The ReelOut Queer Film Festival is set to light up Kingston January 30 to February 8, 2025, both at The Screening Room and the downtown library. This annual event continues to champion inclusivity and representation in the arts.
This year’s festival features 18 programs across 10 days, showcasing over 45 filmmakers, media artists, game designers, and performers from 14 countries. Against the backdrop of challenging times, ReelOut promises a vibrant, welcoming space for the 2SLGBTQI+ community and allies alike, with a focus on uplifting marginalized voices.
“It’s a dark time for a lot of folks in the US and we feel that shadow creeping across the border,” says ReelOut director Matt Salton. “We want to ensure that we are providing audiences with not just solid entertainment, but a place for marginalized communities to immerse themselves in a space created for them. There are 18 different programs that can be seen as 18 different escapes from the threat of the world.”
Kingston’s drag performers—Tyffanie Morgan, Rowena Whey, BeeWitched, BlowPony, and Sherry Anne Hex—will kick off the festival on January 30, taking the stage to deliver musical numbers inspired by iconic motion pictures.
This year’s feature films include To the Moon screening January 31 at 7 pm. The film by Kevin Hartford follows three intertwined journeys of self-discovery. As single father Sam grapples with coming out after decades of hiding, his teenaged daughter Ella navigates challenges at a new school, and their neighbour Claire seeks creative inspiration while reinventing her life.
Under the Influencer is a gripping thriller that explores the exploitation of creative talent and the psychological toll of ambition, screening January 31 at 9:30 pm.
For music lovers, watch We Forgot to Break Up on February 1 at 9:30 pm. It follows a diverse Toronto band, The New Normals, as they channel their struggles into a bold rock sound that challenges societal norms.
Explore the complexities of love, friendship, and personal growth by watching Lakeview on February 7 at 9 pm. A queer friend group navigate old wounds, fresh connections, and shifting dynamics during a divorce celebration weekend.
The festival concludes with a February 8 screening of La Arriera (The Muleteer), a drama set in the highlands of Jalisco in 1930, where teenager Emilia escapes her adoptive family to find freedom and her biological father, disguising herself as a male muleteer amidst the chaos of war.
These feature films will all be shown at The Screening Room. New this year, the ReelOut short films collections will screen at the downtown branch of the Kingston-Frontenac Public Library, from February 3 to 6.
Visit ReelOut’s website for full programming and to purchase tickets.
“ReelOut is always something the Kingston queer community looks forward to each year but keep in mind, the films are queer, our audiences are lovers of independent cinema and want to broaden their horizons. All allies are welcome!” Salton says.
