FTFF 2026: Sally!

Fairy Tales Film Festival honours the histories that have shaped queer lives and movements. This pairing connects past and present through stories of legacy, resistance, and love—celebrating those who came before while uncovering voices and stories long kept hidden.

Contemporary Calgary | Heather Edwards Theatre
Runtime: 1h 36m Country: United States Languages: English
ABOUT:
SALLY! highlights the life and legacy of Sally Gearhart—a charismatic lesbian-feminist, activist, professor, and fantasy author. A trailblazer in the 1970s and '80s lesbian feminist movement, Sally was a key spokeswoman for women’s and gay rights. But she’s also a “hidden figure”— largely omitted from the story due to history’s often patriarchal lens. This documentary emphasizes Sally’s major accomplishments, but also honestly and unflinchingly lays bare her contradictions, iconoclasm, and the complex relationship between leaders like her and the collective movements for social change they champion. Balancing humor, insight, and heart, SALLY! is both a celebration of a radical icon, a meditation on the tensions inherent in revolutionary movements, and a powerful reflection on the lessons her work offers for today’s struggles for civil rights, justice, and equality.
Genres: Documentary, Social Justice, Family

Deborah is an award-winning documentary director and producer whose films use compelling personal stories to raise awareness about the challenges and strengths of underrepresented communities. Her work has played at LGBTQ+, women’s, and documentary film festivals in the U.S. and internationally.

A GREAT RIDE, a 33-minute documentary about lesbians and aging and Deborah’s most recent short, premiered at the Frameline LGBTQ+ Film Festival in San Francisco. In 2018, the film was picked up for distribution by Frameline, has screened at over 50 film festivals around the globe, and has won multiple awards. SALLY is her first feature-length documentary.

Deborah has a BA in history from Columbia University, did undergraduate work in photography at California College of the Arts, and has a Master of Public Health from San Francisco State University, where she currently teaches in the Public Health Department.

Contemporary Calgary | Heather Edwards Theatre
Runtime: 13m Country: Spain Languages: Spanish

ABOUT:
Mili (23) is the third generation of the store "Lencería Milagros," which is about to close due to financial problems. In order to understand her identity and free herself, Mili must unravel the hidden history of the store and the secrets her grandmother, Doña Milagros, the founder of the business, has kept for years among objects, walls, and paintings. Through this process, Mili reconstructs her grandmother's memory until she manages to establish a conversation that will allow them to accept themselves and fight for their love. Time is running out, and with the store on the brink of closing, they must resolve their conflicts before it’s too late.

Genres: Short Film

Recommended if you plan to attend 6+ films.

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Host or Publisher Calgary Queer Arts Society