Image+Nation
PARADE: QUEER ACTS OF LOVE & RESISTANCE

PARADE: QUEER ACTS OF LOVE & RESISTANCE

NOAM GONICK | CANADA | 2025 | 96 MIN | ENGLISH FST

VIRTUAL FREE SCREENING - CLICK HERE // bon cinéma !

NOAM GONICK | CANADA | 2025 | 96 MIN | ENGLISH FST

DocumentaryMADE AU CANADA

Presented by

NFB

Synopsis

Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance captures pivotal moments that sparked Canada’s LGBTQ+ movement, honouring the activists and elders whose resistance led to the rights we have today. Through rarely seen archival footage and first-person accounts (including interviews with filmmakers John Greyson, Richard Fung and politician Sven Robinson, to name a few), audiences are brought to the frontlines of the struggle. From police raids to early drag shows, community organizing to the House of Commons—the complex history of the country’s diverse communities is brought to life. Key milestones illustrate the power of taking it into the streets and underscore how easily the rights we’ve fought for can be revoked, making the documentary essential viewing for all Canadians. Unflinching, bold, enraging, hopeful; Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance is a vital new chapter in the queer canon.

Trailer

Filmmaker Bio

Noam Gonick (born March 20, 1973, in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian filmmaker, artist, and writer. A graduate of Ryerson University, his work spans experimental film, documentary, mixed media, and installations. Gonick first drew attention with his short film 1919 (1997), a reimagining of the Winnipeg General Strike through a queer lens. His debut feature Hey, Happy! (I+N14, 2001) won the award for Best Canadian Film at Inside Out. Other notable works include Stryker (2004) and the documentary To Russia with Love. His installations have been shown internationally, and his art is in collections such as MoMA and the National Gallery of Canada.

Producer

Justine Pimlott

Writer

Noam Gonick

Cinematographer

Mrinal Desai

Cast

  • Hugh Brewster; Rico Rodriguez; Alexander Chapman; Susan G. Cole; Cheri DiNovo; Rodney Diverlus; Debbie Douglas; Andy Fabo; Lynne Fernie; Fontaine; Richard Fung; Lorne Goldblum; Amy Gottlieb; John Greyson; Charlie Hill; Tom Hooper; Ed Jackson; Nicolas Jenkins; leZlie lee Kam; Paul Keenan; Myra Laramee; Alan Li; Samuel Lopez; Jeanine Maes; Tim McCaskell; Courtnay McFarlane; Albert McLeod; Connie Merasty; Jearld Moldenhauer; Yvette Perreault; Jeffrey Richstone; Laval Rioux; Svend Robinson; Ron Rosenes; Lorraine Segato; Mirha-Soleil Ross; Tony Souza; Robin Tyler; Rinaldo Walcott; Syrus Marcus Ware
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

PARTNERS

NFB

You might also like

PosterShort
ATLS[MADE AU CANADA]11 minutes

In a dystopian future, two women flee exploitation and find love in a remote cabin, only to face relentless pursuit and a tragic fate.

PosterShort
Becoming Ruby[MADE AU CANADA]10 minutes

Becoming Ruby follows Ruby Chopstix, Canada’s first drag artist-in-residence, as they navigate the challenges of being an underrepresented drag performer while preparing a special showcase to highlight and create space for other queer BIPOC artists.

PosterDocumentaryVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
CELESTIAL QUEER: THE LIFE, WORK AND WONDER OF JAMES MACSWAIN[MADE AU CANADA]72 minutes

Celestial Queer celebrates James MacSwain, Nova Scotia's beloved and beguiling queer artist, animator and gay-rights activist who passed away this past September 2025. Born and raised in the “backwater” of Atlantic Canada, MacSwain has been making ground-breaking experimental films, animations and provocative art performances for more than half a century. A quietly outspoken feminist, naturalist, and gay rights activist, Celestial Queer introduces audiences to a charmingly obscure and prolific Canadian artist. Through a combination of playful verité and rarely seen footage from his archive, Celestial Queer accompanies MacSwain and a revolving cast of characters as he revisits everything from the sites of some of his most recognized works to the rocky tidal shores of Nova Scotia. The film also includes rarely-seen footage from the infamous 1984 rooftop ‘Phallus Performance’ during which MacSwain was almost both arrested and charged with obscenity. Jim’s effusive character, prolific work, and community organizing have inspired generations of artists to fearlessly be themselves. Celestial Queer now introduces audiences to one of Canada’s best kept secrets, an artist who is effortlessly charming, engagingly prolific, and subversive to his surrealist core.

PosterShort
Bodyrebuilding[MADE AU CANADA]10 minutes

Vivek navigates the chronic pain caused by the pressures of advocating for diversity, finding healing and strength through weightlifting.

PosterShort
The Palace[MADE AU CANADA]9 minutes

At a secret forest hideout, suburban teen Dani meets her crush Jayde, only to encounter a mysterious, otherworldly presence.

PosterShort
Rosa's Flowers[MADE AU CANADA]18 minutes

In 1998 Indonesia, two girls promised to be friends forever. Twenty-five years later, a traumatic event resurfaces memories of their shared childhood.

PosterShort
Pink Elephant[MADE AU CANADA]13 minutes

A long-standing friendship faces tension over gender identity, but everything shifts when one friend receives life-changing news, transforming their bond and perspectives forever.

PosterShort
Nani's Kitchen[MADE AU CANADA]10 minutes

After losing her husband, Nani embraces newfound freedom in her home until a visit from her daughter unearths a family secret: her late husband’s queerness. Through love, grief, and defiance, Nani reclaims her story, embodying the strength of an Indo-Caribbean matriarch forging joy amid loss.

PosterShort
Itty Bitty Betty[MADE AU CANADA]12 minutes

Betty, driven by fear of rejection, lives isolated at home among her miniature figurines. When she meets a woman she can’t stop thinking about, she faces a difficult choice: remain in her safe, private world or step outside and risk vulnerability for a real connection.

PosterShort
Queen Mother (Inang Reyna)[MADE AU CANADA]14 minutes

When a mother visits her son, a drag performer, a night of raw confessions forces them to confront the unhealed wounds of their past.

PosterShort
ATLS[MADE AU CANADA]11 minutes

In a dystopian future, two women flee exploitation and find love in a remote cabin, only to face relentless pursuit and a tragic fate.

PosterShort
Becoming Ruby[MADE AU CANADA]10 minutes

Becoming Ruby follows Ruby Chopstix, Canada’s first drag artist-in-residence, as they navigate the challenges of being an underrepresented drag performer while preparing a special showcase to highlight and create space for other queer BIPOC artists.

PosterDocumentaryVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
CELESTIAL QUEER: THE LIFE, WORK AND WONDER OF JAMES MACSWAIN[MADE AU CANADA]72 minutes

Celestial Queer celebrates James MacSwain, Nova Scotia's beloved and beguiling queer artist, animator and gay-rights activist who passed away this past September 2025. Born and raised in the “backwater” of Atlantic Canada, MacSwain has been making ground-breaking experimental films, animations and provocative art performances for more than half a century. A quietly outspoken feminist, naturalist, and gay rights activist, Celestial Queer introduces audiences to a charmingly obscure and prolific Canadian artist. Through a combination of playful verité and rarely seen footage from his archive, Celestial Queer accompanies MacSwain and a revolving cast of characters as he revisits everything from the sites of some of his most recognized works to the rocky tidal shores of Nova Scotia. The film also includes rarely-seen footage from the infamous 1984 rooftop ‘Phallus Performance’ during which MacSwain was almost both arrested and charged with obscenity. Jim’s effusive character, prolific work, and community organizing have inspired generations of artists to fearlessly be themselves. Celestial Queer now introduces audiences to one of Canada’s best kept secrets, an artist who is effortlessly charming, engagingly prolific, and subversive to his surrealist core.

PosterShort
Bodyrebuilding[MADE AU CANADA]10 minutes

Vivek navigates the chronic pain caused by the pressures of advocating for diversity, finding healing and strength through weightlifting.

PosterShort
The Palace[MADE AU CANADA]9 minutes

At a secret forest hideout, suburban teen Dani meets her crush Jayde, only to encounter a mysterious, otherworldly presence.

PosterShort
Rosa's Flowers[MADE AU CANADA]18 minutes

In 1998 Indonesia, two girls promised to be friends forever. Twenty-five years later, a traumatic event resurfaces memories of their shared childhood.

PosterShort
Pink Elephant[MADE AU CANADA]13 minutes

A long-standing friendship faces tension over gender identity, but everything shifts when one friend receives life-changing news, transforming their bond and perspectives forever.

PosterShort
Nani's Kitchen[MADE AU CANADA]10 minutes

After losing her husband, Nani embraces newfound freedom in her home until a visit from her daughter unearths a family secret: her late husband’s queerness. Through love, grief, and defiance, Nani reclaims her story, embodying the strength of an Indo-Caribbean matriarch forging joy amid loss.

PosterShort
Itty Bitty Betty[MADE AU CANADA]12 minutes

Betty, driven by fear of rejection, lives isolated at home among her miniature figurines. When she meets a woman she can’t stop thinking about, she faces a difficult choice: remain in her safe, private world or step outside and risk vulnerability for a real connection.

PosterShort
Queen Mother (Inang Reyna)[MADE AU CANADA]14 minutes

When a mother visits her son, a drag performer, a night of raw confessions forces them to confront the unhealed wounds of their past.