#mqff

BEYOND excited to announce that my grad film Streetlight People will be screening at Melbourne Queer Film Festival this year! It’ll be shown during the Freak Out! Shorts collection on the 20th of Nov, my birthday of all days!! It’ll also be available to watch on MQFF+, their streaming service, from Nov 15 - Dec 1 :D

Enormous thanks to Sinner’s Heist for the permission to use their titular song and for being generally awesome musicians, to everyone at RMIT Animation for all their guidance and support, and of course my fabulous volunteers<33

Title: Signature Move Year: 2017 Language: US (English)

Plot: Zaynab, a Pakistani-American leads a pretty boring life as a lawyer and primary caregiver of her mourning mother. She takes up the hobby of wresting to spice things up when she meets the Mexican-American Alma, who’s mother she later shares, was also a wrestler. The two share their unique cultures in romantic encounters but are challenged when Alma discovers that Zaynab has hidden their relationship from her traditional mother.

Basic Review:

A wonderfully confident lesbian film that isn’t challenged by a heterosexual relationship or male characters.

The women have a sweet romance and are very well cast, making the audience swoon with their tremendous connection.

There are some unnecessary scenes and cuts in the film that signal a low budget production but ultimately Fawzia Mirza, from other lesbian films (Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together ) is a wonderful queer actor.

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/melbourne-queer-film-festival-launch-jam-packed-program/

Melbourne Queer Film Festival launch jam-packed program

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2024 program has launched, celebrating how sound and vision have inspired and transformed our communities.

Running from 14 – 24th November, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival is the biggest and longest-running queer film festival in Australia.

The full program launched last night, featuring 42 feature films, 18 Australian premieres, 18 Melbourne premieres, 19 documentaries, 11 short film packages and so much more.

“This season, we’re electrifying Melbourne with an unforgettable celebration of queer music culture.” MQFF Chief Executive Officer David Martin Harris said.

“The 2024 MQFF isn’t just a film festival; it’s an international queer-revisionist journey through the untold history of music.”

“We’ve gathered the most extraordinary new and historical LGBTQIA+ stories from around the globe that shape, form, pay homage to, and celebrate queer music culture.”

“Audiences are in for a genre-spanning festival that honours the LGBTQIA+ artists and creatives who’ve shaped—and continue to transform—how we live, sing, and dance.”

“From rock to pop, country and everything in between, we’re diving deep into the intersection of music and film.”

The gift of sound and vision

With this year’s theme of ‘Formative Sound and Vision’, MQFF have gathered new and historical stories from around the globe that shape, form, pay homage and celebrate queer music culture.

“Queers have long been hooked to the silver screen,” Program Director, Cerise Howard said.

“coveting representations and reflections of ourselves, sometimes only coming out through encountering kindred spirits on-screen.”

“This year’s theme was inspired by festival guest Darryl W. Bullock’s David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music.”

What would LGBTQIA+ culture be without certain, specific, celebrated conjunctions of sound and vision?

MQFF will include a special keynote by international guest Bullock, the author of David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music.

“The gift of sound and vision”, as David Bowie once put it – has inspired and shaped queers and fellow travellers of all walks of life,” Howard said.

“Informative, performative, formative – this year’s festival will be the making of us all.”

Seats snapping up for MQFF Highlights

Less than 24 hours since the Melbourne Queer Film Festival program was launched and session highlights are already filling up.

The opening night feature is the Melbourne premier of music’s first black trans star, Jackie Shane.

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story is a documentary that shares the extraordinary story of a pioneering black trans performer.

Jackie Shane, who had exceptional talent and stage presence was a rising star in 1950s Nashville and became a sensation in ‘60s Toronto.

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story screens on 14th November at ACMI.

MQFF’s Closing Night screening features the Australian premiere of Duino.

Argentinian actor Juan Pablo Di Pace stars in this semiautobiographical film, as well as his directorial feature debut.

Di Pace plays Matías, a filmmaker yearning for the unrequited love of Alexander.

He fell head over heels for the blazingly beautiful teen years ago while studying in Italy.

Duino screens on 24th November at ACMI.

Another Melbourne premier, German film Gondola is the Centrepiece screening of MQFF.

This tells the story of cable car attendants Iva and Nino, assigned to a cabin suspended high above the Caucasus Mountains.

Their mid-air flirtations with one another are explored through the winsome music from Malcolm Arison and Icelandic singer-songwriter Sóley.

Just one look at the trailer below and you can see why this is worth seeing.

Gondola screens on 21st November at Palace Cinema.

More than what’s on screen

But it’s not all about what’s on-screen as the MQFF Festival Lounge returns to ACMI.

A gathering space before and after screenings, it will also feature curated events for all.

“This will be a vibrant space for LGBTQIA+ community connection,” David Martin Harris said,

“featuring fascinating public programs, DJs, karaoke and delicious food in a mirror ball-lit setting.”

Highlights from free events and public programs include:

Camp as Karaoke on Saturday nights.

MQFF Program Director Cerise Howard in conversation with prolific author Darryl W. Bullock.

My Formative Queers turns its gaze to short films that capture the soundtracks of our youths – music videos.

Queer Film Trivia hosted by Frock Hudson.

A chance to meet face to face with Joe Ball, the Commissioner for LGBTQIA+ Communities.

MQFF Speed Dating and more.

Running from 14th—24th November, MQFF’s program screens across Melbourne at ACMI, The Capitol, Cinema Nova Carlton, and Palace Cinema Como South Yarra.

Single film tickets will be on sale Friday, October 18th, from 7 p.m., with MQFF Members and Film Pass holders getting first access now.

See the full program here.