Out on Film 2025 LGBTQ Film Fest (Day 8)

From the venue:

LIGHTS, LIPSTICK, LATEX: THE PRACTICAL FX OF QUEER MOXIE MAGIC, 12 pm (RSVP page here)

Go behind the glitter and gore of horror and fantasy with a special effects panel inspired by the outrageous zombie drag horror Queen of the Dead. An official 2025 selection of Out on Film, the film follows a fierce crew of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies who must put aside their drama to battle the undead during a warehouse party gone wrong. In this panel and live demonstration, we will discuss how to bring blood, brains, and fabulous mayhem to life on a budget. Expect fake wounds, campy transformations, and a closer look at how queer creativity fuels low-budget fantasy and horror magic.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS, 3 pm
A group of Black and Brown cis and trans women in Toronto’s ballroom scene share their personal identity intersections, and how ballroom has become a space to express their womanism in its fullness. An innovative theater production by master hula teacher Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne reclaims and celebrates the traditional place of honor and respect given to māhū (transgender) people. Suri Parmar discusses her struggles with breast cancer, gender, and body image as she heals from a double mastectomy without reconstruction and reclaims her identity. Lee Knight struggles to overcome injury and adversity in order to pursue their dream of becoming a bull rider in the International Gay Rodeo (IGRA). Queer artist Eve Wood reflects on the struggles of mid-career recognition, questioning the value of continuing in an unforgiving art world while awaiting her next solo exhibition.

The Divine Femme, 3 pm
Black. Brown. Trans. Cis. Queer. Immigrant. Full Bodied. Embodied. Femme. The Divine Femme is a conversation between women in Toronto’s ballroom scene. They share their personal identity intersections, and how they bring the presence and power of womanism to the runway!

The Divine Femme is part of the documentary short series, GRAND PRIZE.

Flat, 3 pm
Flat is a live-action and animated documentary short, in which filmmaker Suri Parmar discusses her struggles with breast cancer, gender, and body image as she heals from a double mastectomy without reconstruction and reclaims her identity.

MĀHŪ: A Trans-Pacific Love Letter, 3 pm
MĀHŪ: A Trans-Pacific Love Letter is a short documentary about an innovative theater production by master hula teacher, Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne, which aims to reclaim and celebrate the traditional place of honor and respect given to māhū (transgender) people.

Into the Chutes, 3 pm
Lee Knight struggles to overcome injury and adversity in order to pursue their dream of becoming a bull rider in the International Gay Rodeo (IGRA).

Unfurled, 3 pm
At mid-career, queer artist Eve Wood still chases success. “The art world is a horrible business, so why do I keep doing this?” With a solo exhibition looming, she waits in anxious anticipation: “Will anyone come? Will they like my work?” Will Eve ever get the recognition she craves?

GLOBAL AFFAIRS, 5:30 pm
In Tokyo, an unfulfilled romantic encounter and sudden disappearance leave Seiji struggling to make sense of what never happened and what might have been; Jessica and Alma, two sisters in a situation of domestic violence, will begin to treat each other with love instead of violence through one of their routine trips to the food stamp office on the night of San Juan, a Spanish holiday; a seventeen-year-old teenager, decides it’s time to change his look and cut his hair. However, his mother reacts with strong opposition – in her view, his hair is the key to his appeal, and without it, no girl will want him; as grass roots womxn's football team 'Solers United' face eviction, emotions bubble between teammates, Nelly and Bills. Enter new striker Sals with looks as impressive as her footwork; a chorus rehearsal. Karol and Henryk are among the soloists. Like most of the singers, the two men lead the pretty quiet lives of senior citizens. They have been a couple for years, but no one outside their apartment knows about it. One day, they receive an invitation that shakes their meticulously hidden everyday life.

The 5 O'Clock Chime, 5:30 pm
In Tokyo, an unfulfilled romantic encounter and sudden disappearance leave Seiji struggling to make sense of what never happened and what might have been.

CURA SANA, 5:30 pm
Jessica and Alma, two sisters in a situation of domestic violence, will begin to treat each other with love instead of violence through one of their routine trips to the food stamp office on the night of San Juan, a Spanish holiday.

A Cappella, 5:30 pm
A chorus rehearsal. Karol and Henryk are among the soloists. Like most of the singers, the two men lead the pretty quiet lives of senior citizens. They have been a couple for years, but no one outside their apartment knows about it. One day, they receive an invitation that shakes their meticulously hidden everyday life.

Solers United, 5:30 pm
As grass roots womxn's football team 'Solers United' face eviction, emotions bubble between teammates, Nelly and Bills. Enter new striker Sals with looks as impressive as her footwork, Bills can't help but envy her instant connection to Nelly. As the halftime whistle blows, tensions reach a boiling point and Nelly and Bills must confront their emotions to mend their fractured bond.

rebel!, 5:30 pm
Kamil, a seventeen-year-old teenager, decides it’s time to change his look and cut his hair. However, his mother reacts with strong opposition – in her view, his hair is the key to his appeal, and without it, no girl will want him. What starts as an innocent conflict gradually deepens into an emotionally charged struggle between generations, values, and Kamil’s right to his own identity. As Kamil tries to take control over his life and choices, he begins to realize that sometimes, a simple decision can hold more significance than just a matter of style.

THE FRIGHT COLLECTION: HORROR SHORTS, 7:15 pm

Strangers On A Beach, 7:15 pm
It's 1983 in San Francisco and a mysterious killer is targeting homosexual men. But Calvin just wants to kiss that handsome stranger on the beach.

DEMONBOY, 7:15 pm
A reclusive twenty-something develops an all-consuming obsession with another man he encounters on the internet.

The Hold, 7:15 pm
Commitment-phobe Nathan begins to regret his decision after hooking up with drunken stranger Adrian who passes out in his bed. In this anxiety-inducing horror short, Nathan, a sufferer of horrific night terrors must keep this well-hidden secret.

Stuck with Adrian for the night, Nathan forces himself to stay awake out of fear of having a night terror episode. However, as the night progresses, a sleep-deprived Nathan starts to feel an increasing sense of madness as strange things begin to occur. No longer able to keep sleep at bay, Nathan succumbs, unleashing the evil entity that is really behind his night terrors.

This short is an exploration of intimacy in the world of gay hook-up culture through the lens of horror.

Prom Party Massacre, 7:15 pm
A gay high school student throws a swinging prom party in the hopes of finally wooing the football captain - but when popular kids start turning up dead, the partygoers discover a slasher killer amongst the student body!

The Holly King, 7:15 pm
When four men gather at Christmastime to curse one of their exes, they get a little more in their stockings than they were expecting.

IDLE/WILD, 7:15 pm
Dating is hard. So when Annie suggests a unique first date — meet me at Idyllwild campsite, and bring your tent — Berit decides to go for it. Is this how it all starts? Or how it ends?

MascLooking, 7:15 pm
After two friends banter over the pros and cons of using Grindr, one is left chatting with a mysterious stranger. And he's getting closer…

Queens of the Dead, 9:15 pm
When a zombie apocalypse breaks out in Brooklyn on the night of a warehouse party, an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, & frenemies must put aside their drama and use their unique skills to fight against the brain-thirsty, scrolling undead. The killer cast includes Katy O'Brien, Margaret Cho, Cheyenne Jackson and Pose's Dominique Jackson.