FESTIVAL LOUNGE
VENUES
YOUR VOTE COUNTS Don’t miss your chance to decide the best of the Fest. We have over $8,000 in cash prizes for deserving filmmakers. There are four audience choice awards up for grabs that need your vote. Let us know your favourite features, shorts and docos by voting online at mqff.com.au or at the Festival information Desk.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Melbourne Queer Film Festival @mqff #mqff2014 Search for mqff tube Subscribe to MQFF eNews for Festival updates, giveaways and special offers at mqff.com.au
Parliament
PL ERS MEY
S ST DER FLIN
Trams
ST ING SPR
We’ll also be hosting a range of special events so if you need a break from the cinema, there’s always something (or someone!) else to pique your interest.
3
Trains
Flinders St
1
Federation Square
1 ACMI Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne acmi.net.au
2 Hoyts Melbourne Central Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, cnr LaTrobe and Swanston Streets, Melbourne hoyts.com.au
24TH MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL FOR ALL FILM LOVERS
S LN DER FLIN
S ST LLIN CO
Drop in for a quick hello, talk film for hours or find a comfy couch to soak up the Festival atmosphere in Optic Kitchen + Bar at ACMI.
T NS IBITIO EXH
S ST LLIN E CO LITTL
ST RKE BOU
MQFF isn’t just about fabulous films; it’s also a great time to catch up with friends in the Festival Lounge.
96 95/ 86/
RD ILDA ST K /72 /67 /64 /16 6/8 /5/ /3a 1/3 ST 59 57/ 19/
T TH S ABE ELIZ
ST LIAM WIL
T LE S SDA LON
ST SELL RUS
2
E ST ROB LA T
N STO AN SW
ST EEN QU
T IN S NKL FRA Melbourne Central
BAT MAN AVE
24TH MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
3 Loop 23 Meyers Place, Melbourne looponline.com.au The best and greenest way to get to the Festival is by tram. ACMI is serviced by 11 routes, with a tram every minute in peak times and every 3 – 5 minutes in the evening. Hoyts Melbourne Central is serviced by 13 routes with a tram every minute in peak times and every 3 – 5 minutes in the evening. Visit yarratrams.com.au for travel information or download the free tramTRACKER® iPhone or Android app.
THREE WAYS TO BUY TICKETS ONLINE AT MQFF.COM.AU
13 – 24 MARCH 2014 MQFF.COM.AU
FOR ALL FILM LOVERS
POCKET GUIDE
13 – 24 MARCH 2014 MQFF.COM.AU
Festival Planner & Venues Map plus information on Festival Lounge, Voting and Buying Tickets
then print your tickets at home
ON YOUR SMARTPHONE with the official Festival iPhone or Android app
IN PERSON at ACMI or Hoyts Melbourne Central during the Festival
Principal Partner
Principal Partner
ACMI FILM MEMBERSHIP MQFF DISCOUNT Purchase an ACMI Film Membership online prior to 31 Mar 2014 for only $15. ACMI Film Members receive a free ACMI film ticket, member rates to ACMI films and a 15% discount at Optic Kitchen + Bar and the ACMI Store. Plus exclusive invitations to film previews and more.
“I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member*” — Groucho Marx *unless it’s as an ACMI Film Member
ACMI Film Membership
To become an ACMI Film Member, visit acmi.net.au/members, select the concession price and use the promo code iluvmqff
For just $15* you’ll receive: – One free ACMI film ticket* – Member rates for ACMI films** – 15% discount at Optic Kitchen + Bar and the ACMI Store – Exclusive invitations to cinema events, previews and screenings Go to acmi.net.au/members for more details and to join online.
For the past decade, ACMI’s year-round film program has been presenting movies that really matter. There have been retrospectives showcasing some of the most important actors and auteurs in the history of cinema. There have been exclusive seasons of films you just won’t get to see anywhere else. There have been over 6,000 films from more than 100 countries in over 78 languages. Quite literally there’s been something for everyone – the young, the old, the good, the bad and, of course, the queer. This year, we say become a friend with benefits.
THURSDAY, 13 MARCH
MONDAY, 17 MARCH
TIME
BOOKING
SESSION TYPE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
VENUE
7.30pm
8000
Opening Night
Any Day Now
ACMI
FRIDAY, 14 MARCH TIME
BOOKING
SESSION TYPE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
VENUE
ACMI
6.00pm
2151
Feature
Soongava: Dance of the Orchids
6.15pm
3151
Feature
You and the Night
ACMI
8.00pm
2152
Feature
Jack and Diane
ACMI
8.15pm
3152
Feature
Free Fall
ACMI
10.30pm
2153
Feature
Pitstop
ACMI
10.30pm
3153
Feature
Meth Head
ACMI
SATURDAY, 15 MARCH
Top and bottom: Still from Cheerful Weather For The Wedding (2012) and Farewell My Queen (2012) Opposite: Still from A Life Exposed (2013)
BOOKING
SESSION TYPE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
VENUE
6.00pm
2165
Special Presentation
Camp Beaverton: Meet the Beavers
ACMI
6.00pm
3165
Feature
Blue and not so Pink
ACMI
8.30pm
2166
Feature
In the Name of
ACMI
8.30pm
3166
Feature
Hawaii
ACMI
Shorts Package
Transformations
ACMI
Special Presentation
52 Tuesdays
ACMI
3178
Feature
Burning Blue
ACMI
4.00pm
4179
Shorts Package
Queeries 4
ACMI Studio
4.00pm
2179
Documentary
Too Cold Out Here Without You
ACMI
6.00pm
3167
6.00pm
5167
Feature
Snails in the Rain
HOYTS
8.00pm
2168
Documentary
I am Divine
ACMI
Feature
The Last Match
HOYTS
2.00pm
2155
Documentary
Valentine Road
ACMI
2.00pm
3155
Feature
Schoolgirl Complex
ACMI
4.00pm
4156
Documentary
Vicky the Gay Gene Comes to Melbourne
ACMI Studio ACMI
2158
Feature
Puppy Love
ACMI
8.15pm
3158
Feature
G.B.F.
ACMI
10.15pm
2159
Documentary
Mr. Angel
ACMI
10.30pm
3159
Shorts Package
Cocktales
ACMI
WEDNESDAY, 19 MARCH
3181
Feature
Floating Skyscapers
ACMI
2182
Shorts Package
Sex, Drives & Videotape
ACMI
6.00pm
5169
Documentary
Bridegroom
HOYTS
10.15pm
3182
Feature
First Period
ACMI
7.30pm
Gold Coin Entry
Shorts Package
Celluloid Casserole
LOOP
8.30pm
3170
Feature
Cupcakes
ACMI
TIME
BOOKING
SESSION TYPE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
VENUE
Feature
Will You Still Love me Tomorrow?
1.00pm
3183
Shorts Package
Short & Girly
ACMI
2.00pm
2183
Documentary
The Rugby Player
ACMI
3.00pm
3184
Feature
Zoe.Misplaced
ACMI
3.30pm
4184
Special Presentation
Such Interesssssting Lives
ACMI Studio
4.00pm
2184
Shorts Package
OZ Docs 2
ACMI
6.00pm
2185
Shorts Package
Mix Tape
ACMI
6.00pm
3185
Feature
Pitstop
ACMI
8.30pm
9000
Closing Night
Reaching for the Moon
ACMI
TIME
BOOKING
SESSION TYPE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
VENUE
6.00pm
2186
Back by Popular Demand
Go to mqff.com.au for details
ACMI
6.15pm
3186
Back by Popular Demand
Go to mqff.com.au for details
ACMI
8.30pm
2187
Back by Popular Demand
Go to mqff.com.au for details
ACMI
8.30pm
3187
Back by Popular Demand
Go to mqff.com.au for details
ACMI
9.00pm
5170
HOYTS
THURSDAY, 20 MARCH TIME
BOOKING
SESSION TYPE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
VENUE
6.00pm
2171
Feature
Two Mothers
ACMI
6.15pm
3171
Centrepiece
Gerontophilia
ACMI
Lose Your Head
HOYTS
Feature
8.30pm
2172
Feature
Victim
ACMI
1.00pm
3160
Shorts Package
Femme Fatalities
ACMI
8.30pm
3172
Feature
Geography Club
ACMI
2.00pm
4461
Special Presentation
Tasty Bust reunion + panel
ACMI Studio
8.30pm
5172
Feature
Matterhorn
HOYTS
Shorts Package
Identities
ACMI
10.30pm
3173
Feature
Meth Head
ACMI
2162
Documentary
Born this Way
ACMI
6.00pm
2163
Feature
Valencia the Movie/s
ACMI
Feature
20 Lies, 4 Parents and a Little Egg
ACMI
Who's Afraid of Vagina Wolf?
ACMI
Test
ACMI
6.15pm
3163
8.30pm
2164
Feature
8.30pm
3164
Feature
ACMI
8.15pm
5171
4.00pm
Yoshiko and Yuriko
10.15pm
6.00pm
ACMI
Feature
VENUE
VENUE
ACMI Studio
Feature
2181
ACMI
ACMI Studio
OZ Docs 1
3180
8.15pm
Bad Hair
Queeries 2
OUT in the Line-Up
ACMI
6.15pm
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
Documentary
ACMI
Who's Afraid of Vagina Wolf?
Centrepiece
SESSION TYPE
Shorts Package
ACMI
OZ Shorts
3169
Shorts Package
3161
G.B.F.
Shorts Package
6.00pm
4160
4162
Feature
2180
SESSION TYPE
BOOKING
3.00pm
3179
6.00pm
BOOKING
TIME
4.00pm
4.00pm
TIME
midday
2161
SESSION TYPE
2178
5168
8.15pm
BOOKING
2.00pm
8.30pm
ACMI
TIME
2.00pm
ACMI Studio
Cupcakes
ACMI
ACMI
Queeries 1
Feature
Hot Guys With Guns
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
Shorts Package
3157
Feature
Documentary
4155
6.15pm
3176
2167
2.00pm
ACMI
ACMI
10.15pm
6.00pm
ACMI
Dual
HOYTS
Short & Burly
VENUE
Salvation Army
Feature
Free Fall
Shorts Package
ACMI
Feature
2157
Feature
2176
Boob Tube
3168
6.00pm
5175
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
9.00pm
ACMI
8.30pm 10.30pm
Shorts Package
VENUE
Quick Change
ACMI
3177
ACMI
Feature
Jack and Diane
midday
Rosie
3156
Feature
VENUE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
4.00pm
VENUE
3175
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
Feature
Documentary
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
8.00pm
SESSION TYPE
SESSION TYPE
2156
SESSION TYPE
BOOKING
3154
4.00pm
BOOKING
TIME
BOOKING
Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth
TIME
SATURDAY, 22 MARCH
TUESDAY, 18 MARCH
TIME
2.00pm
** Film tickets valid only for ACMI programs. These do not apply to partner festivals.
FRIDAY, 21 MARCH
TIME
midday
SUNDAY, 16 MARCH
*$15 offer only valid until 31/03/14.
Australian Centre for the Moving Image Federation Square, Melbourne Phone > 03 8663 2200 Email > info@acmi.net.au Website > acmi.net.au
ACMI CINEMAS
FESTIVAL PLANNER
FRIDAY, 21 MARCH TIME
BOOKING
SESSION TYPE
SESSION NAME/FILM TITLE
VENUE
6.00pm
2174
Feature
You and the Night
ACMI
6.00pm
3174
Feature
Five Dances
ACMI
6.00pm
5174
Feature
Noor
HOYTS
6.30pm
4174
Shorts Package
Queeries 3
ACMI Studio
8.00pm
2175
Special Presentation
The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
ACMI
SUNDAY, 23 MARCH
MONDAY, 24 MARCH
For more information, go to mqff.com.au
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2014 MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
8 WHITEMAN STREET SOUTHBANK VICTORIA 3006 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE +61 3 9292 6211 | RESERVATIONS@CROWNMETROPOLMELBOURNE.COM.AU CROWNMETROPOLMELBOURNE.COM.AU
A very special offer from Time Out Melbourne, for our friends at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival Get a 1 year subscription to Time Out magazine for just $20. That’s a huge $34.45 discount, and includes free delivery to your door
$20 1 year
To subscribe go to: magshop.com.au/time-out-melbourne Enter the promo code: H1401MTO Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2014. Offer is limited. Having trouble subscribing? subs@au.timeout.com
CONTENTS FESTIVAL INFORMATION
FILM PROGRAMS
Accessibility .............................................
4
Opening Night Film & Party ........................ 12
Sponsors .................................................
5
Centrepiece Presentations ........................... 14
Welcome ................................................
6
Closing Night Film & Party .......................... 16
Awards ...................................................
7
Feature Films ............................................ 21
Ticketing ..................................................
8
Documentaries .......................................... 52
gen2gen Community Film Project ................. 47
Special Presentations ................................. 58
Festival Lounge ......................................... 48 Credits .................................................... 94
SHORTS PROGRAMS
Membership.............................................. 95
Transformations ......................................... 64
Sweethearts ............................................. 95
Oz Docs ................................................. 65
Film Index ................................................ 96
Oz Shorts ................................................ 66
Pocket Guide – Venue Map & Festival Planner .................... Inside back cover
Short & Girly ............................................ 68 Short & Burly ............................................ 70 Boobtube . ............................................... 72 Cocktales ................................................ 74 Femme Fatalities . ...................................... 76 Sex Drives & Videotape .............................. 78 Identities .................................................. 80 Mix Tape ................................................. 82 Queeries ................................................. 84 Celluloid Casserole ................................... 87
Visit mqff.com.au to browse the 24th Melbourne Queer Film Festival program and buy tickets online. Download the free iPhone or Android app to view the program and buy tickets on your smartphone.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Melbourne Queer Film Festival @mqff #mqff2014 Search for mqff tube Subscribe to MQFF eNews for Festival updates, giveaways and special offers at mqff.com.au
ACCESSIBILITY ACCESS
GUIDE DOGS
Melbourne Queer Film Festival is committed to improving access for all festival-goers. We are proud to be an inclusive event that welcomes everyone to enjoy queer film.
Guide dogs are welcome in all Festival venues.
CITY OF MELBOURNE Information about accessible parking, amenities, public transport and other facilities in the City of Melbourne is available online at Melbourne. vic.gov.au/CommunityServices/DisabilityServices
COMPANION CARD MQFF supports the Companion Card. To book these tickets please contact us via the details listed below. These tickets cannot be booked online.
TEXT TOO SMALL?
All MQFF venues are accessible for people who require wheelchair access and accessible toilets, including ACMI, Hoyts Melbourne Central, Loop and the Festival Lounge at Optic Kitchen + Bar.
If you’d like a large text version of the film descriptions please contact us and we’ll email or post them to you.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING
CONTACT US
For all cinemas at ACMI assistive listening devices are available for collection from ACMI’s Tickets and Information Desk. Hoyts Melbourne Central has assistive listening via an audio loop that can be used to amplify or enhance sound quality. This can be accessed from all seats through the t-switch on a hearing aid.
Phone: 03 9662 4147 Email: info@mqff.com.au Website: mqff.com.au
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS
MQFF makes every effort to ensure that our accessibility information is correct. If you find an error please contact us so we can update our details.
AUSLAN INTERPRETERS Yarra Trams are presenting Auslan Interpreting for the screening of Burning Blue at ACMI Cinemas on Saturday 22 March at 2pm. Details about this film can be found on page 22. Many of the films in the Festival are subtitled and this information can be found under the title of each film in the session descriptions. You can also see a list of these films on our website by searching the program under the genre heading “Subtitled”.
4
PROUD FESTIVAL PARTNERS Principal Partner
Cultural Partner
Major Partner
Media Partners
Sponsors
prahran market clinic
Supporters
magnifymedia C 100 M0 Y 100 K 35
5
WELCOME Welcome to the 24th Melbourne Queer Film Festival!
Betty Boop and The Lion King in Such Intersssssting Lives, along with a 10th anniversary screening of The Tasty Bust Reunion documentary (20 years after the event), which will be accompanied by a panel who’ll chat about the nightclub raid itself and how far we’ve come since then.
It’s tough times for film festivals the world over, with changes to filmmaking and screening technology, as well as major changes to the way audiences access films, or choose to watch their favourite movies. Sadly for film festivals (but great for film lovers), audiences have increased access to material on-line (either legally or otherwise), and film festivals have to fight to not only build an audience, but retain the one they have. The MQFF has enjoyed an incredibly loyal following over its 24 years, but in the past 3 years, while costs have risen sharply, our audience has only increased in very small amounts. I might be biased, but I believe the MQFF continues to deliver one of the world’s best queer film festival programs, and to continue to do that we need our loyal audience to continue to buy tickets, but also to encourage others to do the same, as ticket sales are the number one way this not-for-profit stays alive.
Other feature films not to be missed include Matterhorn, Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf?, Freefall, Noor, Pitstop, Soonagava – Dance of the Orchids (the first lesbian feature from Nepal), and finally, the queerest film in the MQFF program, You and the Night. The documentary list is also chock-a-block with must-sees including Bridegroom, Gore Vidal – The United States of Amnesia, the multi award-winner Valentine Road and Mr. Angel, about the life and times of trans* porn pioneer and activist Buck Angel. Of course if you like the short form there are 16 shorts packages to choose from covering the whole GLBTIQ alphabet, as well as several packages of great Australian material.
The harsh fact is that it’s a very competitive market in terms of obtaining sponsorship and corporate support, and in some cases the ‘Modern Family’ effect has meant that many sponsors feel us queers no longer require the financial support because we’re on the telly, when in fact, we need it more than ever. So please, when you’re looking through our fabulous program of films and events, make sure you tell as many people as you can about the great films on offer from Australia and all around the world. That way we can be assured that the MQFF will continue in its current high quality format.
And if you need a break from the endless film fun, be sure to look in on speed dating, gay bingo, and comedy night to name a few of the extra-curricular activities doing the rounds at the MQFF during the fest. So please support your Festival – it needs your help, and the best way to do that is to put your bum on a seat and bring a friend! Enjoy the Fest!
There’s some amazing material on offer this year, from our opening night film Any Day Now, to our closing night film Reaching for the Moon. The 10 days in between offer incredible highlights such as a sneak preview of one of the best Australian queer films I’ve seen in many years, 52 Tuesdays, as well as Centrepiece films Bad Hair and Bruce LaBruce’s latest film Gerontophilia, co-presented by our Cultural partner and main venue the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. We have an outstanding array of Special Presentations, including the 20th anniversary screening of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and a screening of the remastered 1961 film Victim. Don’t miss Lee Gambin’s queer reading of Hollywood cartoons such as Bugs Bunny,
Lisa Daniel Festival Director
6
AWARDS This year Melbourne Queer Film Festival will award $8,000 in cash prizes to films across a range of genres. Through these awards we support the exceptional work of talented filmmakers from Australia and around the world.
Jury Awards Our Jury Awards recognise home grown filmmakers from the diverse selection of Australian short films screening this year in the Oz Shorts and Celluloid Casserole packages. The City of Melbourne Emerging Filmmaker Award for Best Australian Short Queer Film $3,000 Cash All films in the Oz Shorts are eligible and the winner will be announced at the screening on Saturday 22 March. Judges and films are listed on page 66.
Audience Choice Awards
Presented by
Don’t miss your chance to decide the best of the Fest. You can vote for your favourite films online at mqff.com.au or at the MQFF Information Desk, located on the entry level of ACMI. Best Feature Film $1,500 Cash Presented by MQFF Members Warwick Eddington and Tony Hillery
Selectors’ Choice Award for Best Australian Short Queer Film in Celluloid Casserole $500 Cash
Best Documentary $2,000 Cash Presented by MQFF Life Member & Sweetheart David McCarthy
All films in Celluloid Casserole are eligible and the winner will be announced at the screening on Wednesday 20 March. Films are listed on page 87.
Best Australian Short Film $500 Cash Presented by Step Right Up
Presented by
Best Short Film $500 Cash Presented by twenty21
The winner of the City of Melbourne Award also qualifies for automatic inclusion into the international queer shorts competition, the Iris Prize, which is the world’s largest prize for a gay and lesbian short film. The winner of the Iris Prize receives £25,000 to make their next short film in the UK. Last year Dik, starring Patrick Brammall (above), won the Oz Shorts Award. It also took out the awards for Best Short Film and Best Australian Short Film. It was a good year for Dik!
7
TICKETING EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF THE FEST
All-In Passes All-In Pass holders are required to book their sessions online or via the smartphone apps to secure seats at their preferred sessions. Please choose sessions carefully as you may not be able to see all films in the Festival. The All-In Pass must be produced for entry to all sessions. The All-In Pass is strictly non-transferable and can only be used to book 1 session per time slot. All-In Pass holders may be able to enter sessions that they haven’t previously booked but only if seats are available. To avoid disappointment please book your preferred sessions before the start of the Festival. Premium All-In Pass holders will have a choice of their preferred seat location prior to the start of the Festival and this will be their seat for every session booked. Sessions must be booked by 9am daily to have seat reserved for that day’s films and can only be used to book 1 session per time slot.
THREE FILM PASS You spoke and we listened! By popular demand this pass is back. Valid for one session per programmed time slot excluding special events. $55 Full / $47 Concession / $44 MQFF Member FIVE FILM PASS Maybe you’ve attended a few sessions before and want to push that little bit further? Scale up to 5 films! Valid for one session per programmed time slot excluding special events. $90 Full / $77 Concession / $72 MQFF Member
Print-at-home Tickets Please bring your print-at-home tickets with you and proceed directly to the cinemas to gain entry. To avoid the box office queue MQFF strongly recommends printing your tickets at home. General Admission All seats are unreserved general admission (excluding Premium All-In Pass holders). For popular and/or sold out sessions there will be a queue for entry into the cinema. Only All-In Pass Holders and Sweethearts receive priority entry to cinemas.
SEVEN FILM PASS
Standby Queues MQFF will operate standby queues for all sold out sessions 30 minutes prior to the start time. Locate the designated standby queue at the MQFF information desk and ask staff for a reservation number. We accept cash sales only to enable quick processing. Admission is not guaranteed.
MQFF only happens once a year! See something you might not have considered before with a 7 film pass. Valid for one session per programmed time slot excluding special events. $125 Full / $106 Concession / $100 MQFF Member
Classification Australian Classification grants MQFF exemption from the Classification process. This means that all audience members must be 18 years or over with the exception of the Queeries sessions which will admit those 15 years and over.
ALL-IN PASS
Concessions Holders of valid concession cards are eligible for concession price tickets including full-time students, pensioners, unwaged, seniors, MIFF members and ACMI members. You will be asked to show your valid concession card when purchasing tickets and upon entry.
It’s the full Festival extravaganza! The All-In Film Pass is valid for every session including Opening and Closing Night Films & Parties plus all of the special events and presentations with priority entry into the cinemas. The All-In Pass is available to MQFF members only, and is limited to 100 passes. $335 MQFF Member
MQFF Members Members are eligible for a 20% discount on all full price tickets (excluding the All-In Pass which can only be purchased by members). You will be asked to show your valid membership card when purchasing tickets or upon entry. Membership benefits are non-transferrable.
PREMIUM ALL-IN PASS
Group Bookings To make a group booking of 10 or more please phone the MQFF office on 03 9662 4147.
For the first time ever we are offering a very limited number of Premium Passes. This includes all the benefits of the All-In Pass PLUS a reserved seat with your name, in a location of your choice at ACMI Cinemas 1 & 2 and Hoyts, for every session you book. $700 MQFF Member
Refunds/Exchange Please check your booking carefully at the time of purchase as all tickets and passes are non-refundable unless a session is changed or cancelled. Lost or stolen tickets will not be replaced or refunded. You may exchange tickets online for a $1 fee per ticket exchanged or at the box office for a $2.50 fee per ticket exchanged. There is no charge on exchanges for All-In Pass or Premium All-In Pass holders. GST/ Booking Fees All ticket prices include GST. There is a $2.50 fee per transaction for all online purchases. Terms & Conditions For full details of the terms and conditions plus frequently asked questions visit mqff.com.au/ticketing
8
TICKETING HOW TO BUY YOUR TICKETS
TICKET OPTIONS Single Tickets
1
Valid for any session excluding special events. $19 Full / $16 Concession / $15 MQFF Member
ONLINE AT MQFF.COM.AU Browse the program online, select your films, purchase tickets or passes with a credit card then print your tickets at home. It’s quick and easy, totally secure and available 24 hours.
Special Events Opening Night Film & Party $77 Full / $66 Concession / $62 MQFF Member Closing Night Film & Party $32 Full / $27 Concession / $26 MQFF Member
2
Queeries $10 Full / $8.50 Concession / $8 MQFF Member
ON YOUR SMARTPHONE Download the free application for iPhone or Android to view the program and purchase tickets on your smartphone. Bring your phone to be scanned at the door. No paper ticket is needed.
Celluloid Casserole Gold coin donation at the door Social Events Visit our website for other ticket prices for special events like Speed Dating and Queer Comedy Night.
Presented by
3
#10 BUCK TIX
AT TICKETS AND INFORMATION DESK
MQFF is committed to making the Festival accessible to all so this year we’re introducing a new program called the #10 BUCK TIX.
You can purchase tickets at ACMI Cinemas, Tickets and Information Desk, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square only during the Festival from 13 – 24 March, open from 10am – late. You can also purchase tickets for Hoyts Melbourne Central sessions at the venue 1 hour prior to first session start time for the day.
$10 tickets are available for all sessions (excluding special events) from the ACMI Box Office between 11am – 1.30pm for that day’s session only. Tickets are limited and it’s first in best dressed!
4
Here are the #10 Buck Tix rules: Tickets must be purchased in person on the day of the session There is a limit of two tickets per person per session There is no concession or MQFF member’s price – all tickets are $10 The number of tickets available at this price may vary for each session All other standard ticketing terms and conditions apply – for full details visit mqff.com.au/ticketing
VENUES All film sessions are held at ACMI, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square or Hoyts Melbourne Central, La Trobe Street, Melbourne. MQFF Festival Lounge is Optic Kitchen + Bar at ACMI. Celluloid Casserole is held at LOOP, 23 Meyers Place. For venue map see the MQFF Pocket Guide.
9
AUSTRALIA’S MOST TRUSTED LGBTI NEWS SOURCE
S
S
Weekly Print
Online starobserver.com.au
S
E-Newsletter starobserver.com.au
Social Media @star_observer facebook.com/starobserver
The
Read
OPENING NIGHT
ANY DAY NOW Dir: Travis Fine, USA, 2013, DCP, 97 min
Inspired by a true story, Any Day Now is an emotionally powerful tale of love and acceptance, starring Alan Cumming. 1979, West Hollywood. Rudy (Alan Cumming) is a drag performer who longs to be a successful musician; Paul (Garret Dillahunt), is a closeted lawyer and the two meet at the gay club where Rudy performs. When Rudy returns to his low-rent apartment he finds Marco, a 14-year-old boy with Down syndrome, alone and afraid, after his mother has been arrested by the vice squad. Rudy decides to help the young boy, but Family Services intervenes and places Marco in foster care. With Paul’s legal background, the two men are successfully granted temporary legal guardianship of Marco. However, their happy family situation soon unravels as they are forced to fight a biased legal system. Winner of over 10 Film Festival Audience Awards, this new film from director Travis Fine exposes the legal and social injustices that are as still relevant today as they were in the 1970s. With outstanding performances from Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt, Any Day Now is a forceful and affecting film experience. (PT) Melbourne Premiere
Followed by our Opening Night Party downstairs at ACMI Cinemas!
BOOKING
8000
DATE
Thu 13 March
TIME
7.30pm
VENUE
ACMI 12
“Cumming does an exceptional job of moving across the vast galaxy of universal emotions about partners and parenthood.” Los Angeles Times
13
CENTREPIECE PRESENTATIONS
BAD HAIR (PELO MALO)
Dir: Mariana Rondon, Venezuela, 2013, DCP, 93 Min Spanish with English Subtitles
Junior is nine years old and has ‘bad hair’ – an afro he hates! He’s obsessed with having his hair straightened for his yearbook picture to make him look like a pop star. He tries to get his single mother, Marta, on board with the idea, but this triggers a homophobic panic in her, and is only heightened when she sees Junior’s longing glances at a young man. Junior finds comfort with his grandmother, who offers to raise the young boy. But Junior covets his mother’s love and wants her approval to change his look. Winner of the Best Film prize at the prestigious San Sebastián Film Festival, and recalling Tomboy (MQFF 2012) in its theme of pre-teen sexual awakening, Bad Hair is an astute and powerful film, and a highlight of MQFF 2014. (PT) Australian Premiere
Presented by
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
3169 Wed 19 March 6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 14
“Enthralling… a bold, gripping drama.” Indiewire
CENTREPIECE PRESENTATIONS
GERONTOPHILIA Dir: Bruce LaBruce, Canada, 2013, video, 90 min French and English with English subtitles
Lake and his girlfriend Desiree are your typical young couple, madly in love and brimming with a revolutionary spirit. Lake however has a secret fetish. When he takes a job at a local nursing home his secret desire draws him to one of the residents, 81-year-old Melvyn, a flamboyant but heavily medicated senior. Their friendship quickly develops into lust, much to the discomfort of their friends and family. With rebellion in his heart, Lake liberates Melvyn from his drug-hazed confinement and the two lovers hit the road. At first glance it seems filmmaker provocateur Bruce LaBruce is tackling yet another taboo-busting topic but the most shocking aspect of Gerontophilia is just how damn sweet it is. (SE) Melbourne Premiere
Presented by
BOOKING
3171
DATE
Thu 20 March
TIME
6.15pm
VENUE
ACMI 15
CLOSING NIGHT
REACHING FOR THE MOON (FLORES RARAS)
Dir: Bruno Barreto, Brazil, 2013, DCP, 118 min Portuguese and English with English subtitles
Winner of the Audience Award at both Frameline and L.A. Outfest LGBT Film Festivals, Reaching for the Moon is the passionate story of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Elizabeth Bishop and renowned architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Highlighted by wonderful performances and stunning locations, this film from Academy Award nominated filmmaker Bruno Barreto is an erotically charged and vibrant tale of two taboobreaking women. Grappling with writer’s block, legendary American poet Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto) travels from New York City to Rio de Janeiro in 1951 to visit her college friend, Mary (Tracy Middendorf). Hoping to find inspiration on Mary’s sprawling estate (designed by Oscar Niemeyer and the landscapist Roberto Burle Marx), Elizabeth winds up with much more – a tempestuous relationship with Mary’s feisty partner, architect Lota de Macedo Soares (Glória Pires), that rocks the staid writer to her foundation. Elizabeth flourishes in Brazil, with Lota catering to her every whim; but trouble lurks as Elizabeth’s alcoholism rears its head, Mary grows to resent her and the rising political tensions threaten to unravel all their lives. (PT) Melbourne Premiere
Join us for our Closing Night party in the Festival Lounge at Optic Kitchen + Bar after the screening.
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
9000 Sun 23 March 8.30pm
VENUE
ACMI 16
“An exotic love story becomes an empowering portrait of two highly gifted women who defy social convention.” The Hollywood Reporter
17
JAZZ AT MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE Madeleine Peyroux \ 4 & 5 March Roberto Fonseca \ 11 March Soul Rebels Brass Band \ 15 April Stacey Kent \ 28 April PLUS Andrea Keller, Manins & Gould, David Jones, Gian Slater & more Tickets from $30*
Dedicated to exploring jazz, blues, funk, soul, fusion and pop through club-style concerts and international guest artists.
MORE INFO & TICKETS
03 9699 3333 | melbournerecital.com.au/indigo P R I N C I PA L G O V E R N M E N T PARTN ER
C n r S o u thbank Blvd & S t u r t S t, Southbank
*Transaction fees may apply
At Ferve, we love festivals. We love the excitement of looking through the program to work out what we’ll see and do. We love the anticipation of buying tickets, and the thrill of booking shows before they sell out! We love those moments where you run into an old friend in the line for a show or the festival lounge. We love the conversations after seeing something that made us think, laugh or cry – and sometimes all three.
We have been working with festivals for ten years, so we know that ticketing is just better if it’s easy, convenient, and ready for you when you need it. Whether you’re booking online or at the box office, keeping track of the next show, or having your tickets and passes at hand when you need them, Ferve is your sidekick the whole way. The Melbourne Queer Film Festival looks amazing this year; we can’t wait to share it with you!
www.ferve.com.au
FEATURE FILMS
20 LIES, 4 PARENTS AND A LITTLE EGG
PLUS SHORT
(20 LEUGENS, 4 OUDERS EN ENN SCHARRELEI) Dir: Hanro Smitsman, The Netherlands, 2013, DCP, 80 min Dutch with English subtitles
After fighting with his mothers, lesbian couple Emma and Ilse, 15-year-old Dylan reestablishes a relationship with his biological father, Sjors. Sjors has since married Bert, a conservative businessman, who is enraged to find out about Dylan. Dylan temporarily moves in with Sjors and Bert and continues his rebellious behaviour. Torn between his four parent figures and the secrets they hide from one another, Dylan eventually uncovers the truth behind his conception. Finely mixing drama and comedy with stellar performances from an ensemble cast, Dutch director Hanro Smitsman’s beautifully realised film explores with fresh detail the responsibilities of modern parenting. (NB) Australian Premiere
A LAST FAREWELL (ETT SISTA FARVAL)
Dir: Casper Andreas, Sweden, 2013, digital, 13 min Swedish with English subtitles Haunted by visions of his late husband, and in conflict with his daughter who is trying to renew the ties between them, an older man must tackle the impossible task of moving on and finding peace in the wake of a devastating loss.
Presented by BOOKING
3163
DATE
Sun 16 March
TIME
6.15pm
VENUE
ACMI 21
FEATURE FILMS
BLUE AND NOT SO PINK
BURNING BLUE
(AZUL Y NO TAN ROSA)
Dir: D.M.W. Greer, USA, Video, 90 min
Dir: Miguel Ferrari, Spain/Venezuela, 2012, DCP, 103 min Spanish with English subtitles
The careers of two Navy fighter pilots are thrown into disarray when they embark on a relationship forbidden by the military. Dan seems to have it all – career, gorgeous fiancée, and a devoted best friend in Will. But when Dan and Matt cross paths during shore leave, both their lives are turned upside down. D.M.W. Greer’s adaptation of his own play tackles the issues of identity, sexuality, loyalty and friendship in this intense and emotional drama which exposes the modern day witch-hunts that still exist in many conservative organisations. Beautifully shot with stunning use of slick jet fighters juxtaposed against a romantic, but turbulent narrative, Burning Blue is a fest highlight. (LD) Australian Premiere
Diego is a successful dance and fashion photographer, with loyal friends and a handsome boyfriend, Fabrizio, who loves him. The problem is Diego is commitment-shy, and he’s happy with his life as it is. However, things are about to take a drastic turn when his teenage son, Armando, whom he hasn’t seen in over 5 years, turns up, and Fabrizio is hospitalised after a vicious hate crime. Whilst Diego learns to forge a new relationship with his son, he is unable to see Fabrizio, who lies in a coma, guarded over by his homophobic father. Supporting Diego are his assistant, Perla, who is dealing with her own domestic issues, and Delirio, a drag queen with a secret from her past. Venezuela has produced two powerful queer-themed movies this year – see Bad Hair, also playing at MQFF – and this new film from Miguel Ferrari is emotionally resonant and life-affirming. (PT) Australian Premiere
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
3165 Mon 17 March 6.00pm
Please note this is an Auslan interpreted session
Presented by
VENUE
BOOKING
3178
ACMI 22
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
2.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
CUPCAKES Dir: Eytan Fox, France/Israel, 2013, DCP, 90 min Hebrew and French with English subtitles
For anyone who’s ever watched Eurovision and thought I could do better, or boy this is cheesy, then this good-natured romp is for you. A group of friends living in the same apartment block in Tel Aviv decide to take on the Universong contest (any resemblance to Eurovision is ‘not’ coincidental) with a little ditty they dream up for a lovelorn friend. When one of the gang secretly posts the song online, it quickly becomes an internet sensation and before you can say ‘douze points’ they are selected as the official entry for Israel. Armed with a refreshingly daggy arsenal of retro pop songs and the sensibility of Almodovar, with the colour palette to match, Cupcakes is a warm and engaging comedy that is simply a delight. (SE)
Presented by
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
3157 Sat 15 March 6.15pm 3170 Wed 19 March 8.30pm
VENUE
ACMI ACMI 23
FEATURE FILMS
DUAL
FIRST PERIOD
(DVOJINA)
Dir: Charlie Vaughn, USA, 2013, digital, 100 min
Dir: Nejc Gazvoda, Slovenia, 2013, DCP, 102 min Slovenian and Danish with English subtitles
“Hi, Cassie Glenn – totally rocking superstar extraordinaire. You’re welcome.” If John Waters were to direct a John Hughes film, First Period just might be the result. New student Cassie and social pariah Maggie are clearly the most awkward girls at school. All they want is the acceptance of popular girls Heather and Other Heather, who rule the school with iron firsts and scrunchies. Along with their dreamboat boyfriends, Dirk and Brett, the Heathers will stop at nothing to humiliate Cassie and Maggie. It’s going to take makeovers, courage, and even a little hip hop to beat them in true 80s style. (SR) Australian Premiere
Due to an unexpected weather problem a plane flying from Denmark to Greece is forced to land at Slovene airport. Among the passengers transported to a hotel in Ljubljana for the night is Iben, a young Danish girl, who meets Tina, who is driving a shuttle bus as a summer job. The two girls embark on a quick get-to-know-you as Tina takes her on a midnight tour of the town. Speaking to each other in English and their so-called native languages, the girls grow closer at the time when one of them is hiding a big secret and the other is simply trying to find her place in the world. Dual tells us that sometimes the most random events can have a much larger impact than we could have ever thought. (LD) Melbourne Premiere
BOOKING
2157
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
6.00pm
BOOKING
VENUE
3182
ACMI 24
DATE
TIME
Sat 22 March 10.15pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
FIVE DANCES
FLOATING SKYSCRAPERS (PLYNACE WIEZOWCE)
Dir: Alan Brown, USA, 2013, HD Cam, 83 min
Dir: Tomasz Wasilewski, Poland, 2013, DCP, 90 min Polish with English subtitles
Talented 18-year-old dancer Chip has left behind the chaos of his family life in Kansas to try his luck on the dance scene in New York City. Collaborating with internationally renowned choreographer Jonah Bokaer, Alan Brown (Private Romeo, MQFF 2012), fashions his story around the lives of five gifted dancers who make up a boutique modern dance company, and structures it around five dances which break up the narrative into beautiful chapters. Chip’s challenges with fitting in with the hectic pace of the NYC dance scene are punctuated by the excitement of his first ever love affair. Five Dances artfully navigates the border between dance and film, art and entertainment and offers a modern gay love story for a new generation. (LD) “Enthralling…writer/director Alan Brown has crafted a visually stunning and thrillingly sexual glimpse of life and first love in the contemporary dance world.” Inside Out Ottawa Winner: Best International Narrative Feature, Tel Aviv LGBT International Film Festival 2013 Winner: Best Feature Film, Office Jury, Rio Gay Film Festival 2013 Melbourne Premiere
Kuba is a young swimming athlete on the rise, living at home with his possessive girlfriend and a domineering mother who pours all her frustrations into her son’s burgeoning swimming career. In between swim meets however, he likes to cruise the showers for anonymous sex with men. When he meets Michal at a party, the attraction is instant and the two young men begin to fall in love, forcing the closeted Kuba to make some agonizing decisions about his relationship with his girlfriend and career. Floating Skyscrapers is an uncompromising and heartfelt film that honestly explores the emotional fallout of coming out. (SE) Melbourne Premiere
Presented by PLUS SHORT
DEPTHS
Dir: Brendan Cain, Australia, 2013, digital, 10 min Dutiful Saverio, beset by his dying father’s cries for forgiveness from estranged brother Leo, decides to seek out and reconcile father and son before it’s too late.
BOOKING
3174
DATE
Fri 21 March
TIME
6.00pm
BOOKING
VENUE
3181
ACMI 25
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
8.15pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
FREE FALL (FREIER FALL)
Dir: Stephan Lacant, Germany, 2013, DCP, 100 min German with English subtitles
This captivating German coming out drama unfurls through the masterful filmmaking of Stephan Lacant (Little India, Fireflies). Beautifully shot, Free Fall has gained critical acclaim at 2013’s Berlinale and on the film festival circuit. Marc is the perfect picture of a family man – a strong, stern policeman with a chiseled jaw and his first baby on the way. Having recently moved back into his parents’ house, Marc and his wife Bettina enjoy a pleasant relationship, although he is emotionally disconnected from all those around him. In police training, Marc meets Kay, a rebellious fellow officer with whom he is instantly at ease, and they share a moment of passion whilst jogging in the forest one afternoon. After Kay transfers to the police unit in Marc’s provincial town, Marc tries to repress his desires, but the two men soon embark on a passionate love affair. As their relationship intensifies through nights at gay bars and days spent in each other’s arms, Marc is forced to question his future. With strong performances from the entire cast, Free Fall delicately captures some of the hardest moments of life, showing how quickly a life can unravel when truths are withheld. (TP) Melbourne Premiere
BOOKING
3152 5175
DATE
Fri 14 March Fri 21 March
TIME
8.15pm 8.30pm
VENUE
ACMI HOYTS 26
“Outrageously intimate and sexy!” Hamburg Evening Newspaper
FEATURE FILMS
G.B.F.
GEOGRAPHY CLUB
Dir: Darren Stein, USA, 2013, HD Cam, 98 min
Dir: Gary Entin, USA, 2013, DCP, 81 min
Move over Mean Girls and Heathers, it’s 2014 and there’s a new set of prom queen wannabes and they need a gay best friend. Gay BFFs are the hottest new trend at North Gateway High, which forces the school’s three prom queen rivals, Fawcett, ‘Shley and Caprice, to go hunting for their new must-have accessory. After accidentally being outed, the shy and nerdy Tanner suddenly finds himself the object of attention of the three queen bees. The gloves are off as the girls will stop at nothing to make Tanner their prize accessory. Darren Stein (Jawbreaker) delivers a gaymazing ensemble cast with Will & Grace’s Megan Mullally, But I’m a Cheerleader’s Natasha Lyonne and Harry Potter’s Evanna Lynch. With a catchy soundtrack that includes Ellie Goulding, Tegan and Sara and CSS, this teen comedy with a social message is sure to be a crowd pleaser. (SR) Melbourne Premiere
Based on Brent Hartinger’s best-selling critically acclaimed novel, Geography Club is a smart, fast, and funny account of contemporary teenagers as they discover their own sexual identities, dreams, and values. 16-year-old Russell is still going on dates with girls while having a secret relationship with football quarterback Kevin, who will do anything to prevent his football teammates from finding out. Min and Terese tell everyone that they’re just really good friends. And then there’s Ike who can’t figure out who he is or who he wants to be. Finding the truth too hard to hide, they all decide to form the Geography Club, thinking nobody else in their right mind would ever want to join. However, their secrets may soon be discovered and they could have to face the choice of revealing who they really are. Winner: Audience Award, Best US Dramatic Feature. Outfest 2013 Melbourne Premiere
“Every year sees the release of one film so culturally important it should be required viewing. This year, that film is Geography Club” US Entertainment Tonight
Presented by
Please join us in the Festival Lounge from 6.30PM at Optic Kitchen + Bar for the GLOBE FRUITS and BLEND social event – all welcome. Presented by BOOKING
3158 3179
DATE
Sat 15 March Sat 22 March
TIME
8.15pm 4.00pm
VENUE
ACMI ACMI
BOOKING
3172
27
DATE
TIME
Thu 20 March 8.30pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
HAWAII Dir: Marco Berger, Argentina, 2013, DCP, 102 min Spanish with English subtitles
Hawaii is the erotically charged new feature from Marco Berger, whose film Plan B was voted the Most Popular Feature at MQFF 2010 and his follow-up, Absent (MQFF 2012), won the Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival. His third film is an expansion of Sexual Tension: Volatile (MQFF 2013), a collection of short films he co-directed, designed to raise the pulse with its sexual energy. Eugenio is living at his uncle’s house for the summer, longing for some quiet time so he can write his novel. When Martin arrives at his door asking for work, Eugenio recognises him as a childhood pal, and hires him to do odd jobs around the property. Eugenio is unaware that his hired help is actually homeless, living in a nearby park, but the reserved Martin happily goes about his chores, happy to be earning money. As summer progresses, the heat increases, clothes are discarded and Eugenio steals longing glances at his handsome employee. But does Martin have similar urges? (PT) Australian Premiere
Presented by
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
3166 Mon 17 March 8.30pm
VENUE
ACMI 28
FEATURE FILMS
HOT GUYS WITH GUNS
IN THE NAME OF
Dir: Doug Spearman, USA, 2013, HD Cam, 103 min
Dir: Malgoska Szumowska, Poland, 2013, DCP, 102 min Polish with English subtitles
Someone has been robbing sex parties of their hard-earned cash! In the morning haze of booze and pills, no-one knows who to blame; but one thing is for sure, Patrick isn’t going to take it lying down like he did last night. Fortunately, Patrick’s method actor ex joins him on the case. But between them, they have the criminal senses of a drunk Sherlock Holmes and more sexual tension than a broken rom-com. Will these two be able to catch the culprits before the gay bling ring strikes again? (BG) Melbourne Premiere
Father Adam is a gruff but caring priest sent to a rural Polish community to run a halfway house for wayward teenage boys. Temptation is a daily occurrence, from fighting the urge to drink to fending off unwanted advances from his co-worker’s sultry and frustrated wife. His idyllic existence begins to unravel however when he begins to form an attachment to the young and mostly mute, local groundsman. His repressed sexual desires are challenged further when a new, sexually forward ward begins to make trouble. In the Name of is a timely and compassionate film that looks at the long-term consequences of repressing your feelings and desires. (SE)
“An homage to classic detective movies with a completely gay overlay.” Queerty.com Presented by
BOOKING
3176
DATE
Fri 21 March
TIME
10.15pm
VENUE
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
2166 Mon 17 March 8.30pm
ACMI 29
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
JACK AND DIANE Dir: Bradley Rust Gray, USA, 2012, DCP, 105 min
Tumultuous holiday romances can be affecting in their emotional intensity and for Diane, this is all the more true. While visiting her aunt in New York, Diane (Juno Temple, Atonement and MQFF’s 2011 opening night film Kaboom) falls for Jack (Riley Keough, The Runaways), who is her complete opposite. While Diane wears twee baby doll dresses, Jack’s rugged tomboy exterior hides a hopeless romantic side. As the two poignantly explore their relationship, we experience the monstrous manifestation of Diane’s vulnerability through sequences akin to the horror genre. Featuring a cameo from Kylie Minogue as Jack’s former lover, Jack and Diane is a romance-horror hybrid that will remind you of the intensity of your first love. (SR) Melbourne Premiere
“A charming and unconventional New York love story.” Wall Street Journal
BOOKING
2152 3175
DATE
Fri 14 March Fri 21 March
TIME
8.00pm 8.00pm
VENUE
ACMI ACMI 30
FEATURE FILMS
THE LAST MATCH
LOSE YOUR HEAD
Dir: Antonio Hens, Cuba/Spain, 2013, DCP, 94 min Spanish with English subtitles
Dir: Stefan Westerwelle & Patrick Schuckmann, Germany, 2013, DCP, 107 min German, Greek, Spanish, English with English subtitles
(LA PARTIDA)
Lose Your Head is a taut thriller about a Spanish party tourist who gets lost in Berlin. The film is inspired by the true story of a young Portuguese man who disappeared some years ago after a night at Berghain. Like thousands of other young tourists, Luis from Madrid arrives in Berlin to spend a carefree summer weekend. After a break-up, Berlin’s infamous club scene seems the ideal place to fuck the pain away, make new friends, and fall in love again. However, Luis’ resemblance to a young Greek student who had gone missing a few weeks ago gets him involved in a series of mysterious events. What starts out like a romantic adventure turns into a desperate chase through the streets as Luis gets more and more lost between paranoia and reality. Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival, Panorama 2013 Australian Premiere
Teenage husband, father and soccer fanatic Rei and best friend Yosvani are struggling to keep their heads above water in the dirt poor area of Cuba that is home. For Rei this involves petty gambling and hiring himself out as a rent boy to rich men like Juan who may be his ticket out of poverty. For Yosvani survival comes in the form of a rich older fiancée, for whose loan shark father he is forced to moonlight. Life continues as normal until Rei comes to the, for him, troubling realisation that he is in love with his best friend. Director Antonio Hens’ erotically charged film brings into sharp relief the difficulties of following your heart in a country where the struggle to survive is paramount. (ERG) Australian Premiere
BOOKING
5168
DATE
Tue 18 March
TIME
8.30pm
VENUE
BOOKING
5171
HOYTS 31
DATE
TIME
Thu 20 March 6.00pm
VENUE
HOYTS
FEATURE FILMS
MATTERHORN
METH HEAD
Dir: Diederik Ebbinge, The Netherlands, 2013, DCP, 88 min Dutch with English subtitles
Dir: Jane Clark, USA, 2013, DCP, 108 min
Kyle Peoples (Lukas Haas) is stuck in a dead-end accounting job, waiting for his break as a furniture designer. He’s engaged to Julian (Wilson Cruz), who’s successful and contented with their life together, but an innocent night out together turns their life around. At a party they meet Dusty (Blake Berris), who offers them drugs; the guys innocently indulge, but for Kyle it’s the kick he needs to escape his dull reality. He begins hanging out with Dusty and Maia, two meth heads, and soon finds himself tossed out of his home, renting a room in Maia’s grandmother’s house. Life is amazing at first – he can do whatever he wants – but soon the harsh realities of life come careening towards him as he needs to find cash to indulge his habit. Sweeping the prizes at Filmout San Diego, collecting 7 awards including Best Film, Director and Actor, Meth Head is a searing portrait of addiction and the trail of destruction it leaves in its wake. First time director Jane Clark successfully creates a believable world, drawing the audience into this haunting portrait of a man lost in a spiral of addiction. (PT) Winner Jury Prize First Time Feature Director Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Australian Premiere
Matterhorn, the directorial debut of well-known comedian Diederik Ebbinge, who also wrote the script, is a brilliant piece of Dutch cinema. Fred (played outstandingly by Tan Kas) is a man obsessed with order and routine. Since losing his wife and child, strictly religious Fred has relied on careful structure to keep from being overwhelmed by grief. All this starts to change when he allows the seemingly homeless and mentally unwell Theo to lodge with him. As Fred attempts to teach Theo basic life skills, much to the displeasure of his censorious neighbor, Fred’s suffocating loneliness begins to abate as he slowly comes back to life. With an ending that will stay with you long after you leave the cinema, Matterhorn is about how love, in its most unexpected forms, can bring us the joy to make life worthwhile. (ERG) Winner: Audience Choice Award Rotterdam International Film Festival 2013 Winner: Audience Choice Award for Best Film Moscow International Film Festival 2013 Australian Premiere
Presented by
BOOKING BOOKING
5172
DATE
TIME
Thu 20 March 8.30pm
3153 3173
VENUE
HOYTS 32
DATE
TIME
Fri 14 March 10.30pm Thu 20 March 10.30pm
VENUE
ACMI ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
NOOR
PITSTOP
Dir: Çağla Zencirci & Guillaume Giovanetto, France/Pakistan, 2012, DCP, 79 min Urdu and Panjabi with English subtitles
Dir: Yen Tan, USA, 2013, HD Cam, 80 min
In a small Texas town, Gabe is recovering from a break-up with a married man, finding comfort in the relationship with his ex-wife, Shannon, and young daughter. Both Gabe and Shannon are stuck in a rut, repeating the past – a situation they need to escape for both of them to move on emotionally. Ernesto, a Hispanic lumber yard worker, is in a loveless relationship with his live-in boyfriend. He evades home by spending time at the hospital bed of his former love, Martin, who is in a coma. Pitstop is the new film from Yen Tan whose previous film, Ciao, was a hit at MQFF 2009. Tan has crafted a film of rare elegance and emotional power; the audience fully empathises with Gabe and Ernesto and their need for human connection. After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, Pitstop has screened at Festivals around the world, winning awards – including the Grand Jury Award Best Actor at L.A. Outfest – and garnering praise. (PT) “The best American queer film of the year.” FILM.COM Winner Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Jury Award Best Feature Film Melbourne Premiere
Shagiq (Noor) is a headstrong transgender man who no longer feels part of Pakistan’s transgender community the Khusras. He’s had some heartbreak, and is determined to move on with his life and find someone who will love him for who he is. Working at a male-dominated centre where drivers commission incredibly elaborate and beautiful designs for their trucks, his wise elderly boss tells him that one must be brave in search of love, and that he needs to find a particular mountain lake, shrouded in legend, where he will find his true love. Setting out to find the lake, Noor encounters challenges both physical and emotional along the way – will he realise his dream? This fascinating road movie is inspired by real events in the lead actor’s life and is a Festival highlight. (LD) Melbourne Premiere
Presented by PLUS SHORT
SOMETHING REAL
Dir: Guy Shalem, USA, 2013, digital, 9 min A young man decides to leave his lover, and must now wade through a sea of lost souls looking for... something real in this celebrity packed comedy drama.
BOOKING BOOKING
5174
DATE
Fri 21 March
TIME
6.00pm
2153 3185
VENUE
HOYTS 33
DATE
TIME
Fri 14 March 10.30pm Sun 23 March 6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
PUPPYLOVE
QUICK CHANGE
Dir: Delphine Lehericey, Belgium/Switzerland/France/ Luxembourg, 2013, DCP, 85 min French with English subtitles
Dir: Eduardo Roy Jr., The Philippines, 2013, DCP, 98 min Filipino and Tagalog with English subtitles
Dorina is a retired entertainer who makes her living selling illegal cosmetics to transgendered women to support herself, her 8-year-old nephew Hero and her lazy partner Uno. Despite having no qualifications she’s much appreciated amongst her community as she provides a service that is affordable. Life seems to be peaceful until one of Dorina’s clients suffers a bad reaction to her treatment and Uno decides the grass may be greener elsewhere. With a screening at Berlin 2014 under its belt, Quick Change is proving to be a film on its way. (LD) Official selection Berlin International Film Festival 2014 Melbourne Premiere
14-year-old Diane is an enigmatic girl, and a loner who spends much of her time looking after her younger brother Marc, while enjoying a special bond with her father Christian. Diane’s staid existence is put to the test when the beautiful, charismatic and liberated Julia comes to town. With Julia, she finds an escape from her mundane existence and a gateway into a much more adult world, where she finds herself on an all-night party circuit whilst discovering her sexuality along the way. Her burgeoning fascination with Julia causes her to turn her back on her own morality, whilst ignoring the consequences or her desires. Actress Soléne Rigot shines in this spicy tale of a young girl trying to navigate her way through awkward friendships and teen sexuality. (LD) Australian Premiere
BOOKING
2158
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
8.15pm
VENUE
BOOKING
3156
ACMI 34
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
4.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
ROSIE
SALVATION ARMY (L’ARMEE DE SALUT)
Dir: Marcel Gisler, Switzerland, 2013, DCP, 107 min Swiss and German with English subtitles
Dir: Abdellah Taïa, France, 2013, DCP, 82 min French and Arabic with English subtitles
Lorenz is a successful 40-year-old writer with a serious case of writer’s block, when he receives a call which forces him to leave Berlin and return to his small home town in Switzerland to look after his elderly mother Rosie. Things become complicated when feisty Rosie refuses all outside help and refuses to enter a nursing home. Amid the battle with Rosie, Lorenz suffers his own mid-life crisis and almost misses the fact that a change for the better is right under his nose in the form of a young and handsome man who knocks on his door…(LD) Winner: Ljubljana Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Audience Award for Best Film 2013 Mezipatra Queer Film Festival Prague, Main Jury Award for Best Feature Fiction 2013 Australian Premiere
When he’s not tending to his family duties young and impoverished Abdellah spends most of his days cruising the streets of Morocco for anonymous sex. His sexual awakening is complicated further by his forbidden desires for his much older and protective brother. Split in two parts, Salvation Army follows Abdellah’s troubled journey from childhood into adulthood, where he navigates a much more complicated path to sexual realisation. Appropriately opening on a pressure cooker at bursting point, this multilayered coming-of-age film is a sensitive look at the fraught intersection between, race, class and sexuality. (SE) Winner: Jury Prize Angers International Premiers Plans Film Festival Melbourne Premiere
Presented by
PLUS SHORT
BAD BLOOD
Dir: Mat Govoni, Australia, 2013, digital, 13 min When Leo learns of his father’s impending death, he must decide whether or not he will punish him for their years of estrangement.
BOOKING
3154
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
midday
VENUE
BOOKING
3168
ACMI 35
DATE
Tue 18 March
TIME
9.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
SCHOOLGIRL COMPLEX
SOONGAVA – DANCE OF THE ORCHIDS
(SUKÛRUGÂRU KONPUREKKUSU: HÔSÔBU-HEN)
(SOONGAVA: VOST ANG)
Dir: Yuichi Onuma, Japan, 2013, video, 95 min Japanese with English subtitles
Dir: Subarna Thapa, Nepal/France, 2012, DCP, 84 min Nepali and English with English subtitles
Manami is a sweet-natured girl who runs a successful broadcast club in her all-girls’ secondary school. Keen to have her fellow club members fully committed to the cause, Manami leads them through rigorous daily practices. When a mysterious and standoffish senior student Chiyuki is assigned to join the club, Minami finds herself attracted to Chiyuki, admiring her body from afar at the school pool. On a whim, she makes the unpopular choice to allow Chiyuki to be the lead vocal for the annual Arts Festival performance of the tormented classic Japanese author Osamu Daza’s Schoolgirl. Facing opposition in her club, Manami is forced to face her own feelings, fears and disappointment. Whilst coming out struggles are a staple of queer cinema, seldom are films as wonderfully poetic as Schoolgirl Complex. (LD) Australian Premiere
BOOKING
3155
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
2.00pm
Diya is 22 and is training to be a traditional Nepalese dancer. Independent and strong-willed, she is sullen when her father begins the process of an arranged marriage, telling her, “You will pursue your studies if your husband agrees to it, like your sister did. She had children. What more could you want?” What Diya wants is to continue dancing and spend time with Kiran, a fellow prospective dancer. As their friendship turns to romance, Diya breaks off her engagement and moves in with Kiran. However, both Kiran and Diya’s families feel shamed by their daughters’ actions, but will the two women be able to throw off the shackles of societal scorn and live in peace? This beautiful looking and deeply felt, humanist film won the Special Jury Award at the Toronto Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival, and was selected as the official Nepalese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2014 Academy Awards. (PT) Australian Premiere
VENUE
BOOKING
2151
ACMI 36
DATE
Fri 14 March
TIME
6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
SNAILS IN THE RAIN
TEST
(SHABLULIM BA’GESHAM)
Dir: Chris Mason Johnson, USA, 2013, video, 89 min
Dir: Yariv Mozer, Israel, 2013, DCP, 82 min Hebrew with English subtitles
It’s 1985 and Frankie is the newest member of San Francisco’s most exciting contemporary dance company. He stands on the sidelines, waiting for his chance to perform, mocked by his fellow dancers – except Todd. The media is captivated by Rock Hudson’s death and words spreads that a blood test for AIDS has just been developed. As newspaper headlines scream, “Should Gays Be Quarantined?” Frankie wonders if he should take the test. He finds solace in his bright yellow walkman, lost in a sea of music, and his friendship with Todd which grows stronger. Winner of 2 awards at L.A. Outfest including the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film, and with a soundtrack featuring Cocteau Twins, Visage, Martha and the Muffins, Test is, despite being set during a time of despair, a wonderfully life-affirming film, full of passion and hope. (PT) Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2014 Melbourne Premiere
During the summer of 1989, linguistics student Boaz starts to receive mysterious love letters in his post box from a closeted secret male admirer. Devoted to his girlfriend Noa, he nevertheless becomes interested in the regular missives, and puzzled by their meaning. Who is the man who has invaded Boaz’s life? How does he know so much about him? The persistent letters make Boaz extremely sensitive. Every man becomes a potential suspect – but eventually it’s his own heterosexuality that Boaz begins to doubt. He becomes obsessed with memories from his past with men, and when the ultimate challenge is thrown up by his anonymous admirer, a decision needs to be made. This thrilling drama is an entertaining delight, not to be missed. (LD) Melbourne Premiere
“Breathtaking... beautiful and captivating.” The Advocate
Presented by
BOOKING
5167
DATE
Tue 18 March
TIME
6.00pm
VENUE
BOOKING
3164
HOYTS 37
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 8.30pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
TWO MOTHERS
VALENCIA: THE MOVIE/S
(ZWEI MÜTTER)
Dir: Various, USA, 2013, DCP, 105 min
Dir: Anne Zohra Berrached, Germany, 2013, DCP, 79 min German with English subtitles
Based on Michelle Tea’s cult memoir of the same name Valencia: The Movie/s is equal parts experimental and fun. 20 Directors, amongst them queer film stalwarts Hilary Goldberg, Cheryl Dunye and Silas Howard, are given 5 – 7 minutes to interpret a chapter of Michelle’s life in whichever way they like. The results are as unique and varied as the directors themselves. A lose narrative runs through the film, centering around the life of Michelle, a 20-something lesbian feminist who drinks, loves and parties her way through the riotous Guerilla Girl punk rock scene of 90s San Francisco. With a soundtrack featuring Bikini Kill, Bratmobile and Pansy Division and guest appearances by some of San Francisco’s queer icons, Valencia: The Movie/s is a blast and a must-see for all the riot girls out there! (ERG) Australian Premiere
Katja and Isabella are a happily married couple who decide to have a child together. This desire proves not to be as simple as it seems, with Germany’s legal system making it impossible for them to conceive via sperm bank or fertility clinic due to their same sex relationship. After months of roadblocks, both financial and medical, and with their relationship hanging by a thread, they find a trader who offers the ability to inseminate at home. After the turmoil, Katja’s desire for a child has lessened, whilst for Isabella it’s become an obsession that threatens to unravel the bond between the two women. (LD) Winner: Dialogue en Perspective 2013 Berlin International Film Festival Melbourne Premiere
BOOKING
2171
DATE
TIME
Thu 20 March 6.00pm
VENUE
BOOKING
2163
ACMI 38
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
WHO’S AFRAID OF VAGINA WOLF? Dir: Anna Albelo, USA, 2013, DCP, 85 min
The day after her 40th birthday Anna decides that it’s time to grow up. Her so-called career as a filmmaker doesn’t pay the bills, she lives in her friend’s tool shed, and she can’t remember when she last had a girlfriend. Whilst that life seemed glamorous and edgy in her 20’s, it just seems tragic approaching middle-age. She’s basically a 14-year-old boy trapped in a 40-year-old lesbian’s body. She devises a plan to make all her dreams come true – make a film and win herself a girlfriend. Borrowing from her beloved Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? Anna recruits her mates to help create her dream feature film Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf? Featuring a cast of lesbian icons (Tammy Lynn Michaels, Guinevere Turner, Carrie Preston), Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf? channels a lesbian Liz Lemon and is the comedy to see at the Festival. (LD) Winner: Best Feature Comedy QFest 2013, Best Feature Film Bologna 2013 Melbourne Premiere Presented by
BOOKING
2164 3180
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 8.30pm Sat 22 March 6.15pm
VENUE
ACMI ACMI 39
FEATURE FILMS
WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW?
YOSHIKO AND YURIKO
Dir: Arvin Chen, Taiwan, 2013, DCP, 104 min Mandarin and Min Nan with English subtitles
Based on a true story, Yoshiko and Yuriko relates the journey and great love affair of Yoshiko, who was a renowned translator of Russian literature and drama, and Yuriko, who was a feminist novelist and great activist of the post-war democratic literature movement. Both have left huge marks on Japanese literary history. The two women shared a strong attraction to each other from their first meeting and enjoyed a powerful love affair. Yoshiko reveals that she’s an out lesbian, whilst Yuriko is married (not altogether happily) to a well-known scholar – a situation she can’t walk away from with ease. Directed by Sachi Hamano (Lily Festival, MQFF 2004), Yoshiko and Yuriko is a beautiful film about two incredible women in a relationship that defied all cultural and sexual norms of the time. (LD) Australian Premiere
Dir: Sachi Hamano, Japan, 2011, DCP, 102 min Japanese with English subtitles
(MING TIAN JI DE AI SHANG WO)
Straight-laced and introverted optometrist Weichung has been peacefully married to his wife Feng for nine years, and they have a six-year-old boy. Weichung seems happy, but unengaged. When his old friend Stephen (a flamboyantly gay wedding photographer) turns up – it becomes clear that Weichung may have a few secret desires. These desires are burst wide open when a young flight attendant (Thomas) enters the picture. With Feng wanting a second child, his meddling mother-in-law sticking her beak in at every turn and a chaotic sister who doesn’t seem to know what she wants, the time is ripe for Weichung’s peaceful life to blow comedically up in his face. This fantastically charming romantic comedy doesn’t miss a step and is a sweet exploration of the conflict many Asian men experience when they try to juggle love, family and sexuality. (LD) Official selection 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, 2013 Tribeca Film Festival Melbourne Premiere
Presented by
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
5170 Wed 19 March 9.00pm
VENUE
BOOKING
2181
HOYTS 40
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
8.15pm
VENUE
ACMI
FEATURE FILMS
YOU AND THE NIGHT (LES RECONTRES D’APRES MINUIT)
Dir: Yann Gonzalez, France, 2013, DCP, 91 min French with English subtitles
In the middle of the night, a young couple (Ali and Matthais) and their horny transvestite governess organise an orgy. One by one the guests arrive. Each one is assigned a stereotypical sexual identity: The Bitch, the Star, the Stud and the Teenager. As the pansexual soirée progresses, the guests’ private lives (and private parts) emerge via saucy flashbacks, and it soon becomes clear why each was invited. Variously described as ‘deliriously theatrical’, ‘unabashedly provocative’, and featuring star turns by Beatrice Dalle (as the Commissioner) and Niels Schneider (Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats), You and the Night is by far the queerest film in the MQFF program and one outrageous party you won’t want to miss! (LD) Official selection: Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winner: Best Film Athens Film festival 2013, Milan Film Festival 2013 Recently listed as Number 9 in Cahiers du Cinema’s Best films of 2013 Australian Premiere
“a beautifully orchestrated orgy” Elle Magazine
BOOKING
3151 2174
DATE
Fri 14 March Fri 21 March
TIME
6.15pm 6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI ACMI 41
FEATURE FILMS
ZOE.MISPLACED Dir: Mekelle Mills, Australia, 2014, DCP, 110 min
Zoe is a 20-something student, friend, sister, lesbian, aunt and roommate whose life of study and socialising is thrown a curve ball when she unexpectedly falls in love with someone she perhaps shouldn’t have. Consequently, she’s faced with making a series of choices whose outcomes not only impact on her independence, but on her relationships with the people who mean the most to her. With great performances by some Australian talent to look out for, Zoe.Misplaced shines a light on what it is to be young and in love. Melbourne Premiere
BOOKING
3184
DATE
TIME
Sun 23 March 3.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 42
vidception
A love triangle with real bite
7 Feb – 22 Mar Arts Centre Melbourne
HHHHH
Book now mtc.com.au
The Independent
COCK by Mike Bartlett
Media Partner
MTC is a department of the University of Melbourne
WHY SHOULD I BE MADE TO FEEL LIKE CRAP FOR JUST BEING WHO I AM? SEE WHAT LGBTI PEOPLE THINK AT REALLIFESTORIES.ORG.AU
VISIT LEFTHAND.ORG.AU TO VIEW THE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION CAMPAIGN STOP •
THINK •
RESPECT
GEN2GEN COMMUNITY FILM PROJECT Last year we wanted to bring generations together by teaming up young people and older people to make short docos about each other. Six gay, lesbian, and trans people, who had never made a film before, shared their diverse experiences with us through the power of digital storytelling.
This year we are excited to work with awardwinning filmmaker Grant Scicluna and beyondblue to produce six new short films in the gen2gen Project. We will have three new teams of two and each team will consist of a LGBTIQ young person (18 – 25) and their senior counterpart (50+) who will interview each other on camera about their personal experiences.
“These tiny films are about big things... At the heart of this whole series is this sense of hope and resilience that crosses the generations of the LGBT community.” Grant Scicluna – Creator and Writer/Director mentor
Our talented mentors, writer/director Grant Scicluna, producer Jannine Barnes and editor Justin Olstein, will guide the participants through the process of film production. They will also be assisted by Melissa Marangos, who is the GLBTI and Priority Communities Project Manager at beyondblue. Making a short film from start to finish in a week is an incredible achievement. We can’t wait for you to see their creations on screen at a free event Saturday 22 March 3.30pm at ACMI.
“It was fun getting involved in the Festival as more than just a spectator or a volunteer... It was amazing, its one of the best things I’ve done this year/ever.” Kiri – Community Film Project 2013 participant
Keep up-to-date with this project: visit the Festival website, like us on facebook, follow us on twitter #gen2gen or subscribe to our newsletter. Presented by
47
FESTIVAL LOUNGE
WHERE
MQFF isn’t just about fabulous films; it’s also a great time to catch up with friends in the Festival Lounge. Drop in for a quick hello, talk film for hours or find a comfy couch to soak up the Festival atmosphere in Optic Kitchen + Bar at ACMI. We’ll be serving delicious meals, quick snacks and great Grinders Coffee. You can also enjoy a beer from Mountain Goat Brewery or a glass of wine from the large selection that Optic Kitchen + Bar has to offer. Once again the Festival Lounge will host a range of special events. There will be DJ’s, networking and gay bingo! It will also be the party destination for Closing Night. So if you need a break from the cinema, there’s always something (or someone!) else to pique your interest.
Visit mqff.com.au/festivallounge for event listing and ticketing information. 48
Optic Kitchen + Bar ACMI Entry Level OPENING HOURS
Wednesday – Saturday 8am – 1am Sunday – Tuesday 8am – 11pm
MQFF IS MORE THAN JUST FABULOUS FILMS
SPEED DATING
After last year’s huge success speed dating returns bigger and better than ever. Dress to impress and let MC Kitty Bang help introduce you to Mr or Ms Right (or at least Right-Now).
QUEER COMEDY
Laugh your head off with some of your favourite comedians. Join MC Joel Creasey and his very special guests for a comedy romp.
BINGO BETTY Swing by to play a couple of quick games between films or stay to play all night long. Your delightful hosts will be Maureen McGillicuddy and Edith Vale and there will be prizes galore.
QUEER, CAMERA, ACTION!
Want to know more about the film biz? Our Industry Day will explore aspects of queer filmmaking like writing, financing and distribution with an exceptional line-up of experts. Find out more info on page 60. 49
If you have the event, we have the venue. www.peterrowland.com.au
LOCALLY ROASTED
62 SINCE
Grinders Coffee was established in Lygon Street, the centre of Melbourne’s famous Italian quarter in 1962. ®
Grinders Coffee still roasts daily in Melbourne. ®
ENJOY A GRINDERS COFFEE TODAY! ®
“Grinders” is a registered trademark
DOCUMENTARIES
ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH
BORN THIS WAY Dir: Shaun Kadlec & Deb Tullmann, USA, HD Cam, 82 min French and English with English subtitles
Dir: Prathiba Parmar, USA, 2013, HD Cam, 84 min
Alice Walker made history as the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her groundbreaking novel, The Color Purple, which has been adapted from a novel, to a Hollywood movie and recently to a successful Broadway musical. The Color Purple’s story of triumph against all odds is not that different from Walker’s own story, from her simple upbringing in the cotton fields of Georgia to her recognition as a key writer of the 20th Century. Covering all aspects of her life from her writing, activism and her personal relationships (including her love affair with musician Tracy Chapman), this documentary is a fantastic account of one of the most instrumental women in contemporary times. (LD) Melbourne Premiere
There are more arrests for homosexuality in Cameroon than any other country in the world. With intimate access to the lives of four young gay Cameroonians, Born This Way steps outside the genre of activist filmmaking and offers a vivid and poetic portrait of day-to-day life in modern Africa. Lyrical imagery, devastating homophobia, the influence of western culture and a hidden-camera courtroom drama mysteriously coalesce into a story of what is possible in the global fight for equality. After Call me Kuchu (MQFF 2013), which documented the shocking situation for homosexuals in Uganda and won a Teddy Award in 2012, Born This Way makes it clear that the worldwide struggle for tolerance and equality still has a long way to go. Official selection: Berlin Film Festival 2013 Torino GLBT Film Festival 2013 (Documentary Jury: Special Mention)
Presented by
BOOKING
2156
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
4.00pm
BOOKING
VENUE
2162
ACMI 52
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 4.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
DOCUMENTARIES
BRIDEGROOM
GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA
Dir: Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, USA, 2013, digital, 81 min
This powerful American documentary tells the poignant story of young gay couple Shane Bitney-Crone and Tom Bridegroom. Living out their Californian dreams together, their long-term relationship is cut short when Tom slips to his death from a rooftop. Without protection from marriage laws, Shane is ostracised and prohibited from attending Tom’s funeral by the Bridegroom family in Tennessee. Featuring interviews with Shane, his family and friends and their large archive of home movies, this documentary creates an intimate portrait of the loving couple. At its heart this is a tragic love story that brings the importance of marriage equality into the spotlight. (KL) Winner: Audience Award Best Documentary Tribeca 2013 Audience Award Best Documentary Toronto Inside Out 2013 Award For Outstanding Documentary Feature Outfest 2013 Festival guest Shane Bitney-Crone expected to be in attendance Australian Premiere
“This deeply moving documentary has the power to change minds and hearts” Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Dir: Nicholas Wrathall, USA, 2012, HD Cam, 89 min
“You don’t decide to be a writer. You either are one, or you’re not one,” declares Gore Vidal in this unashamedly opinionated film about the prolific essayist, playwright and novelist, whose work included Myra Breckinridge, City and the Pillar – the first American novel to depict explicit homosexual sex – and several counter-narratives to American history. Vidal enjoyed the spotlight as a celebrity intellectual being a vocal critic of American conservative politics, yet was very private about his relationship with Howard Austen. With engaging interviews, including the late Christopher Hitchens, Nicholas D. Wrathall’s film is an educational and charming look at Vidal’s art, politics and everything in between. (SR) Melbourne Premiere
“Highly entertaining…a fine memorial to one of 20th-century America’s most brilliant, original and cranky thinkers” Variety
Presented by
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
5169 Wed 19 March 6.00pm
BOOKING
VENUE
2167
HOYTS 53
DATE
Tue 18 March
TIME
6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
DOCUMENTARIES
I AM DIVINE
MR. ANGEL
Dir: Jeffrey Schwartz, USA, 2013, HD Cam, 86 min
Dir: Dan Hunt, USA, 2013, HD Cam, 67 min
I am Divine pays tribute to the pioneering, queer spirit of Divine, provocateur of early John Waters films. Notoriously dubbed “the filthiest person alive” following a performance in Pink Flamingoes, Divine broke the rules of drag and gender performance. Jeffrey Schwarz, director of 2011 MQFF’s Selectors’ Choice Vito, delivers a heartfelt homage that explores Divine’s journey from being Greg Milstead, a bullied nancy boy in suburban Baltimore, to star of a series of transgressive films, including Mondo Trasho, Female Trouble and Hairspray. Supported by interviews with many close to Milstead, including Waters, Ricki Lake and Mink Stole, I am Divine is an entertaining and affecting biopic that is a must-see for all queer cinema enthusiasts. (SR)
Shot over six years, Mr. Angel chronicles the incredible life of Buck Angel – transgender educator and advocate, porn pioneer and all round nice guy. Having survived more than most of us, Buck still lives his life with honesty and generosity, despite his struggles with homelessness, addiction, transphobia and serious depression. Using his profile to educate the world about his trans journey, Buck’s story is one of perseverance and bravery, and is told with good humour and an intimate feel, as we get to meet his family, and peek into his home life with life partner Elayne and their dogs as they restart their life in Mexico. (LD)
“Just as garish, splashy, and loud as Divine himself.” Drew Taylor, Indiewire’s The Playlist
BOOKING
2168
DATE
Tue 18 March
TIME
8.00pm
BOOKING
VENUE
2159
ACMI 54
DATE
TIME
Sat 15 March 10.15pm
VENUE
ACMI
DOCUMENTARIES
OUT IN THE LINE-UP
THE RUGBY PLAYER
Dir: Ian Thomson, Australia, 2014, DCP, 83 min
Dir: Scott Gracheff, USA, 2013, digital, 79 min
After 20 years of silence, former state champion surfer David Wakefield feels ready to reveal a secret that could turn his life upside down. He’s gay. At the same time, on the other side of the world, Thomas Castets is setting up the world’s first online community for gay surfers. The two meet and this documentary was born. OUT in the Line-Up follows David and Thomas on their global journey as they meet and surf with men and women from all corners of the surfing community, along the way hearing stories of fear, isolation and self-doubt, but also inspiring tales of hope, self-empowerment and transformation. Cast and crew expected to be in attendance Melbourne Premiere
Mark Bingham died on September 11, 2001 on United Flight 93. By all accounts he was one of the passengers who stormed the cockpit averting a possible attack on further key US locations. Whilst the film is about Mark and his journey from goofy teen to out gay man and tough rugby player, it’s just as much about his charismatic mother Alice Hoagland, a former United Airlines flight attendant who took a brief call from Mark just before his plane crashed. It’s a funny, intimate and inspiring portrait of how a son’s heroism can inspire a nation, and how a mother’s love can turn unthinkable loss into an inspirational fight for equal rights. Utilising Mark’s own archival footage, The Rugby Player provides as with fuel for debates on queer rights, marriage equality and the experiences of gay athletes in the sporting community. This August the Melbourne Chargers will be competing with 14 other rugby teams from around the world for the Bingham Cup to be played in Sydney. (LD) Melbourne Premiere Presented by
BOOKING
3161
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 3.00pm
BOOKING
VENUE
2183
ACMI 55
DATE
TIME
Sun 23 March 2.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
DOCUMENTARIES
TOO COLD OUT THERE WITHOUT YOU
VALENTINE ROAD
Dir: Amy Gattie, USA, 2012, digital, 80 min
When openly gay teen Larry King asked his high school crush Brandon McInerney to be his valentine, no one expected the shocking consequences. Brandon shot and killed Larry in front of his classmates in a class ironically enough on tolerance. This compassionate and heartbreaking documentary exposes the festering wound of intolerance and homophobia and transphobia that ripped apart the families of both boys. Sadly, both Larry and Brandon came from impoverished and abusive homes and were part of a school system ill-equipped to deal with Larry’s blossoming transgender identity. Gripping and disturbing throughout, this film poses some fundamental and soul-searching questions about the destructive effect of homophobia and transphobia. (SE) Official Selection Sundance 2013
Rev. Christopher was previously Sarah. A married woman with two children, ordained to priesthood with the Episcopal Church. As a close friend and former bridesmaid of Sarah, director Amy Gattie’s intimate and engaging documentary details the consequences of Rev. Christopher’s transition from female to male. The film explores the unique and challenging situation of trans identities in the church and how the changes that accompany gender reassignment can affect the traditional family. At the film’s heart is the inspiring personality of Rev. Christopher who places his children, the church and social work ahead of complex struggles with his gender and sexuality. This highly accomplished documentary maintains an uplifting spirit despite the oppressive themes it tackles; revealing how compassion and understanding for others can lead to the discovering of one’s true identity. (NB) Australian Premiere
Dir: Marta Cunningham, USA, 2013, HD Cam, 89 min
“Provokes both heartbreak and anger” The Hollywood Reporter
PLUS SHORT
FAMILIES ARE FOREVER
Presented by
Dir: Vivian Kleiman, USA, 2013, digital, 21 min Tom and Wendy are devout Mormon parents living in a conservative community, and active in their church, working to promote support for antigay marriage Proposition 8 in California. Then one day, Wendy reads her 13-year-old son’s diary and discovers he’s gay. What happens next will change their lives forever.
BOOKING
2179
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
4.00pm
BOOKING
VENUE
2155
ACMI 56
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
2.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
DOCUMENTARIES
VICKY – THE GAY GENE COMES TO MELBOURNE Dir: Sasha Hadden, Australia, 2014, digital, 98 min
Clad in a bullet-proof vest for his protection, Bishop Gene Robinson was consecrated as the world’s first openly gay bishop. He was the only Bishop not invited to the 2008 Lambeth Conference of Bishops, and the only bishop Barack Obama selected to deliver the invocation at the inaugural weekend of his presidential election. In the face of a changing government, here in Australia – as our own politicians struggle with God and the concept of same sex marriage – Bishop Gene Robinson arrives with the unequivocal message; that it takes religious people to undo the harm that religious people have done. This touching documentary gives us an inside look into Bishop Robinson’s recent visit to Australia, and includes an emotional interview with JOY 94.9’s own Dean Beck. Cast and crew expected to be in attendance Melbourne Premiere
Download our fabulous and free smart phone app for iPhone and Android. View the MQFF program, make a wishlist and of course buy tickets!
Find us on BOOKING
4156
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
4.00pm
VENUE
ACMI Studio 57
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
SNEAK PREVIEW!
52 TUESDAYS Dir: Sophie Hyde, Australia, 2013, DCP, 109 min
16-year-old Billie’s life takes an unexpected turn when her single mother reveals plans to gender transition. They share the same house, but during the transition, it has been decided that Billie will move in with her father, visiting her mother once a week on every Tuesday. Trying to adjust to this abrupt change, Billie develops an intense new bond with two older schoolmates, a friendship which forms an outlet for her own discoveries of sexuality and independence. Filmed over the course of a year, once a week, every week – only on Tuesdays – this extraordinary new Australian feature from Sophie Hyde has been selected for the 2014 Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. Its groundbreaking filming style heightens the emotional authenticity as we witness the transformation of all characters over a one-year period. At the centre of 52 Tuesdays is Tilda Cobham-Hervey, whose performance as Billie is a revelation. (PT) Official Selection Sundance 2014, Berlin International Film Festival 2014 Winner: World Dramatic Directing Award Sundance Film Festival 2014 Cast and crew expected to be in attendance Melbourne Premiere
BOOKING
3167
DATE
Tue 18 March
TIME
6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 58
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT
CAMP BEAVERTON: MEET THE BEAVERS
Dir: Stephan Elliott, Australia, 1994, DCP, 104 min
In the dusty white plains of the Nevada Desert, 60,000 people come together each year to create a temporary city called Burning Man, based on principles of radical self-expression. Filmmakers Ana Grillo and Beth Nelsen travel to Camp Beaverton, the desert oasis where lesbians, bisexuals and trans* come to play and explore their sexual and personal boundaries. The camp creates a safe space for all women to chill out but is famous for it’s ‘strap-on-a-thon’ sex play party. From the first time ‘burners’ to the experienced Co-Mayor of Beaverton, this documentary focuses on exploring what attracts women to the community and sexual playpen. As a new Beaver says “show up with your whole self and an open heart” to delve into the tight sisterhood of Camp Beaverton. (KL) Filmmaker Beth Nelsen will be in attendance for a Q&A with panelists from the Gender Studies Program in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne. Melbourne University Panelists: Jeanette Hoorn, Director of Gender Studies and Professor of Visual Cultures, Faculty of Arts; Dr Lauren Rosewarne, Lecturer in Gender Studies, School of Social and Political Sciences; Dr Diana Sandars, Lecturer in Screen Studies, School of Culture and Communication. Melbourne Premiere
Dir: Beth Nelsen & Ana Grillo, USA, 2013, digital, 62 min
Join us for this 20th anniversary screening of one of Australia’s most successful queer themed films. This much-loved comedy/drama tells the story of two Sydney drag queens and a transgender woman who travel to the heartland of the Australian outback to perform their cabaret show in a dusty Alice Springs hotel. Of course the 3 find themselves in all manner of situations amongst closed-minded locals, as well as a few serious ones along the way. With brilliant performances by Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp, and Oscar winning turns by costume designers Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel, Priscilla remastered and on the big screen is NOT to be missed! (LD)
Cheap and cheerful prizes on offer for dressing as your favourite ‘Priscilla’ character. Judges open to bribes.
Presented by
BOOKING
2175
DATE
Fri 21 March
TIME
8.00pm
VENUE
BOOKING
DATE
TIME
2165 Mon 17 March 6.00pm
ACMI 59
VENUE
ACMI
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS QUEER, CAMERA, ACTION! Queer, Camera, Action! is a MQFF Industry Day that will explore three aspects of queer filmmaking: Writing, Financing and Distribution. Each topic will engage industry panelists who will delve into the issues of writing, financing and distributing queer films including features, television series, documentaries and short films. Shaun Miller (principal of Shaun Miller Lawyers) will moderate each panel session. WRITING: THE RIGHT STUFF – MIDDAY This session will consider writing queer characters for films including films made for a queer audience and films made for a mainstream, general audience. There will be an exploration of the representation of queer characters on screen – including ethnic minorities, disabled, rural, regional, elderly and children. There will also be a reflection on the representation of straight characters in queer-themed films. The panelists will discuss issues including how to maintain authenticity of characters and avoid stereotypes and how to cater to the target audience for the film. Panelists Justin Olstein (writer and director of AFI Award nominee for best short film Adam’s Talit) Grant Scicluna (writer and director of Iris Prize & MQFF Oz Short winner The Wilding) Fatima Mawas (writer and director of Fighting for Air which has screened at Festivals around the world) Lee Galea (writer and director of award-winning feature film Monster Pies) Kris Mrksa (screenwriter; The Slap, Underbelly). Lawrence Johnston (writer and director of Night Out, Eternity and Life)
FINANCING: SHOW ME THE MONEY – 1PM Money doesn’t grow on trees and neither does funding for films! This session will explore the various ways in which queer films can be funded including government funding, private investors, crowd funding, deferrals (including sweat equity and in-kind favours). The panelists will each bring their own expertise into discussing these various funding models. Panelists Rick Chen (Co-founder and Director of crowd funding platform Pozible) Lee Matthews (producer; Emo (The Musical); Our Little Secret) Jannine Barnes (producer; Golden Girl, The Wilding) Jay Rutovitz (producer of the upcoming lesbian feature The Trouble With E)
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
midday
VENUE
ACMI Cube 60
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS DISTRIBUTION: MEDIA PLATFORMS AND AUDIENCES – 2PM An old adage is: if a tree falls in a forest and nobody hears it, did the tree really exist? Likewise, if a film is made and nobody sees it, there was little point in the film being made. This session will cover the myriad media platforms that exist in order to distribute queer films and maximise target audiences. These include film festivals, theatrical, free-to-air TV, Pay TV, DVD, video on demand, online (including webisodes) and airlines. The panelists will each contribute their perspective on distributing queer films. Panelists Lisa Daniel (Festival Director MQFF) Kristian Connelly (General Manager, Cinema Nova) Paul Tonta (Theatrical Acquisitions & Film Festivals Manager, Madman Entertainment) Simon Britton (ScreenPro.tv) Spencer McLaren (film producer and co-owner of Momo Films which distributed Cloudburst)
COMMUNITY FILM PROJECT: SCREENING AND Q&A – 3:30PM It’s the first screening ever of six new docos that will be produced during MQFF! Then join the project creator and writer/director mentor, Grant Scicluna, in a conversation with all of the participants. Presented by beyondblue
FILM INDUSTRY NETWORKING DRINKS 4:30PM – 6:30PM Everyone is welcome to join us in the Festival Lounge for drinks to celebrate the inaugural Queer, Camera, Action! Network, debrief and schmooze! Presented by Vidception
Queer, Camera, Action! and gen2gen Community Film Project panels and screenings are free events. As space is limited, it’s essential to reserve your free tickets at mqff.com.au
Presented by
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
midday
VENUE
ACMI Cube 61
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
SUCH INTERESSSSSTING LIVES: A CELEBRATION OF THE CARTOON QUEER
VICTIM Dir: Basil Dearden, UK, 1961, DCP, 90 min
Don’t be mislead by the title, Dirk Bogarde’s character Melville Farr is anything but helpless in this seminal film about a prominent married lawyer who goes after a blackmailer threatening gay men (including himself) with public exposure. Farr is approached by ‘Boy’ Barrett, a younger man with whom he’d shared a romantic but asexual relationship, to help him out of a legal bind connected to the blackmailing. After ‘Boy’ meets a tragic end, Farr finds the blackmailing situation far more involved than he thought, and much closer to home. Notable in film history for being the first English language film to use the word homosexual, Victim premiered in London in 1961 and proved to be as controversial as expected, and it was initially banned in the US. Historical importance aside, Victim still holds up as a taut and entertaining thriller, with excellent performances. After more than 40 years, actor Dirk Bogarde’s protagonist remains one of the screen’s few out and out gay heroes. (LD)
A Presentation by Lee Gambin
From Bugs Bunny in drag to the hyper-theatrical Snagglepuss to the tomboy antics of Peppermint Patty to the feline fey felony of Scar from The Lion King, homosexuality and gender-bending in animated features and shorts has been a staple of character design and character personality. From as early as Max Fleischer’s Betty Boop cartoons and Ub Iwerks’s Flip the Frog series, effete pansies populated the crazed animated world and they, along with other ‘toon sissies, lascivious perverts and unnatural outsiders will be the subject of writer and author Lee Gambin’s journey to the lavender ink and paint department where he will discuss queer themes in cartoons! Lee Gambin is a writer for Fangoria magazine, author of Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film and soon to be published Blood Among the Stars: The Making of Carrie and Think of the Children: Cinematic Bad Seeds.
BOOKING
4184
DATE
TIME
Sun 23 March 3.30pm
VENUE
BOOKING
2172
ACMI Studio 62
DATE
TIME
Thu 20 March 8.30pm
VENUE
ACMI
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
THE TASTY BUST REUNION Dir: Stephen McLean, Australia, 2004, digital, 52 min
In Melbourne on August 7, 1994, police raided Tasty, a gay and lesbian nightclub in Flinders Street. Nearly all of the 463 clubbers (including 130 women) were strip-searched in front of other patrons and forced to stand with their hands against the walls inside the nightclub over several hours with police brandishing guns in their vicinity. A class action was run by Melbourne Lawyer and ex-Deputy Lord Mayor Gary Singer in which millions of dollars were awarded to patrons. The legal action (and media coverage of it) resulted in changes occurring around the Victoria Police’s relationship with the queer community. A decade after the incident filmmaker Stephen McLean and producer Esben Storm (who have sadly both since passed away in 2006 and 2011 respectively), documented the legal case in their documentary The Tasty Bust Reunion. Please join us in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the documentary, but also revisiting the Tasty raid 20 years hence with a discussion of the changes that have transpired for the GLBTI community and the police over the past two decades. (LD) Panel: Greg Adkins led the discussion resulting in the Anti-Violence Project’s establishment in 1997 and continues to shape the queer community response to prejudice motivated violence and homophobia today as the AVP’s Executive Director. A journalist for 25 years, including advisory and policy roles with State and Federal Governments, and terms as a suburban councilor and mayor, Greg now works as a counsellor and social worker in the community space. Greg has produced and presented in community and sub-metro radio for 30 year, most recently at JOY 94.9 as producer and co-host of the long-running Detours travel show and is a Director on the National LGBTI Health Alliance Board. Anna Brown was named as one of Australia’s “LGBTI people to watch” in 2013, and is Co-Convener of the Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby, the Director of Advocacy & Strategic Litigation at the Human Rights Law Centre and spokesperson for the ground-breaking No To Homophobia campaign. Anna was heavily involved in the passage of new discrimination protections for LGBTI people in 2013 and works on a range of LGBTI and other human rights issues including police accountability and protester rights. Shaun Miller was a victim at the Tasty nightclub raid and promptly condemned the raid in the media. He is a featured interviewee in the documentary film and is included in the archival footage and also was the lawyer on the film (in his capacity as a film and entertainment lawyer). Shaun is also a Life Member of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby. Shaun will moderate the panel discussion.
BOOKING
4461
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 2.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 63
TRANSFORMATIONS Our lives are constantly evolving and transforming. As are our bodies and minds.
BROTHERS
TEAGAN
The documentary Brothers is the first documentary in China to focus on the FTM transgender community, a community that endures hardships that are unfathomable to the majority of Chinese society.
Three animators tell a story of transition – from male to female, and from despondency to happiness.
TRANS
BOY
Dir: Yaoyao, China, digital, 24 min Mandarin with English subtitles
Dir: Sheldon Lieberman & Igor Coric, Australia, 2013, digital, 3 min
(DRENG)
Dir: Mark Chapman, UK, 2013, digital, 7 min
Dir: Julie Bezerra Madsen, Denmark, 2013, digital, 30 min Dutch with English subtitles
Trans is an intimate portrait focusing on Kali. Exploring themes of transformation and identity, the film constructs various scenes based on her thoughts, feelings and imaginings as she reflects on the pain of her metamorphosis.
Oliver is trapped in his own body. He is born a girl, but feels like a boy. Everything is wrong when he looks at himself in the mirror. He hides his breasts and lowers his voice before he walks out the door. The creation of a new identity has just begun.
CHANGE OVER TIME
XANDRA: GENDER WARRIOR
Dir: Ewan Duarte, USA, 2013, digital, 7 min
Dir: George Hirst & Penelope Sheridan, Australia, 2013, digital, 7 min
Ewan takes us on an animated, experimental, personal journey through his first year on testosterone from an impressionistic and poetic perspective.
BOOKING
2178
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
2.00pm
On far away Magnetic Island charismatic trans-girl Xandra (formerly Alex) discusses her transition with her family, seven months after she began taking oestrogen.
VENUE
ACMI 64
OZ DOCS This year’s dual sessions of Oz Docs showcases our talented local documentary makers. OZ DOCS 1
OZ DOCS 2
THE GAY AGENDA
IT’S WHO WE ARE CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF THE JEWISH LESBIAN GROUP OF VICTORIA
Dir: Anna McGrath, Australia, 2013, digital, 3 min
Dir: David Muir, Australia, 2013, HD Cam, 27 min
Fed up with social conservatives’ construction of a gay agenda destroying the very fabric of society, Melbournians Kris Darmody and Brenton Geyer respond to the ridiculousness of that construct with their own photographic exhibition.
The Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria (JLGV) had its beginnings in 1992, when words like ‘lesbian’ and ‘Jew’ were still whispered, and it wasn’t always safe for the women to be open about who they were. Three Jewish lesbian friends organised a workshop for Jewish lesbians which attracted a phenomenal turnout, filling the room with warmth, laughter, and tears of recognition and relief. The JLGV had been born! This warm-hearted documentary charts the birth of the JLGV and its continued activities in providing a social and support network, as well as acting as a powerful lobby group initiating significant change in Jewish, feminist and LGBTI communities around Australia.
ONE DAY YOU’LL UNDERSTAND
Dir: Renae Moore, Australia, 2013, digital, 13 min
Engaging portrait of Sydney artist Guy James Whitworth, the poster-boy for Sydney’s Queer arts scene.
SOME RAINBOWS NEVER GREY
WILLIAM YANG: FRIENDS OF DOROTHY
Dir: Peter Jacobsen, Australia, 2013, digital, 15 min
Dir: Martin Fox, Australia, 2014, digital, 60 min
On the precipice of gay marriage law reform it’s hard to imagine that only a few decades ago a ubiquitous and unquestioned homophobia pervaded mainstream Australia, where gay men felt their only alternative was to marry women. Through the experiences of three Australian men this engaging documentary pulls this history out into the open.
Famed photographer William Yang came out in Sydney in the early 70s, a period of great social change. “I never consciously came out as a gay man, I was swept out by events at the time.” He has seen the formation of a gay activist culture in the 70s, the commercialisation of the gay scene in the 80s, and he has lived through the devastating effects of AIDS in the early 90s.
SCORE
William lost two of his best friends, Peter Tully and David McDiarmid, both artists, during this period. His stories are set against a backdrop of the Gay Mardi Gras, which began as a protest march in 1978. This warm documentary invites the viewer into Yang’s world, and explores his place in the Sydney gay scene over the past 4 decades.
Dir: Tamara Jungwirth, Australia, 2013, digital, 40 min
Score explores the subculture of gay and lesbian sports clubs in Melbourne. Amateur athletes explain the role of sport and fitness in their lives with remarkable honesty, lifting the lid on issues such as body image, aging and romance.
Produced by Felix Media, in association with ACON, School of the Arts and Media, UNSW and the Aurora Group. Cast and crew expected to be in attendance BOOKING
4162
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 4.00pm
Cast and crew expected to be in attendance
VENUE
BOOKING
2184
ACMI Studio 65
DATE
TIME
Sun 23 March 4.00pm
VENUE
ACMI
OZ SHORTS In partnership with the City of Melbourne, the MQFF is proud to present this year’s package of Australian shorts. The City of Melbourne has confirmed their long-standing support of the Festival by generously providing a $3000 cash prize for The City of Melbourne Emerging Filmmaker Award for Best Australian Short Queer Film. Only the films listed in the Oz Shorts package are eligible for this Award, which will be voted by a panel of judges. 2014 OZ SHORTS JUDGES Cr Rohan Leppert Cr Rohan Leppert is Chair of the Arts and Culture portfolio and Deputy Chair of the Finance and Governance portfolio at the City of Melbourne. He is a music teacher and composer who is passionate about supporting, promoting and improving access to Melbourne’s vibrant arts scene. Nick Dent Nick Dent is a film journalist and Group Editor of Time Out Australia. Additionally, his film reviews appear in Melbourne’s Sunday Herald Sun newspaper. Lee Matthews Lee Matthews is a gay Melbourne based producer who has made a heap of short films – some of them enjoying success in film festivals such as Berlin. He’s also made documentaries for ABC and SBS and has just finished his first feature-length comedy as an AP – The Heckler, which will be ready for distribution in 2014. Emma Freeman Emma Freeman is one of Australia’s busiest and most accomplished directors. An AFI Award winner (Hawke 2010), and a Tropfest winner (Lamb 2002), Emma’s most recent directorial work includes The Secret Life of Us, Love My Way, Tangle, Rush, Puberty Blues and Offspring.
Presented by
THE LAST TIME I SAW RICHARD
SUMMER SUIT
Dir: Rebecca Peniston-Bird, Australia, 2013, digital, 15 min
Dir: Nicholas Verso, Australia, 2013, digital, 23 min
Over the summer of 1987, 10-year-old tomboy Robbie suffers from occasional seizures which make her feel like a freak. When she discovers a discarded two-piece suit, she feels she has found a new identity. But when her suit fails her, a crisis looms.
In 1995, Jonah is proud to be the loner at the teen mental health clinic. But when a new patient, Richard, is admitted and the boys are forced to share a room, Jonah finds himself forming a connection, but will their bond be strong enough to protect them from the darklings that hide in the night shadows? Winner: AACTA Award for Best Short Film 2013
BOOKING
2180
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
6.00pm
VENUE
Cast and crew expected to be in attendance
ACMI 66
OZ SHORTS GORILLA
SWALLOW
Newly in love couple Sean and Joel embark on a journey of self-discovery during a camping weekend away.
What happens when a gay priest dates a werewolf and the homophobic neighbours come knocking?
INTO THE STREETS
DEAD WEIGHTS AND BALLOONS
It’s 1978 in Sydney, and Craig is a naïve teenager who becomes swept up in the birth of a movement. Through a fragmented recollection, he revisits the chaotic events of the first Sydney Gay Mardi Gras.
Alison is a news anchor in her late 30s who struggles with her irresistible attraction to colleague Sophie. Before acting on her desires, Alison knows she must first make a monumental change.
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
TEAGAN
Charlie’s a mess. His best friend’s not talking to him, he can’t concentrate on his work… and now the clock’s ticking on his French exam. But the courage to speak can come from the most unlikely places.
Three animators tell a story of transition – from male to female, and from despondency to happiness.
Dir: Tim Marshall, Australia, 2012, digital, 12 min
Dir: Mia’Kate Russell, Australia, 2013, digital, 10 min
Dir: Logan Mucha, Australia, 2013, digital, 6 min
Dir: Jack Dyball, Australia, 2013, digital, 8 min
Dir: Sheldon Lieberman & Igor Coric, Australia, 2013, digital, 3 min
Dir: Laura Scrivano, Australia, 2013, digital, 10 min
FH2: FAGHAG2000
Queer, Camera, Action!
Dir: Emma LaGrutta, Australia, 2012, digital, 12 min
Want to find out more about the film biz? Join us at the queer film industry day for expert panel discussions, screenings and Q&As. And it’s all free. Find out more on page 60.
Best friends Toshie and Casey come to learn the true extent of their togetherness only after Casey attempts to replace his best friend with a robot designed to be his ‘social wing-man’ aptly named the Faghag2000 TM.
BOOKING
2180
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
6.00pm
VENUE
Cast and crew expected to be in attendance
ACMI 67
SHORT & GIRLY Dating faux pas, unrequited love and a dream date – it’s all here in this fabulous collection of international lesbian short films
REMEMBER TO BREATHE
THE FIRST DATE
While mentoring a young aspiring singer Alice (a former headliner at the Latin Quarter), memories of a past love become entwined with the present as Alice comes to realise that what she thought was lost is only dormant, awaiting a new spark.
Amanda relates the embarrassing events surrounding her first date with a beautiful sous-chef named Kelly to her best friend Jill in the women’s restroom of their office building.
BACHELORETTE
BILL, PLEASE!
Dir: Marc Saltarelli, USA, 2012, digital, 25 min
Dir: Janella Lacson, USA, 2012, digital, 8 min
(JUNGGESELLIN)
Dir: Jessica Han, Canada, 2011, digital, 4 min
Dir: Anna Linke, Germany, 2012, digital, 13 min German with English subtitles
When the bill arrives two friends go to hilarious lengths to make sure the other doesn’t get to pay for it.
Stefanie is the last single woman in her small village. Her friends make it their business to hook her up. At a friend’s bachelorette party in the city the last bachelorette doesn’t find a man, but someone she finds even more fascinating.
BOOKING
3183
DATE
TIME
Sun 23 March 1.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 68
SHORT & GIRLY
IT FELT GOOD TO HAVE THIS PAIN
HATBOXES
Dir: Susana Darwin, USA, 2012, digital, 19 min
Dir: Matt Latham, USA, 2012, digital, 14 min
Married Orthodox Jew Miriam’s life is turned upside down when she meets Nadine, a secular Jewish lesbian.
A story of unrequited love between two women as remembered in the after-life.
Meet your friends, talk film and grab a bevvy and a bite at our Festival Lounge at Optic Kitchen + Bar. Visit mqff.com.au for a full list of free and ticketed events taking place throughout the Fest.
DREAM DATE
Dir: Andromeda Godfrey, UK, 2012, digital, 3 min
Two women check into a hotel for a night of fun, but is it all as it seems?
BOOKING
3183
DATE
TIME
Sun 23 March 1.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 69
SHORT & BURLY From baked delights, to P.D.A. issues, to mattress wars – it’s all here in this package of the latest and greatest gay shorts.
BARRY’S BESPOKE BAKERY
THE FALCETTO JAZZ CLUB
Barry’s Bespoke Bakery is a lavish wonderland of refined cakes owned by the fastidious patissier Barry, where everything has its place, except for his talented employee Brian.
A gay teenager is seduced into a homosexual cult, run by villainous drag queens.
BLOOD IN THE GRASS
P.D.A.
In an alternate American future, family members of murder victims are granted the right to personally execute their loved ones’ killers.
A gay couple disputes their very different views on holding hands in public, which leads to a much bigger exploration of their relationship, and a surprise revelation.
Dir: Denis McArdle, Ireland, 2012, digital, 9 min
Dir: Daniel Luke Rogers, Australia, 2014, digital, 14 min
Dir: Trent Davis, USA, 2012, digital, 16 min
BOOKING
2176
DATE
TIME
Fri 21 March 10.30pm
Dir: Patrick Hancock, USA, 2012, digital, 8 min
VENUE
ACMI 70
SHORT & BURLY
THE LESSON
CANT
When an English-challenged student seeks guidance about affairs of the heart, his romantically jaded instructor must teach him the words she never learned how to say.
Lovers Tony, an American and Sadeq, an Arab Muslim from Syria are caught between two worlds. Sadeq must decide between his love for Tony and his commitment to his religion.
GINGERS
SPOONERS
Redheads. Fire crotches. Rangas. A film made especially for ginger lovers.
After convincing his husband to retire their old lumpy futon, Nelson is forced to come out in a spectacular way while shopping for a new bed at Drowzy’s Mattress World.
Dir: Paul Metz, Japan, 2011, digital, 15 min
Dir: Sam Shaib, USA, 2012, digital, 8 min
Dir: Antonio Da Silva, UK, 2013, digital, 14 min
BOOKING
2176
DATE
TIME
Fri 21 March 10.30pm
Dir: Bryan Horch, USA, 2012, digital, 13 min
VENUE
ACMI 71
BOOBTUBE Fabulous lesbian short films from around the globe.
ANNALYN
HER WITH ME
Agnes is unhappy with her relationship with her dominant girlfriend and single-parent father. Things become more complicated when her father returns from a vacation in the Philippines with his new wife, Annalyn.
A starlet escapes the fray and finds her way into a hot girl’s bedroom.
THE SHOWER
BRUNCH
Dir: Maria Eriksson, Sweden, 2012, digital, 32 min Swedish with English subtitles
Dir: Alyssa Pankiw, Canada, 2013, digital, 13 min German with English subtitles
(LA DUCHA)
Dir: Lola Rocknrolla, USA, 2013, digital, 5 min
Dir: Jose Maria San Martin, Chile, 2010, digital, 10 min Spanish with English subtitles
Two hot Brooklyn lesbians have the perfect brunch, but what is their sinister secret? Don’t eat the quiche!
A couple spends a last emotional morning together in the bathroom. One of them is about to leave the country. The other has decided to stay. But who will take care of the cat?
BOOKING
3177
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
midday
VENUE
ACMI 72
BOOBTUBE
F TO 7TH: INTERSEX
AM I NOT YOUR GIRL
Dir: Ingrid Jungermann, USA, 2013, digital, 6 min
Dir: Xavery Robin, Germany, 2013, digital, 8 min German with English subtitles
Ingrid faces her feminine masculinity with hilarious results.
The best day of Lena’s life is turning into a nightmare. On the morning of her wedding she’s left wondering, whether it’s worth carrying on despite all the difficulties.
STOP CALLING ME HONEY BUNNY
Dir: Gabrielle Zilkha, Canada, 2013, digital, 11 min
A couple take a proactive approach to enhancing their sex life and, in doing so, face hilarious questions about the nature of their relationship.
Winner: Best Short Film Award, Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival 2013
BOOKING
3177
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
midday
VENUE
Presented by
ACMI 73
COCKTALES We hope you love our short gay shorts.
GAYSIAN
SUMMER VACATION
Dir: Austin Wong, Canada, 2013, digital, 10 min
Dir: Sharon Maymon & Tal Granit, Israel, 2012, digital, 22 min Hebrew with English subtitles
A humourous, but topical comedy about sexual racism.
Yuval is enjoying a wonderful summer getaway in a beach resort with his family. But when an unexpected visitor turns up, all he wants is to get out of there by any means.
THE NATURALIST
HAZEL
Simon and Oliver live in a militant future that mandates genetic therapy for all ‘abnormalities’, including homosexuality. Despite the oppressive state, Simon and Oliver have each other. That is, until a police officer arrives at their door for a routine inspection.
An obsessive mother, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. A father, carefully blotted out from all the family photos and a dreadful child-psychiatrist with unconventional methods. Welcome to Hazel’s world.
Dir: Connor Hurley, USA, 2012, digital, 15 min
BOOKING
3159
DATE
TIME
Sat 15 March 10.30pm
Dir: Tamer Ruggli, Switzerland, 2013, digital, 9 min French with English subtitles
VENUE
ACMI 74
COCKTALES
JASON’S DAD
OUT
Days after his father’s suicide, Jason, a disgruntled teenager, intercepts a series of text messages from someone he assumes is his father’s mistress.
A young man confronts his parents with a startling admission in this hilarious twist on the traditional coming-out tale.
THE DISGUSTINGS
JE T’AIME: A MUSICAL
Two horrible people enjoy their day together.
Dir: Joel Rahkonen, Finland, 2013, digital, 10 min Finnish with English subtitles
Dir: Matthew Campea, Canada, 2013, digital, 13 min
Dir: Jeremy Lalonde, Canada, 2013, digital, 8 min
(JE T’AIME: EN MUSICAL)
Dir: Jordan Firstman, USA, 2013, digital, 12 min
Johannes is about to move to London with his girlfriend, but can he go through with it if there’s someone else he loves?
BOOKING
3159
DATE
TIME
Sat 15 March 10.30pm
VENUE
ACMI 75
FEMME FATALITIES This collection of quirky lesbian shorts from around the world is sure to entertain.
SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
Dir: Lauren Wolkstein, France/USA, 2013, digital, 14 min French with English subtitles
A beautiful birthday girl confronts a sultry cat burglar at a party. Things take a sensuous turn.
BOOKING
3160
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 1.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 76
FEMME FATALITIES
NEIGHBOURS
EXTRASYSTOLE
(VECINAS)
Dir: Alice Douard, France, 2013, digital, 35 min French with English subtitles
Dir: Pedro Navarro, Spain, 2012, digital, 15 min Spanish with English subtitles
A premature heart contraction which interrupts the heartbeat.
New neighbours decide to swap partners with amusing results.
THE KISS
F TO 7TH: INTERCHANGEABLE
(POCALUNKEK) Dir: Filip Gieldon, Poland, 2013, digital, 22 min Polish with English subtitles
Dir: Ingrid Jungermann, USA, 2013, digital, 5 min
Ingrid, alone and a little desperate, strikes up a dirty chat with her go-to on-line hook-up, Ann. When Ingrid agrees to have Ann stop by for a nightcap, the two women discover they have a lot more in common than they thought.
After an alcohol-induced night out, Emilia, 20, wakes up in an unknown apartment next to another woman, Matylda, 32, who claims they slept with each other last night.
BOOKING
3160
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 1.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 77
SEX DRIVES & VIDEOTAPE This eclectic shorts package explores the many sides of the gay male sex drive.
THE FOREST
Dir: Frank Helmer, USA, 2013, digital, 7 min
A novice hiker exploring the forest with the help of a smartphone app encounters a sexy shirtless stranger making the adventure suddenly dark and dangerous.
BOOKING
2182
DATE
Fri 21 March
TIME
10.15pm
VENUE
ACMI 78
SEX DRIVES & VIDEOTAPE
RONNY AND I
LITTLE LIES
Shot entirely on an iPhone, Ronny and I chronicles the original story between two childhood friends.
Phillip has just lost Marcus, his long-term partner. He tries to forget his grief in a haze of alcohol and invites a young rent boy home.
PETER AND THE WOLF
RIFT
Dir: Guy Shalem, USA, 2103, digital, 21 min
Dir: Keith Adam Johnson, Australia, 2012, digital, 15 min
Dir: Keith Hodder, Canada/ USA, 2012, digital, 6 min
Dir: Wes Hurley, USA, 2013, digital, 5 min
A sexy, adult re-telling of the classic fairy tale.
A family man struggling to cope with his hidden urges has his devotion challenged by the unexpected arrival of his secret lover.
THANK YOU
SIC
(SPASIBO)
Dir: Joshua Hinkson, Canada, 2013, digital, 9 min
Dir: Anaïs Sartini, France, 2012, digital, 13 min French with English subtitles
A lifelong friendship is set ablaze when two friends confront their past, unveiling a provocative secret.
Clément, a French actor, goes to Saint Petersburg to participate in a film festival. When he gets there, he realises he has disappeared. Nobody can hear him or see him.
World premiere
BEING THERE
24 HITCHHIKERS
Dir: Ben Hakim, Israel, 2013, digital, 15 min Hebrew with English subtitles
Dir: Paul Detwiler, USA, 2013, digital, 5 min
The roadside pickups of a closeted government official in the late ’60s and early ’70s are artfully and erotically reimagined through period-perfect black-and-white photography in this poetic short, equal parts meditative memory piece and bearded-beefcake bonanza.
A young man’s quest for love exposes him to an experience he may not be ready for.
BOOKING
2182
DATE
Fri 21 March
TIME
10.15pm
Warning this package contains sexual imagery and depictions of violence that may offend some viewers.
VENUE
ACMI 79
IDENTITIES Here’s an eclectic package of great trans* themed shorts guaranteed to entertain and enlighten
YOU’RE DEAD TO ME
PART OF ME
Dir: Wu Tsang, USA, 2013, digital, 13 min Spanish with English subtitles
Dir: Daniel Flores, USA, 2013, digital, 11 min
The friendship of Uriel and Darren is put to the test when Darren’s sister objects to him starring in a ballet opposite Uriel a trans* girl.
A grieving Chicana mother confronts an uninvited family member before her Día de los Muertos celebration.
MASQUERADE
SUMMER SUIT
Dir: Gii Ness-Chang, Australia, 2013, digital, 7 min
Dir: Rebecca Peniston-Bird, Australia, 2013, digital, 15 min
Masquerade combines the intimacies of a friendship between two teenagers, the love between a mother and her child, and the darker, intolerant side of society.
BOOKING
2161
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 2.00pm
Over the summer of 1987, 10-year-old tomboy Robbie suffers from occasional seizures that make her feel like a freak. When she discovers a discarded two-piece suit, she feels she has found a new identity. But when her suit fails her, a crisis looms.
VENUE
ACMI 80
IDENTITIES
DATING SUCKS: A GENDERQUEER MISADVENTURE
I’M YOURS
Dir: Chase Joynt, Canada, 2012, digital, 5 min
Starring Toronto-based image artists Chase Joynt and Nina Arsenault, this is what happens when Colin Campbell and Jerry Springer meet Judith Butler. You have questions? They have answers.
Dir: Sam Berliner, USA, 2013, digital, 13 min
Sam navigates the treacherous waters of dating as a genderqueer/trans* person.
WINI + GEORGE
Dir: Benjamin Monie, USA, 2013, digital, 12 min
When George, a shy 9-year-old outcast, first meets Wini, his 75-year-old reclusive neighbor, he’s immediately frightened by her. But soon enough, these two realise that they have more in common with each other than they do with the rest of the world.
Winner of the Audience Award for Best Short Film at Outfest 2013
BOOKING
2161
DATE
TIME
Sun 16 March 2.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 81
MIXTAPE Sit back, relax, and enjoy this ‘best of’ package of shorts from this year’s fest.
A LAST FAREWELL (ETT SISTA FARVAL)
Dir: Casper Andreas, Sweden, 2013, digital, 13 min Swedish with English subtitles
Haunted by visions of his late husband, and in conflict with his daughter who is trying to renew the ties between them, an older man must tackle the impossible task of moving on and finding peace in the wake of a devastating loss.
BOOKING
2185
DATE
TIME
Sun 23 March 6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 82
MIXTAPE
FOR DORIAN
STOP CALLING ME HONEY BUNNY
Dir: Rodrigo Barriuso, Canada, 2012, digital, 16 min
A father fears the sexual awakening of his disabled son, Oliver, as he struggles with the notion of letting him grow up.
Dir: Gabrielle Zilkha, Canada, 2013, digital, 11 min
A couple take a proactive approach to enhancing their sex life and, in doing so, face hilarious questions about the nature of their relationship. Winner: Best Short Film Award, Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival 2013
WINI + GEORGE
DREAM DATE
When George, a shy 9-yearold outcast, first meets Wini, his 75-year-old reclusive neighbor, he’s immediately frightened by her. But soon enough, these two realise that they have more in common with each other than they do with the rest of the world. Winner of the Audience Award for Best Short Film at Outfest 2013
Two women check into a hotel for a night of fun, but is it all as it seems?
SLASH
BARRY’S BESPOKE BAKERY
Dir: Benjamin Monie, USA, 2013, digital, 12 min
Dir: Andromeda Godfrey, UK, 2012, digital, 3 min
Dir: Clay Liford, USA, 2013, digital, 9 min
Sam likes Harry Potter fan fiction so much, he decides to write his own. Only it’s highly erotic, and he’s just thirteen.
Dir: Denis McArdle, Ireland, 2012, digital, 9 min
Barry’s Bespoke Bakery is a lavish wonderland of refined cakes owned by the fastidious patissier Barry, where everything has its place, except for his talented employee Brian.
BRUNCH
HAZEL
Dir: Lola Rocknrolla, USA, 2013, digital, 5 min
Dir: Tamer Ruggli, Switzerland, 2013, digital, 9 min French with English subtitles
Two hot Brooklyn lesbians have the perfect brunch, but what is their sinister secret? Don’t eat the quiche!
BOOKING
2185
DATE
An obsessive mother, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. A father, carefully blotted out from all the family photos and a dreadful child-psychiatrist with unconventional methods. Welcome to Hazel’s world.
TIME
Sun 23 March 6.00pm
VENUE
ACMI 83
QUEERIES 1 This entertaining collection of international shorts explores gender and sexuality issues relevant to younger audiences.
BREED
AFTER JAKE
This beautiful animation explores the conflict young people have in meeting parental expectations or being true to themselves.
After Keith, a well-meaning dad, discovers a condom inside his gay teenage son’s room, the dreaded sex talk seems imminent.
ALLEZ
DANIEL
Fencing club friends Sofia and Trine are about to be separated when Trine gets selected to train with the national team. Sofia has one night left to admit her feelings.
This visual poem depicts the coming of age of a teenage boy who finds love on a summer’s day.
Dir: Stanton Cameron, USA, 2013, digital, 4 min
Dir: Tawanna Briggs, USA, 2013, digital, 7 min
Dir: Oliver Tonning, Denmark, 2011, digital, 17 min Dutch with English subtitles
Dir: Vincent Fitz-Jim, The Netherlands, 2012, digital, 9 min Dutch with English subtitles
GROTTO
MORE OR LESS (MAIS OU MENOS)
Dir: Dave Scala, USA, 2013, digital, 7 min
Dir: Alexander Siqueira, Brazil, 2010, digital, 14 min Portuguese with English subtitles
20-year-old Marco returns to his small town for the summer after a year of college in Manhattan. He’s now ready to share some big news with his best friend.
A bullied teen has an unexpected encounter with his oppressor.
STAY POSITIVE
SLASH
Tensions between 17-yearold Roman and his religious grandmother peak when he refuses to participate in a church blood-drive.
Sam likes Harry Potter fan fiction so much, he decides to write his own. Only it’s highly erotic, and he’s just thirteen.
Dir: Robert Carnilius, USA, 2013, digital, 8 min
Dir: Clay Liford, USA, 2013, digital, 9 min
Presented by
BOOKING
4155
DATE
Sat 15 March
TIME
2.00pm
All Queeries sessions admit audience members 15 years and over
VENUE
ACMI Studio 84
QUEERIES 2
FOR DORIAN
PEARL
A father fears the sexual awakening of his disabled son, Oliver, as he struggles with the notion of letting him grow up.
Pearl explores the experience of growing up Pacific Islander in Australia.
THE SWIMMING TRUNKS
WHISPERS OF LIFE
Dir: Rodrigo Barriuso, Canada, 2012, digital, 16 min
Dir: Story Weavers Collective, Australia, 2013, digital, 12 min
(LE MAILLOT DE BAIN)
Dir: Florian Halbedi, Canada, 2013, digital, 11 min
Dir: Mathilde Bayle, France, 2013, digital, 20 min French with English subtitles
At the beach, 10-year-old Rémi, is fascinated by Stéphane, 35, the father of one of his playmates. This new feeling confuses him.
When disruptive and threatening bullies interrupt Tom’s after-school safe haven, Charles a stranger, actively uses Tom’s imagination to challenge the gay teenager’s thoughts of suicide.
CALLBACK
BOY
A young promiscuous university student goes to the clinic to get tested for STDs and HIV/AIDS.
A teenage kid in the middleclass suburb of Melbourne has a secret crush on a boy who lives in his street.
Dir: David Findlay, Canada, 2013, digital, 4 min
Dir: Simon Trevorrow, Australia, 2013, digital, 3 min
HAZEL
Short and Tweet
Dir: Tamer Ruggli, Switzerland, 2013, digital, 9 min French with English subtitles
All Queeries sessions will feature a live feed tweet screen in the cinema. Bring your smart phone, tablet or laptop to tweet about the films during the sessions! Join the conversation at
An obsessive mother, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. A father, carefully blotted out from all the family photos and a dreadful child-psychiatrist with unconventional methods. Welcome to Hazel’s world.
BOOKING
4160
DATE
Sun 16 March
TIME
midday
#queeries14
All Queeries sessions admit audience members 15 years and over
VENUE
ACMI Studio 85
QUEERIES 3
QUEERIES 4
LIVE TO TELL
THE NIGHT IS OURS
Dir: Jansen Franklin, USA, 2013, digital, 23 min
Dir: Aubree Bernier-Clarke, USA, 2013, digital, 18 min
Dylan, faced with constant bullying at school and a rocky relationship with his parents, keeps a video blog where he expresses his feelings as a gay teen. Things take a turn when the bully’s best friend starts to take an interest in him.
17-year-old tomboy UFO enthusiast Morgan is stricken with guilt after the accidental death of her best friend Olivia. Can she make amends?
KISS ME SOFTLY
YOU’RE DEAD TO ME
(KUS ME ZACHTJES)
Dir: Anthony Schatteman, Belgium, 2012, digital 16 min Dutch with English subtitles
Dir: Wu Tsang, USA, 2013, digital, 13 min Spanish with English subtitles
A grieving Chicana mother confronts an uninvited family member before her Día de los Muertos celebration.
17-year-old Jasper lives in a small town with his family, where his father is a local singer. In his family, he cannot be himself, as all the attention in the family goes to his father’s career. Jasper searches for a way to handle this and is faced with the typical questions in the life of an adolescent.
WITH CLOSED EYES
BOMBSHELL
(AD OCCHI CHIUSI)
Dir: Erin Sanger, USA, 2013, digital, 14 min
Dir: Lisa Riccardi, Lisa, Italy, 2013, digital, 15 min Italian with English subtitles
A 10-year-old tomboy must weigh her loyalty to her trusted older brother as she becomes complicit in a hate crime to win his affection.
A love story between two teenagers, Sara and Ginevra, becomes dangerous when the father of the youngest discovers them, forcing his daughter to make a choice.
WINI + GEORGE Dir: Benjamin Monie, USA, 2013, digital, 12 min
THE PACKAGE
When George, a shy 9-yearold outcast, first meets Wini, his 75-year-old reclusive neighbor, he’s immediately frightened by her. But soon enough, these two realise that they have more in common with each other than they do with the rest of the world. Winner of the Audience Award for Best Short Film at Outfest 2013
(O PACOTE)
Dir: Rafael Aidar, Brazil, 2013, digital, 18 min Portuguese with English subtitles
A new student in town meets a classmate – and has to reveal to him that he is HIV positive.
OUT SMART
YEAH KOWALSKI!
Dir: Dawn Cobalt, USA, 2013, digital, 10 min
Dir: Evan Roberts, USA, 2013, digital, 10 min
A teenage boy faces his parents’ shock, disappointment, anger, and humiliation when he comes out, in this hilarious little twist on coming out stories. BOOKING
4174
DATE
Fri 21 March
TIME
6.30pm
Gabe is a late bloomer whose attempts to impress Shane, a more mature classmate, get him into a hairy situation.
VENUE
BOOKING
4179
ACMI Studio 86
DATE
Sat 22 March
TIME
4.00pm
VENUE
ACMI Studio
CELLULOID CASSEROLE MQFF and LOOP present a tasty menu of new Australian shorts. For just a gold coin donation you have the chance to see our talented emerging filmmakers in action.
WORD OF THE DAY
THE EGG
Dir: Tonnette Stanford, Australia, 2014, digital, 10 min
Dir: Scott Membry, Australia, 2013, digital, 8 min
Patsy is determined to beat the odds and hatch her own little chick, but she discovers she must fight some angry dads for her right to become a mum.
A bad day turns into a good day. And only one word is needed to sum it all up.
THE LION’S SHARE
TRUNK
Dir: Jack Cox, Australia, 2013, digital, 11 min
Dir: David Morris, Australia, 2012, digital, 10min
At his grandmother’s wake, Neil is plagued by something more than grief. Something larger than life. It’s loud, it’s proud and it won’t leave him alone.
A surreal-camp-noir-fantasy exploring gender, sexuality and indulgence.
LOVE BYTES: JUSTIN BEAVER
DAY IS DONE
Dir: Christopher Beeson, Australia, digital, 2013, 7 min
Dir: Tonnette Stanford, Australia, digital, 2012, 11 min
The world has been hit hard by a catastrophic bird flu outbreak, and on an old deserted farm a Sydney couple are fighting to stay alive – however one already has symptoms.
A borrowed ring ends up in the most unlikeliest of places in this laugh out-loud comedy.
WHITE FEATHER
A VERY SPECIAL DATE
Dir: Tommy Doyle, Australia, digital, 2013, 7 min
Dir: Susan Earl, Australia, digital, 2013, 7 min
Narrated by an answering machine, this experimental film explores a polygamous romance.
Serial monogamy with a twist!
CANDY CRAVINGS
The Cash prize of $500 for best film in the Celluloid Casserole will be presented on the night.
Dir: Sebastian Bertoli, Australia, 2013, digital, 7 min
Sometimes a lesbian needs her protein.
DATE
Wed 19 March
TIME
7.30pm
VENUE
Presented by
LOOP 87
Are you the 2014 winner? Submissions now open 3rd time lucky for Australia?
www.irisprize.org
Proud Supporter of MQFF
sweetcreative.com.au
We guarantee 99.9% uptime. Does yours? It's been 22 years, yet our customers remain loyal. Little wonder, since Connexus delivers more than just promises. Our customers want fast, reliable Internet solutions. And we specialise in solutions for Business. That's ADSL2+, Ethernet and VPN's to almost anywhere in Australia. We can host websites with lightning speed and response. And more... We're 100% Australian owned. Our talented staff are based right here in Melbourne. You can reach them 7 days a week.
Try us. Our uptime guarantee is part of our Service Level Agreement, available on request from our sales team. Ask us whether it's available with your service. ABN 83 070 275 722.
www.connexus.net.au 1300 851 700
CREDITS STAFF
PROGRAM GUIDE
Festival Director Lisa Daniel General Manager Kylie Eddy Festival Operations Manager Helen Walmsley Festival Assistant Claire Connors Marketing Volunteer Tsari Paxton Community Film Project Volunteer Jamieson Pearce Film Industry Event & Publicity Volunteer Adrian Joannou Blog Content Volunteer Stephanie Lai Patrons Volunteer Patrick Fitzgerald
Editor Lisa Daniel Production Management Sweet Creative Program Note Writers Lisa Daniel (LD), Paul Tonta (PT), Ben Gielewski (BG), Nick Beckett (NB), Elizabeth Robinson-Griffith (ERG), Kate Lefoe (KL), Spiro Economopoulos (SE), Stuart Richards (SR), Tsari Paxton (TP)
LIFE MEMBERS Rowland Thomson, Crusader Hillis, Madeleine Swain, Suzie Goodman, miss jan horstman, David McCarthy, Richard Watts, Suzy Green, Rowena Doo, Luke Gallagher, Alex Green, Paul Tonta, Leanne Sumpter, Colin Billing
BOARD OF MANAGEMENT Alice Murray (Co-convenor), Scott Herron (Co-convenor), Antony Jarvis (Treasurer), Elizabeth Bennett (Secretary/Public Officer), Ayan Dasvarma, Paul Kearney, Ronit Fazekas, Cathy Anderson (from Nov 2013), Ben Noble (from Dec 2013), Paul Clifton (until April 2013), Gerard Long (until April 2013), Rod Macneil (until Oct 2013), Cath Borg (until Sep 2013), Claire Jackson (until Dec 2013)
MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL Level 8, 225 Bourke St Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia +61 3 9662 4147 info@mqff.com.au mqff.com.au
SELECTION PANEL
Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Lisa Daniel, Stuart Richards, Leanne Sumpter, Paul Tonta, Elizabeth Robinson-Griffith, Brian Kearney, Andy McNamara, Melissa Pritchard, Kate Lefoe, Matthew Wade, Chrisi Camp, Michael McDermott, Nick Beckett, Isabelle Basher, Ash Starr
@mqff #mqff2014 search for mqff tube The Festival would like to thank all of our members, volunteers, patrons, sponsors and supporters for making this event possible. We heart you!
FESTIVAL PROVIDERS Creative Direction & Graphic Design Sweet Creative Ticketing & Smartphone Apps Ferve Tickets Distribution & Promotion Step Right Up Publicity Asha Holmes Publicity Audience Development Partner Little Birdy Tix Website Hosting Connexus Website Design Rhombus Digital
MQFF makes every effort to ensure that all details are correct at the time of printing. Any unforseen late program changes will be listed on our website and included in our eNews.
94
PARTRONS & MEMBERS SWEETHEARTS PATRONS PROGRAM
MEMBERSHIP
Sweethearts know the power of queer films. These films remind us of who we are and who we can be; they inform and transform people inside and outside our community; they celebrate our lives and our legacy of equality and social justice for all.
MQFF Membership is your passport to the very best Festival experience. It’s a show of support for your queer film community and a fantastic way to receive discounts and exclusive offers.
Our stories are as important as ever. Access to government funding for our community is coming under threat. Equality and antidiscrimination is contested. MQFF depends on donations from generous individuals to continue our work. The Sweethearts annual private giving program is an opportunity for you to direct some of your tax spend to enhance the Festival’s work; engaging audiences with Australia’s largest, oldest and most diverse GLBTIQ film festival.
Join online now at mqff.com.au to save 20% on your ticket purchases.
If you’d like to become a Sweetheart, or make a tax-deductible donation, please contact Kylie Eddy, General Manager, on 03 9662 4147 or email at manager@mqff.com.au. We applaud the following Sweethearts for their generous support of MQFF 2014. Silver David Owen Diamond David McCarthy and Jonathan Yee Emerald Anonymous, Duncan Hewitt, Daniel Neal, Claire Jackson, Kris Walker, Suzie Goodman, Mal Lewis Ruby Sue Spurr, Hui-Chang (Lan) Wang, Jane Weston, Mark Grogan, Athol Willoughby OAM, Philomena Horsley, Serena Chow, Fiona Kelly
When you see a volunteer at the Festival be sure to smile! As a notfor-profit community organisation we rely on 200 dedicated volunteers that contribute their time, expertise and energy to making the MQFF a success every year.
95
INDEX 20 Lies, 4 Parents and a Little Egg..................... 21 24 Hitchhikers................79 52 Tuesdays..................58 Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The............59 After Jake.......................84 Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth.......................... 52 Allez.............................84 Am I Not Your Girl..........73 Annalyn.........................72 Any Day Now................ 12 Bachelorette...................68 Bad Blood.....................36 Bad Hair....................... 14 Barry’s Bespoke Bakery.................... 70, 83 Being There...................79 Bill, Please!....................68 Blood in the Grass..........70 Blue and Not so Pink.......22 Bombshell......................86 Born This Way............... 52 Boy..............................85 Boy (Dreng)...................64 Breed............................84 Bridegroom....................53 Brothers.........................64 Brunch.................... 72, 83 Burning Blue...................22 Callback.......................85 Camp Beaverton: Meet the Beavers............59 Candy Cravings.............87 Cant............................. 71 Change Over Time..........64 Cupcakes...................... 23 Daniel...........................84 Dating Sucks: A Genderqueer Misadventure.................. 81 Day is Done...................87 Dead Weights and Balloons........................67 Depths..........................25 Disgustings, The.............. 75 Dream Date............. 69, 83 Dual.............................24 Egg, The........................87 Extrasystole....................77 F to 7th: Interchangeable...77 F to 7th: Intersex.............73 Falcetto Jazz Club, The....70 Families are Forever.........56 FH2: faghag2000..........67 First Date, The.................68 First Period.....................24 Five Dances...................25 Floating Skyscrapers........25 For Dorian............... 83, 85 Forest, The.....................79 Free Fall........................26 G.B.F............................27 Gay Agenda, The...........65 Gaysian........................ 74 Geography Club............27 Gerontophilia................. 15 Gingers......................... 71 Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia...........53 Gorilla..........................67
Something Real...............34 Soongava – Dance of the Orchids................36 Spooners....................... 71 Stay Positive...................84 Stop Calling me Honey Bunny........... 73, 83 Summer Suit.............66, 80 Summer Vacation............ 74 Swallow........................67 Swimming Trunks, The......85 Tasty Bust Reunion, The....63 Teagan...................64, 67 Test............................... 37 Thank You......................79 Too Cold Out There Without You...................56 Trans.............................64 Trunk.............................87 Two Mothers..................38 Valencia: The Movie/s....38 Valentine Road...............56 Very Special Date, A.......87 Vicky – The Gay Gene Comes to Melbourne.......57 Victim............................ 62 Whispers of Life..............85 White Feather................87 Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf?...........................39 Will You Still Love me Tomorrow?....................40 William Yang: Friends of Dorothy.....................65 Wini + George....81, 83, 86 With Closed Eyes...........86 Word of the Day............87 Xandra: Gender Warrior.............64 Yeah Kowalski!...............86 Yoshiko and Yuriko..........40 You and the Night........... 41 You’re Dead to Me....80, 86 Zoe.Misplaced............... 42
Grotto...........................84 Hatboxes.......................69 Hawaii..........................28 Hazel............... 74, 83, 85 Her With Me.................72 Hot Guys With Guns.......29 I am Divine....................54 I’m Yours........................ 81 In the Name of...............29 Into the Streets................67 It Felt Good to Have This Pain........................69 It’s Who We Are: Celebrating 20 Years of the Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria......................65 Jack and Diane...............30 Jason’s Dad.................... 75 Je T’aime: a Musical........ 75 Kiss Me Softly................86 Kiss, The........................77 Language of Love, The.....67 Last Farewell, A......... 21, 82 Last Match, The.............. 31 Last Time I Saw Richard, The...............................66 Lesson, The.................... 71 Lion’s Share, The.............87 Little Lies........................79 Live to Tell......................86 Lose Your Head.............. 31 Love Bytes: Justin Beaver...................87 Masquerade..................80 Matterhorn.....................32 Meth Head....................32 More or Less..................84 Mr. Angel......................54 Naturalist, The................ 74 Neighbours...................77 Night is Ours, The...........86 Noor............................33 One Day You’ll Understand....................65 Out.............................. 75 OUT in the Line-Up..........55 Out Smart......................86 P.D.A............................70 Package, The.................86 Part of Me.....................80 Pearl.............................85 Peter and the Wolf..........79 Pitstop...........................33 Puppy Love....................34 Quick Change................34 Reaching for the Moon.... 16 Remember To Breathe......68 Rift................................79 Ronny and I....................78 Rosie.............................35 Rugby Player, The...........55 Salvation Army...............35 Schoolgirl Complex.........36 Score............................65 Shower, The...................72 Sic...............................79 Slash...................... 83, 84 Snails in the Rain............. 37 Social Butterfly............... 76 Some Rainbows Never Grey...................65
Countries Argentina......................28 Australia......25, 36, 42, 55, 57, 58, 59, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 70, 79, 80, 85, 87 Belgium...................34, 86 Brazil................ 16, 84, 86 Canada............15, 68, 72, 73, 74, 75, 79, 81, 83, 85 Chile............................72 China...........................64 Cuba............................ 31 Denmark..................64, 84 Finland.......................... 75 France.............. 23, 33, 34, 35, 36, 41, 76, 77, 79, 85 Germany...........26, 31, 38, 68, 73 Ireland.................... 70, 83 Italy..............................86 Israel........... 23, 37, 74, 79 Japan................ 36, 40, 71 Luxembourg...................34 Nepal...........................36 Pakistan.........................33
96
Poland.............. 25, 29, 77 Slovenia........................24 Spain.................22, 31, 77 Sweden.............21, 72, 82 Switzerland....... 34, 35, 74, 83, 85 The Netherlands............. 21 The Philippines................34 Taiwan..........................40 UK........ 62, 64, 69, 71, 83 USA............12, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 37, 38, 39, 40, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 59, 64, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 86 Venezuela................ 14, 22 Special Presentations/ Panels 52 Tuesdays..................58 Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The............59 Camp Beaverton: Meet the Beavers............59 gen2gen Community Film Project....................47 Queer, Camera, Action!.................... 60, 61 Such Interesssssting Lives: A Celebration of the Cartoon Queer............... 62 The Tasty Bust Reunion.....63 Sponsored Sessions ACMI..................... 14, 15 Same Same...................33 JOY 94.9....................... 23 Star Observer.................27 Melbourne University Faculty of Arts.................59 Australian Marriage Equality.........................53 Herbert Smith Freehills......28 Melbourne Chargers.......55 Globe...........................27 Yarra Trams....................22 Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre........ 37 Vidception............... 60, 61 Gay and Lesbian Switchboard..................56 Gaydar................... 29, 39 Channel 31...................40 Val’s Café...................... 52 City of Melbourne.....66, 67 LOOP...........................87 Shaun Miller Lawyers..............60, 61, 87 Relationships Australia Victoria and Family Relationship Centre.......... 21 beyondblue....................47 Minus 18........... 84, 85, 86 Home Instead Senior Care...35 Suicide Prevention Kit.......32 QLife............................56 BreastScreen Victoria... 72, 73 PwC.............................25