Queering the RIO Theatre - Coming Up
T-BLOCKERS
In small-town Australia, a nightmare is brewing. Sophie (Lauren Last) is a young filmmaker obsessed with finding a thought-to-be long-lost film. Meanwhile, an earthquake unleashes ancient parasites in the area that thrive on hatred, causing outbursts of violence. Now Sophie and her friends, struggling with dating and their undesirable jobs, must also face off against an ancient evil that spreads like wildfire.
“With a predominantly queer, nonbinary, and trans cast and crew, and central characters it’s easy to love, T Blockers is a real treat for queer horror fans. It’s hard to believe that Mackay was just 17 during production. If this is the kind of movie she’s making as a teen, it’s thrilling to imagine what lies in her future.”-Samantha McLaren horrorpress.com
Tuesday, April 21
Doors 8:45 pm | Film 9:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE
THE BEARDED GIRL
Filmmakers in attendance for Q&A
On the brink of inheriting the position of The Bearded Woman (matriarchal leader to an outcast community of circus performers), a young woman defies her overbearing mother and runs away instead. Free from the expectations and responsibilities at home, she seeks romance and adventure with the normies in a tiny farm town. In order to fit in, she reinvents herself with stories of a fabricated past, until the truth of who she is can no longer be concealed. With Anwen O’Driscoll, Jessica Paré, Skylar Radzion, Harrison Brown.
“‘The Bearded Girl’ is a delightfully charming coming-of-age tale that celebrates embracing yourself over wearing the bland mask of conformity.” (ThatShelf)
"The device of the beard could be anything. Whether it was her first language at home, her body, her age—anything that we don't like about ourselves that we have to grow into. It could be a queer thing or just an aspect of ourselves that we're always going to have and we have to get comfortable with it but not be defined by it. Because I think that the world is more comfortable when they can define you." (Director/Writer Jody Wilson - read full interview here)
Filmmakers including director Jody Wilson in attendance for post-show Q&A.
Saturday, April 25
Doors 1:50 pm | Movie 2:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE
PILLION
Colin (Harry Melling) is a young gay man who lives with his parents and sings in a barbershop quartet. He meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgard), a leather-clad, hyper-masculine biker straight out of a Tom of Finland drawing. They hook up in a dark alleyway — a one-way transaction that sets the power dynamic for their relationship. Colin naturally adopts the role of submissive, learning to cook and clean alongside whatever else Ray tasks him with. Despite his aptitude for obedience, Colin grows tired of sleeping on the floor and begins to wish for more.
Call Me by Your Name meets Phantom Thread in leather chaps. Harry Lighton’s debut feature is a horny, wickedly funny exploration of the sub-dom relationship. Melling and Skarsgard ignite the screen with physically and emotionally intimate performances and authentic chemistry. An orgy of sex and kink that playfully examines themes of power, autonomy, compromise, but most importantly, love.
“In this queer BDSM romdomcom with a core of sweetness, Alexander Sarsgård and Harry Melling bring passion and compassion to a taboo subject rare in mainstream cinema. It’s about time.” (Peter Travers)
“You want screen representation of a highly specific queer lifestyle? You’ll get it. But Pillion never forgets there’s a deeper story happening underneath all the sex.” (Rolling Stone)
“The sex scenes are refreshingly graphic, but they’re never used for shock value. The real shock comes from how emotionally involved the characters become within the construct of their kink.” (Boston Globe)
Tuesday, April 21
Doors 6:30 pm | Movie 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets Here Two-for-One Tuesday. Bring your Dom, sub or barbershop buds!
REALLY HAPPY SOMEDAY
Finding his voice means finding himself.
Before he transitioned, Z (Breton Lalama – The Madness, Slasher) was a rising musical theatre star struggling with his gender identity. One year into taking testosterone, he has finally started to feel at home in his body but has lost all control of his voice. At the same time, Z’s long-term partner, Danielle (Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah – The Last of Us), feels she’s lost the person she fell in love with. Unable to book work with his changing voice, Z starts bartending, where his new boss, Santi (Xavier Lopez – We Forgot to Break Up), emboldens him to fight for himself and his dreams. Z starts working with a singing instructor, Shelly, to learn how to use his new voice, and maybe even trust himself.
“With components that pull at heartstrings and soothe the heartache of many 2SLGBTQ+ people, the authenticity of this movie is so intense that it is easy for viewers to forget they are watching a fictional movie, not a documentary. It is refreshing to watch a queer film that leaves audiences optimistic about the future of the characters. No one is dead, no one is sick, and things are finally looking up. Overall, this piece leaves viewers hopeful that maybe, just maybe, we all can be Really Happy Someday.” (Now Toronto)
Monday, April 27
Doors 8:15 pm | Film 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE
AN EVENING WITH BELLS LARSEN
RANGE + Sleepy Queer Productions Present
A documentary about the making of Bells Larsen‘s critically-acclaimed album. Screening to be followed by a Q&A + an acoustic set by Bells.
In 2022, Bells Larsen recorded the “high” voice he had lived with for years just before starting testosterone. After his voice dropped, he returned to the same songs and harmonized with those earlier recordings – singing with a past version of himself across time. The result became “Blurring Time” (2025), an album praised by The Guardian, Billboard, NPR, The New Yorker, the Toronto Star, CBC, Exclaim!, and many others. It was longlisted for the 2025 Polaris Prize.
Along the way, Larsen documented the process on a 1999 VHS-C camera. Over three years, he and his loved ones captured more than twelve hours of footage chronicling the making of the record – and the quiet, complicated work of becoming.
Edited by Ryan Faist (boy wonder), Bells Larsen: Blurring Time (the documentary) distills that archive into a poignant 16-minute portrait of time, transition, and learning to carry every version of yourself forward.
Saturday, May 2
Doors 7:30 pm | Event 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE
CJ the X: OPTIMIZED GRASS TOUCHING
How to lock in, optimize your grindset and work harder than anyone else at living a wholesome balanced meaningful life.
CJ The X a Toronto based independent artist and philosopher that began making YouTube videos in 2021. Since then they’ve amassed over 350 thousand subscribers, 15 million views, a robust crowdfunding base on Patreon, a loyal personal mailing list, and sold out lectures across the world. Their breathless interdisciplinary approach makes them one of the most unique cultural voices in the internet age, blending irreverent humour, sharp intellectualism, and earnest spirituality.
They speak passionately on an eclectic array of subjects, blending together art, religion, technology, community, and beauty in their singular style. They have developed 7 different lectures so far, each completely distinct from the rest while fitting into a cohesive whole.
When not philosophizing, CJ is a rapper and a writer, always most comfortable working on multiple things at once.
Saturday, June 27
Doors 6:30 pm | Lecture 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE
For first access to tickets subscribe to their mailing list @ cjthex.com/subscribe
*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film only. Please redeem at the door.
*We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at www.riotheatretickets.ca. If a screening or live event is not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available for in-person purchase at the Rio Theatre’s Box Office prior to showtime (subject to availability).
*Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats, and time for treats at concession.