MQFF Annual Report 2009

Annual Report 2009

About Us Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) is the largest queer film festival in Australia, the second largest film festival in Victoria, and one of the oldest queer film festivals in the world. We screen the best queer cinema from Australia and around the globe. Our mission is to become one of the top queer screen events internationally. The Festival first screened in 1991 and has continued every year since.

MQFF is an Incorporated Association and is run by a Board of Management and three permanent staff.

Contact details

BRIEF HISTORY

Mailing address....................................PO Box 21244, Little Lonsdale St VIC 8011 Australia

1991

Melbourne International Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival first screened at the National Theatre, St Kilda.

Office address......................................Level 8, 225 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia

1993

Festival is renamed Melbourne Queer Film & Video Festival, with screenings at the State Film Theatre at Treasury Place.

2000

Festival name is changed to Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

2004

Bulk of screenings moved to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) at Federation Square.

Telephone............................................613 9662 4147 Fax......................................................613 9660 3950 Email..................................................info@mqff.com.au Website...............................................www.mqff.com.au

Staff Festival Director....................................Lisa Daniel director@mqff.com.au General Manager..................................Rowena Doo info@mqff.com.au Sponsorship & Advertising Manager......Kylie Eddy sponsorship@mqff.com.au

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY MQFF is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and delivering an environmentally sustainable festival.

Green printers

Smaller print runs We have trimmed the print runs for all our publications to the bare minimum, ensuring the best market coverage with the least amount of waste. e-mag

Board of Management Co-convenors.......................................Claire Jackson Tony Harding Secretary.............................................Kris Darmody

The company we have chosen to print our Festival Program, Printgraphics (Printgreen) has Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation and understands its commitment to quality and the environment.

From 2009, our Festival Program has been published online as an ‘e-mag’: it’s just like flipping through a book, minus the dead trees!

ANNUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS January

Midsumma Carnival stall

Treasurer..............................................Mal Lewis

Highlights Guide published

Board..................................................Roberta Armitage Steve Boxshall Paul Clifton Scott Heron Gerard Long Steven ‘Luke’ Lucas Aydin Sipaloglu

Movies Under the Stars fundraiser February

Festival Launch Festival Guide published Festival website – new program launched, tickets on sale

March

Opening Night Film & Gala The Festival: 12 days, 90+ sessions Closing Night Film & Party

Selection Panel

‘Back by Popular Demand’ extra sessions

Paul Andrew, Carol Christensen, David Collins, Lisa Daniel, Josh Frederick, Kim Montgomery, Grant Scicluna, Leanne Sumpter, Paul Tonta

April-December

Monthly e-bulletins and special events

May

Annual planning day

Queeries Panel

June

Call for entries for next Festival

September

Annual General Meeting

December

Festival program finalised

Patrons

Scott Igoe, Claudia Stapleton Gary Singer, Geoffrey Smith, Stephen Hahn

Advertising due MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL • ABN 46 894 300 561 • PO Box 21244, Little Lonsdale St, Victoria 8011 Australia • ph 613 9662 4147 • fax 613 9660 3950 • info@mqff.com.au • www.mqff.com.au

Demographics Every year MQFF conducts an Audience Survey that covers a range of questions, including demographics. This helps us better understand our patrons and provide them with the best possible festival experience.

Our mission is to become one of the top queer film events internationally and we will only achieve this with the support of our loyal audience.

4.1% 8.8%

18−24 years

5.3%

13.4%

25−34 years 27.5%

19.9%

35−44 years

36%

18%

45−54 years

34.5%

Postgraduate

Trade cert/Diploma

32.6%

55−64 years

Bachelors degree

High school

65+ years

Age AGE

14%

Education EDUCATION

25.6%

$80K + $50K−$79K

29.9% 30.5%

$20K−$49K

6.5% 8.3% 4.7% 14.8%

Full-time work

9.5%

Part-time work 63.9%

Less than $20K

Casual Full-time study Part-time study Retired/Other

Income INCOME

2.9%

1.2%

6.4% 6.4%

WorkSTATUS Status WORK

0.6%

Lesbian

Female

Gay 35.1%

50.3%

Queer

50%

49.4%

Male Transgender

Bisexual Straight Other

SexualIDENTITY Identity SEXUAL

Gender GENDER

MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL • ABN 46 894 300 561 • PO Box 21244, Little Lonsdale St, Victoria 8011 Australia • ph 613 9662 4147 • fax 613 9660 3950 • info@mqff.com.au • www.mqff.com.au

Festival Growth Over the last decade, MQFF has shown extraordinary growth to become the largest queer film festival in Australia, and highly regarded internationally for our quality programming. The number of films screened has increased threefold and the audience has increased from 3,000 attendees in 1998 to 25,000 in 2009.

MQFF films and sessions, 1998–2009

2002 2000

2003

2008 2006

2004

MQFF audience numbers, 1998–2009

2009

2007

20,000

120

1999

100

2001

80

NO. OF FILMS

1998

1999

60

2002

2003

2004

2000

15,000 10,000

1998

5,000

40

NO. OF SESSIONS

25,000

2005

140

2001

2009

2006

160

2005

2007

2008

20

AUDIENCE NUMBERS

80,000

For audience size, MQFF is ranked in the top 10 of international gay and lesbian film festivals.

When compared to local population size, Melbourne is second only to San Francisco for participation rates.

60,000

2

40,000

Me

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3 million

lbo

cis

6 million

CIT

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Wa sh

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DC

de

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Tor o ia

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Mu

nic

Lo s

h/K öln

Newfest

10

LLGFF

Outfest

Verzaubert

9

/St

An

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do

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9 million

YP

Ph

ing

3

5

6

Inside Out

Queer Screen

MQFF

Frameline

20,000

Sa

4

8

PILGF

7

Reel Affirnations

FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE

Top 10 international queer film festivals, attendance vs population

1 = INTERNATIONAL RANKING

n

Ne wY ork

Be

rlin

12 million

AT IO

N

15 million 18 million

MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL • ABN 46 894 300 561 • PO Box 21244, Little Lonsdale St, Victoria 8011 Australia • ph 613 9662 4147 • fax 613 9660 3950 • info@mqff.com.au • www.mqff.com.au

Sponsors MQFF is brought to you each year courtesy of the generous assistance of our sponsors and supporters.

Title Sponsor

Principal Sponsor

Cultural Partner

Major Media Partners

Major Sponsors

Sponsors

Supporters prahran market clinic

Festival Partners

MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL • ABN 46 894 300 561 • PO Box 21244, Little Lonsdale St, Victoria 8011 Australia • ph 613 9662 4147 • fax 613 9660 3950 • info@mqff.com.au • www.mqff.com.au

IMAGE PAUL CLIFTON

Awards Every year the MQFF offers several cash awards valued at $16,000, in the form of both Audience Choice and Jury awards. Audience Choice awards are voted by the audience through voting slips at Festival Club and secure online voting.

Sponsoring an award is a great way to support the filmmakers who make the Festival possible, while exposing your brand to over 25,000 MQFF attendees. There is a prize category suitable for almost all budgets starting from $2,000. For more details on how you can make a difference please contact us.

Eligibility

Prize money

Sponsor

2009 Winner

Sponsored by the City of Melbourne.

THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE Dir: Jacqui Schulz

JURY AWARDS The City of Melbourne All films listed in Oz Shorts The winning film receives Emerging Filmmaker Award (Australian short film package). for Best Australian Short Queer Film

$2000

Selectors’ Choice Award for All films in the ‘Celluloid Best Australian Short Queer Casserole’ package.

Film

GALACTIC SEX WARS Dir: Robbie McEwan

The winning film receives

$500

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS Audience Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Feature Film

All foreign language feature films in the Festival.

Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film

All feature films in the Festival.

Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Documentary

All documentaries of 45 minutes and over (including Special Presentations).

Audience Choice Award for Best Australian Short Film

All Australian short narrative films screened in the Festival (except those screening in Celluloid Casserole).

Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film

All short narrative films The winning film receives screened in the Festival (except those screening in Celluloid Casserole).

The winning film receives

Co-sponsored by MQFF and Volkswagen.

PATRIK 1,5 (Sweden) Dir: Ella Lemhagen

The winning film receives

Co-presented by MQFF and FQ Films

I CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT Dir: Shamin Sarif

The winning film receives

Co-sponsored by the Festival and MQFF Life Member David McCarthy.

JERUSALEM IS PROUD TO PRESENT Dir: Nitzan Gilady

The winning film receives

Co-sponsored by the Festival THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE and Karen Russell of Step Right Dir: Jacqui Schulz Up.

$5000

$5000

$2000

$1000

$500

DONKEYGIRL Dir: Ties Schenk

MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL • ABN 46 894 300 561 • PO Box 21244, Little Lonsdale St, Victoria 8011 Australia • ph 613 9662 4147 • fax 613 9660 3950 • info@mqff.com.au • www.mqff.com.au

Touring Every year the MQFF packs an overnight bag and sends off an excellent selection of queer titles from the Melbourne season to our queer film starved friends across Australia. Since 2002 we’ve screened in Bendigo, since 2007 in locations in Far North Queensland, and since 2008 in Perth with great success.

Cairns Townsville NT Tropical Alternatives: A Very Queer Film Festival Co-presented with the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities.

Rockhampton QLD

WA

Hervey Bay Sunshine Coast Gold Coast

SA NSW

Perth

Perth Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

Co-presented with Glamfest.

Bendigo

Bendigo Queer Film Festival

ACT

VIC MELBOURNE TAS

MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL • ABN 46 894 300 561 • PO Box 21244, Little Lonsdale St, Victoria 8011 Australia • ph 613 9662 4147 • fax 613 9660 3950 • info@mqff.com.au • www.mqff.com.au