this is ballroom massimadi montreal festival lgbtq+ afro film

This Is Ballroom

15 powerful films to screen this week at the Massimadi Festival of LGBTQ+ Afro film & arts

The Montreal festival’s 16th edition is running from Oct. 23 to 27 at the McCord Museum, Cinéma Public and Livart.

The Massimadi Festival, Canada’s premiere festival celebrating LGBTQ+ Afro cinema and arts, returns for its 16th edition from Oct. 23 to 27, 2024. This year, the Montreal event embraces the themes of Rebirth and Resilience with a bold and inspiring lineup that highlights stories of healing, transformation and struggle.

The festival will kick off with an opening cocktail on Oct. 23 at the McCord Museum and feature a performance by Ensemble Obiora. In-person screenings will take place at the McCord Museum and Cinéma Public. And, for the first time, the festival will be offering a $1,000 prize to the film that wins the audience vote.

drift massimadi montreal festival lgbtq+ afro film
Drift

This year’s program features 15 powerful fiction and documentary films from around the world. Among the highlights are: Anthony Chen’s third feature film Drift, about a young refugee (Cynthia Erivo) who lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour-guide (Alia Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead; Zeno Graton’s Le Paradis, a film about a 17-year-old who is about to be released from a juvenile detention centre. If his judge approves his release, he will live independently. However, the arrival of a new kid, William, will challenge his desire for freedom; and Sam H Freeman & Ng Choon Ping’s Femme, a thriller about a drag queen’s life after a vicious homophobic attack and their chance for revenge.

Other films in this year’s feature film program include Fernanda Faya’s Neirud, M.H. Murray’s I Don’t Know Who You Are, Merle Grimme’s Clashing Differences, Catherine Corsini’s Le Retour and Juru and Vitã’s This Is Ballroom. The festival is also screening two short film programs, Voices of Resistance and Spotlight on Canada. 

On Oct. 26, the Massimadi Cabaret will take place at Livart and feature a wide range of performances, including live painting by Kezna, and a vibrant atmosphere set by DJs G Mako and DJ Sam. This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the creative world of the LGBTQ+ Afro community.

Montreal’s LGBTQ+ Afro film festival Massimadi runs from Oct. 23–27

For more on the Massimadi Festival, please visit their website.


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