BC made Short Emphasizes on Youth and Emerging Filmmakers
Christina Willing’s new short film Beauty leads off a strong lineup of new and classic National Film Board of Canada productions at the 30 th Vancouver Queer Film Festival, August 9 – 19.
Screening at The Coast is Genderqueer on Friday August 17 th . The film is produced and executive produced by Shirley Vercruysse for the NFB’s BC and Yukon Studio which is based in Vancouver, and Teri Snelgrove is associate producer.
In a world of fixed positions and prescribed roles, expanding the definition of gender requires the courage to dive deep into understanding and acceptance. Written and directed by Christina Willing’s, Beauty explores the lives of five gender-creative kids, each uniquely engaged in shaping their ideas of what it means to be fully human. Claiming your own sense of gender when everything around you insists that you comply and conform can be challenging, and sometimes scary—but family and friends are there to help.
Free-flowing animated elements, ranging from images of octopuses to astronauts, draw together the kids’ shared experiences in beautifully rendered fantasias that celebrate the power of imagination and the flourishing force of self-determination. Playful, goofy, loving and brave, each of these remarkable young people—including Ladner, B.C.’s transgender advocate Tru Wilson —have found their own way to break free and show the world what it really means to be your true self.
