FTFF 2026: Starwalker

As part of the Fairy Tales Film Festival, we’re proud to present bold, boundary-pushing queer stories that celebrate identity, resilience, and community. Join us for opening night of the festival and take in a powerful screening of Starwalker, a vibrant journey into drag, culture, and self-discovery that embodies the spirit of this year’s festival.

Contemporary Calgary | Heather Edwards Theatre
Runtime: 1h 56m Country: Canada Languages: English

ABOUT:
Star (Dilan Chiblow), an Indigi-Queer Two-Spirit lonesome call boy has become newly entranced by the world of drag when they are introduced to The House of Borealis, a popular drag house led by their charming matriarch, Mother (Stewart Adam McKensy). Star’s newfound passion propels them to face a cultural past once neglected, but when painful memories re-emerge, their love for drag and their new family is put to the test. Alongside Levi (Jeffrey Follis) and the rest of their sisters in drag, Star journeys through the realization of who they are, leading to the creation of a persona that blends their grounded cultural spirit with a unique take on drag.

Genres: Musical, Comedy, Drama, Queer

– Ethan Vlessing – The Hollywood Reporter

– Rachel Ho - EXCLAIM Magazine

Starwalker began as a deeply personal exploration of my Two-Spirit identity and a love letter to my queer community in East Vancouver. I started writing this musical at a time when drag queen story hours weren’t under attack, when the findings from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People had not yet come to light, and when the fight for equality seemed to be making greater strides. But the world has shifted, and so has the urgency of Starwalker.

This musical is an act of joyful rebellion—a celebration of resilience and the enduring power of love. It honors our shared histories and the complex, messy beauty of our relationships, while imagining a future full of unapologetic self-expression.

At its heart, Starwalker weaves together Indigenous culture and drag performance to shine a light on the vibrant, transformative power of Two-Spirit identity. It’s a tribute to our families—both those we are born into and those we choose—to the beauty that exists within us all, and to the sacred, unshakable power that has always lived on this land.

My hope is that Starwalker will inspire audiences to see the world through a lens of love and possibility, and to celebrate the joy of being exactly who you were always meant to be.

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Host or Publisher Calgary Queer Arts Society