Latest news with #Parade:QueerActsofLove&Resistance
Canada Standard
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Canada Standard
National launch of NFB feature documentaryParade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance.Screenings start this month in Canadian cities with broadcast and streaming premieres on TVO and NFB platforms during Pride Month.
May 20, 2025 - Toronto - National Film Board of Canada (NFB) An acclaimed look at activism that sparked the rise of Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ movement, Winnipeg director Noam Gonick and Toronto producer Justine Pimlott's National Film Board of Canada (NFB) feature documentary Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance begins a national rollout in May. Over 15 Canadian community and festival screenings are confirmed for Parade , with more cities to come. Pride Month in June will also feature broadcast and online premieres on TVO and NFB platforms. The film recently opened the Hot Docs film fest, where it was voted a top ten audience favourite. About Parade Unflinching, bold, enraging and hopeful, this vital new chapter in the queer canon captures pivotal moments that sparked Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ movement, honouring the activists and elders whose resistance led to the rights we have today. Through rarely seen archival footage and first-person accounts, audiences are transported to the frontlines of the struggle. From police raids to early drag shows, community organizing to the House of Commons, Parade brings the complex history of the country's diverse communities to vivid life. Key milestones illustrate the power of taking it into the streets and underscore how easily the rights we've fought for can be revoked, making the documentary essential viewing for all Canadians. National screening schedule Dates confirmed so far May 31 at 11:45 a.m., Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival, Toronto - filmmakers in attendance June 12-15, Queer North Film Festival, Sudbury June 14 (with panel discussion) and June 21, Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, Toronto June 22: Streaming premiere across Canada at 9 a.m. EST on TVO Docs YouTube, website and app, and broadcast premiere in Ontario at 9 p.m. EST on TVO June 26, Hello Film! at the NFB's Alanis Obomsawin Theatre, French-language screening and panel discussion, Quebec premiere presented in collaboration with Fierte Montreal and image+nation, Montreal June 27, begins streaming on NFB platforms June 27, Dixon Hall, Toronto June 27, Trans Wellness Ontario, Windsor June 28 at 6:30 p.m., Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg - panel discussion with filmmakers June 28, pflag Chapter, The Rumpus Room, Owen Sound, Ontario June 28, Museum London, London, Ontario July 26 at 2 p.m., Millennium Library, Winnipeg August 3 at 1 p.m., Richmond Public Library - Brighouse Branch, Richmond, British Columbia August 5 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Bibliothque et Archives nationales du Quebec, French-language screening, Montreal August 5 at 6 p.m., CineQueer presented by Fierte Montreal and the NFB in collaboration with image+nation at the NFB's Alanis Obomsawin Theatre, French-language screening, Montreal August 16-24, Capital Pride, Ottawa Acclaim for Parade "Parade is overflowing with intelligence, energy and honesty. At a moment in history when the freedom to love who you want and be who you want to be is in question, this film is unequivocally on the side of the angels. Parade is an absolute triumph." - Border Crossings Magazine "There are moments of heartbreak, depression, and sadness, but the film also illustrates how much love and warmth was at the heart of these equality movements. It's both critical and uplifting at the same time." - The Gate "...a call to arms to reach out to and learn from the queer elders who are still with us, and to preserve stories that are gradually disappearing. Parade invites us to see the ghosts, and challenges us not to look away." - Xtra - 30 - Stay Connected Online Screening Room: NFB Facebook | NFB X | NFB Instagram | NFB Blog | NFB YouTube | NFB Vimeo Curator's perspective | Director's notes About the NFB
CBC
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
What's worth watching at Hot Docs 2025?
Between financial woes and staff upheaval, the Hot Docs Film Festival has been through the wringer of late, but organizers are ready to raise the curtain on another year. The event, which is considered the largest of its kind in North America, will open its 2025 edition in Toronto on April 24. True, the program is leaner than last year, down by more than 50 titles, but there remains an overwhelming number of stories to discover: 113 films from 47 countries, many of which champion marginalized narratives and voices. The CBC Arts staff has combed through the listings, and these are the docs we're most excited to see. Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance What better way to kick off a festival than with a parade — or a documentary about one. LGBTQ folks have been proudly utilizing parades to fight for their rights over the last 60 years, and Noam Gonick's Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance offers a uniquely Canadian history of this movement, showing how this country's queer activists and elders fought for the rights we have today. The film will open the festival on April 24, and through rarely seen archival footage and first-person accounts, audiences will have an opportunity to be inspired (and at times, enraged) by the complex history of Canada's LGBTQ rights movement. –Peter Knegt The Dating Game Few narratives are as inherently packed with emotion as the search for love and companionship, and in the post-Tinder era, the stakes have never been stranger or more desperate. That's especially the case in China, where the One Child policy (which ended in 2015) has produced a nation of lonely bros. Men outnumber women by the tens of millions, and in The Dating Game, director Violet Du Feng introduces three lovelorn bachelors who are ready to leave their rural towns for the bright lights of Chongqing. They arrive in the city for a week-long crash course in landing a wife, and their teacher, Hao, claims he can deliver them results. Under Hao's supervision, the boys will surrender themselves to a professional glow up. They'll get new wardrobes, new haircuts — and, crucially, new glamour shots for their dating profiles. But will they buy into Hao's fake-it-till-you-make-it philosophy, which may be more than a little inspired by pick-up artist techniques? The doc was reportedly an audience favourite at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it played to " overflow crowds." Early reviews suggest the story is imbued with humour and heart. Plus, who doesn't love a good makeover sequence? –Leah Collins Spreadsheet Champions As plenty of docs have already gone to show, you can make a sport out of just about anything. Old-school arcade games (The King of Kong), spelling (Spellbound), hobbyhorse dressage (Hobbyhorse Revolution). So why not Microsoft Excel? For 20 years, the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship has been the premiere battleground for international youngsters with a genius-level knowledge of proprietary software. The event's crown jewel is its Excel competition, described by Microsoft as a " true test of analytical and problem-solving skills." And in Spreadsheet Champions, a new feature from Australian filmmaker Kristina Kraskov, we go inside the scene, following six kids to the main event in Orlando, Florida. The young all-stars of the tournament, who range in age from 13-22, are already winners in their home countries, but this is their one and only shot at international glory. Per the championship's rules, there are no repeat visits, and the stakes are higher than you might imagine. Past competitors have seen their reality change with a keystroke, going on to secure plumb jobs and academic opportunities. The film premiered at SXSW last month, where it was on several critics' must-see lists, and according to early reviews, the cast of data wizards is a fascinating bunch, exactly the sort of characters you'd hope to meet in a picture like this one. That's compelling enough to sell me on the quirky premise. –Leah Collins Ultras If you've ever watched a soccer match and noticed the people in the stands chanting, waving flags, letting off road flares, jumping up and down and unveiling tremendous artworks, you've probably asked yourself a few questions. Who are they? Why are they doing that? Who cares that much about soccer? Who, frankly, cares that much about anything? Those football fiends are the ultras, and their love of the game goes beyond fandom. Theirs is an all-encompassing subculture, and in the documentary Ultras, filmmaker Ragnhild Ekner explores what motivates them and how they interact with the broader world. While making the doc, Ekner spent time in eight countries: Argentina, Egypt, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Sweden, Indonesia, and the U.K. While there, she immersed herself in the world of these misunderstood megafans. The film will have its North American premiere at Hot Docs. –Chris Dart Endless Cookie Seth and Peter Scriver are half brothers who were born 16 years apart. Seth is white and was raised in Toronto. Peter is Indigenous and grew up on Shamattawa First Nation in northern Manitoba. One is a renowned cartoonist and visual artist whose animated movie Asphalt Watches won the award for best Canadian first feature film at the Toronto International Film Festival. The other is a respected storyteller, carver and trapper, who once served as chief of his First Nation. Nine years in the making, Endless Cookie is a full-length animated documentary co-directed by the siblings, and it untangles the memories and misadventures that colour their complicated relationship. Told in the younger Scriver's outlandish and psychedelic trademark style, the oddball flick premiered at Sundance earlier this year. The goal was to "make something funny, beautiful, spiritual, political, complex, simple and true," Seth says in the trailer. Together, they've sketched a family portrait that appears to be heartfelt and more than just a little offbeat. But what's weirder than family, right? The Conscience Files Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona is known for the abundance of fossilized trees that litter its badlands. If you're caught removing one of the specimens, you'll face a fine. But according to accounts stretching back nearly a century, you could also bring home something much worse: it's said that thieves are cursed with bad luck. People have ascribed all manners of tragedy and ruin to pinching even just a tiny rock from the park: divorce, legal trouble, unemployment, poor health and death. A longstanding display at the visitor centre exhibits some of the letters the park has received over the decades. They're penned by remorseful pilferers who would like to return what they've taken. Director Brian Bolster's documentary The Conscience Files will see its international premiere at Hot Docs. The short film explores these tales of woe and repentance, which form a bizarre, exceedingly human archive of regret and restitution collected by the national park. This 14-minute collage of stories is, admittedly, a bit of a wild card as far as recommendations go. But its incredible premise is just too tempting not to pick — much like the petrified wood, apparently. It screens as part of a triple bill alongside Life Invisible and Lichens Are the Way, fellow shorts that look similarly unusual, abstract and environmentally minded. The Nest In my opinion, Chase Joynt is one of the most exciting Canadian voices in documentary film (No Ordinary Man, Framing Agnes), and for The Nest, he's teamed up with decolonial writer and academic Julietta Singh. Joynt and Singh co-direct the picture — a collaboration which seems poised to be a very powerful union — and the narrative follows Singh to her grand childhood home on the Assiniboine River in Manitoba. There, she listens to stories about the women who formerly lived in the house: Japanese women, Deaf women, Métis women, Indigenous women, Irish women. The film guides us through their tales — tracing 140 years of history — while reflecting on Singh's own difficult upbringing. Saints and Warriors On its face, Saints and Warriors is a sports doc about the Skidegate Saints (a basketball team from the Skidegate First Nation on Haida Gwaii) and their quest to maintain dominance at the All Native Basketball Tournament. The event is the biggest basketball competition in B.C., and it doubles as the largest Indigenous cultural event in Canada. So as the Saints fight to keep their crown, they'll face stiff competition. The Saints are up against hungry young upstart squads as well as every athlete's arch nemesis: Father Time But there's another story which takes place off the hardwood: the Haida people's fight to regain control of their traditional lands and waterways. Many of the key players in that struggle are also on the team — because the Saints aren't just hoopers, they're leaders in the community. Ultimately, this is a film about how basketball is more than a sport. It's also an act of resistance. Directed by Patrick Shannon, it will have its Canadian premiere at Hot Docs.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sex-Selective Abortions in Armenia, Moldova's Healthcare System, Infertility in Georgia, and More Explored at CPH:DOX
Eight high impact film projects from Eastern Europe took center stage at CPH:Forum, the industry platform of Copenhagen's CPH:DOX international documentary film festival, this week. Emerging filmmakers from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine pitched their films to industry representatives, including Arte, IDFA and the Whickers Fund. More from Variety 'Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance' to Lead Hot Docs Lineup, Featuring 35 World Premieres 'Undercover: Exposing the Far Right' Director on the Future of Political Doc Programming: 'Selection of Films at Some Festivals Is Becoming Weaker' Janus Metz on 'Rescue' and Saving Migrants in the Mediterranean With Co-Director Sine Plambech and Doctors Without Borders (EXCLUSIVE) It marked the culmination of a six-month training program under Change, founded by IMS (International Media Support) in partnership with CPH:DOX, EAVE (the European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), and the Danish Film School, to support underrepresented filmmakers from the region in accessing the global market. This year's selection explores themes of war, national identity, patriarchy and activism, with budgets ranging from €92,000 ($99,000) to €329,000 ($356,000). The pitches are followed by one-to-one meetings with industry decision-makers over the next couple of days. Variety spoke to the teams in Copenhagen – some projects are not highlighted here due their sensitive nature. 'Leave Easy Come Back Safe' (Belarus) by Sasha Kulak and Masha Maroz examines Belarusian identity through two young artists – one in exile, the other still in the country – while documenting the cultural heritage of the remote Polesia region. The film follows three characters – a traditional beekeeper, a healer and a priest attempting to save a dilapidated church – and features archival material dating back to the 1930s. 'Through our film, we aim not only to document and preserve the unique traditions and culture of the region but also to reflect on our own cultural and national identity. We want to showcase this unknown cultural archipelago to the world and to people within our own country,' producer Julia Shaginurova told Variety. 'My Name Is Enough' (Armenia) by Ani Grigoryan and Marina Arzumanova explores sex-selective abortions in a remote Armenian village. Ashkhen, the protagonist, awaits the results of an ultrasound that will determine the fate of her unborn child while neighbors and relatives turn to ancient folk traditions to predict the baby's sex. 'Hearing how many girls never had the chance to live, and how women were forced to undergo illegal and unsafe abortions – makes us ask: 'What if that were me?'' said producer Ani Ordyan. The documentary interweaves the stories of other women across different generations, shedding light on the societal pressures that force illegal abortions. 'Missing in Action' (Ukraine) by Marharyta Melnychuk and Kateryna Holovko follows Natalia, a former border guard searching for her missing brother, a combat medic who disappeared in Donetsk in 2023. Supporting her brother's daughters and her elderly mother, Natalia takes a job far from home that provides financial stability. Determined to find purpose, she pursues a master's degree in psychology, and uses her experience to help others searching for missing loved ones. 'More than 60,000 people, both civilians and soldiers, are missing in Ukraine. This is the population of a town. Natalia's story is just one of thousands,' producer Aliona Kachkan said. 'Import/Export MD' (Moldova) by Max T. Ciorbă and produced by Sergiu Scobioala of Realitatea Film exposes Moldova's struggling healthcare system, where doctors faced with low wages are forced to seek opportunities abroad. Featuring intertwining narratives of doctors and patients, the film also includes a group of doctors-turned-comedians who use humor to highlight the absurdities of the system. 'We want to make a film that lets doctors tell their story, and sheds light on the challenges both doctors and patients face in our country,' said Ciorbă. 'Whispers of Womanhood' (Georgia) by Rati Tsiteladze and produced by Olga Slusareva follows Tsiteladze's sister Dea, who has spent more than a decade navigating infertility in Georgia, a society where motherhood defines a woman's worth. The film captures her personal and poetic journey through medical interventions, ancient rituals, and the loss of her newborn child due to medical negligence. When Dea considers adoption, her husband's traditional beliefs create a rift, and she seeks solace with other women facing similar struggles. As she secretly explores IVF despite the Church's opposition, her journey shifts from the pursuit of motherhood to a search for self-discovery. 'Through Dea's raw honesty, we aim to break this silence and offer a voice to countless women who suffer quietly,' producer Olga Slusareva said. 'This film is not just about infertility, it's an exploration of human nature, identity, grief and societal roles.' Tsiteladze and Slusareva's previous documentary, 'A Song Without Home,' about a transgender woman seeking a new life in Austria after being locked away by her parents for years in Georgia, was presented at CPH:Forum in 2023 and is set for release later this year. 'Entr'actes' (Ukraine/Belgium) by Yuriy Shylov follows charismatic 73-year-old Olena, who leads an amateur theater troupe for the elderly amid war. Despite air raids and her declining health, she writes a play based on her experiences and her son's frontline service. Guided by young director Serhii, the troupe prepares for an amateur theater festival, which could be their final performance. 'This is a film that carries a sense of irony,' Shylov said. 'For these characters, humor is a way to endure and resist violence.' Attending the Change pitches for the first time, Alice Burgin, who took on the role of head of industry at leading Swiss doc festival Visions du Réel last year, was impressed: 'This program brings home the urgency that so many filmmakers are facing – working to tell powerful and important stories in environments that are not always conducive to hearing their truths,' she said. 'Perhaps this pitch can offer these projects another pathway to financing that resonates with European values while reminding us of the importance of ensuring local stories continue to be heard.' CPH:Forum runs in Copenhagen until March 27. Best of Variety The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More
