A year in the life within the world’s most iconic homonormative community: Fire Island Pines. Situated 50 miles from New York City, this storied queer beach town finds itself in the midst of a renaissance, as a new generation of millennial homeowners reimagine The Pines for a new, more inclusive era. Filmed like a Frederick Wiseman movie on magic mushrooms, a large cast of unforgettable eccentrics, activists, drifters, and first timers reflect on the legacy of The Pines, while preparing their beloved village for the biggest challenge it has faced since the AIDS crisis: rising sea levels caused by climate change.

Toronto Premiere

Please note: This film will screen with Closed Captions.

Anxiety on a first date, a plethora of miscommunications, and a pesky apocalypse – relationships aren’t easy at the best of times, and life has a way of throwing many challenges our way. But through this collection of shorts, we see the importance of connection and intimacy, even when it requires a little bit of effort.

Guests: Chris Coats, Ella May Sahlman, Mike Liebenson

A turbulent couple finds themselves at opposing entrances of Juhu beach, compelling them to walk toward each other and meet in the middle.

Samir, a 16-year-old Moroccan fisherman, discovers his attraction toward men when he meets Louis, a tourist traveling with his wife.

After receiving an undetectable HIV status, Dexter finally shows up at his friends’ party and reconnects with them, following a long and sudden ghosting.

Facing the end, a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood must reconcile with the only man he ever loved.

A chance meeting with a nomadic musician sets an aimless and depressed young man’s life on an entirely new trajectory.

There are only 8 minutes and 20 seconds of sunlight left on earth and Max must race against time to reconcile with his ex-boyfriend.

Chronicling the endearing anxieties and insecurities of two men on a first date.

Carabiners, karaoke nights, climbing legends, drag royalty, and resilient communities come together to create a program that highlights the power of queerness. Celebrate our past, present, and future through the stories of inspiring real-life icons.

Guests: Gianna Mazzeo

A tongue-in-cheek, historical documentary / fashion film hybrid that takes viewers on a journey through queer history to trace the origins of the carabiner as a lesbian symbol.

At a rural Vermont dive bar called Babes, Cribbage tournaments overlap with afternoons of karaoke and nights of raucous Queer dance parties.

While waiting in limbo, displaced LGBTQ folks hoping to cross into the United States find support and healing with one another.

Palestinian drag queen, performer, and artist, Sultana of New York, reflects on her journey from Jordan, to Egypt, Lebanon, and New York.

Alpinist Jamie Logan has taken on some of the most dangerous climbs in the world but nothing felt as life-threatening as admitting that she wanted to begin a new life as a woman.

Horny cowboys, lost satellites, everlasting friendships, one-night stands, and self-discovery—all aboard this wild ride showcasing the wonderful and eclectic world of trans and nonbinary storytellers.

Guests: Ariel Mahler

When a trans scientist rediscovers a lost satellite from her former life as a NASA engineer, she’s forced to confront her painful past.

Archival footage, distorted images, and internal monologues blend, resurfacing fragmented memories.

With the help of their inner manifestation, the iceman sheds their old skin and embraces their true identity.

The Ignorant Cowboy first battles his ornery reflection, then mockery from aliens and kinky reindeer.

Doroty’s dream was to dance and be recognized as the woman she was, but death came first. Her best friend, Misael, a 60-year-old gay man, will make it happen.

Inspired by the absolutely unhinged masterpiece of Hieronymus Bosch, this collage animation journeys from the lush gardens of paradise through to the flaming hot recesses of hell.

After building a colorful Queer life in an American prairie town, an aspiring costume designer visits their island homeland of Guam to lead the design team of a theatre production.

Following a one-night stand with a celebrity, trans man, Jamie, is forced to choose between a relationship and his own self-worth.

Toronto is the backdrop of this eclectic collection of films telling tales of friendship, community, and mushroom-laced chaos.

Guests: Shaun Soutar, Bea Santos, Isabelle Deluce, Chloë Gordon, Nala Haileselassie, Sania Khan, Doni, Alice Wang, Chase Lo

A portrait of Toronto, as defined by the spaces its queer residents inhabit and the memories they’ve created there.

Ruth’s skepticism of marriage clashes with her best friend’s engagement plans but a psychedelic journey on dress-fitting day forces her to reevaluate her deeply held beliefs.

A comedic slice-of-life exploration of one person’s battle with chronic insomnia.

Two opposing TV signals compete for airtime. The usual narratives of trans identity touted by dominant media are disrupted by authentic stories from trans people.

Inside the lives of five artists and creatives in Toronto as they come together over a shared meal and reflect upon their lived experiences.

Bex impersonates her heartbroken bestie, Danny on a dating app to prove their irresistibility but this backfires, causing chaos.

Tara, a Queer Palestinian woman in her late 20s, attempts to suppress her internal emotional turbulence during a phone call with her best friend.

This selection of shorts highlights the love and connection that can be found anywhere: a lover, a stranger, a friend, the world around you. Dive into the worlds of these stories created by Black filmmakers as they challenge you to reevaluate your own approach to love, intimacy, and even the mythical.

Guests: Halen King, Ryan Walker-Edwards, Myah Jeffers, Victoria Bavister

Computer techie Lucas invites Theo around for what he thought would be no-strings-attached fun, but things take an odd turn when his ex-girlfriend returns home early.

16-year-old Grace prepares for her baptism in the 1950s rural South. When she learns she must repent before the ritual, Grace contemplates her romantic feelings toward her best friend, Louise.

An exuberant portrait of chosen sisters Mermaid and Milan, two emerging runway divas in the drag ballroom community.

A widow struggling to readjust to a life of grief unexpectedly meets a woman whose presence is transformative.

Lindani, a neurotic young trans man, struggles to tell his partner, Tam, that he loves them after a random encounter with a stranger shakes his self-confidence.

A love letter to oneself and the journey to becoming who you are.

Rowin, a 22-year-old fisherman from Banda Abou, Curaçao has little luck catching fish until he encounters a mysterious young man who will change everything.

After a near-death experience lights a flame within both Grandma and Grandpa, they decide to grab life by the boas and tell the world their deepest secret: they’re gay. Having lived under the guise of a straight relationship for decades, they’re coming out of the closet, ditching their small-town life, and going after their big gay dreams. First stop, the big city, to learn “how to be gay” from the best gay people they know – their grandchildren. Navigating the queer dating scene, dating apps, queer fashion, and even a gay dodgeball league, this late-in-life coming out story is all about being empowered to love authentically no matter your age.

Join us for a screening of seven episodes and a panel featuring cast and crew.

World Premiere

Learning about ourselves through queer history, activism, trying new things in bed, and doing crime; demonstrating, once again, that queer and trans folks contain amazing multitudes.

This program contains scenes depicting domestic violence.

Guests: Nava Mau, Alex Schmider, Lucy Teitler, Federica Belletti

A couple is tested when a mystery man comes to town.

Three trans women meet in a country house to plan a robbery that requires them to disguise themselves as men.

Maya and Santiago haven’t seen each other since their explosive relationship ended years ago, so neither is expecting to see the other at a dinner with their new partners.

Mona, a young woman in London, finds archived photographs of Arab women cross-dressing in the 1920s.

In 2003, history was made when a Newsweek cover asked: Is Gay Marriage Next? Now in a post-Roe world, the question resurfaces with a haunting twist: is gay marriage next – to go?

When a trans woman she works with is murdered, social worker Reb, must find the strength to keep fighting.

When true-crime podcaster and sleuth Lola visits her hometown for the first time since running away and transitioning, the local urban legend, The Toymaker, is the least of her worries. But when the vengeful ghost of the historical murderer seemingly rises again, Lola must fight against not only a psychotic killer, but also a town haunted by secrets. Can Lola and her band of unexpected allies save Christmas? A transgender holiday film by prolific teenaged filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay and edited by The People’s Joker filmmaker, Vera Drew, Carnage for Christmas is destined to be a queer horror classic.

This film contains scenes of violence with graphic images of blood and gore.

Canadian Premiere

From leather daddies to cruising newbies, from bisexual friends of friends to celebrity crushes, this program delves into the vast world of queer intimacy, one hookup at a time.

This program contains scenes with graphic sexual content.

After receiving his first communion, Pablo can’t stop thinking about Sebastián, the beautiful altar boy.

Through surrealistic visuals and flowing dance, twin flames bend and grow together in nature.

Following a one-night stand with a celebrity, trans man, Jamie, is forced to choose between a relationship and his own self-worth.

A 58-year-old Black Queer man speaks the truth about his life as an emergency nurse, a leather enthusiast, husband, and civil rights advocate.

N returns to his hometown of Beirut after years of absence but remains invisible to his loved ones, who can only feel his presence.

Jules is bisexual and ready for his first experience with Samuel, a friend of friend.

A bored gay couple go cruising for the first time but, when they get lost in the woods, the cracks of their relationship become chasms.