Sex Workers' Film Festival — a 1st in Canada — aims to inspire empathy, says Hamilton organizer
CBC
What's being touted as the first film festival in Canada showcasing movies and documentaries exclusively about sex workers is set to kick off in Hamilton.
The goal is to shift the public's perspective about sex work, says film festival organizer and activist Jelena Vermilion.
"When sex workers aren't being displayed as murder victims or as criminals or victims on the screen, it really allows people to engage with their humanity at a deeper level," said Vermilion, who runs the outreach group Sex Workers' Action Program (SWAP) Hamilton.
American activist Carol Leigh, also known as the Scarlot Harlot, began the first sex workers' film festival in the United States in San Francisco in 1999. Leigh died in 2022 and Vermilion said she felt inspired to set up a similar festival in Canada.
"We hope that people's hearts and minds will be changed — and for the better," she said.
Kathleen Cherrington, a critical sex work studies researcher at York University, said these types of film festivals take place in many other countries, but this will be the first on Canadian soil that she knows of.
"These types of events are crucial for amplifying the voices and stories of sex workers, fostering understanding and empathy in the community and challenging harmful stereotypes," Cherrington said.
She will be attending, and encourages "everybody" to try to make it out.
Sex workers are some of the most marginalized people in society and face "tremendous amounts of violence and stigma," said Cherrington.
Hamilton's inaugural Sex Workers' Film and Arts Festival will take place at local movie theatres The Westdale Thursday evening and Playhouse Cinema Friday evening. There will also be live performances and art exhibits.
Sex workers will have free admission. Members of the public can purchase tickets.
New York-based filmmaker PJ Starr's documentary Manifesting Monica Jones, the rough-cut version, is among the films being screened. Starr will also be at the festival and cap it off with a question-and-answer session.
Starr said the film festival is important because it creates a safe space for sex workers and their allies and imagines a much different future.
"I know Jelena is a visionary, so I am excited to see what she will bring," said Starr. "It's very aspirational."
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