Vancouver Queer Film Festival makes triumphant in-person return

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF), featuring the best in 2SLGBTQ+ film from local and international artists, returns ‘in-person’ for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The VQFF, put on by Out on Screen, enters its 34th year, showing 97 films from 20 countries along with in-person celebrations featuring local performing artists, post-screening Q&As with filmmakers, and industry and community workshops.

Brandon Yan, executive director of Out on Screen, says the theme this year  is “Make It Yours” and is a call to action.

“[It’s] not just a call about our collective queer history, but also a forward looking call to action for folks to be mindful that we shouldn’t take our progress for granted that there’s still lots of work to do,” said Yan. “Especially right now, across the world, we’re seeing a lot of the rights that to LGBTQ folks have fought for being called into question again.”

WATCH NOW: Vancouver Queer Film Festival 2022 trailer

Yan says the VQFF is pleased to offer both in-person and virtual screening options for those who can’t, or aren’t ready to attend the live group events at the festival this year.

“We’re bringing folks back into our local cinemas … But we’re also maintaining that online portion for accessibility for folks across the province. Those folks who might not be comfortable coming back into cinemas, but also folks who might not be able to partake in the festival.”

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VQFF is opening with a Vancouver-based film called The Empress of Vancouver. The highly anticipated documentary spotlights Oliv Howe, performer, artist, icon, and the 10th Empress of the Vancouver Dogwood Monarchist Society.

The film also focuses on Vancouver’s first Pride Parade in 1981.

“It kind of takes place around that pivotal time in our history books and also catch another great local documentary playing later in the festival called emergence out of the shadows, and it’s about Metro Vancouver’s kind of South Asian community and intersections with queerness,” said Yan.

Yan says this year’s lineup supplies a great variety for viewers to experience.

“I think folks can expect the gamut of emotions from laughing, crying to kind of shaking their head at what they just watched. Because a lot of queer film, there’s a lot of experimental and wonderfully beautifully shot films,” said Yan.

The festival runs from August 11 to 21.

For ticketing details, including pricing, and the complete festival lineup, along with screening dates and times, visit www.queerfilmfestival.ca.