Reel Pride

Oct 2015

Red River College

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179BANNATYNEAVE,WINNIPEG 204.947.5434 270WATERFRONTDR,WINNIPEG 204.505.0945 CONGRATULATIONS ON30YEARS FROMWINNIPEG'SLITTLE SOUTHAMERICA "ThePartyneverendsonBannatyneAve." I n screenwriting parlance, Winnipeg's Reel Pride film festival has undergone a hero's journey over the last 30 years — one that's seen it grow from humble beginnings to overcome obstacles and adversity, finally taking its place as one of Canada's longest-running showcases of LGBT cinema. It's a story arc that wouldn't seem out of place in a comic book metropolis, or a galaxy far, far away. So it makes perfect cinematic sense that festival president Jason Van Rooy — when asked where he'd like to see Reel Pride in another 30 years — hopes the franchise will by that time have undergone a total reboot. "Thirty years from now, my personal wish is that Reel Pride has changed its mandate completely," says Van Rooy, "because queer cinema has become so mainstream that we're just part of the broader festival circuit." "We've come a long way in 30 years — we've probably come even further in the last 10 years than the last 30. The gap keeps closing … there are more box office films being made now than ever before that feature queer characters and queer stories, and I think that'll continue." To be fair, in 30 years we'll probably be uploading movies directly onto the backs of our eyelids. But until then, the ever-evolving LGBT cinema scene remains firmly in the spotlight thanks to the efforts of Reel Pride organizers. First incorporated as a non-profit in 1985 (as the Winnipeg Gay and Lesbian Film Society), Reel Pride's mandate at the time was to showcase the best of the burgeoning LGBT cinema scene, while fostering conversations about queer culture — not just with gay and lesbian audiences, but also with the broader community. Certainly the festival's origin story played out amid a vastly different social and political climate, when fewer people felt comfortable coming out, and audiences were harder to reach. But Reel Pride's evolution has paralleled that of the larger LGBT movement: the festival changed its name in 2000 to better reflect the diversity of the queer community, and widened the scope of its mandate to include short films, commercials, and even visual and performance art. "Now we're telling more open stories — and more real stories — about the lives people live and the loves people have that endure," says Van Rooy. "The cinema is changing over time. Being able to bring new films forward for people to see — and to bring filmmakers in to talk about why they made the films the way they made them — has become more of our mission than to just play movies." This year, Reel Pride marks its anniversary with a thought-provoking lineup of films and documentaries from around the world — entries that give voice to Syrian activists, Thai draft- dodgers and transgender roller derby stars alike. Augmented by appearances from filmmakers, curators and stars, the festival's roster includes everything from political-minded thrillers and coming-of-age stories, to romantic comedies and 50 Shades-inspired kink. And its reach continues to expand, drawing entries for its short film competition from Vancouver to Toronto, while presenting archival works from some of Canada's most provocative artists. Reel Pride's lineup provides a welcome change from the current crop of mainstream and even independent films. Van Rooy isn't particularly bothered by the fact Big Hollywood still skews hetero — noting the movie business is, after all, a business — but he's proud that Reel Pride and its countless contributors over the years have been able to provide a more thorough, nuanced depiction of the LGBT experience. "Most of the films that we're able to show during our festival are films made by people who have the freedom to make the film they want to," he explains. "They're not necessarily answerable to a sea of producers who have money in, and need to get their money out." And while the pop culture landscape may be changing rapidly — as evidenced by the popularity of such LGBT-friendly fare as Blue Is the Warmest Color and Orange Is the New Black — there's still a clear need for festivals like Reel Pride, and for programming that puts a focus on every shade of the LGBT rainbow. "I suppose the ultimate goal is for LGBT stories to be as ordinary and common as any other story," says longtime Reel Pride board member David Wyatt. "And I think in some ways — in many ways — that's improved enormously over the years." "But we're not quite there yet. Television, in particular, has been able to drop LGBT people into stories, but we still tend to be best friends or peripheral characters. It still seems to be hard for the mass-market commercial film industry to tell a story about LGBT people in an ordinary way." This year's festival unspools Oct. 13–18 at the Gas Station Arts Centre. To learn more about the lineup, visit reelpride.org. Reel Pride president Jason Van Rooy is ready for a close-up at the Gas Station Theatre. Photo by Darcy Finley 30 Years of Reel Pride Film festival in step with cultural evolution By David Schmeichel For the Free Press

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