The NFB-produced feature documentary Standing on the Line (Franchir la ligne) by Paul Émile d'Entremont is having its Toronto premiere on Wednesday, March 25 starting at 6 p.m. at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema.
Presented in collaboration with the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the free screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director and two of the film's Toronto-based subjects: Anastasia Bucsis, an Olympian and former member of the Canadian long track speed skating team, originally from Calgary, who competed for Canada at the Vancouver and Sochi Olympic Winter Games; and Sudbury-born Brock McGillis, a retired pro hockey goalie who played for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires and Soo Greyhounds. The discussion will be moderated by Sportsnet 590 The FAN host Scott MacArthur.
Standing on the Line comes to Toronto as part of a Canadian tour that has already visited Vancouver, Calgary, Sudbury, Montreal, Moncton and Halifax-with an upcoming screening in Winnipeg on March 8.
About Standing on the Line (Franchir la ligne) (2019 | 80 min 30 s)
Electronic press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/standing-on-the-line
In both amateur and professional sports, being gay remains taboo. Breaking the code of silence that prevails on the field, on the ice and in the locker room, Standing on the Line focuses on athletes who've joined their voices in support of the LGBTQ cause. In addition to Brock McGillis and Anastasia Bucsis, d'Entremont explores the stories of ex-Montreal Impact midfielder David Testo and former collegiate hockey player Brendan Burke, whose 2009 coming out rocked the world of pro sports. The film takes a fresh and often moving look at gay athletes who've set out to overcome prejudice in the hopes of changing things for the athletes of tomorrow.
About Anastasia Bucsis
Anastasia Bucsis first came out to her family and friends at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Then, a few months before Sochi 2014, with Russia banning gay "propaganda," Anastasia came out publicly-making her the only openly gay North American Olympian at the time. She is passionate about public speaking, fan engagement and inspiring a future generation in building a better world.
About Brock McGillis
Brock McGillis is a former OHL and professional goalie who was the first pro hockey player to openly come out as gay. Today, he gives back to the sport by training young Canadian hopefuls and speaking at schools across the country. His mission: eliminate the homophobic language that remains all too common in hockey today.
About director Paul Émile d'Entremont
Born in Nova Scotia, Acadian filmmaker Paul Émile d'Entremont currently makes his home in Vancouver. Over the years, documentaries by d'Entremont have screened and won awards on the national and international festival circuit, including Last Chance (2012, NFB), Naufrages (2009, Phare‑Est Média), Reema, There and Back (2006, NFB) and Alone, Together (2000, NFB). D'Entremont has also built a reputation as a talented filmmaker at Radio-Canada and RDI. Standing on the Line is his most recent NFB production.
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