Why Toronto’s Inside Out Film Festival says support for Queer communities matters more than ever

The world looks a little different from the way it did a few years ago. The conversations happening in boardrooms, on screens, and in communities are shifting, and the role that art, culture, and storytelling play in that shift has never felt more significant. And it is in this landscape that Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival returns to Toronto.

Running May 22-31, Inside Out is Canada’s largest 2SLGBTQ+ film festival. This year’s lineup includes 29 feature films and 72 shorts from more than 20 countries – a snapshot of Queer storytelling at its most global and most personal. Since launching in 1991, the festival has become a cornerstone of Queer cinema in Canada – championing both homegrown and international filmmakers while creating a space for audiences to connect through powerful, shared stories.

As the festival grows, so does the conversation around why spaces like this matter. 

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing a rollback in some of the progress we’ve made on Queer rights,” says Carly Beath, Executive Director of Inside Out. “Festivals like this are vital in counteracting some of the hateful rhetoric we’re seeing and creating a platform for our own narratives.”

For Beath, the pull back of corporate support is as revealing as it is troubling, and it’s a moment that makes sustained, visible support matter even more. 

“Canadian companies have an opportunity to set themselves apart by continuing to support the arts and to support organizations like ours who are serving underrepresented groups,” says Beath. 

Eighteen years of showing up

Now in its 18^th year of collaboration with Inside Out, RBC has helped the festival bring thousands of films to audiences while supporting year-round initiatives, including career development programs for emerging Canadian filmmakers. This year, RBC returns as the lead sponsor of the Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award, which includes a $5,000 prize to support the recipient’s career. 

“It’s incredibly important to have a collaborator at RBC’s scale consistently supporting Inside Out,” says Beath. “It signals to other companies that the 2SLGBTQ+ community is deserving of visible, vocal support.”

Beath adds that the impact extends beyond financial support.

“A collaboration like this helps create stability,” she says. “It gives us an anchor, not just for funding but for growth.”

For Eric Turner, RBC Regional Vice President of Commercial Banking, that anchor reflects something that RBC has long supported.

“Supporting Inside Out goes far beyond a sponsorship; it’s a long-term commitment to helping ensure Queer voices are seen, heard, and celebrated,” says Eric Turner. “We believe it’s important to continue showing up for the communities and creators helping shape Canadian arts.”

Turner adds that the invitation extends to everyone. “These are stories that can really move people. At their core, they speak to experiences we all share.”

All audiences find that the Inside Out Film Festival offers something rare: a chance to engage with stories and perspectives that don’t often get this kind of platform.

From script to Centrepiece Gala

The support is personal for Canadian directors like Glen Wood, whose debut feature I Come Home is premiering as the festival’s Centrepiece Gala. It’s a film made possible in part through RBC’s role as a banking partner.

“Tax credits are a crucial part of how Canadian films get made, but you need to complete the film before you can access them,” Wood explains. “Working with RBC to borrow against those credits made an enormous difference. Without the loan, the film simply doesn’t get made.”

Beyond financing, Wood says RBC’s support reflects a deeper contribution to the industry.

“They’re not just writing a cheque, they’re helping support Queer stories and the infrastructure that gets those stories seen,” he says.

More than a screening

I Come Home premieres in Toronto on May 26, surrounded by the cast and crew who made it, in a city that has championed Queer cinema for more than three decades, before an audience who will see themselves in it. 

“I love that I Come Home is premiering here in Toronto, where our cast and crew can come together and celebrate what we made,” Wood adds. “There’s something deeply special about presenting a Queer film to a Queer audience, seeing ourselves reflected on screen, together, as a community.”

That’s what 18 years of showing up make possible. Not just a film, or a festival, but a community, supported. I Come Home screens as part of this year’s Inside Out Film Festival, with tickets available now.