The 34th edition of the INSIDE OUT 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival is ready to kick-off May 24, 2024, running through June 1, 2024 at TIFF Bell Lightbox and online in Ontario as well! The Festival boasts innovative work from 2SLGBTQ+ filmmakers from across the globe, showcasing 106 films from 25 countries, including 30 feature films and 5 world premieres.
The opening night selection at the Festival this year is Toronto’s Megan Park‘s MY OLD ASS which premiered to raves at SXSW ’24. The Film centering on a young woman who’s visited by a future version of herself, warning her not to fall in love, stars Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella and Maddie Ziegler, who wowed us with this year’s BLOODY HELL.
Closing off the Festival is WE FORGOT TO BREAK UP which is about a band of misfits who ditch their small town to chase their dreams as indie rock gods in the big city. Lane Webber, Daniel Gravell, June Laporte, Hallea Jones and Jordan Dawson star in this latest from Director Karen Knox.
Harrison Xu (Shameless, American Horror Stories), Ivan Leung (The Tender Bar) and Katherine Dudas co-write and co-direct this meta Stoner Buddy Comedy which is set around a pair of childhood friends, Xu and Leung, playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Their friendship reaches a crossroads as Xu is ready to move back to Canada from L.A. and some unresolved issues in their friendship rise to the surface. Leung has hidden his sexuality from Xu all along and in a way to confront the matter, he plays out his “coming out” in a meta film they are making about their own lives and friendship.
As their filming picks up momentum, the complex emotions arise until the duo have to confront the deeper underlying issue in their friendship – that Leung never felt safe to be his true authentic self in their friendship, and Xu coming to the realization his own best friend didn’t feel safe doing this. From here, the Comedy transcends its Stoner Comedy premise and becomes something more meaningful. Certainly entertaining enough in its innovative storytelling.
EXTREMELY UNIQUE DYNAMIC gets its international Premiere at 2024 Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival on Saturday, May 25, 2024 7 PM at TIFF Lightbox.
I love, love, love Megan Stalter (Hacks) and what a treat it was seeing her latest Short at INSIDE OUT ’24 as part of the SHORTS: SHOW STOPPER lineup. The Funnywoman plays Siobhan, embody all the confidence and slay of a Gen-Xer. She’s looking for a job and with the help of her friend Gary (Kanoa Goo) she’s referred over to his boss (heard only, played by Rainn Wilson). Her anxiety gets the best of her and she leaves him a rambling, winded, inappropriate voice message which could effectively sabotage her. Until she sneaks into his office to try to delete the voice message!
A Comedy of errors in the best way. Love seeing Stalter doing what she does best, clumsy, awkward Comedy. Fun! ILY, BYE is one of eight Shorts playing May 26, 2024 4:30 pm at TIFF Lightbox 3.
Justin Waldman (@DubsReviews) also shares his thoughts on a couple key titles at the Festival!
Family is a complicated thing, and it gets even more complicated when it comes to chosen family and family one never knew they had. With Susie Yankou’s directorial debut capturing the very essence of this dilemma beautifully with their Feature, Sisters. Equal parts hilarious, heartwarming, and upsetting, Sisters takes the dynamic of Broad City to new heights and gives audiences something they can get behind, regardless of their biological or chosen family situation.
The Movie focuses on Lou (Susie Yankou) and Esther (Sarah Khasrovi), as they’re best friends. They are chosen sisters, and do practically everything together, and could be argued that they share a brain, that is how close they are. Their relationship with their parents is uneasy at best, but when their father passes away, they discover he had another daughter with another woman, named Priya (Kausar Mohammed) which creates a riff between Lou and Esther. Trying to navigate their new biological sister and their chosen sister as old and new relationships get tested and their limits get pushed. Sisters is a wonderfully charming tale about family, whether they’re blood or not and how we must remember the ones who’ve always been there for us.
Sisters works so well because Susie Yankou manages to beautifully craft the story and act so effortlessly in the story they wrote, directed, and star in. With the juxtaposition of Sarah Khasrovi, whose character never sees the wrong they’re doing until its nearly too late perfectly captures the blindness people suffer when humans face tragedy, despite their relationships. As well Kausar Mohammed brings together this trifecta of brilliance in the performances which is sure to capture the audience and resonate with them long past the credits. Sisters is equally hilarious as it is heartwarming.
Sisters screens at the 2024 Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival on May 25th at 6:45 pm at the TIFF Lightbox.
Nicholas Giurichich is a name that should be watched out for in the near future, in his feature directorial debut there is tons of promise that gets mostly delivered on as he tackles both pen and paper and the camera in his first feature. Doing a time lapse movie is always a dangerous choice, as there are so many classic films that deal with time travel and time loops, or time manipulation in general that are well regarded and the comparisons are inevitable. While Giurichich brings his own take on the story, it is one that focuses on love and the complications that come with the territory – including the games people play when it comes to love.
The Movie focuses on Aaron (Theo Germaine) who is a hopeless romantic, as they have a meet and greet with a mysterious stranger, Trevor (Danell Leyva) and things get off to a hot and steamy start. It appears to be a hot game of cat and mouse scavenger hunt essentially, and one thing leads to another and a streamy sexual encounter is the catalyst of this Groundhog Day-esque hopelessly Romantic Comedy. However, it is not as simple as hoping to break the circle of repeat may not entirely be Aaron’s decision as Dani (Vico Ortiz) tries to convince Aaron this is not healthy, and should break things off instead of continuing this vicious cycle, even if their motive is not the well-intentioned.
Spark works because the performances from all three actors, of Theo Germaine, Danell Leyva and Vico Ortiz are all exceptional. They create such an engaging feel in the Film and a world to get sucked into for the audience to fall in love with and have their hearts broken over. Nicholas Giuricich crafts such a unique story that transcends emotion and makes the audience examine loss, grief, love, and lust in a new perspective.
Spark screens at the 2024 Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival on May 24th at 9:30 pm at the TIFF Lightbox.
I don’t think anyone will be questioning the star status of Megan Stalter after her terrific performance in Hannah Pearl Utt’s Cora Bora where she plays the titular character. While the Movie itself needs a little more umph from the rest of the Cast (not their performances but more in their development and creation of characters) Megan is truly the glue that holds the Film together and realizes not everything is as it seems. The Movie is truly a masterclass in realizing ones self, and exploration on how to fix ourselves even if we don’t see it as a necessity. Cora Bora asks the hard questions, and ends with hilarious results.
Cora (Megan Statler) is in a long distance open relationship with her girlfriend, Justine (Jojo T Gibbs) but they haven’t seen each other in years. Love can withstand all, but an open long distance relationship is clearly a lot to overcome, and when Cora doesn’t seem too keen to return to their home for Justine’s graduation until she realizes she needs Justine, she is in for a rude awakening. Refusing to believe that Riley (Ayden Mayeri) is Justine’s new girlfriend, and despite seemingly moving on from Cora, there are still lingering feelings and some chaotic antics ensue.
With a Supporting Cast behind Megan Stalter, she shines throughout the chaos and insanity that unfolds in Cora Bora, but unfortunately she is the only one who seems to have fleshed out her character enough to create a character for the audience to get behind. However, her humour and presence carries the film and the audience feels for Cora and feels for her overall journey, even though she is the cause and effect of most of the chaos that is created overall. Cora Bora shines because of its star and creates an unholy whirlwind of madness, that only Megan Stalter can truly deliver on.
Cora Bora screens at 2024 Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival on May 31st at TIFF Lightbox at 6:45 pm.
More here on schedule and tickets.
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