LGBTQIA+ and Masculinity

    Films

    Fighter

    Factory Talk

    Continue to Live

    Masc

    The Beautiful Black Man

    Staging Face

    The Side Effects of Normal

    The Rest is Flowers

    Filmmakers

    A man with a beard wearing a gray sweater sits on a leather sofa in a room with a plain white wall.

    Calvin Walker

    Calvin J. Walker (he/him) is an award-winning Dallas filmmaker, poet, and artivist. A self-taught storyteller, he creates work across film, TV, stage, and digital, focusing on social justice, spirituality, and mental health. He’s also a husband and father of three.

    A smiling man with glasses and a beard, surrounded by falling snow, appears in the foreground of the black and white image.

    Jake Ivany

    Asterix Media is a collective focused on amplifying marginalized 2SLGBTQ+ voices through filmmaking, performance art, and creative storytelling. Based in K’jipuktuk (Halifax), the team includes Steph Young, Jake Ivany, and Vie Jones, who combine their talents to challenge narratives and highlight diverse experiences.

    A young woman with long brown hair and a warm expression, wearing a gray sweater and brown jacket, stands against a plain white background.

    Lucie Rachel

    Lucie Rachel (they/she) is a lens-based artist exploring themes of domesticity, gender, and sexuality through still and moving images. Their work focuses on intimate subjects, blending artist film and documentary genres with an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach.

    A smiling young woman with long brown hair wearing a black sweater stands against a plain white background.

    Meagan Brown

    Meagan Brown (she/her) is a Montreal-based film and television editor. Her work has been featured on channels such as CBC and Noovo. When she's not editing, Meagan can usually be found puzzling.

    A smiling young man wearing a black t-shirt and a gray cap stands against a vibrant yellow background.

    Paolo Riveros

    Paolo Riveros (he/him) is a transgender visual artist from Lima, Perú. His passion for filmmaking emerged from his desire to document and elevate stories from the communities that have shaped his identity and personal journey.

    A smiling young woman wearing a black suit and tie stands in front of a dark gray wall with white streaks.

    Mari Wrobi

    Mari Wrobi (they/them) is a queer, nonbinary, intersex advocate from Sacramento, CA. They work at an LGBTQ youth shelter, advocate with interACT, and intern at the Gender Health Center. Mari educates nationwide on trans and intersex rights and enjoys spoken word and Magic: The Gathering.

    A close-up portrait of a bald individual wearing a metallic, embellished jacket and dramatic makeup, set against a dark background.

    Vie Jones

    Asterix Media is a collective based in K’jipuktuk (Halifax) focused on amplifying 2SLGBTQ+ stories through filmmaking, performance art, and other creative avenues. Members include Steph Young (filmmaker, drag performer, mental health advocate), Jake Ivany (filmmaker, nonprofit professional), and Vie Jones (two-spirit artist and performer).

    A woman with long, wavy blonde hair wearing a gray knit hat and a black sweater, set against a blurred natural background.

    Steph Young

    Steph Young (she/her, he/him) is a filmmaker, drag performer, and mental health advocate. Like any good Taurus, he enjoys spending time cuddling his dog, or in the woods photographing wildlife and foraging for wild plants.

    The image shows a smiling man with a bald head wearing a blue checkered shirt, set against a blurred background.

    Amilcar Javier

    Amilcar Javier (he/him) is an award-winning actor, writer, producer, and software developer based in New York City. A proud Hermano of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Incorporated, he mentors youth in film and technology.

    A black and white portrait of a man with a serious expression, his face illuminated against a dark background.

    Dale Allen

    Dale John Allen (he/him) is a Manchester-based artist-filmmaker exploring queer identity and mental illness. His autobiographical work, including A Film About Love (winner of the Art with Impact award), highlights his experiences with Bipolar Disorder. His latest short, Don't Blame Jack, explores mental illness in everyday life.

    Jurors

    Jocelyn Leher

    Jei Africa

    James Lescene

    Annie Delgado

    Dawn McGuire

    Matthew Solomon

    Farhoud Meyodi