Tony Tranero is a Disco dancer at the end of an era, competing in a contest that could change the trajectory of his life. While preparing for this moment, he meets other dancers that are fighting their own battles that force him to confront the real politics of dancing – who gets to stand in the spotlight. Tony uses his privilege to even the playing field and invites all the dancers to a Battle Royale for a winner-take-all dance off that sets Queens ablaze.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Hannah Ehman
DJ 12 Inches: Allan Michael
Writer Statement
I wrote ’79 to honor the last year before the world went to shit. Everything that happened after 1979 was a lie and it’s time to correct the history books once and for all. Dancing is not a white thing, or a straight thing, or a CIS thing. It never has been. It never was. ’79 sets the record straight by making it really, really queer.
LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival 