What to know
- Inside Out Film Festival returns to Toronto with over 100 Queer films screening across nine days.
- Highlights include Stop That Train, Hunky Jesus, Out Laws, and The Britney Griner Story.
- Festival screenings take place at TIFF Bell Lightbox, with online viewing also available.
The largest 2SLGBTQ+ festival in North America opens in Toronto this evening, and there are more than 100 films screening over the nine-day event.
Inside Out, Toronto’s annual 2SLGBTQ+ film festival, is back and better than ever, running from May 22-31 with plenty of screenings throughout the event’s 36th edition. From documentaries to romcoms and coming-of-age stories, here are eight films to check out at this year’s event.
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Stop That Train
Combining comedy, drag, and chaos to deliver a non-stop 90-minute adventure packed with action, glamour, and campy humour, the comedy Stop That Train is the opening film at this year’s festival.
Screening May 22, and starring queens Jujubee and Ginger Minj, the film sees two fabulous friends working as train stewardesses for Stank Rail while dreaming of reaching the pinnacle of their desires: becoming stewardesses on the luxurious Glamazonian Express. Along this pursuit, the gals combat a hilarious disaster in a star-studded film featuring RuPaul, Rachel Bloom, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Monét X Change, Matt Rogers, Nicole Richie, Chris Parnell, and Lisa Rinna.
Give Me The Ball!
The RE: Focus Gala, set for May 23, is centred on Give Me The Ball!, a documentary on tennis icon Billie Jean King that explores how her impact on tennis and equality has affected the world.
The movie looks at the personal turmoil King faced on her journey to become a transformational figure in sports, including escaping an unhappy marriage and hiding her sexual orientation, while simultaneously combating an eating disorder and endless misogyny.
Black Burns Fast
On May 24, Black Burns Fast will have its Canadian premiere, bringing audiences a story about the power that comes with owning your identity. Set in a South African boarding school, the film explores the politics, cliques, and shenanigans of 17-year-old Luthando and her classmates.
In addition to being the school’s poster child, she’s also dealing with her religious mother’s expectations, the pressure to succeed, and the struggle that comes with trying not to make waves. But when new student Ayanda appears on the scene, she is soon wrapped up in an all-new drama: sapphic romance.
Heals
The closing night gala, set for May 30, features the world premiere of Heals, a documentary telling the life story of international drag star Pangina Heals, AKA Pan Pan Narkprasert. The movie follows the Queer Thai artist as he transforms pain into power, from a traumatic childhood to becoming the first Asian drag queen to secure her own Las Vegas residency after finding joy and safety in drag.
Hunky Jesus
With its North American premiere slated for Sunday, May 24, Hunky Jesus is a documentary following the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as crowds gather in San Francisco for the group’s legendary Easter celebration, where participants compete with wildly original and often hilarious portrayals of Jesus in hopes of earning the coveted title of “Hunky Jesus.” The movie spotlights the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s integral work supporting San Francisco’s 2SLGBTQ+ communities through activism, education, fundraising, and performance for decades.
Out Laws
Playing on May 30, Out Laws blends Queer history with the stories of activists fighting to make their countries safer for 2SLGBTQ+ people. The documentary follows Namibian activist Friedel Dausab as he challenges laws criminalizing same-sex relationships, while also highlighting fellow advocates from Sri Lanka and Barbados working to push back against discrimination rooted in colonialism and modern religious influence. Through personal stories and historical context, the film captures the risks, resilience, and global fight for equality.
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She’s The He
She’s the He is a heartfelt and hilarious coming-of-age comedy about friendship, identity, and trans joy. In Siobhan McCarthy’s feature debut, best friends Alex and Ethan pretend to come out as trans women during their final week of high school in an attempt to shut down rumours about their sexuality, but what begins as a scheme soon leads Ethan to question whether her new identity feels more authentic than the life she had before. The movie is screening on May 26.
The Britney Griner Story
Playing May 24, The Britney Griner Story, is a documentary on the WNBA superstar’s journey to freedom after being arrested in Russia. Called personal and profound, the movie explores Griner’s basketball career, her pursuit of financial opportunities by playing in Russia, and her 2022 arrest by Russian authorities in 2022. Looking at her high-profile imprisonment, which set off a geopolitical struggle discussed around the world.
The movie tells the tumultuous tale of Griner’s presence both on and off the basketball court, the circumstances that led to her playing in Russia, her unwavering determination to return home, and her renewed perspective upon securing her freedom.
With screenings scheduled for the TIFF Lightbox cinemas, all of the films are also available for online viewing. You can find the entire lineup of films and events, and find online streaming dates on the Inside Out website.
