Inside Out Film Festival: Shift Three and Four

Tonight's a time jump -- I came to the startling conclusion I neglected to post about the last couple shifts from May 29th with the Inside Out Film Festival.

*Shock and horror*

I cannot allow this to pass. And so, I invite readers to re-live this past Saturday and revel in a Wednesday weekend to boot.

***

Saturday, May 29, 2010

It was a rather posh affair as I relocated to various screening locations throughout Toronto. I made it a personal mission to volunteer at all the major host theatres for The Inside Out Film Festival and, lo -- it bottlenecked on one day. Nevertheless, it was a rush full of queer crowds and all-around cool kids.

The afternoon started off at the Royal Ontario Museum where I numbered among the front of house staff. I met a collective of fantastic volunteers and was whisked into the quiet conversation and cutting wit of all present. Ah -- at the major venues, volunteers are not invited into the film screenings. However, the lockout allowed me to mingle with the staff and talk with other folks dedicating their time to Canada's largest queer film festival. Quite a brilliant trade-off, if you ask me.

One girl was a self-published zine writer who went to the same university I did (we have some overlapping acquaintances as a result); our one representing guy just relocated to Toronto from Montreal and we almost had a major nerd meltdown after comparing notes on Doctor Who and our sharing out admiration for Russell T. Davies; and another girl was the founding member of a local knitting guild and focused her efforts on handcrafted items.

But, ooh -- no film festival is complete without a little panic. At 3 PM, the festival scheduled a multi-media lecture titled All The Young Dykes: Lesbians in Hollywood, 1990-2010. Film critic and Famous magazine deputy editor, Ingrid Randoja, was lined up to guide patrons through recent cinematic trends favouring portrayals of younger, queerer, and hotter on-screen women and how it has erased the presence of mature lesbians from film in general. It was designed as a fun-filled discussion, packed with images and clips, and it aimed to question the idea of a "youth movement" in modern representations of queer women -- alas, it also encountered severe technical difficulties. The lecture was meant to last an hour and the tech issues cut the presentation in half.

Yikes.

We were blessed with gorgeous weather and an animated ice cream truck driver nicknamed "Mister Softee," so the crowds flooding the ROM were in high spirits. You best believe we were the talk of the festival circuit what with the crisis we faced and I got to share stories from the front lines later on.

But oh, what an experience. I can't even consider it as "work," I had that much fun throughout the shift. With an adventurous high pulsing through me, I headed on over to Buddies in Bad Times to take in a film with one of the volunteer vouchers I've been stockpiling. There was a four hour gap between shifts, so I figured I'd wander over to the theatre to catch their 5 PM show. And girl, how glad I was to discover Saving Face (2004).

***

Saving Face (2004)

Winner of the Audience Award as the 2005 Inside Out Festival, Saving Face occupies a vital position in the collective consciousness of queer girls across North America. In terms of cinematic representations of lesbian lives, Saving Grace touches on the real issues of internalized homophobia and the pressure of familial expectations even as it allows its romantic leads to find love despite the odds.

It's classic rom com with a refreshing Sapphic note.

Wilhelmia 'Wil' Pan (Michelle Krusiec) is a taut thread stretched between two unmoving poles -- she is caught juggling a promising career as a surgeon and her responsibilities as a dutiful daughter even while she is expected to conceal her attraction to other women. She must endure the constant charades with her Ma (Joan Chen) and the endless stream of bachelors her Ma sets Wil up with.

Just as Wil settles into a monotonous and rhythmic existence, she meets Vivian Shing (Lynn Chen), a prima ballerina whose true desire to explore experimental dance threatens to overthrow the expectations placed on her by her own family. The women are pulled to one another through palpable desire, but Wil's internalized need to maintain appearances threatens to tear the couple apart.

Tensions between the old world's restrictive concepts of generational honour and North America's fluid and individualistic mentalities revolve around a real, beautiful tale of two women in love. It is breathtaking and gorgeous in its clarity and offers a change of pace from the typically tragic fare that marks queer cinema. If there is one film to define a genre of romantic comedies designed for queer women, this is it. It is universal in its appeal and it is delicate and humourous in its approach.

In a word, it is brilliant.

In four words, GO WATCH IT NOW.

***

That night, I headed over to The Isabel Bader Theatre to cover the last festival shift held at the venue. Hoo, talk about the crowds. The Isabel Bader functioned as the central headquarters for the entire film festival, hence, all the crowd favourites and big budget films rolled at this location.

How crowded was it, you ask?

We had at least five separate line-ups based on which ticket the patron held (a touch classist, I am aware) and, after the count I led, we came to about 450 viewers for the last film. Buddies in Bad Times pulled in a maximum of 80 viewers while the ROM tended to attract at least 100 audience members for the headliners.

Again, I was not privy to watch the films as I was needed for ticket processing and ballot counting. I met another energetic, boisterous group of volunteers and spent the evening in a haze of laughter and chat. I got the inside scoop on other Toronto-based film festivals and I might need to check out some of the other scenes in the near future. I will always feel most at home with Inside Out, but it could be fun to check out another event as well.

I had to kick myself later when I realized Saturday night marked a full evening of lesbian-based programming across the street at the ROM. I admit, I was calculated with the shifts I took -- I aimed to volunteer for lesbian films so I could connect with other queer girls in Toronto. When I signed up for the evening shift, I was at work and did not have the festival program with me. Regardless, the night was a glitzy one and I glided home with the buzz of volunteerism still fresh in the blood.

***

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Good gracious -- it was a sweet time to rest and compose myself. I'd been plotting to hit up Anime North this past weekend, but the heaviness throughout me would not dissipate. Based on the marathon volunteer session from the previous weekend, I thought I should ease up and relax a touch. I sat out on the deck with some white tea and chatted with the rents about various odds and ends and then hit up a local comic book store to check out their merchandise. Ha, alas, most of it had relocated to Anime North for the weekend. Confound. I plan to return soon to check out their titles then.

Meanwhile, The Advocate contacted me and invited me over for a long overdue Ladies Sunday Afternoon. Ship Sharp was already in attendance, however, a certain Moffatt girl was missing from the mix.

The ladies are lovely and we traded gossip from the past three weeks (I know, it was quite a lot to catch up on. I munched on popcorn and drank it all in). And, the ladies surprised me with some flawless birthday gifts for your truly. I realize once again I am a total nerd -- and I also realize I have awesome friends who encourage this behaviour. There was a Kate Beaton t-shirt, a collection of love poems to help me woo the ladies, manga editions of Shugo Chara and Ouran High School Host Club, and a book to help me make LISTS. Sweet honey marvel, I am in heaven.

We even rounded out the evening with a sushi dinner and later with a spot of pink champagne out in Ship Sharp's backyard.

I recommend that last bit for all those seeking a premium weekend experience.

***

So, there you have it -- the weekend on a Wednesday. I best sign off as I have been sitting for for at least an hour and a half now. I am that intense, I know.

BRB: Inside Out, Round Three

Readers must be wondering,

"By Goodness, Moffatt girl -- what is up with the hectic levels of volunteering these days? Did you not receive the memo that summer has quite arrived and one is mandated to revel in the warm temperatures and devote oneself to the patio on weekends? Egads."

Yes, I am certain that is a word-for-word transcript of each person's thoughts after reading the subject line above.

It's true, I am dedicating another Saturday to the Inside Out Film Festival. What started as a one-off shift has transformed into a double-header this afternoon/evening.

BRING IT ON, QUEER CINEMA.

This is the LAST WEEKEND for the festival, kids. If there's a film that peaks your interest and you are out and about in Toronto, stop on in at the theatre and ~mayhaps~ you shall count a certain off-kilter blogette among the Front of House staff.

It'll be like Russian roulette, except with more Moffatt.

Fun, no?

Inside Out Film Festival: Shift Two

As promised toward the tail end of last night's post, here is the rundown of the Inside Out Film Festival chez Buddies in Bad Times on May 24th. Toronto is a blur of creative, innovative queer filmmakers, writers, actors, and other glitterati at the moment and donning the official volunteer t-shirt at these screenings is quite the trip. I've had the distinct privilege of viewing a stellar cross-section of classic queer cinema and the two films from Monday night fit firmly in this category.

So, let's get started, shall we?

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

The Watermelon Woman marked Cheryl Dunye's first feature debut on the film festival circuit of the late 90s even while it ignited fierce political debates on American soil for its queer content and government-aided funding. Dunye's film crosses the boundaries between traditional movie and documentary-influenced techniques thus creating a disorienting, delightful blur between the concepts of truth and fiction. The Watermelon Woman charts Cheryl's research of an unnamed, uncredited black actress from the golden era of 1930s Hollywood, a woman who adopted "mammy" roles under the title "The Watermelon Woman." As Cheryl delves further into the details of the actress's life and sexual identity, the hopeful filmmaker's life grows complicated after she falls for a rich, white girl (Guinivere Turner) which in turn stresses her relationship with best friend, Tamara.

Dunye occupies a vital place in LGBT film -- she is one of the few queer filmmakers to portray the lives of black, queer women and to explore interracial relationships and the threat of racism present in queer communities across North America. Despite the loaded issues she incorporates into her scripts, Dunye is able to find subtle humour and offers a loving, insider's critique of lesbian culture.

Viewers at the Buddies in Bad Times screening were treated to a private Q&A session with Cheryl Dunye herself once the film finished. She was engaging, intelligent, and sharp with her observations on her place in queer cinema and her message was one of encouragement to all the queers with cameras in the audience. Her overarching theme was one of action -- in the digital age, kids with cameras can chart their own experiences or create artistic visions on a thin dime. Rather than reserving her place with the glitterati, she wanted to inspire others to enter the medium and launch new debates of their own. Dunye also held her Canadian premiere of her new film, The Owls (2010), at the Isabel Bader Theatre later that evening. I would have loved to catch it, but there was another flick waiting for me at Buddies....

20 centímetros (2005)

Inside Out revisted their 2006 Closing Gala film, 20 centímetros, the vivid, colourful, and stunning gem from filmmaker Ramón Salazar. The Inside Out Festival Guide describes the film's cinematic appeal as a fusion of "Spanish camp, Hollywood musicals and neo-realism in a Technicolor wrapping" -- I can imagine no clearer description of such a wild and delightful film as this.

20 centímetros charts the life of Marieta (Mónica Cervera), a narcoleptic pre-op trans woman who works the streets of Madrid as a prostitute to earn the cash she needs for her operation. While she dreams of a stable future and the promise of a reliable income, Marieta's narcoleptic slips prevent her from holding down traditional work. Instead, her blackouts cast her into a world of elaborate, brightly-choreographed numbers set to the classics performed by Queen, Madonna, Dusty Springfiled, and Ani DiFranco among others.

After collapsing at a local market one morning, Marieta meets Raul (Pablo Puyol), a fruit stocker also known as El reponedor with "an ass like a perfect peach." Their first connection ignites into an intense physical relationship in which Raul celebrates those same 20 centimetres Marieta is so anxious to leave behind.

In the end, Marieta must decide what she desires most: a chance at love with a gentle, gorgeous man, or the chance to become the woman she dreams of.

Though the plot might sound dark and ominous at first glance, Salazar injects his film with energetic flamboyance and a hopping soundtrack for fans with a taste for musical movies and theatre flare. Even the skeptics will find the film both charming and colourful, a perfect wrap-up to an exciting long weekend.

***

So there -- another volunteer shift down and more fun to follow. Oh, and P.S. -- I know I missed the beloved Tunes for Tuesdays segment this week. Trust me, I will more than make up for that gaffe next Tuesday. Stay tuned because there is something very, very special in the works.

'Til then, bonne nuit.

Miz Moffatt: Volunteerism-Junkie

OH. MY. WORD.

How to summarize a weekend spent in the vast world of volunteerism and Toronto-based excitement?

It was overwhelming, stunning, exhausting, and oh-so-rewarding on numerous levels. I felt alive crossing the streets of Toronto and barreling across railroad tracks and through subway lines to find new adventures throughout our fair city. The weather was blissful, the crowds were pulsing and polite, and I discovered I am not the wallflower I paint myself to be.

So, let's start where we left off with the May 22nd recap, shall we?

Sunday, May 23rd/2010

It is now official -- I am a fully-credited, bona fide volunteer for The Harbourfront Centre, Toronto's artistic and cultural hub located on the steps of Lake Ontario. The main event for the May long weekend was the HarbourKids circus-themed celebration. Indeed, clowns and performers of all sorts were on hand in addition to a host of colourful, varied activities to engage the wee ones and activate their imaginations.

Granted, I was wary of what I had signed up for. Me + children = Recipe for disaster. I am controlled, anal-retentive, and quiet. Children tend to lack these qualities. Chalk the experience up as Lesson the First: the kids were fantastic. On Sunday, I helped out with an indoor animation flipbook station. A professional animator taught groups of 24 kids how to draw a simple, two-page animation of a frog in a clown hat jumping on his lily pad. I was in charge of signing kids up for the half hour lessons and I got to try my hand at animating, too. Serious, I was shocked over how focused the groups were and just how proud all of them were with the end results.

What is this? Am I reconciling my differences with children?

Weird.

The one flaw with the station: we were the only ones who required sign-up times. Parents would register their kids and either A) Bail out on the slot without alerting us, or B) Arrive ten minutes after the next session started. It was a touch frustrating to juggle, but it's easier to keep a light attitude when you are a volunteer, I find. And folks are less inclined to get cruel with people choosing to volunteer their free hours to a free weekend event. So, thumbs up to all involved.

***

In the evening, we had the extended Moffatt clan over to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of an Aunt and Uncle and to also celebrate the May birthdays (me, the Cuz, and another Uncle). I arrived home from the volunteer shift exactly five minutes before our guests arrived. Oh, GO Train and your ill-timed maintenance. I was two hours later than the scheduled arrival time. *Sigh*

Anyhow, regardless of the mad dash, us Moffatts still had exclusive, great times. The Cuz and I exchanged first impressions of The Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who and we talked about other sci fi wonders and general Hollywood buzz. It was still warm out and the sky was taking on that rosy, early evening haze and I nursed a Sleeman's Honey Brown as we all caught up.

Dinner consisted of tapas appetizers and a three-mushroom/arugula/balsamic reduction pizza pour moi and some type of stuffed chicken for all the omnivores in the house. So. Delicious. I wish I could eat like this on a regular basis. Of course, we followed it all with three types of cake, ice cream, and a giant fruit platter, you know, as you do.

Dad bought a pack of sparklers and a small group of us took to the backyard for some fun. Lil' brother and I were pretending to LARP while "attacking" one another with lightning bolts from our wands. My Aunt tried to trace her name into the night sky and Ruby (the Sister's basset hound) ran between us all, barking at the embers filling the air. As kids, Victoria Day always = SPARKLERS. It was lovely to revisit it all and discover I still had that inhibition in me.

Monday, May 24th/2010

Monday was quite the intense crush of action. I spent the morning planting beans with children and spent the evening watching a Spanish musical about a pre-op trans woman. Eventful start to the week, no doubt.

So yes, I returned to The Harbourfront Centre and dug in to the Cirque Dirt Fairy Garden station. Since it was fairy-themed, I donned a pair of pillowy wings covered in pink sequins. It clashed appropriately with the bright yellow gardening gloves I also procured. Pinnacle of fashion right here, people.

I will be the first to admit I do not know the first thing about gardening. I know you need to water plants and I know plants need sunlight to grow. Yep. That would be the extent. But our facilitator, Garden Jane, knew a smart trick or two about all the potted flowers, the decorative additions, and the actual planting process of the beans we were handing out to all the young'uns. It was a steady stream of visitors and, again, the enthusiasm of the kids was amazing. I helped out with planting the Ireland Creek beans and watering them before the kids took them home to care for. It was a quick four hours -- and I got to take in the gorgeous morning air with our outdoor station this time around.

***

I spent a couple of hours wandering the Church/Yonge area before the next shift with the Inside Out Film Festival. Activities included:

• Late lunch/early dinner at one of the Pizzaiolo locations in Toronto. Oh, dear readers -- I dream of this pizza. It's gourmet and affordable and fresh, all wrapped into a slice of sheer perfection. I recommend the Spinotta slice to all the vegetarians out there. It's layered with crisp spinach, marinated tomatoes, and goat cheese. *Drools at the recollection*
• Quick stop at The Glad Day Bookstore on Yonge St. I went there with O'Neill back in 2008 and the store is just as I recalled it. It's a small, independent bookstore specializing in queer lit and other LGBT publications. Readers can find anthologies, queer-authored novels, political texts, historical collections, magazines, independent zines, and so much more.

I reported for duties at Buddies in Bad Times once again and donned the Inside Out Film Festival t-shirt once more to appease the queer masses descending on our lil' theatre. I covered the screening of The Watermelon Women (1996) and 20 centímetros (2005) and reveled in more queer film gems throughout the night.

***

I will have to save details for tomorrow evening as I am still recovering from the hustle and bustle of the weekend activities (aka. I am right tired and about to collapse). All in all, it was a splendid, hectic weekend and I look forward to more times like these to follow.

Inside Out Film Festival: Shift One

One shift down, two more in the works -- the 2010 Inside Out Film Festival is in full swing and I am thrilled to be a part of it. Queers across the GTA are staking out downtown theatres featuring a rich, diverse collection of films dedicated to the many facets of queer life.

I have a favourites list unfurling before me and so little time to watch 'em all.

Regardless, I managed to sneak in two films while volunteering this afternoon, so one can never complain.

I was stationed over at Buddies in Bad Times for a start time of 2:15 PM. Two general observations about the start of the afternoon:

1) Buddies has played a central role for me when it comes to the Toronto queer scene. It was the first queer-centric space I had ever visited outside of campus grounds (2005); it was the first Toronto queer club I attended back in February 2010; and now, it is the first place I volunteered at for a LGBT event.

2) I am still such a child when faced with large groups of queer people. Serious, I get into that euphoric, giggle-filled head space when I realize I am in the sexual majority for once AND when I can look at all the pretty girls I want without self-conscious over-analyzing. KYAAA!

The experience was brilliant from start to finish. The Inside Out staff is relaxed and great to talk with; the other volunteers are tons of fun and filled with confidence; and the patrons are polite, enthusiastic, and encouraging. I actually had a gentleman patron thank ME for volunteering. I wonder if everyone else gets the same buzz I do with these gatherings which then expresses itself as increased levels of joviality and support.

That, and a stunning collection of films never hurts.

***

Miz Moffatt's First Film Selection:

The Celluloid Closet (1995)

The Celluloid Closet is a classic documentary profiling the presence of gay and lesbian characters in Hollywood and their changing characters throughout the twentieth-century. Based on the original book and lecture series by Vito Russo, the film discusses the evolution of queer characters from the so-called "sissy" men of the 1920s and 1930s to the censorship of Hollywood films under the Hays Code and finally to the coded characters and cruel stereotypes developing up to the 1990s. The documentary is peppered with personal interviews from screenwriters and actors involved with prominent queer films, all discussions that sparkled in their wry dissection of subversive moments in classic films.

I've been eager to catch this documentary and was excited when I was waved in for the screening. Based on the interview sections, I have mad respect for the likes of Susan Saradon (who advocated for richer depictions of lesbian relationships in some of her most prominent roles) and for Gore Vidal (who is both sharp and subversive as well as being generally hilarious).

What could make this screening even more fantastic than it was? .... Oh, how about having Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the directors/writers of the film version of The Celluloid Closet, there to discuss their careers and the history of LGBT cinema? I kept awesome company this afternoon, what can I say?

The Parents (Les Parents) (2009)

Les Parents is a documentary not meant for the weak of heart -- the film depicts the lives of Alain and Richard, a couple who take in ailing older women as an alternative to traditional seniors' homes in Dordogne, France. Despite the isolation and the homophobia experienced in the village, the men continue to provide for their residents and offer a kindness that no longer exists in the families of these women. Life takes a turn for the worse when Alain's AIDS-related complications forces the couple to make the difficult decision to close their home business in an effort to care for their own health.

I was sucked into the quiet heartbreak of this film. There were moments when the youthful energy of both men resurfaced, offering a brief glimpse into the spark that brought them together in the first place. It's hard to process the stressors weighing on Alain and Richard -- and knowing the film is true makes it that much more unbearable.

***

At this moment, I wish I had more free time to dedicate to the Inside Out Film Festival. Three shifts is not enough at all. Alas, the work schedule and the commute from the suburbs does not permit volunteering during the week. I will have to draw out as much fun and energetic potential as I can in these last two shifts and I will have to re-dedicate efforts to snag more screen time with some other films.

More to follow this long weekend, folks.

Inside Out Film Festival: May 20th-May30th

Original concept by John Webster

Tonight marks the opening of the Inside Out Film Festival, kids. If you are fortunate to find yourself in Toronto between May 20th to May 30th, there will be an intensive selection of classic and contemporary queer films to entertain, inspire, and revel in.

The festival celebrates its 20th Anniversary this time around or, as the tag line suggests, we are toasting "20 years of queers" in 2010. Ah, rhyming slogans. I love 'em.

And, as an extra special treat, I will be volunteering at THREE of the viewings this year. So, readers will get behind-the-scenes access to the festival, its patrons, and perhaps a review of a film or two. Mmm, smell that? That's queer glitteratti and a whole lot of potential, ladies.

Should be a trip.

***

As for this evening, I am headed into Toronto for Ship Sharp's murder mystery/theatre fundraiser for the darling world of Fly By Night (FBN). I might be short of the 60s retro look, but I am certainly dressed to kill.

Updates to follow...