Frontmezzjunkies reports: VANCOUVER QUEER FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS
Vancouver, BC (September 11, 2025) – The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) has announced this year’s award winners. The VQFF awards ceremony took place on the opening night of the festival on September 11th at the Vancouver Playhouse. The opening gala featured a red carpet, awards, performances, as well as the Opening Presentation: Then. Now. Forever. The inaugural MATRIARCH OF THE YEAR AWARD was presented to Winnipeg-based filmmaker and speaker Sonya Ballantyne, the GERRY BRUNET MEMORIAL AWARD for Best BC Short was presented to Vancouver-based actor and filmmaker Jess McLeod for DTF? and the NARRATIVE CHANGE AWARD was presented to Rheanna Toy for the documentary feature A PLACE WHERE I BELONG, which is the first win for a local film/filmmaker since the Narrative Change Award was launched in 2023.
“It is a true honour to recognize such incredibly powerful voices within the queer community. Sonya Ballantyne is a true Matriarch, lighting the path for Indigenous stories and storytellers, advocating for our voices to be heard through every genre, and inspiring our youth. Sonya represents why we created the Matriarch of the Year Award,” says VQFF Artistic Director Mary Galloway. “Comedy is no easy feat, but Jess McLeod’s DTF? balances wit and heart while not shying away from an honest, playful depiction of intimacy. Rheanna Toy’s feature documentary A Place Where I Belong takes us on an incredibly honest, tender, and eye-opening journey that shines an essential light on the unique struggles at the intersection of disability and 2SLGBTQIA+ justice. A heartfelt congratulations to all three winners at this year’s 37th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival!”
Awards & Award Winners:
MATRIARCH OF THE YEAR AWARD – Winner Sonya Ballantyne
Sonya Ballantyne (she/they) is a Swampy Cree writer, filmmaker, and speaker based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her work explores contemporary and futuristic portrayals of Indigenous women and girls. Her award-winning projects include the documentary Nosisim (2024 Barry Lank Award) and the graphic novel Little by Little (In The Margins, 2025 Top Ten Title). Her film The Death Tour screened at Cannes in 2023 with a world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2024.
About this award: The inaugural Matriarch of the Year Award (MOTY) honours an Indigiqueer or Two Spirit (2S) Matriarchal leader in film and television across Turtle Island who has made a significant impact on Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ storytelling. Nominated by community members, the winner receives a $5,000 cash prize and a publicity package from Pender PR to amplify their positive impact and support their work.
Jury: Mary Galloway, filmmaker Tristin Greyeyes, and Olivia Brooks
NARRATIVE CHANGE AWARD – Winner Rheanna Toy
Rheanna Toy (she/her) is a documentary filmmaker and the director of Cloudstreet Media. She has worked on films that have screened at festivals across North America, with her debut short Serisa 26 winning the Audience Choice Award at Cinema Spectacular. Her first feature, A Place Where I Belong, follows six 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals with intellectual disabilities fighting for rights, visibility, and inclusion and world premieres at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival on Sunday, September 14th, with a special performance and presentation after the film.
About this award: This $5,000 cash prize is determined by an international jury and honours a Canadian or International feature film that uses the power of cultural strategy to overturn outdated narratives, inspire change, and expand the audience’s perception of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities.
Jury: actor and model Rain Dove and Toronto-based festival programmer Lu Linares (Inside Out Film Festival)
GERRY BRUNET MEMORIAL AWARD Best British Columbia Short – Winner Jess McLeod
Jess McLeod (they/them)is an award-winning trans nonbinary filmmaker and actor. Their award-winning short, DTF?, is on the festival circuit after premiering at the Oscar-qualifying 2024 Out On Film festival. Upcoming acting credits include Bob Odenkirk’s new action film Normal, which world premiered at TIFF 2025, and AMC’s new series “The Audacity“, starring Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen. It was recently announced that Jess’s next short film, She’s Nonbinary, will be executive-produced by Bob Odenkirk and Jane Schoenbrun. Jess is represented by Jamie Levitt at LLA Talent.
About this award: Our annual prize for the Festival’s best BC short film was established in 1997 in recognition of Gerry Brunet, a lifelong contributor to the arts and an early board member of Out On Screen. The winner will receive a $2,850 cash prize and mentorship opportunities from the Directors Guild of Canada BC, a $20,000 camera package prize from Keslow Camera, and a $5,000 gear package prize from Cinelease. The Award is Sponsored by the DGC.
Jury: filmmakers Jason Karman (Golden Delicious), Kent Donguines (This Ink Runs Deep), and Brianne Nord-Stewart (The Dangers of Online Dating).
In Attendance:
Filmmakers and stars present for opening night and throughout the festival include: actor and multi-disciplinary artist Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death, Sex Lives of College Girls) and Lea Delaria (“Orange is the New Black“) for the world premiere of the short film OLD DYKES, alongside director-writer Ezra Rose. Local directors in attendance with feature films include: director-writer Panta Mosleh (“Eternity“, TIFF 2025) with the world premiere of PRIDE & PRAYER, a deeply personal documentary on Mosleh’s queerness and Muslim faith; filmmaker Rheanna Toy with the world premiere of documentary A PLACE WHERE I BELONG that follows people with intellectual disabilities connecting with each other and the broader queer community; and Anishnaabe filmmaker and theatre artist Corey Payette with the hometown premiere of musical-drama STARWALKER starring Dillan Chiblow, who will also be at the fest. Actor Johnny Wu (Joy Ride) will also be in attendance with director Jason Sakaki for the BC Premiere of the short film RAMEN BOYS.
International artists in attendance include: Emmy-award-winning American producer Samantha Wender and documentary editor Sasha Perry of this year’s Centrepiece Presentation: JUST KIDS; German directors Isis Rampf and Juan Bermudez (WHERE YOU FIND ME (OBEN OHNE)); American documentary filmmaker Courtney Hermann (OUTLIERS AND OUTLAWS); Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jota Mun (BETWEEN GOODBYES). Special guest Debra K Madsen will be in attendance for the screening and Q&A of ROW OF LIFE about her late wife, Paralympian medalist Angela Madsen’s fatal attempt to row unassisted from Los Angeles to Hawai’i.
The 37th annual edition of VQFF takes place in person September 11-21, 2025, and online September 22-28, 2025, with screenings, parties, industry panels, Q&As, and networking socials.
