Welcome!
Our blog offers an insight on the variety of Film Festivals that occur throughout the world. We look at films that draw attention to oppression, sexism, racism, ethnicity that particular groups in society endure.
We travel all around the world to try and find the most amazing festivals for our lovely followers! And we hope that you all love reading about experiences and we can inspire change even just a little!
The greatness of a culture can be found in it’s festivals
– Siddharth Katragadda
Reelout Film Festival ~ Kingston, ON
The Kingston Reelout film festival takes place annually each year! This year is the 21st year that Reelout has taken place the films are shown in The Screening Room theatre in the downtown of Kingston. Reelout was started by a group of academics in 1999 that were fighting for equal rights. Kingston at the time was not accepting of the LGBTQ+ community and these academic were trying to change that in Kingston. The organizers decided that they would have a 2-night screening of popular LGBTQ+ films from around the world. The original screening took place in a Kingston gay bar and so many people showed up that all of the people were unable to fit into the bar. The goal of raising the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community in Kingston has definitely worked as the festival is now 10 days long and shows 40 films on various issues facing the queer community around the world. Attending the films Tales of Turtle Island: Badassery, Changing the Game and Unsettled all had amazing recognition from the audience and had a positive atmosphere. Each of the films had different durations, however they were all equally impactful and sparked conversation around topics in society. One thing in particular that all of us found trendy was the use of beads and buttons to give feedback from the audience and provide a paperless entry ticket. We found this was something really unique and gave a small insight to innovative thinking that organizers of the film festival have. We loved how the festival started with a land acknowledgment before every film as it created a space of respect for the films, the audience members and land. We found this to be something not found often in film presentations and we value the acknowledgment of indigenous land. The intimate theatre is always an aspect that we enjoy when attending smaller film festivals and The Screening Room did not disappoint. Supporting theatres and small organizations that are linked to a variety of cultures in Kingston is always something that is very important and not disappoint. Reelout sparked important conversations, created a sense of community for the people of Kingston and addressed many stereotypes and norms throughout society. We cannot wait to see how this festival grows in the coming years. Keep reading below for our individual reviews of the films that we viewed!
Find A Festival, Be Inspired 