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Exclusive: Firelight Media has today named its latest cohort of Fellows for its flagship mentoring program, the Firelight Documentary Lab, which is now in its thirteenth year.

The participants and projects set for the 18-month program, taking place from 2022-2024, are Neelu Bhuman (Chiragu (Wing)), D.A. Bullock (Mister Backlash), Silvia Castaños & Estefania Contreras (Hummingbirds), Naveen Chaubal (Pinball), Paulina Davis (The Co-op: The Kids of Dorie Miller), Athena Jones (Sisters’ Keepers), Logan Rozos (What Will I Become?), Juliana Schatz Preston (Providencia), Jiayan “Jenny” Shi (Untitled Scientist Project), Tsanavi Spoonhunter (Holder of the Sky), Lendl Tellington (…that’s why He made momma), Reveca Torres (Untitled (Art and Disability Culture)) and Raven Two Feathers (Indigenous Genders).

This year’s set of Documentary Lab projects include stories of transgender and nonbinary protagonists in search of supportive communities; profiles of politicians and activists seeking to reform racially biased policies and practices in housing and policing...

Inside Out Toronto, Canada’s leading Lgbtq film festival, announced its full lineup for its 29th edition today, including news that the Taron Egerton-starring Elton biopic “Rocketman” will open the festival following its Cannes premiere. Mindy Kaling’s “Late Night” will close the festival, with Netflix’s update to “Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City” featured as a centerpiece presentation.

The festival also announced Thursday a new four-year partnership with Netflix in support of Lgbtq filmmakers in Canada. The strategic partnership will begin with the 2019 edition of the festival, which runs May 23 – June 2. Through Inside Out’s Lgbtq Film Financing Forum, the first of its kind in the world, the Netflix funds will be used to expand Inside Out’s professional development and mentorship programming to develop the next generation of Canadian creators and talent.

“Inside Out is committed to establishing itself as the home of Lgbtq filmmakers,...

CinemaAmong the films discussed was Jayasurya's 'Njan Marykutty', which the activists felt was not an accurate representation of trans lives. Neethu JosephManoj ParameswaranJayasurya may have picked up the Kerala State Award for his performances in Captain and Njan Marykutty, but trans rights activist Sheetal Shyam believes the film hasn't made the transgender community proud. At a panel discussion held at Kochi Muziris Biennale on the topic of the representation of the transgender community in the media, Sheetal, who hails from Kerala, said, "The film Njan Marykutty got this acclaim only because of actor Jayasurya’s value as an actor and the movie has not made the transgender community proud." “When a person from another community tells the story of trans people, it will not be our story,” Sheetal further added, although the film had won praise from a section of the trans community in Kerala when it was released.