Friday November 29th, 2024, 10:00am – 5:45pm
Saturday, November 30th, 2024, 3:30pm – 5:45pm
Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 452, 4th floor, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8
The closest intersection is Richmond & Spadina
Space accessible by elevator
Plus, a Screening at TIFF Lightbox
350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
Viral Interventions is a two-day conference that explores the creation of 18 new short films about living with HIV today, made over the past three years. 25 VI artists came together in monthly workshops to collaborate, brainstorm, share, critique and test ideas, rough cuts and stories — these are the results. Viral Interventions includes four panels/screenings with filmmakers/artists/scholars, a special VI exhibition, a dinner for artists and guests, and the launch of the VI website, and concludes with a screening of VI: Year 3 at TIFF Lightbox. Viral Interventions is a York U/SSHRC research-creation project, co-presented with Vtape, TIFF Community Impact, Archive/Counter-Archive, Sensorium, The ArQuives, CATIE, AIDS Committee of Toronto, and CAAN (Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network).
DAY 1 Friday, November 29
Register for free for Day 1 HERE
Struggles: HIV, Video & the Archive
10:00 am-12:15 pm: Panel/Screening
Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space
Co-presented with The ArQuives and CATIE
Moderated by John Greyson
A screening/panel of artists and scholars will address restorations and responses to early AIDS videos and struggles with memory, history, and the archive.
Zoom link: https://yorku.zoom.us/j/93708828510?pwd=LimTebNOPisazxgxQ43kWZl6U9e1Ig.1
Unfinished, Lesley Chan
A haunted archival restoration/deconstruction of Lloyd Wong’s ‘lost’ 1991 Toronto Living with AIDS tape
Stuart Marshall’s Early 80s HIV Videos, Conal McStravick
Clips from Bright Eyes, Robert Marshall, and Kaposi’s Sarcoma reveal the riches of Marshall’s early work about AIDS
The Transgressions of Mirha Soleil Ross, Em Barton
A critical appreciation of Ross’s ground-breaking representations of trans sex work, desire and HIV
Beyond Rhetoric, Ken Morrison
Activists remember the breakthroughs and setbacks at 33 years of International AIDS Conferences.
Re(dis)covering Danny Cockerline, Ryan Conrad
Exploring the legacies of legendary sex worker, artist and AIDS activist Cockerline on screen
12:30 pm-1:30 pm LUNCH (on your own)
Red Reminds Me…
1:30 pm-2:45 pm: Screening
Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space
For Day With(out) Art 2024, a screening of seven new films about living with HIV today, commissioned by Visual AIDS (New York). Viral Interventions and Vtape have hosted this annual event for the past four years.
Zoom link: https://yorku.zoom.us/j/97313243297?pwd=ahcsI5DoEgW5OR3gDgLYLfOi611Dte.1
Dear Kwong Chi, Gian Cruz (Philippines)
El Club del SIDA, Milko Delgado (Panama)
Realms Remix, Imani Harrington (USA)
Ambivalence: On HIV & Luck, David Oscar Harvey (USA)
El VIH se enamoró de mi, Mariana Iacono & Juan De La Mar (Argentina/Colombia)
it’s giving, Nixie (Belgium)
LUCID NIGHTMARE, Vasilios Papapitsios (USA)
Dialogues: HIV, Artists & Community
3:00 pm – 5:45 pm: Panel/Screening
Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space
Co-presented with CAAN (Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network)
Moderated by Alison Duke
Screening/panel of artists, scholars and activists exploring diverse methods for artists to engage with specific communities and chosen family conversations, making new videos about living with HIV today.
Zoom link: https://yorku.zoom.us/j/91405123923?pwd=ElBXdbs5wtXCXuv9Tm2VT8MwuaYReL.1
Cellphilms Project, Sarah Flicker + Maureen Owino
First-time filmmakers use their phone-cams to collectively speak back to HIV stigma, discrimination and taboos.
Recipe for an Elder, Jamie Whitecrow
Trans/queer Indigenous elders invoke decades of fighting HIV & AIDS, intercut with a queer bannock bake-off.
Walking in These Shoes, Sam Lopez & Christian Hui
A passionate tribute to HIV+ activist and fashionista Derek “Dyee” Yee, who passed in 2021
smokescreengrab, Mikiki
Poz artist sits with their childhood landscapes in Ktaqmkuk/Newfoundland and cultural erasure with their Mi’kmaq grandmother.
Dakota, Alexandra Gelis & Dakota
Hairdresser Dakota navigates their worlds (queer, Indigenous, HIV+, disabled) from their unstoppable chair.
Guardian of Sleep, Zachery Cameron Longboy (via Zoom)
A visual poem about Indigenous pride, batons, chosen families and living with HIV and Parkinsons.
DAY 2: Saturday, November 30
Register for free for Day 2 HERE
Visions: HIV Cinema & the Avant-Garde
3:30 pm-5:45 pm: Panel/Screening
Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space
Co-presented with AIDS Committee of Toronto
Moderated by Mike Hoolboom
Screening/panel of artists and activists, exploring the challenges of visualizing personal journeys of HIV in society, using methods of split-screen, surrealism, animation and collage to capture fears, defiance, courage…
Zoom link: https://yorku.zoom.us/j/97361697784?pwd=XRMZVsaNG1hDubXawrweeRwP0uJdth.1
Of What Death We Die, Esery Mondesir
Portrait of the artist’s father, who died of AIDS in Haiti in 1980, before the virus had a name
Becoming Mighty Real, Andrew Zealley
A film about intergenerational relationships, chemical condoms, HIV disclosure and the ways music shapes and maps queer sociality.
Virus Queen, Darien Taylor
The Virus Queen waits for her lover… who may be Death itself.
Call Me Uncle, Amil Shivji
Queer Tanzanian musician Tofa Jaxx shares songs and conversation with trans-HIV+ activist Aunty Ali.
Meteor, Atefeh Khademolreza
A love letter to her bestie in Tehran who died of AIDS, intercut with the fury/ beauty of Women Life Freedom demos.
Viral Interventions: Infectious
6:00 pm: Exhibition Opening in Commons and Research Centre
Welcome Remarks by Em Barton, Kiera Boult, Milada Kovakova and Darien Taylor
Reception & Buffet dinner
Curated by Kiera Boult & Em Barton. From 2021-24, 25 artists from five continents came together to create 18 new infectious videos about living with HIV today, bringing their stories to life with wit, rage, tears and grace. This exhibition explores the origins of this research-creation project, linking VI to past related projects such as Toronto Living with AIDS and Second Decade PSAs. Vitrines feature a wealth of research material drawn from VI’s creative processes, while a Viral Interventions I-Doc presents case studies of each video.
Viral Interventions: Year 3
8:00 pm: Screening at TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St. West
Register for free tickets HERE
The world premiere of 2024 Viral Interventions films
Filament Fortune, Beau Gomez
Sleep Snuggle Sandwich, Jessica Whitbread
Raha, Rojin Shafiei & Raha
Escorpionikas, Bruna Kury + Matheus Mello + Nisha Platzer
The Unstoppable Man, Gopal Shrestha + Saroj S. Sapkota
Host, Zachery Cameron Longboy
Viral Interventions is a York University /SSHRC Insight Research-Creation Project (2021-24) that explores how we make new films about living with HIV today
Image credit: Filament Fortune, Beau Gomez