Rainbow Reels 2SLGBTQIA+Film Festival
We've been keeping a secret we are finally thrilled to share - thanks to funding from the Waterloo Region Arts Fund, Spectrum is relaunching Rainbow Reels 2SLGBTQIA+ Film Festival!
The 2026 Rainbow Reels 2SLGBTQIA+ Film Festival brings together three days of queer cinema, conversation, creativity, and community from October 23–25.
This year’s festival celebrates the breadth of 2SLGBTQIA+ storytelling, moving across genres, generations, and lived experiences while creating space for audiences to gather, reflect, learn, and imagine together.
Interested in the history of this festival? View the full festival archives collected through the Grand River Rainbow Historical Project.
2026 Festival Schedule
Friday October 23
Join us for the kick-off event for Rainbow Reels Film Festival 2026!
Presented by Spectrum Waterloo Region, the 2026 Rainbow Reels 2SLGBTQIA+ Film Festival brings together three days of queer cinema, conversation, creativity, and community from October 23–25.
The festival opens on Friday, October 23 at KW Famous Creative Cafe with Larry (they/them), beginning the weekend with an intimate exploration of gender, identity, and the ways we come to understand and articulate who we are. The film's editor and local filmmaker Rémy Huberdeau will be in attendance.
About the Film, Larry (they/them):
Young non-binary trans photographer Laurence Philomène has emerged as one of the most original and inspiring voices of their generation and an LGBTQ+ community icon. Exploring the artist’s intimate world and creative process, LARRY (they/them) paints a luminous and engaging portrait of the complex, often misunderstood multiplicity of trans and non-binary identities and experiences.
Saturday October 24
Sunday October 25