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National launch of NFB feature documentary Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance. Screenings start this month in Canadian cities with broadcast and streaming premieres on TVO and NFB platforms during Pride Month.

PRESS RELEASE
20/05/2025

May 20, 2025 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

An acclaimed look at activism that sparked the rise of Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ movement, Winnipeg director Noam Gonick and Toronto producer Justine Pimlott’s National Film Board of Canada (NFB) feature documentary Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance begins a national rollout in May.

Over 15 Canadian community and festival screenings are confirmed for Parade, with more cities to come. Pride Month in June will also feature broadcast and online premieres on TVO and NFB platforms.

The film recently opened the Hot Docs film fest, where it was voted a top ten audience favourite.

About Parade

Unflinching, bold, enraging and hopeful, this vital new chapter in the queer canon captures pivotal moments that sparked Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ movement, honouring the activists and elders whose resistance led to the rights we have today.

Through rarely seen archival footage and first-person accounts, audiences are transported to the frontlines of the struggle. From police raids to early drag shows, community organizing to the House of Commons, Parade brings the complex history of the country’s diverse communities to vivid life.

Key milestones illustrate the power of taking it into the streets and underscore how easily the rights we’ve fought for can be revoked, making the documentary essential viewing for all Canadians.

National screening schedule

Dates confirmed so far

Acclaim for Parade

“Parade is overflowing with intelligence, energy and honesty. At a moment in history when the freedom to love who you want and be who you want to be is in question, this film is unequivocally on the side of the angels. Parade is an absolute triumph.” – Border Crossings Magazine

“There are moments of heartbreak, depression, and sadness, but the film also illustrates how much love and warmth was at the heart of these equality movements. It’s both critical and uplifting at the same time.” – The Gate

“…a call to arms to reach out to and learn from the queer elders who are still with us, and to preserve stories that are gradually disappearing. Parade invites us to see the ghosts, and challenges us not to look away.” – Xtra

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French version here | Version française ici.

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    For more than 80 years, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has produced, distributed and preserved those stories, which now form a vast audiovisual collection—an important part of our cultural heritage that represents all Canadians.

    To tell these stories, the NFB works with filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds, from across the country. It harnesses their creativity to produce relevant and groundbreaking content for curious, engaged and diverse audiences. The NFB also collaborates with industry experts to foster innovation in every aspect of storytelling, from formats to distribution models.

    Every year, another 50 or so powerful new animated and documentary films are added to the NFB’s extensive collection of more than 14,000 titles, half of which are available to watch for free on nfb.ca.

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