Toronto’s Inside Out LGBTQ+ Film Festival returns May 23 to give voice to queer stories. POV is pleased to support the festival by co-presenting the premiere of Speak, the hit documentary about students putting their voices to good use in the national championships for public speaking. The film by Jennifer Tiexiera (Subject) and Guy Mossman (Feels Good Man) is a triumphant crowd-pleaser that follows five students as they advance towards the finals. Speak screens at Inside Out on Saturday, May 24 at 1:00pm at TIFF Lightbox.
Among the speakers is Sam, a contender who crafts a heartfelt and energetic speech about growing up as a gay teenager with a pastor for a father. He articulates a reminder of love and self-acceptance, using his experience as an empathetic gateway for others to feel reassured that their families will accept and embrace them. Outside the competition, his budding relationship with his non-binary Indigenous partner helps put his own story into perspective.
“What makes Speak such a winner in its own right, however, is the competition at hand. Other competition docs often succeed or bellyflop based on how well the activity translates cinematically. A film like Step, for one, proves thrilling because dance has a visual hook,” write POV in its review of Speak. “However, public speaking offers an ideal challenge. The nature of the oratory competition means that direct-address appeals consistently connect the participants with their audience. Their heartfelt emotion, doubled and tripled with exhaustion, makes for a sincerely compelling experience. This is one of those films that inspires a viewer to lean in.”
Want to attend the in-theatre screening of Speak at Inside Out? POV has five pairs of tickets to give away to readers. All you have to do to enter is answer the following question:
What film is the opening night gala of Inside Out 2025?
a) Cactus Pears
b) Baby
c) Sauna
d) Outerlands
Need a hint? Check out the festival lineup!
Email your answer to info@povmagazine.com with the subject Inside Out.
Contest closes May 21 at noon EST. Speak screens Saturday, May 24 at 1:00pm at TIFF Lightbox.
Other documentaries at the festival include Move Ya Body: The Birth of House, I’m Your Venus, Sally, and Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance.
