Alex Heeney 🔜 #TIFF2025
@bwestcineaste.bsky.social
620 followers 380 following 170 posts
Film/theatre critic & educator | Founder/EIC of Seventh Row http://seventh-row.com | Engineer, IAQ enthusiast, consultant. #COVIDisAirborne
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bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Happening today!

A chance to watch and discover a thoughtful queer film…

But also to pause, to consider, to reflect, to share your ideas, and to hear others’.

Come join the fun. It’s free!

Register here: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
seventhrow.bsky.social
Today at 2pm ET → join the finale of Living Out Loud:

🎬 A 2017 British queer short
📜 A lost 1950s gay script
📂 Queer archives brought to life
💬 A live discussion to unpack it led by @bwestcineaste.bsky.social

👉 Register free: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Come join the fun! See the film, meet other people curious about queer cinema, and walk away with new insights that you wouldn’t have noticed on your own.
seventhrow.bsky.social
Today at 2pm ET → join the finale of Living Out Loud:

🎬 A 2017 British queer short
📜 A lost 1950s gay script
📂 Queer archives brought to life
💬 A live discussion to unpack it led by @bwestcineaste.bsky.social

👉 Register free: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
We had a great conversation today with @tylekurner.bsky.social , @cjprince.bsky.social, and Lena Wilson on so many different aspects of queer cinema today!

If you missed it, you can still catch the replay (which will be live shortly)!

Register for free here: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Join @cjprince.bsky.social @tylekurner.bsky.social, Lena Wilson, and me today from 2pm-4pm ET to take stock of the current state of queer & trans cinema.

It’s free to attend!

Register here: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud

Can’t make it live? You’ll get the replay when you register.
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
We kick off in less than an hour…but there’s still time to join us in the room.

It’s free! You just need to register. So excited for this conversation!!
seventhrow.bsky.social
🌈 Living Out Loud starts this Friday!

A 3-day FREE online summit exploring queer + trans stories and histories on screen (and beyond). Each day builds on the last — you’ll get the richest experience if you join for more than one, but you’re welcome to drop in.

seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Really excited for this event I’ve been planning, which starts today at 2pm ET!

Register to attend for free!
seventhrow.bsky.social
🌈 Living Out Loud starts this Friday!

A 3-day FREE online summit exploring queer + trans stories and histories on screen (and beyond). Each day builds on the last — you’ll get the richest experience if you join for more than one, but you’re welcome to drop in.

seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
I doubt that we will ALL agree on everything, and if you disagree with us, great! That’s why there’s loads of built in time for audience Q&A + discussion so you can put your ideas in dialogue with ours!

Come join us: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
Living Out Loud
A FREE three-day online summit celebrating queer and trans stories and reclaiming queer and trans histories.
seventh-row.com
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Come join @cjprince.bsky.social, @tylekurner.bsky.social, Lena Wilson & me on Saturday afternoon as we ponder what we even mean by queer and trans stories? How has this shifted in the last 5, 10, 50 years (or more)?

And what that means for what stories get told, reach you, and are still missing!
seventhrow.bsky.social
🌈 What makes a story queer or trans? Depends who you ask — and when it was made.

Is it about LGBTQ+ characters or filmmakers?
Or something else entirely?

How we define it shapes how we assess the state of queer + trans cinema today.

Join us Saturday to discuss: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
So excited to have Kyle at Living Out Loud — who recently wrote a book on queer cinema history (and I can’t wait to hear what he learned) but is also always thinking about queer film & theatre (and the cross-pollination between the two).
tylekurner.bsky.social
thrilled to be joining such a fab group of folks (@cjprince.bsky.social, Lena Wilson, and the terrific @bwestcineaste.bsky.social) to talk about queer and trans cinematic storytelling for @seventhrow.bsky.social's Living Out Loud weekend for Day 2! come through!
seventh-row.com/living-out-l...
Reposted by Alex Heeney 🔜 #TIFF2025
tylekurner.bsky.social
thrilled to be joining such a fab group of folks (@cjprince.bsky.social, Lena Wilson, and the terrific @bwestcineaste.bsky.social) to talk about queer and trans cinematic storytelling for @seventhrow.bsky.social's Living Out Loud weekend for Day 2! come through!
seventh-row.com/living-out-l...
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
And it will be an *even* richer experience if you join us for the panels on Friday & Saturday, too — because I’ve chosen the film to speak to the themes of the event: reclaiming LGBTQ+ history & LGBTQ+ stories.

And the more context you have for a film, the deeper your access to it.

Register here:
Living Out Loud
A FREE three-day online summit celebrating queer and trans stories and reclaiming queer and trans histories.
seventh-row.com
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
I’m running a free online summit on LGBTQ+ stories and histories this weekend.

And have designed so that if you show up live, you get lots of space to interact with our guests incl. @cjprince.bsky.social, @emilygarside.bsky.social, @tylekurner.bsky.social

Register: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Join me on Sunday for a free film screening & facilitated discussion — the kind that’s usually only available in my paid offerings but this one is free and open to all!!

It’ll be a great way to cap off Living Out Loud (come Friday &’Saturday too to learn from our amazing panelists!).
seventhrow.bsky.social
🎬 On Sunday, Oct 5 (2–4pm ET), Living Out Loud wraps up with a queer short film screening + live group discussion.

We’ll watch the film together, then unpack it with me facilitating — connecting it to the themes from Days 1 + 2.

seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
Reposted by Alex Heeney 🔜 #TIFF2025
seventhrow.bsky.social
THE CHORAL (which had its world premiere at #TIFF50 and stars the always excellent Ralph Fiennes) has queer characters and queer creatives.

But is it a queer film?

That’s the question I unpack in Ep. 183 of the Seventh Row podcast.

seventh-row.com/2025/09/18/e...
Ep. 183 The Choral (TIFF 2025): When queer characters don't make a queer film - Seventh Row Film Podcast
On this TIFF podcast, Alex discusses Nicholas Hytner's film The Choral, starring Ralph Fiennes and reclaiming vs. sanitizing history
seventh-row.com
Reposted by Alex Heeney 🔜 #TIFF2025
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
I’ve put together a very cool (FREE) summit on queer + trans stories & histories Oct 3-5.

It’s got panels of experts but loads of audience participation too.

Join me & @cjprince.bsky.social, @tylekurner.bsky.social, @emilygarside.bsky.social & more

Save your seat: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
seventhrow.bsky.social
🎬 What stories are being told about queer and trans lives — and what's still missing?

That’s the jumping-off point for Living Out Loud, an online summit on queer + trans stories in film, theatre, TV, and history.

📅 Oct 3–5, 2–4pm ET
💻 Free + online
👉 Save your seat: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
Living Out Loud A FREE 3-day online summit about queer and trans stories — how they’re told, how we find them, and why they matter. Join us to explore:
 🎬 The films, shows, and plays telling queer and trans stories today
 📚 The historical and cultural context that shapes how we see them

🗣️ Every session includes a Q&A — your questions  + ideas shape the discussion.
📅 Each day offers a new lens: history, storytelling, and a live film discussion.

 🗓️ Oct 3–5 | 2–4pm ET | Free on Zoom Day 1 – Reclaiming Queer + Trans History
 
Friday, Oct 3 | 2–4pm ET

Why does knowing queer and trans history matter?

And how do film, theatre, and archives help us reclaim it?
Join a panel of historians, educators, and artists to explore:
 📌 How history shapes the stories we see today
 📌 What gets erased — and what’s being recovered
 📌 How personal memory, art, and academia intersect

Featuring:
Elspeth Brown, Emily Garside, Anamarija Horvat, Angelo Madsen
Day 2 – Queer + Trans Stories On Screen

Saturday, Oct 4 | 2–4pm ET
What queer and trans stories are getting told on screen — and what makes them resonate?

We’ll explore:
🎞️  Why so many great queer films fly under the radar
🧠  How context + history shape how we experience them
💬  Why these stories can hit home — even if they’re not about us

Featuring a panel of film and culture critics:
C.J. Prince, Kyle Turner, Lena Wilson Day 3 – Watch + Discuss a Queer Short Film

Sunday, Oct 5 | 2–4pm ET 

We’ll screen a rarely seen but incredibly rich hybrid doc-fiction queer short film — then unpack it in a facilitated group discussion led by host Alex Heeney.

🎬 This session brings together the themes from Days 1 & 2: reclaiming history + what queer and trans stories get told
🧠 You’ll notice things you wouldn’t on your own — and hear what others saw, too. 
💬 Come curious. Leave with deeper insight, new questions, and a new deep cut. 👀
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
…and that’s just day 1!

But it will help frame the ongoing conversation around what stories get told (and which ones are still missing), why queer + trans films matter, and how films are always negotiating how to make history (even when they’re about recent history, 1-10 years ago).
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
I’m really excited that this panel includes people who are:
- making films
- creating queer & trans archives
- studying the relationship between film and the archive
- doing the work to reclaim history (as educators, artists, and scholars)
- in Canada, UK, and US

(And it’s only 4 people!)
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
We’re kicking off Living Out Loud with a conversation about reclaiming history:

What role do films/tv/theatre/archives play in our memory of queer history?

Expect super thoughtful panelists like @emilygarside.bsky.social & a chance to shape the convo when you join.

seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
I've been an Alice Winocour fan since I fell in love with DISORDER at Cannes in 2015, and have since spent countless hours interviewing her and her team about how she makes her films.

On the podcast, I discuss her #TIFF50 film COUTURE with Angelina Jolie: seventh-row.com/2025/09/15/e...
Ep. 182 Couture (with Angelina Jolie) and Alice Winocour's (TIFF 2025) - Seventh Row Film Podcast
On this TIFF podcast, Alex discusses Alice Winocour's film Couture, starring Angelia Jolie, and how it fits into Winocour's body of work.
seventh-row.com
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
I’ve put together a very cool (FREE) summit on queer + trans stories & histories Oct 3-5.

It’s got panels of experts but loads of audience participation too.

Join me & @cjprince.bsky.social, @tylekurner.bsky.social, @emilygarside.bsky.social & more

Save your seat: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
seventhrow.bsky.social
🎬 What stories are being told about queer and trans lives — and what's still missing?

That’s the jumping-off point for Living Out Loud, an online summit on queer + trans stories in film, theatre, TV, and history.

📅 Oct 3–5, 2–4pm ET
💻 Free + online
👉 Save your seat: seventh-row.com/livingoutloud
Living Out Loud A FREE 3-day online summit about queer and trans stories — how they’re told, how we find them, and why they matter. Join us to explore:
 🎬 The films, shows, and plays telling queer and trans stories today
 📚 The historical and cultural context that shapes how we see them

🗣️ Every session includes a Q&A — your questions  + ideas shape the discussion.
📅 Each day offers a new lens: history, storytelling, and a live film discussion.

 🗓️ Oct 3–5 | 2–4pm ET | Free on Zoom Day 1 – Reclaiming Queer + Trans History
 
Friday, Oct 3 | 2–4pm ET

Why does knowing queer and trans history matter?

And how do film, theatre, and archives help us reclaim it?
Join a panel of historians, educators, and artists to explore:
 📌 How history shapes the stories we see today
 📌 What gets erased — and what’s being recovered
 📌 How personal memory, art, and academia intersect

Featuring:
Elspeth Brown, Emily Garside, Anamarija Horvat, Angelo Madsen
Day 2 – Queer + Trans Stories On Screen

Saturday, Oct 4 | 2–4pm ET
What queer and trans stories are getting told on screen — and what makes them resonate?

We’ll explore:
🎞️  Why so many great queer films fly under the radar
🧠  How context + history shape how we experience them
💬  Why these stories can hit home — even if they’re not about us

Featuring a panel of film and culture critics:
C.J. Prince, Kyle Turner, Lena Wilson Day 3 – Watch + Discuss a Queer Short Film

Sunday, Oct 5 | 2–4pm ET 

We’ll screen a rarely seen but incredibly rich hybrid doc-fiction queer short film — then unpack it in a facilitated group discussion led by host Alex Heeney.

🎬 This session brings together the themes from Days 1 & 2: reclaiming history + what queer and trans stories get told
🧠 You’ll notice things you wouldn’t on your own — and hear what others saw, too. 
💬 Come curious. Leave with deeper insight, new questions, and a new deep cut. 👀
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Ten years of obsessing about Joachim Trier’s LOUDER THAN BOMBS is finally relevant again!

I unpack SENTIMENTAL VALUE at #TIFF50 and some of its echoes of Trier’s earlier work: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/s...
180. Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value (TIFF 2025)
Podcast Episode · Seventh Row Podcast · 2025-09-07 · 36m
podcasts.apple.com
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Spent today noticing about 100 connections between SENTIMENTAL VALUE and Trier’s earlier work that I missed in the moment on first and second viewing…

And laughing at my worry that maybe I should have rewatched his complete ouevre last week to prepare…as if I’m not a walking encyclopedia for it.
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Never happier to be embargoed than when I need more time to think about the new Joachim Trier film.
bwestcineaste.bsky.social
Yeah you can have bad luck when you’re watching movies with a view to discovering talent. There are a lot of TIFF discovery titles like that and a bunch I’ve had to watch for Slamdance Awards Jury duties. You slog through in search of the diamond in the rough (there always are some).