Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America and one of the most
multicultural cities in the world. As one of the main creative hubs in
Canada and host of the Toronto International Film Festival (one of the
largest and most influential film festivals worldwide), Toronto is home
to a great wealth of creative talent. This is strengthened by its three
world-class universities and countless film college programs. As North
America’s third largest screen-based production center, film makers at
every stage of their career have access to a diverse and well-developed
filmmaking community along with all the tools they need to develop their
work. It also guarantees Toronto’s 35 film festivals (and counting!)
with a never-ending stream of emerging talent.
Indeed, Toronto’s film festival circuit is booming, drawing a consistently high volume and variety of talent from around the world. The Toronto queer film scene owes a lot to the success of TIFF, Inside Out and Hot Docs, with the first, in addition to its annual festival, acting as a year-round hub for film discovery and appreciation. Each of Toronto’s festivals responds to a need within a community such as representation, activism or education. Just as the Queer West Arts Collective responded to the need for alternative events outside of Toronto’s traditional gay village, our film festival has grown out of a desire to share films and media that may not have found a home at other festivals.
Social media has allowed us much greater insight into the lives of members of our community around the world. It has also inspired a new wave of film making and queer film makers to broaden the reach of their work. We hope that our film festival, which is still in the early stages of its growth, helps to represent and document the changes and challenges representative to the queer community around the world. This means celebrating universal themes such as discovery of new love and giving voice to those who continue to remain voiceless within our community.
Currently, we are working towards partnering with other film festivals and cultural organizations, to be able to more widely promote our unique offering to the local and international community.
By Michel F. Paré and Lauren Tenn, July 2015
http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/
Indeed, Toronto’s film festival circuit is booming, drawing a consistently high volume and variety of talent from around the world. The Toronto queer film scene owes a lot to the success of TIFF, Inside Out and Hot Docs, with the first, in addition to its annual festival, acting as a year-round hub for film discovery and appreciation. Each of Toronto’s festivals responds to a need within a community such as representation, activism or education. Just as the Queer West Arts Collective responded to the need for alternative events outside of Toronto’s traditional gay village, our film festival has grown out of a desire to share films and media that may not have found a home at other festivals.
Social media has allowed us much greater insight into the lives of members of our community around the world. It has also inspired a new wave of film making and queer film makers to broaden the reach of their work. We hope that our film festival, which is still in the early stages of its growth, helps to represent and document the changes and challenges representative to the queer community around the world. This means celebrating universal themes such as discovery of new love and giving voice to those who continue to remain voiceless within our community.
Currently, we are working towards partnering with other film festivals and cultural organizations, to be able to more widely promote our unique offering to the local and international community.
By Michel F. Paré and Lauren Tenn, July 2015
http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/
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