What does it mean to be queer and Italian-Canadian? And what experiences do queer Italian-Canadians have when their sexual orientation and gender identity come in contact with their cultural heritage and traditions? Licia Canton, the director of the documentary Creatives Spaces: Queer and Italian-Canadian, is hopeful that this project will help to encourage new conversations on these topics and to celebrate the great diversity of our community.
The Frank Iacobucci Centre for Italian-Canadian Studies at the University of Toronto and Accenti Magazine will host the premiere of this original documentary on Wednesday, March 3rd from 3-5pm (EST) via Zoom. The premiere will be followed by a panel discussion with the director, queer Italian-Canadian artists featured in the documentary Liana Cusmano, Steve Galluccio, and Chris DiRaddo, and scholars Domenic Beneventi and Paolo Frascà.
The documentary is funded by the Queer Studies in Quebec Research Group (ÉRÉQQ) and the Association of Italian Canadian Writers (AICW). This film screening is part of a larger initiative at the Iacobucci Centre that aims to explore the intersections of queer and Italian-Canadian identities and the artistic production of queer Italian-Canadians. The volume Here and Now: An Anthology of Queer Italian-Canadian Writing, edited by Licia Canton and published in collaboration with the Iacobucci Centre, will be launched in June of 2021.
To view the trailer and register for the event, please visit: tinyurl.com/queeritaliancanadian For further information, please contact lcanton@accenti.ca
