality that the American Dream may never be his. Grueling hours, rude customers, a collapse in medallion values and suicides among fellow drivers continually chip away at his hope for the future. Under this...
Synopsis Jade decides to come out to her Mom as a lesbian before her wedding. After practicing multiple times, she receives an unexpected call from her mom. Director Biography - Peta Huang RPH is an indie film director, writer, DoP and editor from Kaohsiung, Taiwan,...
Synopsis August, a young man is navigating the complexities of relationships and queerness. He develops a queer friendship with an older man, George who he finds solace and comfort in. Struggling to find his place in both his personal and professional life, August is...
Full Spectrum – A Queer Outdoorsy Film About Autism
Synopsis Full Spectrum is a very personal and vulnerable short film. In it, queer runner Caroline Whatley (she/her) shares a snapshot in time (her first year after receiving a diagnosis) of what it's like to learn you're autistic at 46 years old having never known.....
Synopsis In 2023, Carousel Theatre’s drag camp faced extreme homophobic and transphobic backlash. Performers, educators, and youth reflect on the many joys of drag. Directed by David Ng & Jen Sungshine
Synopsis "INSIDE OUTLOUD" is an intimate look at the award winning organization that supports 2SLGBTQ+ youth in North Bay, Ontario. Produced by 705 BlackFly