As the glitz-and-glam of TIFF wrapped up in Toronto over the weekend, a special film titled “I Am Sirat” made its international debut.
07.09.2023 - 14:03 / variety.com
Addie Morfoot Contributor In “Summer Qamp” documentary filmmaker Jen Markowitz follows a group of LGBTQ+ youth while they attend Camp fYrefly, a summer retreat in rural Alberta, Canada.
During the five-day camp, Markowitz, who identifies as they/them, captured queer, non-binary and trans teens in an environment they weren’t used to: A place that was free from judgment. Removed from bullies and uncomfortable family situations, the handful campers featured in “Summer Qamp” quickly gain confidence and build resilience.
Given the unprecedented wave of anti-LGBQT+ legislation being enacted in the U.S.
as well as the global increase in LGBTQ+ intolerance, Markowitz was eager to make an uplifting doc about LGBQT+ kids who are not only being accepted, but also celebrated.
“There is a lot of anti-trans and anti-queer rhetoric that these kids are seeing in the news cycles,” says Markowitz. “For me, coming from a time when I didn’t have a community to affirm me, I know how powerful it is to see a reflection of yourself in the community that you absorb.”
In 2021, Lauren Heimer and Mia Weier, co-founders of Hello Friend Media approached Cineflix Prods.’ president and head of content J.C.
Mills to ask if he would join them as an executive producer on the project. Mills came back to the pair with an instant yes.
“I always look for an opportunity to tell timely stories,” says Mills.
“The conversation of what it is like to be a young adult going through a coming out or a transition is raging across not only the U.S. but also Canada.
As the glitz-and-glam of TIFF wrapped up in Toronto over the weekend, a special film titled “I Am Sirat” made its international debut.
Sylvester Stallone walked the red carpet at TIFF 2023, on hand to promote “Sly”, a new documentary about his life and stunningly successful Hollywood career that’s closing out this year’s festival.
Salma Hayek knows how to bring the style.
Brent Lang Executive Editor It’s been a Toronto Film Festival like few others. The writers and actors strikes meant that many A-listers opted not to touch down in Canada this year, depriving the gathering of film lovers of the star-studded red carpets and Q&As that make Toronto so memorable. Even if this year’s festival was starved for glamour, it was still a good opportunity to get a clearer picture of the awards race — and to check the pulse of Hollywood at a tumultuous time for the industry.
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Filmmaker Karan Johar, who was in the 6ix to attend the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, got chatty with ET Canada’s Sangita Patel about the success of actress Priyanka Chopra.
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Lil Nas X dropped into TIFF Saturday night, attending the premiere of the documentary “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero”.
Nicolas Cage was on hand for the TIFF premiere of his latest film, “Dream Scenario”, in which he plays Paul Matthews, an ordinary guy who becomes a reluctant celebrity when he mysteriously begins appearing in the dreams of other.
“The cracks in the employers’ walls are getting deeper everyday.”
As Ben Hardy touched down in Toronto for TIFF for the premiere of his film “Unicorns” on Friday, the UK-born actor hit up a red carpet interview with ET Canada’s Dallas Dixon to discuss his support from the LGBTQ+ community and how he achieved a sizable derrière.
ET Canada’s Carlos Bustamante caught up with Amrit Kaur on the TIFF red carpet, where she was on hand for the world premiere of her new film “The Queen of My Dreams”.
SAG-AFTRA’s presence at TIFF continued into Saturday with a special picket outside Amazon offices here in Toronto with Canada’s commercial actors union ACTRA, who’ve been in a 501 day contract lockout with the country’s advertising agency’s org.