Our 20th Anniversary is no small thing. The growth and progression of the Festival
has been a shared experience and has depended on the hard work and support of so many:
volunteers, staff, colleagues, donors and patrons. Join us for some historical – and
forward-thinking – programs in celebration of our Festival milestone.
Our re-screening of Aerlyn Weissman’s pivotal documentary Little Sister’s vs. Big
Brother anchors the Festival (opposite page). As part of our Director’s Spotlight,
Weissman will also be leading a Masterclass: Oral History and Living Memory. With
clips from her Genie Award-winning films Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of
Lesbian Lives and Fiction and Other Truths: A Film About Jane Rule, Aerlyn will lead
us through some of the specific concerns around recording queer stories – a must for
anyone interested in learning more about how we can preserve our histories for generations
to come.
Also, you’ll find some exciting additions to the Festival in the “Workshops and Special
Events” section, not the least of which is Archival Classic!, Susan Stryker’s historical
walk through of a fascinating piece of queer history. With clips from the 1960 Filipino
film We Who Are Sexy, Stryker will review the history of trans representation on film,
with specific reference to famed trans personality Christine Jorgenson. This is a
great chance to gain insight into Stryker’s film project-in progress, Christine in
the Cutting Room. And new this year: the 20th Anniversary Award, a juried prize given
to an artist for a lifetime achievement to the queer media arts community. We are
delighted to honour Laiwan for her enormous contribution to our community over the
years.
And last, but not least: a nod to some future directions. Taking our pilot website
for the Queer History Project as a starting point, the panel Creating Community Through
Technology takes a look at the possible futures of queer spaces online. From Facebook
to queer archives, social software is changing how we live our lives – come learn
more about the possibilities and pitfalls of this brave new world.
“Rated LGBT: Vancouver Queer Film Festival,” 2008.
