Event Directory Search for upcoming events Picks and Previews Plan ahead to check out these not-to-be-missed events All Theatre Dance Music Film & Media Visual Art Literary Festival Promotion Free Festival Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival returns this May | Illustration: Caanan Grall and Ellie Pickett May 24, 2019 - June 2, 2019 Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival Get ready for a great lineup of panels, performances, galas, and screenings Amy Jo Espetveidt Location Various Venues Price Free - $120 Buy Tickets Embracing, sharing, and celebrating queer voices, Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival kicks off this week with films, documentaries, shorts, panels, live performances, a family-friendly bike ride, and many special events. “Over the last 21 years, Fairy Tales has grown from a grassroots, volunteer-run event, to a highly anticipated festival that the entire Calgary community looks forward to,” says Executive Director James Demers in a statement. “This year, we truly have something for everyone and every age. By holding the event at the new Central Library, we hope to attract new audiences who can share in our celebration of queer stories.” The celebration is one of Canada’s largest LGBTQ2A+ film festivals and everyone is welcome. Here’s what we’re most looking forward to checking out: The Fruit Machine May 24, 2019, 7:00pm Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library (800 3rd St. SE) $10 – $15 A new documentary from director Sarah Fodey, The Fruit Machine explores a dark and little-known era in Canadian history—a systemic purging of civil servant and government workers fired under the suspicion of being gay. This screening includes the award-winning short Gross Indecency: The Everett Klippert Story and Love Letter Rescue Squad. showpass.com Here n’ Queer: Not Going Anywhere May 26, 2019, 7:00pm Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library (800 3rd St. SE) Pay-What-You-Can Presented by the Treaty 7 Film Collective, Niitsitapi Filmmaker, storyteller, and indigiqueer Danni Black/Sui Taa Kii curates this incredible lineup of short films from BIPOC/LGBTQ2S+ communities from across the prairies. showpass.com Deep Inside Clint Star May 26, 2019, 9:00pm Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library (800 3rd St. SE) Free admission, registration required Join Sled Island as it teams up with mediaqueer.ca to present the 20th anniversary retrospective screening of Deep Inside Clint Star from the late filmmaker Clint Alberta. Through interviews with his friends under the identity of his character Clint Star, the film journeys into the hearts and minds of his community as they talk about sex, life, love, abuse, and 500 years of oppression—all with humour, grace, and courage. showpass.com Transmilitary May 29, 2019, 9:00pm Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library (800 3rd St. SE) $10 – $15 Around 15,500 transgender people serve in the U.S. military, where they must conceal their gender identity because military policies ban their service. Transmilitary chronicles the lives of four individuals defending their country’s freedom while fighting for their own. This award-winning film humanizes these stories in a powerful call to action. showpass.com Youth Queer Media Gala May 31, 2019, 7:00pm Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library (800 3rd St. SE) $10 – $15 Always a festival highlight, this year’s youth queer media program gives audiences the opportunity to look through the eyes of emerging filmmakers to see what life looks like from their point of view. The films include original music and animation, offering a unique perspective on queer identity in a contemporary world. showpass.com Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival runs May 24 to June 2, 2019 at the Central Library (800 3rd St. SE) and The Plaza Theatre (1133 Kensington Rd. NW). Head to calgaryqueerartssociety.com to see the full schedule.