It’s one of the world’s most important film fests, widely seen as the first big indicator of next-year Oscar glory. And while mainstream in scope, the Toronto International Film Festival is also increasingly becoming one of LGBT cinema’s biggest annual bashes, with some of the most exciting gay, lesbian and trans titles marking their splashy debuts to the world.
This year the gay buzz was TIFF’s strongest yet, with the star-studded world premieres of two especially eagerly anticipated films, The Danish Girl and Freeheld — and nearly as many LGBT sparks flying offscreen as on. Tom Hardy’s shoot-down of a press conference question about his sexuality went viral, Ellen Page made her public debut with girlfriend Samantha Thomas on the Freeheld red carpet, and young director Stephen Dunn’s first full-length film Closet Monster won the festival’s Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film. TIFF is also an ever-bigger event on Toronto’s local gay scene, with some of the season’s hottest parties packing in the city’s (and the visiting world’s) cutest film nerds.
Eddie Redmayne on The Danish Girl premiere red carpet.
Matt Damon and Kate Mara at The Martian press conference.
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David Ebershoff, author of the book The Danish Girl, at the film’s premiere:
STIFF 6: The Legend of Tom’s Hardy at Handlebar:
(@mitchelraphael) on
STIFF 6: The Legend of Tom’s Hardy at Handlebar:
STIFF 6: The Legend of Tom’s Hardy at Handlebar:
Hosts Judy Virago and Bruce LaBruce at the latter’s TIFF party at Bovine Sex Club.
Bruce LaBruce’s TIFF party at Bovine Sex Club:
A photo posted by Mitchel Raphael (@mitchelraphael) on
Bruce LaBruce’s TIFF party at Bovine Sex Club.
Ellen Page and Julianne Moore at the Freeheld premiere.
The Closet Monster’s director Stephen Dunn (center) and lead actor Connor Jessup (right) with filmmaker A. J. Bond.
The cast (and director Adam Garnet Jones, center) of Fire Song, the first ever Canadian First Nations feature with an LGBT theme:
Photos by Dan Allen, Mitchel Raphael, @fabgza, @missarahk and @whatshesaid167
Xzamilio
I love this selection… they’re all so Witty Humble Intelligent Transcendental Enamoring people
Matthew David Thompson
Matthew McMillion
Billy Budd
I personally think that Eddie Redmayne is cute and adorable. I loved his movie about the life of Marilyn Monroe.
Billy Budd
I’m fucking Matt Damon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU2PzCwRKSI
Finrod
@Xzamilio: Maybe Matt Damon made up the guest list.