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Film Screening

➔

Celestial Queer: The Life, Work and Wonder of James MacSwain

EVENT LOCATION:
Carbon Arc Cinema (1747 Summer Street)

EVENT DATE & TIME
May 10, 2026 5:30 pm

Film Screening and Artist Talk with Directors

A fittingly eclectic and colourful ode to Halifax treasure, multi-media artist James MacSwain, Celestial Queer documents MacSwain’s journey growing up gay in the ‘50s and ‘60s in small-town Nova Scotia and finding his community and artistic practice. Co-directors and long-time-Jim-disciples Eryn Foster and Sue Johnson compiled footage for this epic documentary for close to a decade to tell the story of this quietly outspoken feminist, naturalist and gay-rights activist.

This screening is part of the 2026 Animation Festival of Halifax.

WHEN: Sunday, May 10, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
 
WHERE: Carbon Arc Cinema, 1747 Summer Street, Museum of Natural History’s lower level – entry from south side parking lot.
 
FREE for NSCAD Students!
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About the Artists

Sue Johnson is a Toronto-based director in cinematographer working primarily in long-form narrative and documentary film. Her film work has been shown on major networks and streaming platforms such as Netflix, Peacock, CBC and Al Jazeera, as well as festivals such as Toronto International Film Festival, Inside Out, San Francisco Doc Fest, and Image+Nation. Eryn Foster is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker based in K’jipuktuk/Halifax. Over the past two decades she has also worked as a curator, educator, arts administrator and consultant. She is a regular time-time faculty member at NSCAD University where she teaches in the departments of Fine Arts and Foundation Studies. Most recently her feature documentary, Celestial Queer: The Life, Work and Wonder of James MacSwain won the award for Best Atlantic Documentary Feature at the 2023 Atlantic International Film Festival and Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Silverwave Film Festival.