Inside Out 2012: Preview

Preview of the 22nd Annual Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival, Toronto, Canada.

Another reliable sign of spring turning into summer always comes around the May long weekend when Inside Out sashays into local theatres, now for the second year based at the TIFF Lightbox. The journey from Beauty to Sodom (or from Cherry to Stud Life) unfolds over the next week and change, so there's probably something on offer for everyone, whether you want a sober documentary or something more, um, thrust-y. Reviews will be running soon, but in the meantime, here's some things worth checking out:

First and foremost, I saw She Said Boom!: The Story of Fifth Column a couple weeks ago at Hot Docs and it comes highly recommended to anyone with an interest in postpunk/DIY music and/or local history. Lots to like here on how a group of strong feminists subverted rock'n'roll norms, being amongst the first to queer the aesthetic while still producing some kick-ass music. (my full review can be found here). [Sunday, May 20, 5:00 PM, TIFF Lightbox 2]

For more music there's also Hit So Hard (about former Hole drummer Patty Schemel) and Jobriath A.D., telling the story of the too-gay-for-glam '70's cult hero.

And speaking of documentaries, most noteworthy is Call Me Kuchu, which just nabbed the Best International Feature award at Hot Docs. Telling the story of Ugandan activist David Kato, this is a strong reminder that there are many parts of the world where being out is still a death sentence. [Saturday, May 19, 4:45 PM, TIFF Lightbox 2]

Director Ella Lemhagen brought the delightful Patrik 1.5 to the festival in 2009, so I'm enthused to check out her follow-up, The Crown Jewels. It promises "mystery, romance, fantasy and a soupçon of gay hockey stardom", delivered, I will presume, with dry Swedish wit. [Saturday, May 19, 9:30 PM, TIFF Lightbox 1] (The festival is also screening her earlier Immediate Boarding as a free family screening, so check that out as well. [Sun May 27, 2:00 PM, TIFF Lightbox 2]

Inside Out is always good for a blast or two of campy fun, and this year Madame X looks like a promising candidate. Equal parts superhero flick and fashion spectacle, it tells the story of "a pre-op transsexual superhero who fights intolerance, all the while looking fierce and fabulous". This sounds like all sorts of awesome — come out and celebrate that grand old queen with this matinée on Victoria Day. [Mon May 21, 2:15 PM, TIFF Lightbox 2]

And for those looking for quicker bursts of satisfaction, there's a solid series of shorts programmes — excellent for those who want to check something out without making a long-term commitment. I saw The Man That Got Away at Hot Docs and still have a couple of the songs in my head, so I can recommend this unique doc/musical hybrid that's playing as part of the Mixed Shorts screening. [Sunday, May 27, 2:15 PM, TIFF Lightbox 1] And looking top-to-bottom, I reckon that Boy Shorts 2 should be a whole bunch of fun: twitter jokes, Fire Island and something called Slut: The Musical. Oh, my. [Tueday, May 22, 2012, 7:15 PM, TIFF Lightbox 2]