Introduction to Reelout
The Reelout Film Festival has been going on in Kingston for 21 years. It is one of the largest Queer film festivals in North America. This festival would not be made possible without the hundreds of volunteers and strong partnerships, one of which being Queen’s University. This year there were forty-three different documentaries and other films being streamed through out the festival with various genres such as comedy, documentary, horror, shorts, live performance, musicals, mystery and panel discussion. This broad range ensures that there is something available for everybody to enjoy. The festival took place at the Screening Room, which was able to sit a fair amount of people. It was more intimate than your regular Cineplex theatre, but nevertheless was still a very warm, welcoming environment with pride themed decorations present from the moment you walked in, down to the smiling faces of the people waiting outside of the theatre to collect your ticket. The introductory video was very impactful, as it addressed many pressing issues regarding how people are being discriminated against solely based on stereotypes. It included how Queen’s University has embedded safe spaces not only on the campus but at many locations in Kingston especially downtown. These locations are where people are free to express their identities offering a supportive, inclusive environment.
However, the audience was not solely students of the GNDS 125 course, but also more permanent Kingston residents. This festival seems as though it is a hugely important part of the Kingston art scene. It was inspiring to see a community of such varying backgrounds come together to support a section of the film industry that is often left ignored. The smaller setting of the Screening Room theatre allowed for the audience to feel that they were truly experiencing something worthy and important, that was hand crafted with care and intention, instead of being thrown together by a large production company. The film, Sell By (2019), was sponsored by the Kingston Pride and the organization Beers for Queers. The sponsors of this film reflect how large of role this festival plays in the Kingston LGBTQ+ community. The film Sex, Sin & 69 was sponsored by Positive Space, Queen’s Human Right’s Office, and EGALE Canada. The sponsors of this film reflect how such an integral part of the Kingston community is made up of university students all of whom have various backgrounds. This sponsorship shows how Queen’s University is a proud ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
The films to be reviewed on this blog are Sex, Sin & 69 (2019) and Sell By (2019).
Reelout+ Film Festival 