2024 Program

TQFF’s Statement Regarding the Practice of Film Festivals Charging Entry Fees

At TQFF, one of our top priorities is to support filmmakers. In recent years, the number of films being made has exploded due to the widespread accessibility of high quality video production technologies. Unfortunately, however, in many ways it has never been harder for for filmmakers who make work without the benefit of large budgets or insider connections to get their projects shown at festivals, precisely at this moment when it has become possible for almost everyone to make films.

There are huge barriers to entry at almost every stage of most festival submissions process, starting with the first step: submitting your film. Submission fees, the requirement that filmmakers and producers pay amounts ranging from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars in order to have a festival even consider screening a film, have become ubiquitous, even on the LGBT film festival circuit. Festivals offer a range of excuses for charging these entry fees, including “we are a non-profit and by paying submission fees you are supporting our festival” to “we are overwhelmed by the number of entries in recent years and thus rely on the fees to hire programming staff to watch all of the entries”.

At TQFF, we are no more impressed by films made with large budgets than we are with the videos of first-time filmmakers who shot their project on their cellphones. We are thrilled that the proliferation of digital technologies is increasingly making it possible for even queer and trans folks with the least resources and institutional supports to make work.

At TQFF, we want to foster and support the production of all kinds of work, and that means dismantling institutional structures that discourage those with the least access and resources from submitting their films, much less have them be seriously considered. While money and resources can sometimes be instrumental in producing great work, they are no substitute for – and, in fact, often wind up being an anathema to – creativity, insight, and a commitment to bettering our communities.

As such, TQFF encourages anyone and everyone to make and submit work that fits with our mission to our festival. We will continue to do our best to reduce and remove barriers to production and distribution of work by queer and trans artists, we will never charge submission fees, and every film submitted will be watched by our programming team and considered for inclusion in the festival.

Such justifications for charging submission fees indicate additional motivating factors:

1. Festivals view themselves as gatekeepers who can demand premiums from artists seeking the recognition and exposure for their work that some festivals offer;
2. A prioritization of supporting their institution and the labor of their staff over the work of artists and filmmakers, without whom, in reality, they would be unable to host their festival;
3. As the number of films being made and submitted to festivals continues to rise, many festivals want the submission fees to be a barrier to entry, especially since many festivals program very few films submitted through open calls and may already be overwhelmed by the number of entries they get even with the large submission fees.

In this manner, festival submission fees have become an accepted practice that is, intentionally or not, designed to restrict access for low-budget and/or marginalized filmmakers to have their work be considered and ultimately programmed at festivals. At base is the assumption that filmmakers and producers who do not have sufficient resources to pay high entry fees to numerous festivals do not produce work worth considering.

How to Attend the Toronto Queer Film Festival & Symposium

TQFF 2024 is occurring in person and online.

Buying a ticket gives you full access to all online and in-person programmes.

Tickets to TQFF are always pay-what-you-can. We do not turn anyone away due to lack of funds. Our suggested donation is $20 – $80.

Our festival is a grassroots publicly funded, donor supported festival and we encourage those who can pay more to offset ticket prices for those who can’t.

Purchasing Tickets In-Person: You can purchase a ticket from our box office at the Tranzac Club between Friday, March 14 and Sunday, March 17.

The box office will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each in-person programme. We accept debit, credit, and cash.

Following purchase of your ticket in-person, you will receive a confirmation email with more information on how to log-in to view our online content.

Please allow up to 24 hours to receive your log-in details. All online programming will be available until April 14th, 2024, at 11:59PM EST.

Purchasing Tickets Online: You can purchase your ticket on our website here.

Shortly following purchase, you will receive a confirmation email with more information on how to log-in to view our online content. All online programming will be available until April 14th, 2024, at 11:59PM EST.

If you purchase a ticket online for an in-person screening, you will be asked to provide your name and email address at the box office prior to entry.

Enjoy the festival!

Code of Conduct

Out of an abundance of care for our disabled and vulnerable staff and community, and an understanding that COVID-19 is a serious and disabling health concern, the Toronto Queer Film Festival is committed to providing a low risk space for our communities to gather during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. We will supply high quality personal protective equipment (N95s) to all our attendees and artists. We require that all attendees remain masked in all indoor spaces – the screening areas, corridors, and washrooms – at all times in order to keep our vulnerable community members safe.

Please observe safe masking practices while in the venue: your mask should cover both your nose and mouth and fit securely around your face so as to maintain an adequate seal.

Please see this graphic by the Centres for Disease Control for an explanation of proper mask fit.

We will maintain continuous air filtration during the screenings and we are also pleased to offer a limited number of COVID safe care kits with Betadine iota-carrageenan antiviral nasal spray and Crest CPC mouthwash, both of which studies have shown to reduce COVID infection rates by over 80%. If you would like a kit, please contact one of our staff members at the venue (this information is not medical advice, please seek advice from your own doctor before using).

Finally, TQFF strictly upholds the Ontario Human Rights Code. We will not tolerate any open acts of hostility or discrimination towards our staff or community members.

In the interest of safety and accessibility, we ask for the following:

• Wear an appropriate mask (must be e.g. N95, KF94, KN95 equivalent or better) that fits you well. We will be offering free N95 or better respirators on site for those who do not have an appropriate mask.
• We recommend testing before the event if you can, and please do not come in-person if you are feeling unwell or experiencing any COVID-19 or cold symptoms.
• If you start feeling unwell while you are there, please keep your mask on, let our staff know, and exit the physical space if you can.
• We also understand that continuous masking may be a potential barrier for people including those with sensory needs or people who need to see full facial expressions or lip-reading for communication, and we will work with you to figure out how to balance these needs.
• Lastly, If you have any questions or requests concerning our COVID-19 policy, please let a member of our staff know or email access@torontoqueerfilmfest.com.