What to know
- Inside Out Toronto’s 36th annual 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival runs May 22–31, featuring documentaries, shorts, animation, galas, and events that also serve as an unofficial Pride Month kickoff.
- This year’s lineup includes standout premieres such as Give Me the Ball, I Come Home, Heals, and the docuseries In the Closet, alongside panels and parties focused on queer identity, creativity, and community.
- Festival organizers and artists emphasize the importance of queer representation amid global backlash, with this year’s theme “collective effervescence” highlighting joy, connection, and shared cultural energy.
As debates around 2SLGBTQ+ rights intensify globally, Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival is returning for its 36th year — bringing bold Queer storytelling, community, and celebration back to the big screen.
What does it mean to gather, celebrate and tell queer stories right now? That question is at the heart of this year’s Inside Out Film Festival, returning this May 22–31 with the theme “Collective Effervescence.”
In addition to being affectionately known as TIFF’s Gay cousin, the festival doubles as an unofficial kickoff to Toronto’s Pride Month, bringing together documentaries, shorts, and animated films alongside a packed schedule of parties, workshops and conversations.
The festival’s CEO, Carly Beath, says that from shorts to animated films and documentaries, there is something for everyone at this year’s event, which comes at an important time politically.
“There’s this kind of backlash happening to DEI initiatives in the States, and I think Canada has a chance to set ourselves apart and say that we are continuing to support underrepresented groups, Queer people and Queer art,” Beath told Queer & Now.
“It’s important for us to have a space to create and share our own narratives to counteract some of the negativity that we hear in the news and on social media as Queer people.”
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Beath explained that Inside Out creates a space for 2SLGBQ+ people to see themselves represented in media, and enjoy an event where we can all come together and learn more about one another.
Highlights of Inside Out 2026
Some highlights of the festival include the Opening Gala screening of Stop! That! Train!, a comedy starring Drag Queen royalty RuPaul, Ginger Minj, Jujubee and Brooke Lynn Hytes.
Additionally, Give Me the Ball, a documentary focused on tennis legend Billie Jean King, is playing at the RE: Focus Gala on May 23
The Centrepiece Gala on May 26 will feature a screening of the film I Come Home, which follows a polyamorous couple grappling with the fallout of an unexpected pregnancy.
The Closing Gala, on May 30, will include the premiere of Heals, a documentary on drag superstar Pangina Heals that follows her from a traumatic childhood to becoming the first drag star from Asia to secure a residency in Las Vegas.
Beath shared that she is excited for the documentary’s premiere, as the film received development funding from the festival’s REfocus Fund, which helps with the completion of projects by 2SLGBTQ+ creators.
“So to have it back at the festival for its world premiere is really, really special.”
In the Closet
Another one of the projects premiering at this year’s event is the series In the Closet, a six-part docuseries that features intimate conversations between non-binary Canadian comedian Ajahnis Charley and friends, focused on what it means to be non-binary.
The series draws on the creator’s experience navigating misgendering and self-discovery, alongside the affirmation of Queer community, to explore how fashion can communicate identity and reflect collective joy.
Charley explained that to create the set, they pulled pieces from their friends’ closets and homes, creating a closet background that speaks to their story of discovering their identity.
“We’ve built a studio closet and made this constructed space for each different non-binary pal that we interview,” Charley told Queer & Now.
“So we’ve taken their actual clothes and home objects, redressed this space with those things, and tried to create a physical visual manifestation of that person.”
The series includes conversations between Charley and comedian Bren D’Souza, actor Amanda Cordner, improviser D.J. Mausner, creator Meg MacKay and Drag Queen extraordinaire Chelazon Leroux.
“It’s all about style, gender, and clothing, and how that can be used by non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals to get the world to see us the way we see ourselves,” Charley explained.
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“This piece of YouTube cinema is my way of expressing love to not only these non-binary friends, but also love to that inner self that knows who they are and is trying to express that.”
Calling it their most exciting creative challenge yet, Charley says that in between set building, prepping, filming and production, the best part of the project was getting to unwind and have a genuine good time with friends.
“Music, kiki and play… those are the things I’m trying to do every day of my life, and I got to do it in this project.”
Tickets range from $17.50 for a single in-person screening to $14.50 for a virtual ticket, while 6-screening passes are available for $99. There are various ticket packages for galas available as well. More information can be found on the Inside Out website.
Collective Effervescence
The theme for this year’s festival is collective effervescence, designed by local Queer art teacher and painter, Emmy Tran.
“Collective effervescence is a term that describes the bubbling energy and that spark that happens when we’re in community, when ideas start to bounce off of each other,” Tran told Queer & Now.
“Just that warm vibrance that you feel in a room of people who share the same ideas as you, and it’s really perfect to celebrate this year’s festival, because Toronto is celebrating a lot of exciting opportunities,” she continued.
Tran’s work has become well-known and respected for its vibrant and colourful palette, with themes focusing on sapphic love and political resistance. They are also known for their donations to fundraisers for Queer events and organizations in the city, including Inside Out.
But this year, the festival reached out to her directly, commissioning her to design the identity for the 36th edition of the iconic festival. To represent the theme, she painted a large canvas filled with colourful bubbles. Those spheres are featured on the festival’s poster, website, stickers, and other promotional materials.
“It took a couple of tries, with different versions of bubbles and effervescence, but we finally got to the final painting, and it meant the world,” Tran explained. “It’s such an honour to represent Queer film in this way, and for them to commission a Queer femme artist like me, it’s a great honour.”
Ahead of the launch of the festival, Tran and Beath have a common wish: that everyone, queer and straight alike, get outside and enjoy everything Inside Out has to offer.
Go outside this year,” Tran said. “Go to sports events, go see films, go to the cinema. Dance, support artists. Support artists! Be in the collective, because we’re out here.”
She added that oftentimes, online spaces can feel like a substitute for community.
“But it’s not! So this year, be outside.”
Beath, meanwhile, hopes that those who enjoyed Heated Rivalry make an effort to come out and find more Queer media.
“I think every conversation around like film and TV, for me this year has come back to Heated Rivalry, and it’s shown us that people are open to Queer stories, even if they don’t directly relate to them,” Beath explained.
“I really hope people know that there’s more where that came from. So come out and find more great Queer stories.”
