Vancouver Queer Film Festival Sets 2016 Lineup

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) released its complete festival lineup for the 11-day Festival, August 11 to August 21 curated by Artistic Director Shana Myara. More than 68 films will be showcased at the VQFF, along with 25 directors in attendance, 30 performing artists, and 3 free workshops, in addition to parties and talk back sessions. The Festival will host award-winning filmmaker Ingrid Jungermann from New York City and her critically acclaimed film Women Who Kill along with local filmmaker Joella Cabalu and her breakout feature It Runs in the Family. Tickets will be released for sale online at www.queerfilmfestival.ca/tickets this Friday July 15.

"I'm exceptionally proud of our lineup this August," says Artistic Director, Shana Myara. "From collaborative films about transformative trans and Black activists like Miss Major to the daring speculative drama Girls Lost, we bring a range of genres and experiences to make this a celebratory and curiosity-quenching 28th annual Festival. I'm also proud to renew our commitment to supporting the creation of new work with our inaugural Troublemakers videos, by and about local changemakers across generations."

The Festival will host VMA-nominated performer/choreographer Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Kevin Stea, both of whom accompanied Madonna on her "Blond Ambition World Tour", which was the genesis of both the movie Madonna: Truth or Dare and the music video for the chart-topping single "Vogue". They'll be at the VQFF's Centrepiece Gala, Strike a Pose, a documentary about them and the other five young dancers who reveal the truth about life during and after the tour. Strike a Pose is a dramatic tale about finding the courage to be who you are.

"We are delivering a world-class program of queer cinema that will both entertain and provoke queer communities, both local and international", says Executive Director Stephanie Goodwin. "We are particularly proud this year to make both physical and creative space for the best of our queer, trans* and two-spirit communities."

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival is also thrilled to be hosting nationally acclaimed artist Richard Fung (Re:Orientations), who received the 2015 Kessler Award for significant contributions to LGBTQ studies; internationally acclaimed artists Kerem Sanga (First Girl I Loved), whose previous work premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and won an Audience Award; Ingrid Jungermann, whose debut feature Women Who Kill, premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Screenplay, and who is known for her work creating the beloved web series The Slope and F to 7th.

The VQFF opens with Summertime, a lush, poetic film that confronts the question: is love really all you need? And is followed by an outdoor party at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza. The Youth Gala features Real Boy, a coming-of-age story of Bennett Wallace, a transgender teenager in California on a journey to find his voice as a musician, a friend, a son, and a man. The Festival's Closing Gala showcases Kiki, a wonderland tour of the UNDERGROUND vogue/ballroom Kiki scene. Kiki offers a portrait of hope, strength, resilience and the myriad possibilities that come with queer and trans* youth owning their futures.

Festival guides are now available at festival venues as well as Little Sister's Book & Art Emporium and Black Dog Video.

The complete festival lineup can also be viewed online at www.queerfilmfestival.ca

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival is hosted at the Vancouver Playhouse, International Village, SFU's Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, The Rio Theatre, VIFF Vancity Theatre, among others.

Early Bird passes on sale now. All tickets on sale Friday July 15 at www.queerfilmfestival.ca/tickets

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