It's聽already turning into another stellar year for 91亚色 film Professor . His latest short, Green Laser, premiered with sold-out screenings at the Berlin International Film Festival last month, and this week brings the launch 
of a major retrospective in Toronto celebrating his work.
John Greyson
Greyson is no stranger to the Berlinale.聽 is his eighth production (three of which earned the acclaimed Teddy Award) to screen there. The film explores civil disobedience, queer activism and solidarity, using documentary-style footage combined with Green Hornet lore and rewritten excerpts from Exodus to document Greyson鈥檚 experience with a 鈥榝reedom flotilla鈥 attempting to sail to Gaza.
He聽was on-hand to introduce his film which, he said, elicited 鈥渢errific questions and great responses鈥 in Berlin, and has since been invited to a dozen other festivals.
Back on home turf,聽, a week-long, multimedia, multi-venue retrospective co-presented by three leading cultural organizations, the , the and , debuts聽on Friday. The retrospective, running March 30 to April 5, showcases Greyson鈥檚 extensive body of work, ranging from shorts and feature films, documentary and historical fiction, filmed operas and experimental video art.聽 It also marks the release of a DVD box set of Greyson鈥檚 productions and a new monograph on his provocative 1993 AIDS musical, Zero Patience.
A production still from 'Green Laser'
鈥淛ohn's work has consistently pushed cinema to communicate his overlying themes of liberation and activism, crafting some of Canadian cinema's most indelible moments,鈥 said CBC radio contributor Jesse Wente, head of film programs at TIFF Bell Lightbox
鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to the opportunity to engage a whole new audience,鈥 Greyson said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檒l be so exciting to see some of my films again on 35mm.鈥
Colleagues and collaborators of Greyson, among them Canada Research Chair Janine Marchessault and film studies Professor Sharon Hayashi from 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Film, will introduce each screening and facilitate Q&A sessions to follow.
What鈥檚 next for the filmmaker whom TIFF鈥檚 artistic director Noah Cowan hails as 鈥渙ne of Canada's most singular cinematic voices鈥?
An opera-documentary, says Greyson. 鈥淚'm currently in pre-production on Jericho-Baghdad, concerning queers, solidarity and wars in the Middle East.鈥 He begins shooting this week.