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The Inside Out LGBT Film Festival finished another successful event and announced this year’s award recipients at the Closing Night party last night. Inside Out offers three categories of awards: audience awards, Canadian juried awards, and an international award. RBC is the Festival’s returning Presenting Sponsor.

If you attended the festival and cast your vote, then you’ll be excited to find out who won the Audience Awards:

Best Feature Film Award: TRU LOVE, directed by Kate Johnston and Shauna MacDonald
Inside Out presents a $1,000 cash award to the audience’s favourite feature-length film.

Best Documentary Film Award: MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, directed by Michele Josue. Sponsored by Elle Flanders, this $500 prize is named in recognition of the contribution of Elle Flanders, Inside Out’s Executive Director from 1996 to 1999.

Best Short Film Award: LIVING IN THE OVERLAP, directed by Cindy Hill and Mary Dalton
Sponsored by Michael Leshner and Michael Stark (in honour of Mikey/Schmikey), this $1,000 cash award is presented to a short film under 50 minutes in length.

Canadian Juried Awards: This year’s jury members are Kim Crosby (artist and coordinator at T Dot Renaissance Toronto), Gein Wong (interdisciplinary director, playwright, spoken word poet, composer and video artist) and Michael Souther (co-founder of Amaze Film + Television, which produces Call Me Fitz).

Best Canadian Film Award: TOM AT THE FARM, directed by Xavier Dolan. Sponsored by EP Canada/Canada Film Capital, the $2,000 cash award for Best Canadian Film is presented to an established Canadian artist for a short or feature-length narrative or documentary film.

Still from Tru Love – Courtesy of Inside Out

Emerging Canadian Artist Award: TRU LOVE, directed by Kate Johnston and Shauna MacDonald and 100 CRUSHES CHAPTER 6: THEY, directed by Elisha Lim. Sponsored by Inside Out’s presenting sponsor RBC, the $2,500 cash award for Emerging Canadian Artist is given to an emerging Canadian filmmaker who is in the early stages of his or her career. The recipient must have directed no more than two fiction narrative short films, or no more than one fiction narrative feature-length film.

Hot Shorts Award: WAACK REVOLT – A DANCE FILM, directed by Sonia Hong. Sponsored by HardTV, the Hot Shorts Award is given to a Canadian film or video that addresses, in a unique fashion, LGBT sexuality and/or erotica.

International Awards: Gosia Kamela (producer Bell Media, Drama), Laurie Colbert (director Margarita) and Bill Guentzler (Artistic Director, Cleveland International Film Festival) are this year’s jury members.

Bill Sherwood Award for Best First Feature: 52 Tuesdays, directed by Sophie Hyde. Named in honour of the gay American film director, who stepped boldly onto the international film stage in 1986 with his first feature, Parting Glances, the $1,750 cash prize for the Bill Sherwood Award for Best First Feature is an international prize presented to a first time feature director.

This year, Inside Out presented a stellar lineup of films. It was also great to see the diversity in themes and styles, as well. A big congratulations to all award winners, and to Inside Out staff and volunteers for another great run!

Photo: HyeM.

The Tyger
By William Blake

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears
And water’d heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Source: globaloid.blogspot.ca

Theatre InspiraTO, the producer of Canada’s largest ten-minute play festival, InspiraTO Festival, will showcase the best ten-minute plays from around the globe, and feature local playwrights with 25 ten-minute plays set to take on Toronto beginning tonight.

This year’s collection of plays were selected from InspiraTO‘s international competition with 600 ten-minute play submissions worldwide.

The festival’s theme this year is crossing dimensions. Each of the 25 shows have a sub-theme: the Red Show has in-your-face plays; the Blue Show with lost-in-space plays; and the Orange Show, out-of-place plays. Within each show there are seven different ten-minute plays or diverse stories that are interwoven into each show’s sub-theme. Layers within layers of stories, if you will.

With no intermissions in the shows, and quick set changes between plays, it allows the audience to experience what is akin to a full length play.

The festival will run beginning tonight, May 29th until Saturday, June 7th. All performance will be held at Alumnae Theatre‘s Mainstage. Tickets $20/$15 students. Festival Pass $50/$40 students. Tickets available online. Reserve online and guarantee your seat. No service fees. Tickets are also available at the Alumnae Box Office one hour before each show. Cash only at the door.  Not for children under 14 years old.

RedShow: Ghost Lite by Justin Warner / Therapeutic Magic by Jennifer Turliuk / A Siri-Ous Situation by J. Lois Diamond / Red by Jordan Hall / Day Care by Steven Simoncic / The Magyar by Sandra Cardinal/ The Saga of Ginny by Ian August
Times: May 29 at 7 pm; May 31 at 6 pm; June 5 at 9 pm; June 6 at 8 pm; June 7 at 4 pm.

BlueShow: Jars by Brittany Taylor / The Dolphin Kick by Asher Wyndham / Eating French by Damon Chua /  Haunted by Matthew Sarookanian / Freefalling by Aurin SquireIn /  Kabul by Laurie Fyffe / The Marionette Makers by Dominik Loncar
Times: May 29 at 9 pm; May 31 at 8 pm; June 3 at 8 pm; June 4 at 7 pm; June 7 at 6 pm.

OrangeShow: The Writer by Chip Bolcik / His Best Friend by Cody McLenon / Doppleganged by Chelsea Marcantel / Swingset by Julie Cohn / End of the Rainy Season by Mark Rigney / Adrift by Ken Hall / There’s No Here Here by Craig Pospisil
Times: May 30 at 8 pm; May 31 at 4 pm; June 4 at 9 pm; June 5 at 7 pm; June 7 at 8 pm.

WhiteShow: Audiences will be led to 4 site specific locations (rain or shine) starting from Alumnae Theatre and watch a ten minute play at each venue.  This will be about an hour in length. Limited seating.
Times: May 30, May 31, June 4, June 5, June 6, June 7 all at 7:55 pm.

Each show in the festival is 70 minutes (seven plays), which means you can easily see two or three shows back to back. As an audience member, you also get a chance to vote for their favorite plays with the winners announced at the finale awards ceremony on the last day. Definitely plenty of theatre options at InspiraTO Festival.

Sonnet CXXVIII
By William Shakespeare

How oft when thou, my music, music play’st,
Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds
With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway’st
The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,
Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap,
To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,
Whilst my poor lips which should that harvest reap,
At the wood’s boldness by thee blushing stand!
To be so tickled, they would change their state
And situation with those dancing chips,
O’er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,
Making dead wood more bless’d than living lips.
   Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,
   Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.

The 24th annual Inside Out LGBT Film Festival takes over Toronto tonight. Inside Out has become one of the largest avenues for LGTQ programming in our city and throughout Canada. This year the festival’s International Focus offers a fascinating look at features and shorts from Latin America. The International Focus programme will showcase a diverse group of filmmakers from Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Venezuela and Brazil.

This year, I am glad to see Latin American talent being celebrated at Inside Out as well. And as some of you know, I often like to choose my top picks at each festival. Thus, I give you my Top Picks at Inside Out.

International Focus: Latin America — Feature Films

Sunday, May 25th, 7:15pm
Everybody’s Got Somebody… But me / Todo El Mundo Tiene A Alguien Menos Yo
Dir. Raul Fuentes (Mexico)

When Alejandra, a publishing editor who lives in her own insular world, encounters Maria, a carefree private-school student, sparks ignite. Maria becomes an inspiration to Alejandra, and something of a muse. Alejandra becomes an opportunity for Maria: an escape from frivolous school friends into an exciting new world. Soon the couple become involved in an all-consuming love affair in which they push and challenge each other intellectually and emotionally.

Sunday, May 25th, 9:45pm
The Third One / El Tercero
Dir. Rodrigo Guerrero (Argentina) 

This sexy Argentine three-hander begins where many intriguing encounters begin these days—in Internet chat rooms, where flirtation, dares, exposed flesh and typos run rampant. When nervous young Fede finally shows up for dinner at the home of Franco and Hernán, a settled older couple, fantasy gives way to reality—and reality has its own charms. The film possesses a refreshing realism and honesty as the story slowly unfolds and the characters relax and become comfortable with each other.

Other Feature Films

Tuesday, May 27th, 9:30pm
Centrepiece Gala — Love Is Strange
Dir. Ira Sachs 

After 39 years together, Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) finally tie the knot in a quiet ceremony attended by family and friends in lower Manhattan. But when the Catholic school where George works as choir director learns of their nuptials, he is fired from his longtime job. Suddenly, with no real savings to count on, the couple find that they can’t afford the rent on their Chelsea apartment and they lose their home.

Thursday, May 29th, 5:15pm
What It Was
Dir. Daniel Armando (USA)

Adina, a successful Latina actress, returns to New York in the aftermath of her failed marriage and the death of her sister. Unable to face her mother, Adina finds herself in a fog, drifting through her days. Her memories mingle with the present as she tumbles through a series of intense, complex connections with a sexy, butch body artist, a young college student and a former girlfriend.

Friday, May 30th, 5pm
The Case Against 8
Dirs. Ben Cotner & Ryan White

Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, parents of four boys, were married in 2004 during a brief period when San Francisco City Hall issued marriage licences, but the women later received a letter telling them they weren’’t legally married. Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, together since 1998, want to marry for the sake of the family they’’re planning. This comprehensive behind-the-scenes documentary follows two couples, who challenge California’’s Prop 8, a 2008 ballot initiative designed to thwart the recognition of same-sex marriage in the state.

If you missed this documentary at Hot Docs last month, this is your chance to see it on the big-screen.

Sunday, June 1st, 7:30pm
Closing Night Gala — 52 Tuesdays
Dir. Sophie Hyde (Australia)

Sixteen-year-old Billie’’s reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans to change genders. In order to minimize the stress as Jane transitions to James, it is decided that Billie will live with her father, Tom, for a year and will see James once a week, every Tuesday. 52 Tuesdays was shot on consecutive Tuesdays over the course of a year with a cast of non-professional actors who were given their scripts, and the scenes in which they appear, one week at a time.

Other Screenings and Events

Saturday, May 24th, 12:30pm
Free Family Screening — Shorts For Shorties
Inside Out and TIFFKids have joined forces to bring you only the best in Saturday morning cartoons and short stories to enjoy with the whole family. You can enjoy tales of growing up, getting along, and learning to be yourself and finding your place in the world, as you take a seat and play along with cats, dogs, squirrels and even balloons. How fun!

This program will show 12 short films, including A Purrfect Pair, Maccupation, Papa’s Boy, and Wini + George, just to name a few.

This panel features executive producer Vanessa Piazza and show runner Michael Grassi, along with key cast members, including lead actor Anna Silk. It will showcase some clips, tales from the behind the scenes, and discussion focused around creating, writing and bringing to life strong, engaging bisexual and lesbian characters within the genre of science fiction. This is a not-to-miss for fans of the show and science-fiction geeks as well.

This list should give some of you plenty of choice, and time to go purchase your tickets. Screenings for the 2014 Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival will take place at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Visit insideout.ca for more film and box office information.

What Would I Do Without This World
By Samuel Beckett

what would I do without this world faceless incurious
where to be lasts but an instant where every instant
spills in the void the ignorance of having been
without this wave where in the end
body and shadow together are engulfed
what would I do without this silence where the murmurs die
the pantings the frenzies towards succour towards love
without this sky that soars
above its ballast dust
what would I do what I did yesterday and the day before
peering out of my deadlight looking for another
wandering like me eddying far from all the living
in a convulsive space
among the voices voiceless
that throng my hiddenness

— from: Collected poems in English and French. Samuel Beckett. John Calder Publishers. London. 1977.

Photo: HyeM.

b current, Canada’s hotbed for culturally diverse artists announced a week of new theatre development for the 13th annual rock.paper.sistahz festival. The festival runs until May 18th at the Daniels Spectrum building.

The festival offers a Lunchbag Series, Free (donations welcomed) during the week. The series includes panels on writing successful grants, playwriting from poetry, and working as a director. These lunchtime talks are held at Aki Studio Theatre. Full details on the series can be found here.

A highlight of this year’s festival is the inaugural 23 hours live!, a live performance marathon featuring 14 new plays performed over 23 hours by award winning and esteemed artists, many rooted in the culture and experiences of the Black Diaspora. The 23 hours live! marathon features trey anthony’s Black Mothers Don’t Say I Love You, Michaela Di Cesare’s 8 Ways my Mother was Conceived, Ngozi Paul’s The 1st Time Project, Catherine Hernandez’ I Cannot Lie to the Stars that Made Me, and Amanda Parris’ The Other Side of the Game. The marathon runs from May 17 at 1:00 pm to May 18 at 12:00 pm.

From the looks of it, the 23 hours live! marathon will also have some films screenings, curaged by Lucius Dechausay, from 3-6PM on Saturday, May 17. And more films from 4-7AM on Sunday, May 18.

The marathon also features a late night dance party with DJ L’Oqenz, burlesque dancer Dainty Box, early morning yoga, children’s story telling with Juno winning dub poet and reggae musician Lillian Allen, and a pancake breakfast with new artistic directors Jajube Mandiela and Ngozi Paul.

Jajube Mandiela and Ngozi Paul, artistic directors (photo credit: Wade Hudson)

Mandiela and Paul join b current as the new artistic directors after the departure of founding artistic director ahdri zhina mandiela, who was with b current from its inception 23 years ago.  Originally founded as a place for black artists to create, nurture and present their new works, has grown to support artists from all diasporas. For over 22 years they have been creating space for diverse voices to be heard, with a focus on engaging the communities from which those stories are rooted.

b current‘s annual rock.paper.sistahz festival has been the springboard for numerous award-winning new works over the past 13 years, and many have gone on to further development and main stage productions, including: wise.woman by Rebecca Fisseha, Virgin by Joan M. Kivanda, and Dora-Award nominated Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks. Be sure to catch some of these new works this weekend. These are stories for all.

For full details on b current’s 2014 line-up, visit bcurrent.ca.

The weather seems to slowly be improving in Toronto this weekend. This means there is no excuse to stay indoors and enjoy some art and culture in our city. Here are a few suggestions for you.

FILM

CMW Film Fest 
The festival is already underway and continues until Saturday, May 10th at The Royal Cinema. I compiled my top 5 picks at the fest, which you can find here.

I do suggest checking out:

BREADCRUMB TRAIL – A SLINT DOCUMENTARY
Friday, May 9th, 7:00pm
Director: Lance Bangs

SWIM LITTLE FISH SWIM
Saturday, May 10th, 4:30pm
Writers/Directors: Lola Bessis & Ruben Amar

MUSIC

Canadian Music Week (CMW)
CMW is a five-day music festival and runs until Saturday, May 10th across several venues in the city. Like its film festival counterpart, I selected a few shows that piqued my musical interest. You can find them here.

I also suggest:

SOUNDS AUSTRALIA BEAT PIE
CZEHOSKI
Friday, May 9th

Tanya Lee – 8:30pm
Lili Kendall – 9:15pm
Hoodlem – 10:00pm
Yeo – 10:45pm
Audego – 11:30pm
Elizabeth Rose – 12:15am
Sons et al.  – 1:00am

OFF!
LEE’S PALACE 
Saturday, May 10th,

Twelve Foot Ninja – 9:00pm
The Organ Thieves – 10:00pm
Single Mothers – 11:00pm
Cerebral Ballzy – 12:00am
OFF! – 1:00am

THEATRE

Abigail’s Party
Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace
Ends Saturday, May 10th

The play was written for the stage and television devised and directed in 1977 by Mike Leigh. It is a suburban situation comedy of manners, and a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the ‘new middle class’ that emerged in Britain in the 1970s.

I had recommended this play a week back, and I have heard nothing but good things about it. My pal Donna G of The More The Merrier Radio Show interviewed one of the leads, Anna Hardwick last week. I suggest taking a listen to her show. The play sounds like a load of fun. And I think this is a party that none of us want to miss…

Cast of Le Précieuses Ridicules Photo: Théâtre Français de Toronto

The Precious Young Ladies / Les Précieuses ridicules
Théâtre Français de Toronto
Ends Saturday, May 10th

This one-act comedy, written by Molière, takes a satiric aim at the extravagant and delicate ladies of the French bourgeoisie. Cousins Magdelon and Cathos move to Paris in search of fame, romance, and excitement. The young ladies revoke the advances to two well-to-do gents, who in turn decide to teach les précieuses a lesson or two.

Director Guy Mignault decided to add short texts, songs, and monologues that reflect his personal views and reflect Molière’s thinking as well. Mignault also decided to set the play within a contemporary cocktail party hosted by two rather pretentious ladies. In short, we are watching a play within a play, and it somewhat works. The dialogue is accented by songs, which are witty and funny. The cast navigates between dialogue and songs well enough. And with the aid of the surtitles, I found myself laughing more often than not.

The back and forth between Molière’s play and the cocktail party were at times confusing. The night I attended, however, most of the audience seemed to enjoy themselves regardless. I do give kudos to the set and costume designs by Glen Charles and Landry Nina Okens, respectively. Overall, Les Précieuses is a fun night out.

Reciprocity 
By Wislawa Szymborska

There are catalogues of catalogues.
There are poems about poems.
There are plays about actors played by actors.
Letters due to letters.
Words used to clarify words.
Brains occupied with studying brains.
There are griefs as infectious as laughter.
Papers emerging from waste papers.
Seen glances.
Conditions conditioned by the conditional.
Large rivers with major contributions from small ones.
Forests grown over and above by forests.
Machines designed to make machines.
Dreams that wake us suddenly from dreams.
Health needed for regaining health.
Stairs leading as much up as down.
Glasses for finding glasses.
Inspiration born of expiration.
And even if only from time to time
hatred of hatred.
All in all,
ignorance of ignorance
and hands employed to wash hands.

— This poem appeared in The New Yorker, February 3, 2014, p. 28.

Wisława Szymborska-Włodek (2 July 1923 – 1 February 2012) was a Polish poet, essayist, translator and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature. She was described as a “Mozart of Poetry”.

 Her poetry examines domestic details and occasions, playing these against the backdrop of history. Szymborska lived most of her life in Krakow; she studied Polish literature and society at Jagiellonian University and worked as an editor and columnist.

The seventh annual CMW Film Fest returns to Toronto and will be holiding its screenings from May 8th to 10th at Toronto’s The Royal Cinema. Presented by Tribute Entertainment Media Group, this year’s festival once again will showcase an eclectic mix of movie premieres and special screenings. If you wish you could attend these festivals but are unable to, you can make your very own film festival from the comfort of your home over this period, for example, using web pages such as https://avoidcensorship.org/ to find the best pirate proxy to get the films you want, will set you off, then you can decorate your living room like a film festival. Just because you are not there doesn’t mean you can’t pretend.

Some of the films this year pay homage to musical legends and their long-lasting influence on music and culture. Other films feature stories related to music from various points of view. I have picked 5 films that I think will appeal to a wide audience in terms of music, and subject matter.

MAY 8th, 6:30PM 
FINDING FELA! 
Director: Alex Gibney

This film tells the story of Fela Anikulapo Kuti‘s life, his music, his social and political importance. He created a new musical movement, Afrobeat, using that forum to express his revolutionary political opinions against the dictatorial Nigerian government of the1970s and 1980s. His influence helped bring a change towards democracy in Nigeria and promoted Pan Africanist politics to the world. The power and potency of Fela’s message is completely current today and is expressed in the political movements of oppressed people, embracing Fela’s music and message in their struggle for freedom.

My thoughts: Anyone who has heard of Fela Kuti, his music, and his importance not only in Nigeria but worldwide would be interested in seeing this film. It features some interesting interviews with family members and friends. It also a companion piece to the musical Fela! If you missed the musical when it was in town last year, this film may be a good introduction to the man and his music.

MAY 9th, 7:00PM 
BREADCRUMB TRAIL – A SLINT DOCUMENTARY 
Director: Lance Bangs

Throughout the 1980s, a group of friends in Louisville, Kentucky grew up forming bands, breaking up, and reforming in different configurations. They were playing hardcore shows at ages 10-12, touring with Samhain as 14 year olds, recording for Homestead as Squirelbait at age 15, then formed Slint in their late teens and recorded the classic album Spiderland before they were 21. They broke up before the album’s release, giving no interviews and vanishing into their own shadows.

My thoughts: After two decades, filmmaker Lance Bangs has gathered some never-before-seen footage of the young band members. For fans of the Slint, this will perhaps shed some light on what it was like for the bend up until their reunion in 2005.

MAY 10th, 1:00PM
WE ARE THE BEST! 
Director: Lukas Moodyson

Stockholm 1982. We Are the Best is a film about Bobo, Klara and Hedvig. Three 13-year old girls who roam the streets. Who are brave and tough and strong and weak and confused and weird. Who have to take care of themselves way too early. Who heat fish fingers in the toaster when mom is at the pub. Who start a punk band without any instruments, even though everybody says that punk is dead.

My thoughts: The trailer to the film is what made me add it to my list. We all remember the awkwardness that is being a 13-year-old. In this film, these teens are eagerly trying to be ‘the best’ band. This film looks like it will be a whole load of fun, and that is not a bad thing.

MAY 10th, 4:30PM
SWIM LITTLE FISH SWIM 
Writers/Directors: Lola Bessis & Ruben Amar

Set in New York, the film focuses on the domestic life of Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa) and Mary (Brooke Bloom), a young married couple at a crossroads. Mary is a hardworking nurse determined to turn the couple’s lives around while Leeward is a struggling marginal musician who fancies himself a misunderstood artist and New Age visionary. In the midst of this, Lilas (Lola Bessis), a 19 year-old French artist trying to make it in New York and escape the shadow of her famous painter mother, moves into the couple’s tiny Chinatown apartment, their already fragile balance is upset even further.

My thoughts: The film has screened at the other festivals already; it has received some mixed reviews. But the music and this awkward-sounding story make it interesting to me. I also like the look of the trailer, so I’m curious about the cinematography in the film.

MAY 10th, 9:30PM
FRANK
Director: Lenny Abrahamson

An offbeat comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant-garde pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender), a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head, and his terrifying bandmate Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal). The film is a fictional story loosely inspired by Frank Sidebottom, the persona of cult musician and comedy legend Chris Sievey, as well as other outsider musicians like Daniel Johnston and Captain Beefheart.

My thoughts: This film appeals to me not because of its casting, but because of its story. Using dark and absurd humour to tell Frank’s story makes this a uniquely interesting film. Tie that to the musical side of things, and the mix makes it a not-to-miss film. This film has garnered some very positive reviews, and also accolades for Fassbender in the leading role. I think it’s a win.

From the looks of my picks, I will be spending a fair bit of time at The Royal on Sunday. It will be a great way to relax after checking out several musical acts throughout the festival. For some of my music picks, I suggest checking out this list.

Tickets for CMW Film Fest are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Wristband and pass holders receive free admisstion. All films screen at The Royal Cinema. For full film listings and ticketing info, visit cmw.net/film.