Two Canadian features are set for their world premiere at the 35th edition of the Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Producer, writer and director Colette Johnson-Vosberg’s OUTtv original documentary Unlabelled (Firestarter Productions, pictured) follows the lives of three members of the trans community in Toronto as they confront the challenges of being born in the wrong body.

Funding for the film is provided by the OUTtv licence, Canada Media Fund, producer investments as well as federal and provincial tax credits, Johnson-Vosberg told Playback Daily.

The other world premiere is writer-director Corey Payette’s musical Starwalker (Urban Ink Productions), adapted from Payette’s own musical of the same name for which he also wrote the lyrics. The film follows an IndigiQueer callboy who finds passion for drag in East Vancouver and is ultimately forced to confront a neglected cultural past.

There are a number of Canadian shorts making their world premiere as well. This includes Vivek Shreya’s Bodyrebuilding, Claren Grosz’s Cat Sitters, Andy Johnston’s Australia/Canada coproduction Coming & Going and the Canada/Vietnam coproduction GIRL (THIẾU, NỮ) from Cà Rốt Thái.

Tricia Hagoriles’ Last Call, Paige Gratland’s Phranc: The Butch Closet and Irène-Kimberley Valin-Awashish’s Yesterday, Today, See You Tomorrow round out the Canadian short film world premieres.

The fest will screen Chloé Robichaud’s Two Women, (Amérique Film) which won a World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Writing at this year’s Sundance Festival.

It will also screen Tara Thorne’s comedy Lakeview, produced by Nicole Steeves; J Stevens‘ Really Happy Someday (Spindle Films); Melanie Oates’ drama Sweet Angel Baby (Relatable Films); and Noam Gonick’s documentary Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance, produced by the National Film Board of Canada’s Justine Pimlott.

The festival runs May 23 to June 1 online and in-person at the TIFF Lightbox.

Image courtesy of the Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival