The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is celebrating its 16th year, and things sure have changed. In its first year, the festival was held over six days, attended by 8,000 people. Today the flurry of first-class films span over ten days and welcome over 20,000 guests. Perhaps – what is most exciting – is the level and veracity of the queer content offered in this year’s film selections.

These Cocksucking Tears tells the story of Patrick Haggerty, the voice behind the revolutionary band Lavender Country, the first artist to create a gay-themed country album: 43 years ago. This winner of the Jury Prize for Best Doc Short at the Seattle International Film Festival addresses the experience of making an iconic album, and the fallout that came after it.

Haggerty was discharged from the Peace Corps in 1966 for being gay, later becoming an artist and activist within his local chapter of the Gay Liberation Front. The album of discussion was funded by the Gay Community Social Services of Seattle, and performed at the inaugural Seattle Pride event, in1974.

Adult Life Skills should appeal to folks such as myself: perpetual non-adults. This story, which follows a near 30 Anna, quite possibly offers a wake-up call for those of us approaching the big 3-O. She works a mundane job, lives in a garden shed in her mom’s backyard, and spends her days making videos using her thumbs as actors. Her mom has had enough, and gives her an ultimatum – she needs to move out of the shed, "get a haircut that doesn’t put her gender in question, and stop dressing like a homeless teenager".

The film has been described as a quirky coming of age comedy about confronting the things we are most scared of, being lost and finding yourself, making peace with who you are and regaining self-confidence and dignity.

Below Her Mouth is uniquely Canadian and uniquely hot. Toronto-based filmmaker, April Mullen, and her all-female production crew tell the story of roofer, Dallas (Erika Linder), and fashion editor, Jasmine (Natalie Krill), who embark on a steamy and torrid affair that does nothing else; but entice and devastate. Not only is Dallas an enemy of commitment, but Jasmine becomes tasked with choosing the affair over her fiancé.

As one publication states, Below Her Mouth is a daring and emotional film that finally gets right what so many queer films get wrong. Rather than dwelling on the simple fact that two women are sexually involved, something that’s not necessarily exciting to those who are on a daily basis, these characters are defined more by their personalities and the way they interact.

Hunky Dory tells the story of rock drag queen Sidney (Tomas Pais) and his recent cohabitation with his 11-year-old-son Georgoe (Edouard Holdener). Described as a thoroughly modern portrait of love, family, and the ever-elusive search for fame, the film explores themes of intimacy, addiction, celebrity, and unconditional love.

Of course CIFF explores all genres of film, not only queer content, making it a progressive and full ten days of well-rounded, award-winning films guaranteed to appeal to any film buff.