Iris has moved into a new, lonely, and dreary environment. It’s only when she discovers the source of some enticing music that color begins to fill her surroundings.]]>Director: Julie Antoine, Leila B., Julie Vaillancourt Year: 2023 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality:Lesbian Animation Style: Digital Genre: Romance Type: Explicit, short
What happens to Cupid when he's struck by his own arrow?]]>Director:Wrik Mead Year: 1998 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality:Gay Animation Style: Stop motion Genre: Comedy, experimental, fantasy Type: Explicit, short
Can currently be watched on Vucavu: https://vucavu.com/en/canadian-filmmakers-distribution-centre/1998/cupid]]>Vivek Shraya reflects on The Roost, a gay bar in Edmonton she used to visit, and how it provided her with a sense of community, despite how complicated navigating a queer space can be when you do not fit into a community's expectations.
Shraya had already came out as trans when Reviving The Roost was released. Though the story is set during a time before she transitioned, the short discusses ways she presented more feminine when she visited The Roost. Since Shraya was heavily involved with the work, serving as the writer, director, and narrator of the piece, I feel categorizing it as transgender, albeit implicitly, is applicable.]]>Director: Vivek Shraya Year: 2019 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality: Drag, gay, gender creative, lesbian, queer, transgender Animation Style: Digital Genre: Documentary Type: Explicit, implicit, short
]]>When Elisha Lim's roommate comes out as nonbinary, this leads Lim into a self-reflection and realization about their own identity.
This animation showcases an excerpt from Lim's graphic novel 100 Crushes (2014). For more information about the graphic novel, I recommend visiting Queer Comics Database.]]>Director: Elisha Lim Year: 2014 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality: Nonbinary, queer Animation Style: Stop motion Genre: Documentary Type: Explicit, short
]]>This short documentary focuses on the musical duo Tegan & Sara and how their various identities—as identical twins, Calgarians, queer women, and artists—intersect and impact their music and activism.]]>Director: Ann Marie Fleming Year: 2018 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality: Androgyny, intersex, lesbian, nonbinary, queer, transgender Animation Style: Digital Genre: Documentary, music(al) Type: Explicit, short
]]>In a fantastical world, a prince and a princess from neighboring kingdoms are arranged to be married, but they both have crushes they would rather be with. The two devise a plan to delay the wedding.
While not explicitly mentioned in the film, Beetle is bisexual and transgender. If one looks at the official Acorn Princess X (formerly Twitter), the art director, Mikayla Buan, posted a drawing of the characters holding their respective pride flags.]]>Production Manager: Kris Yim Art Direction: Mikayla Buan Year: 2020 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality: Bisexual, gay, gender creative, lesbian, transgender Animation Style: Digital Genre: Action, fantasy, romance Type: Explicit, implicit, short
A touching tribute to the director’s friend Shannon Cara Jamieson, whose struggle with balancing her religious faith and sexuality contributed to her eventual suicide. The short contains a multitude of examples of Shannon’s work, including her music, art, photography, and video recordings.
In an article about the film on NFB's blog, Shannon also viewed herself as queer, and I have included that tag for this work.]]>Director: Chris Dainty Year: 2019 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality: Lesbian, queer Animation Style: Digital, live-action blending, stop motion, traditional Genre: Documentary Type: Explicit, implicit, short
]]>A mother discourages her daughter from drawing a lesbian couple. Afterwards, the drawings come to life, and one of the figures does everything she can to reunite with her other half.]]>Director: Eleanor Davitt Year: 2019 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality: Gay, lesbian Animation Style: Digital Genre: Fantasy, romance Type: Explicit, short
]]>After being broken up with by her girlfriend, in part for presenting too butch in public, Bobbi goes to learn about other historical women who look like her. She soon discovers the mysterious sheela na gigs and takes a trip to Ireland to see them in person. After she asks a sheela na gig for advice, it comes alive and helps her find love and embrace her butch identity.]]>Director: Barb Taylor Year: 2018 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality: Gender creative, lesbian Animation Style: Digital, traditional Genre: Drama, fantasy Type: Explicit, short
]]>Moe, a queer, autistic adult, must now deal with a mysterious hole following them around.]]>Director: Gil Goletski Year: 2018 Country: Canada Gender and Sexuality: Queer, transgender Animation Style: Digital, stop motion, traditional Genre: Drama, experimental Type: Explicit, short