The Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival, running May 18-28, marks its 10th anniversary this year.

One of Toronto's largest film fests, Inside Out will celebrate its first decade with gala screenings to be held at Famous Players Paramount, with the festival returning to its traditional location - The Cumberland - for regular screenings.

Among the festival's 84 programs featuring 320 works, more than 50 of which are feature presentations (25 dramatic, 29 docs), there will be 19 Canadian premieres and six North American premieres.

A third of the works being screened this year are Canadian, with the balance drawn from 20 countries around the world.

Galas include Patrik-Ian Polk's Sundance favorite Punks, slated to open the festival, and Nisha Ganatra's multiple-award winning Chutney Popcorn, which officially closes the festival May 27.

As part of the directors series and among a handful of award-winning filmmakers, Jeremy Podeswa will show clips from Genie-Award winner The Five Senses, plus Eclipse and David Roche Talks to You About Love. Podeswa will also discuss work and influences with John Greyson (The Law of Enclosures, Urinal, Zero Patience, Lilies).

Among the festival's special presenters is Montreal-based Thomas Waugh. Waugh, billed as the foremost authority on gay male pornography, will take viewers on a jaunt through a century of queer obsession with jocks in Beyond Beefcake, a take-off on Thom Fitzgerald's feature Beefcake.

Also this year, the festival launches the Cruiseline Award for best Canadian gay male short and the Toronto Women in Film and Television - Toronto Award for best local female director.