Inside Out 2010 Preview

This week marks the opening of Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival 2010 which in its 20th season celebrates 20 Years of Queers! Bringing us films from around the world to right here in our hometown, we've got sensational features, shorts, retrospectives and parties to boot. Looking through the pages of this years program, I was overwhelmed by the selection of absolutely captivating films to choose from. Let's have a look at their offerings.

The festival will start off with a bang with the Opening Gala of Howl, directed by Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman (The Life and Times of Harvey Milk) and stars James Franco as Allen Ginsberg, and received great buzz out of Sundance. More highly acclaimed festival films to enjoy include the Italian film I Am Love / Io sono l'amore starring Tilda Swinton, Haim Tabakman's Eyes Wide Open / Einaym Pkuhot which played at Cannes and Mike Hollbom's documentary Mark, focused on activist Mark Karbusicky.

Along with Howl the festival has more Galalicious films with the gorgeous and moving Centrepiece Gala Undertow / Contracorriente and closes the festival with their Closing Gala of the BBC-produced steamy romance The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister.


Above: Joan Rivers in Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work

One program I'm thrilled to see back again this year is the Icon Documentary Series which features the funny and insightful Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work, widely-popular Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls following the New Zealand yodelling/folk singing twin sisters. I'm also looking forward to checking out Prima Donna: The Story of Rufus Wainwright's Debut Opera. See more about the Icon Documentary Series, along with here.

But the programs don't stop there, we also have the International Focus on South America which includes this years Centrepiece Gala Undertow along with The Last Summer of La Boyita, Plan B and Leo's Room among others. Over at Buddies in Bad Times you can check out Flashback retrospective program looking back at queer cinema over the bast 20 years along with The Outsiders program which takes the reins of more experimental film and pushing the boundaries of the medium. See more about The Outsiders and Flashback programs here.


Above: A Frozen Flower

This years festival holds so many great titles, I know it's hard to whittle it down but a few of the international must-see's on my list are the South Korean film A Frozen Flower / Ssang-hwa-jeom set at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty (picture above), the Danish film Brotherhood / Broderskab centred on a relationship that grows between two neo-Nazi gang members and Norwegian music-centred film The Man Who Loved Yngve.

It's not all features and worldly, one of my favourite programs is Hogtown Homos, a Toronto-centre shorts program that is sure to deliver and always has a full house!

Speaking of busy, Inside Out is certainly one of the busiest festivals in the city, but thankfully you can check online for ticket availability. The festival already have 2 sold out shows (Howl & Undertow) but remember there is always the Rush line (see info on rush here).

For more information, check out the Inside Out website, Film Schedule, Festival Planner, Online Box Office, Ticket Availability, Box Office Information, Venue Information and Party Information.

The Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival 2010 runs from May 20-30, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.