Beyond Gay
Gay Pride marches and festivals are happening all over the world sometimes under heavy opposition and violence.
Beyond Gay – The Politics of Pride is the most comprehensive look at the role of these events ever undertaken. This feature length documentary follows the Vancouver Pride Society’s (VPS) Parade Director Ken Coolen and his VPS colleagues as they travel to places where Pride is still steeped in protest to personally experience the rampant homophobia that still exists. They also travel to Sao Paulo Brazil for the world’s largest gay parade and New York City, the birthplace of the modern gay liberation movement.
Beyond Gay Trailer

Run Time: 1 hour 25 minutes Availability: Worldwide

“Those who have become jaded about such events would do well to see this film…[Prides in Eastern Europe] evoke violent reactions that are truly terrifying.” – Matthew Hays, The Mirror
Vancouver’s Gay Pride Director examines the role and relevance of Pride Celebrations around the world – from the extremes of protest to the heights of celebration.
Winner – Best Film – Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival: Indianapolis IN, USA
Winner – Best Documentary (Jury Prize): Image + Nation, Montreal QC, Canada
Winner – Best Documentary: Q Cinema Fort Worth TX, USA
Winner – Best Documentary: Fairy Tales, Calgary AB, Canada
Winner – Best Documentary (Jury & Audience) Three Dollar Bill: Seattle WA, USA
Winner – Best Documentary, Out on Film: Atlanta GA, USA
Winner – Best Documentary, Reel Pride, Winnipeg MB, Canada
Winner – Best Documentary, Inside Out Ottawa Gatineau, Ottawa ON
Winner – Best Documentary, Miami LGBT Film Festival, Miami FL, USA
Canadian Gala – Victoria Film Festival: Victoria BC, Canada
Opening Gala – Boston LGBT Film Festival: Boston MA, USA
Official Selection – Cleveland International Film Festival: Cleveland OH, USA
Official Selection – Frameline 34: San Francisco CA, USA
Official Selection – This Human World: Vienna Austria
*Screened at over sixty film festivals and Pride events around the world.*
*Showtime USA* *Super Channel Canada*
“A riveting and enlightening documentary on the politics and relevance of the
global gay pride movement.” –Michael D. Reid, Times Colonist
Credits
These are the people who made this project possible.
Principal Interview List
Ken Coolen – President Vancouver Pride Society / Gilbert Baker – Creator of the LGBT Rainbow Flag / Sahran Abeysundara – Equal Ground Sri Lanka / Tomasz Baczkowski – Warsaw Equality Parade / Dean Nelson – Director Vancouver Pride Society / Libby Davies – Member of Parliament Vancouver East / Fatima Amarshi – Pride Toronto / Scott Long – Human Rights Watch / Rev. Brent Hawkes – Metropolitan Church of Toronto / Gareth Henry – JFLAG Jamaica / Franco Reinado – President Gay & Lesbian Travel Association of Brasil / Nikolai Alekseev – Moscow Pride / Cleve Jones – Friend of Harvey Milk, Creator of the NAMES Project Memorial Quilt
Principal Credit List
Oliver Lindsay Executive Producer Transmission
Charlie David Executive Producer Border2 Border Entertainment
Bob Christie Director
Morris Chapdelaine Producer
Joshua Kurt Rainhard Director of Photography
Steve Schmidt Editor
Aerlyn Weissman Writer / Story Editor
Michael Wiskar Original Score
Additional Original Music
Armstrong Jr. / Destineak / Lucien Durey
Get Involved
Interested in being part of
the movement? Here are some
places you can start.
hrw.org (human rights watch)
Awards & Screenings
Image + Nation Festival of LGBT Cinema Montreal QC, Canada (Winner Best Documentary) 10/25/2009
Mix Festival of Diversity Sao Paulo Brazil (2 screenings) 11/17/2009
Florence Queer Festival Florence Italy 12/03/2009
This Human World Vienna, Austria 12/05/2009
Hawaii Island Pride Kainalui Hawaii 01/15/2010
Victoria Film Festival Victoria BC, Canada (Canadian Gala) 01/30/2010
Brussels LGBT Film Festival Brussels, Belgium 02/05/2010
2010 Olympics Pride House Film Series Vancouver BC, Canada 02/27/2010
Out in Africa Film Festival Cape Town, SA (2 screenings) 03/26/2010
Cleveland International Film Festival Cleveland OH, USA (2 screenings) 04/10/2010
Phoenix Film Festival Phoenix AZ, USA 04/22/2010
Athens Pride Athens Greece 05/01/2010
Pink Apple Film Festival Zurich Switzerland 05/06/2010
Boston LGBT Film Festival Boston MA, USA (Opening Gala) 05/14/2010
Slavic Pride Minsk Belarus 05/16/2010
International Day Against Homophobia Victoria BC, Canada 05/17/2010
International Day Against Homophobia Edmonton Canada 05/17/2010
International Day Against Homophobia Vancouver, Canada 05/24/20210
Salt Lake City Film Centre Salt Lake City, USA 05/23/2010
Inside Out Film Festival Toronto, ON, Canada 05/25/2010
Cannes INDEPENDENT Film Festival Cannes, France 05/29/25010
Connecticut LGBT Film Fest Hartford, Connecticut 05/02/2010
Out Twin Cities Film Fest Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota 06/02/2010
Fairy Tales Calgary, Alberta (Winner Best Documentary) 06/02/2010
Q Cinema Forth Worth TX, USA (Winner Best Documentary) 06/05/2010
Frameline Film Festival San Francisco, USA 06/20/2010
Sled Island Film Festival Calgary AB, Canada 06/25/2010
Colombo Pride Colombo, Sri Lanka 07/01/2010
Budapest Film Festival Budapest, Hungary 07/09/2010
Philly Q Fest Philadelphia Pennsylvania 07/11/2010
EuroFilm Warsaw Poland 07/14/2010
Savannah LGBT Film Festival Savannah, GA 08/22/2010
Montreal International Black Film Festival Montreal, Canada 09/24/2010
Skieve Filmer Oslo, Norway 10/01/2010
Out on Film Atlanta GA (Winner Best Documentary) 10/07/2010
Reel Pride Winnipeg Winnipeg, Canada (Winner Best Documentary) 10/08/2010
Three Dollar Bill Seattle USA (Best Documentary: Jury & Audience) 10/17/2010
LGBT Film Fest Hannover Hannover, Germany 10/18/2010
Spokane LGBT Film Festival Spokane WA, USA 11/05/2010
Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival Indianapolis USA (Winner Best Film) 11/14/2010
Inside Out Ottawa Gatineau Ottawa, Canada 12/05/2010
World Community Film Festival Courtney, Canada 02/05/2011