Queer North Film Festival returns to Sudbury

As a way to celebrate Pride Month, Sudbury Indie Cinema is hosting its annual Queer North Film Festival next week.

Organizers of the sixth edition of the festival said it’s a unique and personable event.

“Although we have a bold and ambitious programming slate, we’re a small festival and our LGBTQ community is small as well relatively speaking,” said Beth Mairs, of Sudbury Indie Cinema and of the organizers of the Queer North Film Festival.

“Every day there is a dinner at a particular restaurant. We have a brunch at a particular diner, we have parties. All of these sorts of things that help it be more personal.”

This is the only LGBTQ-themed festival in northern Ontario, and those with the festival said they’re expecting crowds from all over.

“Manitoulin, the Sault, Timmins, North Bay, we will definitely have attendees from those locations," Mairs said.

"We often draw people from Barrie, from Toronto, and from U.S. border towns, as well. Although someone may come from a larger centre ... they don’t have this kind of programming opportunity.”

In all, 27 films will be screened throughout the four days, and organizers said people in attendance should expect a little bit of everything.

“This year we’ve got films from Brazil, Mexico, France, Germany and I believe Czech Republic. So, there’s quite a variety,” said Pierre Bonhomme, programmer with Queer North Film Festival.

“We have all kinds of storytelling, from documentary films, very personal stories, science fiction, experimental stuff, very traditional kind of romance and horror-themed films.”

This year's Queer North Film Festival runs June 16-19.