Attention LGBTQ+ film buffs; it’s time for the 37th edition of Montreal’s Image + Nation Film Festival. Running from November 20th to the 30th this year’s fest, subtitled “Canada’s First / Reflects the authenticity + Multiplicity of LGBTQ+ Voices”, strives to bring local film fans movies from a uniquely queer point of view with an emphasis on diversity, inclusivity, and providing a much-needed voice to the experiences of intersectional queer lives.
The festival includes a wide variety of features, documentaries, and short films. This year’s 37th edition of Image +Nation is focused on a variety of themes including Indigiqueer (a merging of the indigenous and queer or two spirited communities), Quebec and Canadian produced content, films originating from France, questions surrounding gender, Acadian content, Chinese films (stemming from a partnership with the Beijing Queer Film Festival), and a category entitled Zeitgeist which is described on the festival site as being made up of cinematic selections which reflect, “global representations, contemporary queer voices; and current cultural preoccupations.”
The festival opened on November 20th with the Quebec premiere of Luca Guadagnino’s feature, Queer. Guadagnino is an esteemed Italian filmmaker whose previous work includes 2017’s Call Me By Your Name starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer. Queer, which is set in Mexico City during the 1950s, features former 007 Daniel Craig in the lead role and Drew Starkey as his younger lover. The film is based on controversial writer William S. Burroughs’ 1985 novella of the same name. Queer premiered at this September’s Cannes Film Festival and is set for limited theatrical release beginning Nov. 27th.
Films entered into competition at this year’s fest include selections from around the world including the Brazilian feature Baby (which can be seen in both English and French subtitled versions), Drive Back Home, made in Canada and starring Alan Cumming, Duino, a U.S./ Argentinian/ Italian autobiographical film, and Gondola, from Germany and Georgia which is characterized by a lack of dialogue and a narrative which explores the developing relationship between two female gondola drivers. Other noteworthy features in competition include We Forgot to Break Up, a Canadian made English language flick, The Queen of My Dreams by actor/filmmaker Fawzia Mirza which is described as a Bollywood tribute shot on location in both Canada and Pakistan, and the documentaries Sabbath Queen, executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, and the Canadian made Nanekawâsis; part of the Indigiqueer programming and produced in English and NĒHIYAWĒWIN (with English subtitles).
Highlights of the Shorts section of Image + Nation include Jess Lee’s Landfill, Hello Stranger, a Canadian made short from AMÉLIE Hardy centered around gender reassignment and based in a laundromat, and Beauty is Revenge from filmmaker Tranie Tronic inspired by her album Transgression.
The 37th edition of Image + Nation continues till November 30th. For more info visit their website HERE.
