Fairy Tales Queer Art and Film Festival presents stories of resilience and joy from around the world
By Eric Volmers
In Canadian director Jacinta Gaspar’s short film Part of the Band, a lonely young man becomes obsessed with the lead singer of a Toronto band and his life is turned upside down when he realizes the vocalist is trans.
My Dear Watson, by American director Jacob McKee, centres on a teenage version of Sherlock Holmes trying to determine the identity of a secret admirer after receiving a love note.
In MDB, Argentinian director Mila Aquilia tells the story of two 14-year-old girls who fall in love at an upscale spa, but are forced to keep their relationship a secret.
These titles are among the seven films that make up the Youth and Family Shorts package that will screen Sunday, May 17, at Contemporary Calgary as part of Fairy Tales Queer Art & Film Festival.
“I think sometimes we assume that anything related to LGBTQIA2S+ storytelling somehow doesn’t include young people or families,” says Shone Thistle, executive director of Calgary Queer Arts Society. “I think it’s so powerful and important that we tell those stories. They are just laden with queer joy and just some really beautiful coming-of-age moments.”
Starting May 13, the 28th edition of Fairy Tales will feature 42 films from 20 countries at Contemporary Calgary. Fairy Tales is not only one of Canada’s oldest queer festivals, but it is the longest-running film festival in Calgary, predating both the Calgary International Film Festival and the Calgary Underground Film Festival. In the nearly three decades it has been in existence, the festival has helped trace the evolution of queer cinema, an increasingly broad umbrella term for features, documentaries and shorts that present a wide variety of tones, subject matter and genres.
The documentary A Place Where I Belong, by Rheanna Toy, follows six individuals with intellectual disabilities as they take part in a community program that helps them navigate their identities and push through systemic barriers.
Deborah Craig’s Sally! is an American documentary that chronicles the work, life and legacy of lesbian-feminist activist Sally Gearhart, celebrating a key figure in the 1970s and 1980s women’s and gay rights movements whose contributions were often overlooked. The May 17 screening will be followed by a panel discussion with members of the local Rainbow Elders community, who will talk about the history of the community and its own “stories of resilience.”
Starwalker, Oji-Cree artist Corey Payette’s musical that opens the festival on May 13, follows a Two-Spirit performer within Vancouver’s drag scene.
“I think we are sometimes led down the path of all queer stories being tragic and that rights have not advanced as well in other parts of the world as they have here,” Thistle says. “While that second part may have some truth, what we overwhelmingly see are these stories of queer resilience, of human resilience and joy. A beautifully told story resonates across cultures, across genders, across sexuality, and that proves to be true over and over and over again. I think over the last 28 years, what we’ve been able to do is become a destination for filmmakers from all over the world, which is really exciting.”
Still, Fairy Tales has always reflected the times. Activists have pointed to the retrenchment of rights, particularly for the trans community, throughout the world and even in our own backyard in recent years, suggesting it is not a time for complacency.
Wilmer Aburto, creative communities lead for Calgary Queer Arts Society and a festival co-curator, says “the current social climate in this city, in the province, has taken a few steps back.”
“It’s important seeing film as art and seeing film as a protest,” he says. “Artists have such a beautiful way of being able to add social commentary to this current political climate.”
Warla, which screens May 14, is a controversial film from Filipino director Kevin Zarate Alambra. Based on a true story, it tells the often harrowing tale of a 19-year-old transgender woman who finds belonging and community in a group of transgender women who kidnap foreigners to fund gender-affirming surgeries. The Fairy Tales website warns that the film includes “scenes of violence and explores themes of family rejection, discrimination, and the lived experiences of transgender women.”
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Filipino-Canadian drag performer and care worker Francheska Dynamites, who was the subject of the 2022 documentary Francheska: Prairie Queen; as well as Filipina/o/x artist and community worker Jordan Baylon and Filipino Calgary-based drag artist and trans advocate Lava Cake.
“(Warla) is a very complex story with components of survival and family of choice,” Aburto says. “It’s a beautiful way for viewers to be able to experience situations that are happening internationally that have a very local connection as well.”
There are also films at this year’s festival that come from Iran, Japan, Ghana, Brazil, Palestine, France, Ireland and Mexico.
It was more than 20 years ago when Aburto saw his first queer film while attending Calgary Fairy Tales as a newcomer from Nicaragua. Since then, the festival’s audience has not only increased but also become more diverse.
“It changes every year,” he says. “Festivals with this kind of longevity really do have an amazing presence in Calgary with people who have been following along the years. We have allies who come and support every year; we have a lot of different communities. It is a festival that welcomes everyone and is embracing of everyone who loves film, loves cultural experiences and loves supporting queer communities.”
The Fairy Tales Queer Art & Film Festival runs from May 13 to 17 at Contemporary Calgary. Visit queerfilmfest.ca