Inside Out has revealed their full film lineup for the 30th annual festival, with a streaming platform that will showcase 150 films and nine episodic series, representing 30 countries. The festival will take place online for anyone in Ontario and with special drive-in events from October 1 to 11. Audiences will be able to customize their own watch lists and schedule from their comfort of their own homes, using their home entertainment systems.

There will also be special drive-in presentations, including the opening night premiere of Stardust, the hotly anticipated David Bowie biopic. Following plans to premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, STARDUST will open the festival with a special drive-in screening event on Thursday, October 1, 2020, 8pm, at the Ontario Place Drive-In Presented by RBC.

Have you ever wondered how David Bowie became the David Bowie? Stardust introduces us to those early days as he arrives in America and discovers his alter-ego, the iconic Ziggy Stardust.

In 1971, a young David Bowie (Johnny Flynn) is promoting his newest record, The Man Who Sold the World. Leaving behind his pregnant wife, Angie (Jena Malone), Bowie sets out on a coast-to-coast promotional tour with struggling Mercury Records publicist, Rob Oberman (Marc Maron). Initially met with a less than welcoming audience, Bowie begins to reinvent himself – embracing his gender-bending glam rock true self and discovering that this is what audiences were craving all along. Tickets are $40/car (includes 2 people), plus $10 for additional passengers.

The festival is also hosting an exclusive conversation with special guests and talent from the Netflix film THE BOYS IN THE BAND, based on the hit Broadway play. THE BOYS IN THE BAND will be available to stream ahead of the event on Netflix when it debuts on September 30th.

Other highlights from the festival lineup include a Special Presentation timed event screening of THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON with extended Q&A. The feature directing debut of Everybody Hates Chris co-creator Ali LeRoi, with the modern-day western film COWBOYS, starring Steve Zahn, Jillian Bell, Ann Dowd, and young trans actor Sasha Knight. Emma Seligman’s comedy of discomfort SHIVA BABY, starring Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon and Dianna Agron, and the Irish sleeper-hit rom-com DATING AMBER, starring Fionn O’Shea (“Normal People”) and newcomer Lola Petticrew.

The lineup will also showcase a Special preview Presentation of the film JUMP, DARLING, an offbeat family drama starring Oscar-winner Cloris Leachman and Thomas Duplessie, presented as a Drive-In screening, as well as BREAKING FAST, a sweet romantic comedy about a gay practicing Muslim fitting into the myriad pleasures of West Hollywood life, starring Haaz Sleiman and Michael Cassidy.

Documentary highlights from the program include AHEAD OF THE CURVE, chronicling the life of the best selling lesbian culture magazine Curve, which will also screen as a special Drive-In event in the Ottawa region, as well as Icons program selections KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY, which catalogs the career resurgence of trans musician Glenn Copeland who created a self-released electronic album over thirty years ago, NO ORDINARY MAN, which explores the legacy of Billy Tipton, a 20th-century American jazz musician and trans icon, and Ashley O’Shay’s powerful documentary UNAPOLOGETIC, that shines a light on organizations that fight racial injustices against Black women in the United States.

As in past years, films will be in competition for jury and audience awards. For the first time ever, award winners will be revealed during opening weekend, giving guests the opportunity to view the winning films throughout the entire festival!

Individual tickets for digital screenings, as well as 5-ticket packages and the All Access Pass, are on sale now. Drive-ins and other special event tickets will be on sale in the coming weeks. See below for details on all the screenings and click here for a full schedule of dates and times.

This will also be the last year for Andria Wilson leading the festival, as she will be stepping down as Executive Director. According to Deadline, Wilson will continue to collaborate with Inside Out after her exit to help with the transition. Up next for Wilson is the PopShift Summit where she will consult on the development of the event that brings together 50 of the world’s leading minds with 50 top television writers to advance equity and social change through storytelling. She also has launched Baby Daal Productions with her wife and director Fawzia Mirza. The production banner’s upcoming projects include the short Noor & Layla and the feature Me, My Mom and Sharmila which was recently accepted into TIFF’s 2020 Filmmaker Lab.

SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA

SEX, SIN & 69, directed by Sarah Fodey. (Canada). 
The decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada may seem like it happened centuries ago, but Sarah Fodey’s retrospective documentary explores how Canada’s push for LGBTQI2S equality was met with resistance in the 20th century.

SPIRAL, directed by Kurtis David Harder. (Canada). 
Spiral, an atmospheric horror film set in 1995, headlines Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (Canada’s Drag Race; UnReal) and Ari Cohen (It) as couple Malik and Aaron. (Narrative). 

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE THIS PLACE, ANYPLACE, directed by Lulu Wei. (Canada). 
If you grew up in Toronto, it’s likely that Honest Ed’s comes to mind as one of the city’s historic landmarks. Unfortunately, the now demolished Honest Ed’s no longer welcomes guests to its Bloor and Bathurst corner, but its impact lives on in this captivating documentary from local filmmaker Lulu Wei. (Documentary). 

WELL ROUNDED, directed by Shana Myara. (Canada). 
Well Rounded is a documentary for all the fat, queer, racialized women who so rarely see themselves represented in the media. Here, six female entertainers are given space to share their stories and celebrate their bodies. (Documentary). 

ICONS

AHEAD OF THE CURVE, directed by Rivkah Beth Medow    and Jen Rainin. (USA).
Franco Stevens’ best selling magazine Curve has raised visibility and shown the world that lesbian culture is everywhere. Ahead of the Curve documents the incredible life of Stevens through remarkable archival footage and interviews with superstars Melissa Etheridge, Kim Katrin Milan, Lea Delaria, among others. (Documentary). 

KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY, directed by Posy Dixon. (USA). 
Capturing five decades of relentless musical output and shifting manifestations of gender and sexual identity, and set against a backdrop of profound social change, the film celebrates the life of Beverly Glenn Copeland who, at 75, is embarking on his first international tour. (Documentary). 

NO ORDINARY MAN, directed by Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt. (Canada).
No Ordinary Man captures Billy Tipton’s complicated legacy, a burden for some and an inspiration for others, with in-depth critiques and affirmations for the trans icon and his portrayal in the media. (Documentary). 

UNAPOLOGETIC, directed by Ashley O’Shay. (USA).
Unapologetic is an empowering documentary that shines a light on organizations that fight racial injustices against Black women in the United States. (Documentary). 

YOUR MOTHER’S COMFORT, directed by Adam Golub. (Brazil).
In the face of a crumbling Brazilian democracy, trans activist and politician Indianara Siqueira fights to protect a safe house on behalf of herself and her chosen family. (Documentary). 

INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

ALICE JUNIOR, directed by Gil Baroni. (Brazil)
Shimmering on the surface and full of heart, Alice Junior centres on the titular Alice, a trans YouTuber determined to experience her first kiss. (Narrative). 

BREAKING FAST, directed by Mike Mosallam. (USA). 
Where does a gay practicing Muslim fit into the myriad pleasures of West Hollywood life? In writer-director Mike Mosallam’s sweet romantic comedy, Breaking Fast, there are no hard and fast rules. (Narrative). 

CICADA, directed by Matthew Fifer and Kieran Mulcare. (USA).
Set against the backdrop of New York in 2013, Cicada examines the bond between two troubled strangers who develop an honest connection. (Narrative). 

COWBOYS, directed by Anna Kerrigan. (USA).
With standout performances by Steve Zahn, Ann Dowd, Jillian Bell, and young trans actor Sasha Knight, Cowboys is the captivating story of a young man who knows exactly who he is, and a father who will do anything to protect that. (Narrative). 

DARK CITY BENEATH THE BEAT, directed by TT The Artist. (USA).
Marketed as an audiovisual experience, Dark City Beneath the Beat explores Baltimore club culture through profiles of the city’s rising DJs, dancers, producers, and artists. (Documentary). 

DATING AMBER, directed by David Freyne. (Ireland). 
Fionn O’Shea (Handsome Devil, Normal People) and newcomer Lola Petticrew deliver delightful performances in this gentle, bittersweet Irish charmer that quickly became the quarantine summer sleeper hit across the UK. (Narrative). 

DEAR LEO, directed by Emma Rappold. (USA).
Dear Leo follows the story of Annie Duncan as told through letters to her pen pal, her younger cousin, Leo.

DRY WIND, directed by Daniel Nolasco. (Brazil). 
This provocative film, set in Brazil’s rural Southwest, follows the daily life of Sandro, a middle-aged bear who is consumed by his sexual fantasies. (Narrative). 

ELLIE AND ABBIE (& ELLIE’S DEAD AUNT), directed by Monica Zanetti. (Australia). 
Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) is a refreshing—and hilarious—queer take on that age-old genre, the romcom. (Narrative). 

GOSSAMER FOLDS, directed by Lisa Donato. (USA). 
Two Kansas City neighbours forge an unlikely but charming friendship in Gossamer Folds, the feature film debut by Lisa Donato, who penned the Inside Out 2017 hit, Signature Move. (Narrative). 

I AM SAMUEL, directed by Peter Murimi. (Kenya/Canada/UK/USA). 
Filmed over five years, I Am Samuel highlights Samuel and his queer friends as they grapple with the prospect of freedom at the cost of losing connection with their families. (Documentary). 

KELET, directed by Susani Mahadura. (Finland). 
Complete with all the elegance of ballroom culture and the glamour of the fashion world, Kelet is a melange of beauty and personal expression as seen through the eyes of a young Black trans woman possessed with a fiery passion for mainstream attention.
Screens with Ìfé, directed by Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim. (Nigeria).

LINGUA FRANCA, directed by Isabel Sandoval. (USA/Philippines). 
Isabel Sandoval’s third feature film is a gentle portrait of Olivia, an undocumented transgender Filipino woman in desperate need of a green card in Trump’s America. (Narrative). 

LITTLE GIRL, directed by Sébastien Lifshitz. (France).
Award-winning filmmaker Sébastien Lifshitz follows Sasha’s family for a year, capturing with insightful and delicate, subtle camerawork, a year in the life of a family who are setting an example for trans youth and for families around the world. (Documentary). 

MILKWATER, directed by Morgan Ingari. (USA). 
Milkwater, Morgan Ingari’s sharp first feature, tenderly balances humour and drama while focusing on the distinctive challenges faced by queer folks who are trying to become parents. (Narrative). 

NO HARD FEELINGS, directed by Faraz Shariat. (Germany). 
As a punishment for shoplifting, Parvis (Benjamin Radjaipour) must perform community service as a Farsi translator at a refugee shelter. Born in Germany to Iranian exiles, Parvis is not shy about his queerness. He’s always hitting the clubs and setting selfie thirst traps. But there’s as much awkwardness as intrigue when he befriends Iranian shelter residents, brother and sister Amon (Eidin Jalali) and Banafshe (Banafshe Hourmazdi), who are waiting to find out if they have a future in Germany. (Narrative). 

ONE IN A THOUSAND, directed by Clarisa Navas. (Argentina/Germany).
With its long, handheld takes, Clarisa Navas’ second feature feels like a documentary, intimately following a group of queer teens as they dance bodily, swap sensuous stories, and play sexually charged games of hide-and-seek.  (Narrative). 

PIER KIDS, directed by Elegance Bratton. (USA). 
Elegance Bratton’s documentary rectifies historical erasure through portraits of queer adolescents who are both homeless and people of colour, and who find community and connection in Christopher Street, NYC. (Documentary). 

SHIVA BABY, directed by Emma Seligman. (USA). 
Danielle is already dreading meeting her neurotic parents at a family shiva, but what awaits her is far worse than she could have ever imagined. (Narrative). 

TAHARA, directed by Olivia Peace. (USA). 
Tahara‘s pitch-perfect tone examines the loss and betrayal, and the messy rite of passage, of falling for your best friend. (Narrative). 

THE STRONG ONES, directed by Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo. (Chile). 
Considered an expansion of writer-director Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo’s 2015 award-winning short San Cristóbal, his debut feature, Los Fuertes sparkles with scenic delights: bike rides, bingo, beach walks, adorable toques and excellent performances from handsome young actors. (Narrative). 

THE WHISTLE, directed by StormMiguel Florez. (USA). 
The Whistle shines a light on pre-Internet LGBTQ2S+ community-building, creating an incredible archive of queer life in 1970s and ‘80s Albuquerque. (Documentary). 

TWILIGHT’S KISS, directed by Ray Yeung. (Hong Kong). 
Romantic encounters can happen at any age,and Ray Yeung’s new feature sweetly portrays the unexpected attraction between two elderly men in Hong Kong. (Narrative).

TWO OF US, directed by Filippo Meneghetti. (France).
A heartbreakingly beautiful tale, and a romance rarely seen onscreen, Two of Us proves that love, no matter the obstacles, is worth fighting for. (Narrative). 

WELCOME TO THE USA, directed by Assel Aushakimova. (Kazakhstan). 
Don’t be misled by the title. This debut feature by Kazakhstani director Assel Aushakimova is a memorial not to the United States but to the director’s home country and the tortuous navigation it takes to be queer in a former Soviet republic. (Narrative). 

EPISODIC 

I AM SYD STONE, directed by Denis Theriault. (Canada).
Hollywood heartthrob Syd Stone finds a connection that immediately creates drama onscreen and off.

RURANGI, directed by Max Currie. (New Zealand). 
Returning home can be challenging, and Rurangi reveals how one individual navigates the pitfalls of a rural, conservative town in order to reconnect with his loved ones.

SHORTS

The previously announced shorts lineup can be found here.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.