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Reframing Histories: 2SQTBIPOC Stories on FIlm will feature documentaries, shorts and films, and community discussions on the importance of storytelling. Curated by Toronto-based filmmaker Kourtney Jackson.
Program Types: Arts and Culture, Drop-in,
Kourtney Jackson is a Toronto-based filmmaker and lens-based artist. Her artistic practice employs experimental forms of storytelling that explore the inner worlds of queer Black women. Her award-winning films have screened locally and internationally at festivals including TIFF Next Wave, BlackStar Film Festival, and the Montreal International Documentary Festival.
For the final session of the series, we are very excited to present a screening of short films created by residents of our Digital Storytelling Residency (Spring 2025). These stories were created by 2SQTBIPOC Elders in collaboration with The 519 and Re•Vision Centre for Art and Social Justice, through mentorship and creative tools.
Following the shorts, we’ll screen the feature film:
- Long Time Comin’ (1993)
Written and directed by Dionne Brand
Synopsis:
A cultural revolution is unfolding in Canada, and Black lesbian artists Faith Nolan and Grace Channer are leading the way. Channer’s vibrant, sensuous paintings and Nolan’s gritty, joy-filled blues music imbue this documentary with poetry and rhythm. Long Time Comin’ captures their artistry, urgency, and friendship in an intimate and moving portrait.
The evening will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Grace Channer and Abena McKenzie, moderated by Kourtney Jackson.
Free admission. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to Jess at JDevittoris@The519.org.
For our third session, we will be screening one film at Paradise Cinema located at 1006 Bloor:
- “All Shall Be Well -從今以後” (2024) written and directed by Ray Yeung.
Our series of screenings will feature documentaries, shorts, and films as well as community discussions on storytelling and reclaiming representation in media and art. This is part of the 519’s “Each Other’s Magnitude” a 2SQTBIPOC Intergenerational Storytelling initiative.
Free admission. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to Jess at JDevittoris@The519.org.
Join us for the second in a series of film screenings showcasing stories of 2-Spirit, Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (2SQTBIPOC). All 2SLGBTQ+ folks are welcome to attend this free screening.
Reframing Histories: 2SQTBIPOC Stories on FIlm will feature documentaries, shorts and films, and community discussions on the importance of storytelling. Curated by Toronto-based filmmaker Kourtney Jackson.
Sunday, March 23, we’ll watch Toll (Pedágio) by Carolina Markowicz and La Bruja de Texcoco by Cecilia Villaverde and Alejandro Paredes at 3pm at the Paradise Theatre at 1006 Bloor Street West.
Toll (Portuguese: Pedágio) is a 2023 Brazilian-Portuguese drama film written, directed and co-produced by Carolina Markowicz. The film stars Maeve Jinkings as Suellen, a woman who gets drawn into a criminal gang as she tries to raise the money to send her gay son to a conversion therapy program.
Octavio Mendoza, a Mexico City based musician, embarks on a journey to reconcile with his long lost femininity through his music. After a mysterious encounter with a shaman in Texcoco, Mexico, he embraces his true self: “La Bruja de Texcoco”.
ReFraming Histories: 2SQTBIPOC Stories on Screen will showcase perspectives and narratives of gender expansive, Two-Spirit, Queer and Trans, Black, and people of Colour through film. This space aims to bring curated documentaries, shorts and films to encouraging critical reflection on media representation, while building community through discussions and shared insights.
For our first screening, we will be showcasing:
- El Cañaveral” (“The Sugarcane”). This is a documentary that portrays Joaquín Ramírez’s struggle to be free from the system that oppresses him. This film is directed by T’karonto-based activist and filmmaker Samuel Ernesto Kwakwitchin Lopez.
- We will also have short videos directed by Cecilia Villaverde, a Mexican director working on multiple projects and highlighting the story of queer musician and artist La Bruja de Texcoco.
