VENUES AND GETTING THERE
GIMME GIMME TICKETS
FESTIVAL VENUES SINGLE TICKETS
ACMI Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne
Full $19.50 Concession $16.50 Member / Group (10+) $15.50
KINO CINEMA Lower Ground Level, 45 Collins Street, Melbourne
PASSES 3 FILM PASS $56 Full / $48 Conc / $45 Member
CINEMA NOVA 380 Lygon Street, Carlton
C I N E M A ,
C U R A T E D
5 FILM PASS $91 Full / $78 Conc / $73 Member 7 FILM PASS $126 Full / $107 Conc / $101 Member
FESTIVAL LOUNGE Catch up with friends at the MQFF Lounge. The Festival Lounge at ACMI Café & Bar will be open throughout the Festival, providing a great spot to grab a bite and a drink before or after enjoying a film.
ALL-IN PASS $339 Member $3 booking fee applies to all online/app purchases.
acmi.net.au/visit-us/acmi-cafe-bar/
HOW TO GET TO MQFF
Public Transport The best and greenest way to get to the Festival is by public transport. Yarra Trams is a proud sponsor of MQFF2016 with trams going to all festival venues. ACMI is serviced by 11 routes along St Kilda Rd and Flinders Street. Kino Cinemas on Collins Street is serviced by the 109 & 112 trams. You can get to Cinema Nova in Carlton on the 1 & 8 trams which stop at the Corner of Elgin/Lygon street. Visit yarratrams.com.au or download the tramTRACKER® iPhone or Android app.
HOW TO BUY TICKETS 1. Download the App Browse and purchase tickets on the official MQFF iPhone or Android app. No printing required – bring your smartphone to be scanned at the door. 2. Online at mqff.com.au Select, book and print your tickets at home. 3. At the Box Office 1 - 11 April: 10am – late at ACMI Cinemas, Tickets & Information Desk. Kino Cinema & Cinema Nova – 1 hour prior to the MQFF session start time.
ADMISSION CONDITIONS Classification The Classification Board grants MQFF special customs and censorship clearances that mean all audience members must be 18 years or over except where indicated. Concession Tickets Full-time students, pensioners, unwaged, seniors, MIFF, ACMI & Palace Cinema members are entitled to concession prices with a valid concession or membership card. Refunds Policy All purchases are non-refundable, except in some instances when a session is cancelled.Exchanges can be made up to 2 hours before session commences and incur fees ($1.50 online / $3 at box office per ticket). mqff.com.au/ticketing for full terms and conditions. Access MQFF supports and accepts the Companion Card. All MQFF venues are wheelchair accessible and have accessible toilets. All MQFF cinemas have assistive listening via an audio loop through the t-switch on a hearing aid, or audio headset. mqff.com.au/access for more info. To book tickets using your Companion Card, to book a wheelchair space, or to advise us of your access needs please call 03 9662 4147. Companion Card tickets and wheelchair spaces cannot be booked online. Contact: 03 9662 4147 or info@mqff.com.au
Standby Queues operate for sold-out sessions from 30 minutes prior to the start time. Visit the MQFF information desk at the venue. Passes Valid for the passholder only for 1 standard session per screening time until pass allocation is exhausted (excludes special events). All-In Pass The All-In Pass is valid for all standard sessions, plus special events and screenings including Opening & Closing Nights with priority entry into the cinemas. MQFF Membership provides excellent value offering discounted tickets at the festival, concession prices at partner cinemas and festivals and exclusive offers throughout the year. mqff.com.au/membership Join In Don’t miss your chance to decide the ‘Best of the Fest’ – vote online for the Audience Choice Awards at mqff.com.au #MQFF2016 Subscribe to MQFF eNews for updates, giveaways & special offers mqff.com.au mqff.com.au/ticketing – for full terms & conditions
What IS MELBOURNE’S CREATIVE FUTURE?
The City of Melbourne is proud to support major and emerging arts organisations through their 2015–17 Triennial Arts Grants Program. Aphids Australian Centre for Contemporary Art Blindside Artist Run Space Chamber Made Opera Circus Oz Craft Emerging Writers’ Festival Koorie Heritage Trust La Mama Little Big Shots Lucy Guerin Inc. Melbourne Festival Melbourne Fringe Melbourne International Comedy Festival Melbourne International Film Festival Melbourne International Jazz Festival Melbourne Queer Film Festival Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Melbourne WebFest Melbourne Writers Festival Multicultural Arts Victoria Next Wave Festival Polyglot Theatre Poppy Seed Songlines Aboriginal Music
Dillan Golightly Executive Director Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Thursday 31st March 2016
THANK YOU MQFF thanks all of our members, patrons, partners, providers, Sweethearts and sponsors for helping to make this event possible.
Speak Percussion The Wheeler Centre West Space Wild@heART Community Arts
STAFF
FESTIVAL PROVIDERS
Executive Director Dillan Golightly Program Manager Spiro Economopoulos Festival Operations Manager Claire Connors Finance Manager Helen Walmsley Festival Assistant Alexandra Lagerwey Arts Administration Intern Jono Rutter Private Giving Program Intern Patrick Fitzgerald BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
eCommerce & Ticketing Ferve Tickets Distribution & Promotion Step Right Up Merchandise Arid Zone Printing Printgraphics Website Hosting Connexus Website Design Rhombus Digital Publicity Asha Holmes Publicity Publicity Manager Asha Holmes Senior Publicist Sarah Finney
Fiona Kelly (Co-convener) Scott Herron (Co-convenor) Andrew Fisher (Treasurer) David Morgan (Secretary) Cathy Anderson Ayan Dasvarma Ronit Fazekas Adrian Joannou Scott Young Paula Commins James Findlay SELECTION PANEL Stuart Richards Paul Tonta Andrew McNamara Kate Lefoe Matthew Wade Chrisi Camp Michael McDermott Ash Starr Mark Pace Shaun Larkin Kim Montgomery Elizabeth Robinson-Griffith Mel Pritchard
FILM / SESSION That's Not Us (Opening night)
SESSION 8000
TIME ACMI
TIME
FILM / SESSION
6.15PM 6.30PM
PROGRAM GUIDE Editor Dillan Golightly Program Notes Spiro Economopoulos Additional Program Notes Paul Tonta, Kate Lefoe, Stuart Richards, Rachel Brown Production Management J. Walter Thompson INDUSTRY PARTNER J. WALTER THOMPSON Creative Director Annie Price Account Team Jacob Hewitt & Georgia Pascoe Creative Team Tim Yates, Ellie Dunn & Scott Butler Project Manager Dan Talia FESTIVAL TRAILER Director Grant Scicluna Production Management J. Walter Thompson
Colin Billing, Lisa Daniel, Rowena Doo, Crusader Hillis, Miss Jan Horstman, Luke Gallagher, Suzie Goodman, Alex Green, Suzy Green, Claire Jackson, David McCarthy, Madeleine Swain, Leanne Sumpter, Paul Tonta, Rowland Thomson & Richard Watts
FESTIVAL SWEETHEARTS The generosity of our Sweethearts Patrons ensures that Australia’s largest, oldest and most diverse LGBTIQ film festival is able to continue to engage audiences. Learn about the various giving levels and how you can support at www.mqff.com.au/pages/private-giving We warmly acknowledge the support of our 2016 Sweethearts: Gold – David Owen Diamond – Lisa Daniel and Claire Jackson Emerald – Suzie Goodman, Scott Harrison, Duncan Hewitt, Jeannie Knapp, Mal Lewis, Daniel Neal Ruby – Paul Anthony, Serena Chow, Colin Gunther, Philomena Horsley, Jan Horstman, Richard Laslett, Hui-Chang (Lan) Wang, Jane Weston, Athol Willoughby OAM Sapphire – Patrick Fitzgerald, Stephen Roberts
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#MQFF2016
1.45PM
6.30PM
Movie Matchmaking
7300
ACMI Studio
2.00PM
Margarita, with a Straw
3177
ACMI
8.00PM
Hidden Away
2165
ACMI
2.30PM
7600
ACMI Studio
8.30PM
In the Grayscale
3165
ACMI
Industry Day – Remembering the Man Masterclass
4.00PM
Industry Day – Script to Screen Workshop
7700
ACMI Studio
2178
ACMI ACMI
Departure
2152
ACMI
Addicted to Fresno
3152
ACMI
TIME
FILM / SESSION
10.15PM
Beautiful Something
3153
ACMI
6.00PM
10.30PM
Chemsex
2153
ACMI
TUESDAY 5th April 2016
4.00PM
Animation Shorts
SESSION
VENUE
4.15PM
Chemsex
3178
Web Shorts
2166
ACMI
5.00PM
Departure
6178 CINEMA NOVA
6.15PM
The Summer of Sangaile
3166
ACMI
6.00PM
The Duke of Burgundy
2179
ACMI
6.30PM
Loev
5166
KINO
6.15PM
Daddy
3179
ACMI
8.00PM
Bare
2167
ACMI
7.15PM
The Summer of Sangaile
5179 CINEMA NOVA
8.15PM
Beautiful Something
2180
ACMI
8.30PM
Guy-on-Guy Shorts
3180
ACMI
10.15PM
Sisters of the Plague
2181
ACMI
10.30PM
Everlasting Love
3181
ACMI
ACMI
TIME
FILM / SESSION
SESSION
VENUE
Regarding Susan Sontag
2182
ACMI
SESSION
VENUE
8.15PM
All Yours
3167
ACMI
Queer Filmmaking Workshop
7400
ACMI Studio
8.30PM
The Glamour & the Squalor
5167
KINO
12.15PM
Liz in September
3154
ACMI
2.00PM
Documentary Shorts
2155
ACMI
2.15PM
Girl-On-Girl Shorts
3155
ACMI
4.00PM
Deep Run
2156
ACMI
Naz & Maalik
2157
ACMI
6.15PM
Grandma
3157
ACMI
8.00PM
Hooking Up Shorts
2158
ACMI
8.15PM
Tab Hunter Confidential
3158
ACMI
10.00PM
Lonely Stars
2159
ACMI
10.15PM
Closet Monster
3159
ACMI
TIME
FILM / SESSION
1.30PM 1.45PM 3.30PM
wednesday 6th April 2016 TIME
FILM / SESSION
6.00PM 6.30PM 7.00PM
SESSION
VENUE
Stuff
2168
ACMI
Mala Mala
5168
KINO
Querelle (Cinémathèque)
3168
8.30PM
Portrait of a Serial Monogamist
5169
KINO
9.00PM
The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (Cinémathèque)
3169
ACMI
1.45PM
Mixtape
3182
ACMI
3.45PM
The Girl King
3183
ACMI
4.00PM
Back on Board: Greg Louganis
2183
ACMI
4.30PM
My Cunt Special Screening and in Conversation
7800
ACMI Studio
6.00PM
Australian Shorts & Awards Night
3184
ACMI
6.15PM
Dressed as a Girl
2184
ACMI
8.30PM
Fourth Man Out (Closing Night)
9000
ACMI
thursday 7th April 2016 TIME
FILM / SESSION
SESSION
VENUE
6.00PM
La Belle Saison
2170
ACMI
6.15PM
Eisenstein in Guanajuato
5170
KINO
6.15PM
How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)
3170
ACMI
8.30PM
Henry Gamble's Birthday Party
5171
KINO
8.45PM
Remembering the Man (Centrepiece)
7000
ACMI
VENUE
Summer
2160
ACMI
International Shorts
3160
ACMI
When My Sorrow Died: The Legend of Armen Ra and the Theremin
2161
ACMI
3.45PM
Scrum
3161
ACMI
6.00PM
La Belle Saison
2162
ACMI
2.30PM
Girls Lost (Youth Program)
3172
ACMI
6.00PM
Bare
2173
ACMI
6.30PM
Liz in September
5173
KINO
6.30PM
He Hated Pigeons (Special Event)
7100
ACMI
7.00PM
In the Grayscale
6173
CINEMA NOVA ACMI
Henry Gamble's Birthday Party
3162
ACMI
8.15PM
Ecco Homo
2163
ACMI
8.15PM
Boulevard
3163
ACMI
SUNDAY 10th April 2016 1.30PM
SESSION
6.15PM
ACMI
ACMI
8.15PM
6.00PM
2177
3164
8.15PM
ACMI
ACMI
Girls Lost
ACMI
3156
VENUE
3176
6.15PM
ACMI
Desert Migration
SESSION
Youth Shorts Fassbinder – To Love Without Demands
3151
4.15PM
FILM / SESSION
12.15PM
ACMI
2151
10.00AM
TIME
2164
Portrait of a Serial Monogamist (It's a Girl Thing)
FILM / SESSION
VENUE
Oriented
Back On Board: Greg Louganis
TIME
SESSION
SATURDAY 9th April 2016
6.00PM
VENUE
sunday 3rd April 2016
LIFE MEMBERS
FILM / SESSION
SESSION
saturday 2nd April 2016
MQFF makes every effort to ensure that all details are correct at the time of printing. Any unforseen late program changes will be listed at mqff.com.au and included in our eNews.
melbourne.vic.gov.au/triennialarts
TIME 7.30PM
monday 4th April 2016
friday 1st April 2016
And a special thank you to all of our volunteers – the Festival relies on the generosity of over 150 volunteers who contribute valuable time, expertise and energy to make MQFF happen each year. We couldn’t do it without you!
Arts Access Victoria
Ilbijerri Theatre
“Celebrating difference. Festivals are a chance to connect with and celebrate the diversity in our creative communities.”
FESTIVAL PLANNER
CLOSING CREDITS
friday 8th April 2016 TIME
FILM / SESSION
SESSION
MONDAY 11th April 2016 TIME
FILM / SESSION
SESSION
VENUE
6.00PM
Encore & Surprise Screenings, go to mqff.com.au for details
2185
ACMI
6.15PM
Encore & Surprise Screenings, go to mqff.com.au for details
3185
ACMI
8.00PM
Encore & Surprise Screenings, go to mqff.com.au for details
2186
ACMI
8.15PM
Encore & Surprise Screenings, go to mqff.com.au for details
3186
ACMI
VENUE
8.00PM
Comedy Shorts
2174
8.30PM
Like Cattle Towards Glow
5174
KINO
8.45PM
Front Cover
3174
ACMI
9.00PM
Closet Monster
6174
CINEMA NOVA
10.00PM
Danny Says
2175
ACMI
10.30PM
You're Killing Me
3175
ACMI
WELCOME TO MQFF 2016 Robert Doyle Lord Mayor of Melbourne The Melbourne Queer Film Festival has been a Melbourne success story and an integral part of our cultural fabric for more than 25 years. As Australia’s largest and oldest queer film Festival, it has attracted crowds of more than 245,000 movie lovers over the years. This year, the festival will bring the best of international and Australian LGBTIQ film to Melbourne, with 12 days of cinema set to entertain, challenge and inspire audiences. The Festival’s Centrepiece film is Melbourne based documentary Remembering The Man; a film that will connect with its local audience. The City of Melbourne is proud to support the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and our queer filmmaking community. In particular, we are delighted to sponsor the Festival’s major award for Best Australian Short Film. This year’s tagline, ‘Proudly Different’, is one I’m sure all Melburnians can relate to. I hope you enjoy this iconic Melbourne event.
Dillan Golightly
Spiro Economopoulos
Executive Director
Program Manager
MQFF – we do movies differently. That’s right, MQFF has been showing LGBTIQ – themed films long before they were picked up by mainstream cinemas, and for many of the films, our Festival provides the only chance for Melbourne audiences to see them as they were designed to be seen – on the big screen.
On my first day with MQFF I did a radio interview where I was asked ‘why do we need a queer film festival?’ It was a question that lingered throughout the year. The answer didn’t really sink in until we had an MQFF social night where I met our Festival Sweethearts. This dedicated and generous group of people got me fired up about the thing I love doing the most, talking movies. Their passion for cinema was addictive and one thing I’ve always loved about going to MQFF was that communal experience – sharing the Festival with your mates, your date, or the stranger sitting next to you.
In addition to 60 features, documentaries and shorts packages, MQFF will host panels, workshops and party events at the Festival’s home at ACMI. We are again extending the Festival to Kino Cinemas, and in a first, going northside with a Cinema Nova weekend. All this would not be possible without the support of our partners, sponsors, private donors (Sweethearts), MQFF members and you! I look forward to catching you in the aisles.
Whilst giant televisions and tiny screens bring changes to the way we view film, one thing that doesn’t change is the shared cinema experience – I hope you connect with the films and the Festival at MQFF 2016.
TEAM PLAYERS PRINCIPAL PARTNER
UPCOMING SCENES
CULTURAL PARTNER
INDUSTRY PARTNER
Opening Night Film & Party............................4 Centrepiece Presentation................................5 Closing Night Film & Party..............................5 Special Events & Screenings...........................6 Australian Spotlight........................................ 10
FESTIVAL SPONSORS
Queer and Not From Here (International Features)..................................12 Avant-Gays (Innovative Queer Cinema).... 35 Pioneers (Reiner Werner Fassbinder Retrospective)............................. 36 Proud and Loud (Music Films)..................... 38 Out There (Late Night Films)........................ 40
PRINCIPAL MEDIA PARTNER
GIMME GIMME TICKETS
MEDIA PARTNERS
FESTIVAL SUPPORTERS
Documentaries............................................... 42 MQFF Industry Day........................................ 52 Queer Filmmaking Workshop...................... 53 Awards.............................................................. 53 Shorts................................................................ 54 Hot Little Shorts.............................................. 60 Mixtape Shorts................................................ 62 Young & Queer Film Program..................... 63 Film Index......................................................... 64 Closing Credits............................................... 65 Festival Planner........................Pull-out Guide Venue Information..................Pull-out Guide
CINEMA PARTNERS
SINGLE TICKETS
PASSES
Full $19.50 Concession $16.50 Member / Group (10+) $15.50
3 FILM PASS $56 Full / $48 Conc / $45 Member
ALL-IN PASSES
5 FILM PASS $91 Full / $78 Conc / $73 Member
ALL-IN PASS $339 Member
7 FILM PASS $126 Full / $107 Conc / $101 Member
$3 booking fee applies to all online/app purchases. C I N E M A ,
C U R A T E D
HOW TO BUY TICKETS PRESENTING PARTNERS
equal
HEY
healthy
prahran market clinic youth
GRANTS
1. Download the App Browse and purchase tickets on the official MQFF iPhone or Android app. No printing required – bring your smartphone to be scanned at the door. 2. Online at mqff.com.au Select, book and print your tickets at home. 3. At the Box Office 1 – 11 April: 10am – late at ACMI Cinemas, Tickets & Information Desk. Kino Cinema & Cinema Nova – 1 hour prior to the MQFF session start time. ADMISSION CONDITIONS Classification The Classification Board grants MQFF special customs and censorship clearances that mean all audience members must be 18 years or over except where indicated. Concession tickets Full-time students, pensioners, unwaged, seniors, MIFF, ACMI & Palace Cinema members are entitled to concession prices with a valid concession or membership card. Refunds Policy All purchases are non-refundable, except in some instances when a session is cancelled.
FESTIVAL PROVIDERS
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Exchanges can be made up to 2 hours before session commences and incur fees ($1.50 online / $3 at box office per ticket). mqff.com.au/ticketing for full terms and conditions. Access MQFF supports and accepts the Companion Card. All MQFF venues are wheelchair accessible and have accessible toilets. All MQFF cinemas have assistive listening via an audio loop through the t-switch on a hearing aid, or audio headset. mqff.com.au/access for more info. To book tickets using your Companion Card, to book a wheelchair space, or to advise us of your access needs please call 03 9662 4147. Companion Card tickets and wheelchair spaces cannot be booked online.
magnifymedia
Contact: 03 9662 4147 or info@mqff.com.au
OPENING NIGHT
CENTREPIECE
Remembering The Man
Based on Timothy Conigrave’s much loved memoir, Remembering the Man is a moving documentary that chronicles the relationship between Conigrave and his long term partner John Caleo. Featuring little seen archival footage of the two men, the film is a tender tribute to their relationship whilst documenting the devastating effect of the AIDS virus in Australia. We are pleased to screen this as the Centrepiece presentation.
Dir: Nickolas Bird & Eleanor Sharpe, Australia, 2015, 83 mins Melbourne Premiere SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
7000
Thursday 7 April
8.45PM
ACMI
Proudly presented by
CLOSING NIGHT
That’s Not Us Celebrate the opening of the 26th Melbourne Queer Film Festival with the Melbourne premiere of That’s Not Us and after the film join us for a night of drinks, canapés and dancing.
Featuring a wonderful ensemble cast, this funny and heartfelt take on contemporary relationships is a modern-day The Big Chill for the queer set.
Fourth Man Out
Dir: William Sullivan, USA, 2015, 97 mins Melbourne Premiere Followed by our Opening Night Party at ACMI, with complimentary drinks and finger food, and tunes by DJ YO! MAFIA. Opening Night Film & Party $77 Full / $66 Concession / $62 MQFF Member
44
Farewell MQFF for another year with the screening of this crowd-pleasing buddy film and join us for a drink afterwards.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
8000
Thursday 31 March
7.30PM
ACMI
Twenty-something mechanic Adam enjoys hanging out with his buddies, drinking beer and talking hockey. Adam also likes guys, something he struggles to tell Dir: Andrew Nackman, his mates about. However Adam’s straight mates are USA, 2015, 86 mins soon pitching in to help him navigate the dating scene! Melbourne Premiere Fourth Man Out playfully explores the modern bromance with a lightness of touch and Followed by our Closing Night festivities at ACMI featuring DJ Mr Weir (The Outpost) laugh-out-loud humour. Closing Night Film & Party $32 Full / $27 Concession / $26 MQFF Member
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
9000
Sunday 10 April
8.30PM
ACMI
55
Six friends, all couples – gay, straight and lesbian – head to the beach for a weekend of fun, sun and sex. But as they spend time together and the whiskey comes out, secrets are revealed and things get messy.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS AND EVENTS
SPECIAL SCREENINGS AND EVENTS
MY CUNT SPECIAL SCREENING AND IN CONVERSATION Dir: Deborah Strutt, Australia, 1996, 6 mins, B&W
Join us for a special 20th anniversary screening of seminal Australian short film, My Cunt, followed by a conversation facilitated by academic Deb Verhoven, with director Deb Strutt, producer Liz Baulch and writer/actor Maude Davey. This is a free event.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
7800
Sunday 10 April
4.30PM
ACMI Studio
Ingrid Veninger is a Festival guest
He Hated Pigeons Elias wanders through the expansive plains of Chile, using his dead lover’s diary as a guide. Bringing to mind the dreamy road trip of Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man, this is a compassionate meditation on love and grief. In each city He Hated Pigeons screens,
local musicians perform an original live score ensuring no two screenings are the same. MQFF is delighted to have Vachel Spirason (Total Giovanni) performing a unique live score.
Dir: Ingrid Veninger, Canada, Chile, 2015, 80 mins
Spanish with English subtitles.
“The only interesting answers are those that destroy the questions.” – Susan Sontag Eminently quotable author of Notes On Camp and On Photography, Susan Sontag was one of the most provocative thinkers of the 20th Century. Regarding Susan Sontag explores her written works along with her personal life through interviews with lovers and friends. Followed by a panel discussion with University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts academic staff and celebrated Melbourne author, Christos Tsiolkas. See page 44 for session details.
AUSTRALIAN Shorts and Awards Night Spot Australia’s hottest new talent in this diverse program. All films selected for the Australian Shorts package are eligible for the following awards, which will be presented on the night:
$30 Full / $25 Concession / $24 MQFF Member
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
7100
Friday 8 April
6.30PM
ACMI
• The City of Melbourne Award for the Best Australian Short Film ($3,000) • Film Victoria Award for Best Director – Australian Short Film ($1,000) • Shaun Miller Lawyers Award for Emerging Australian Filmmaker ($500) The City of Melbourne Award will be voted by a panel of judges led by Cr Beverly Pinder-Mortimer See page 54 for session details.
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An MQFF exclusive event featuring a live score performed by the lead singer of Total Giovanni, Vachel Spirason
REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG ScREENING and PANEL
SPECIAL SCREENINGS AND EVENTS
MOVIE MATCHMAKING
Love debauched lesbian horror? Or perhaps you like your comedy queer? Let MQFF introduce you to your perfect film buddy. MQFF’s Movie Matchmaking takes the idea of speed dating and turns it on its head. Whether you’re partnered, single or polyamorous, all film-loving queers and allies are welcome.
$20 Full / $18 Concession / $16 MQFF Member
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
7300
Monday 4 April
6.30PM
ACMI Studio
Join us. Join Joinus. us. IT’S A GIRL THING Film details page 27.
Call 03 8663 2524 or visit Call 0303 8663 8663 2524 2524 oror visit visit acmi.net.au/members 8 Call acmi.net.au/members acmi.net.au/members
Present your session ticket at the door for free entry to It’s a Girl Thing party, 8.00pm. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2151
Friday 1 April
6.30PM
ACMI Cinema & Studio
ACMI Special Offer In Praise of Parker Posey In March, ACMI turns the spotlight on Parker Posey, our favourite ‘90s ‘Party Girl’ who The New Yorker recently named “the greatest character actress of the last few decades.” You’ll get no argument from us! Running from Sunday 13 March to Monday 28 March, In Praise of Parker Posey comprises ten features spanning Posey’s career including Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming, Christopher Guest’s Best in Show and Hal Hartley’s Henry Fool trilogy. MQFF audiences can buy a 3-Session Pass at a special discounted price of $30. The offer is valid online only. Please enter the promo code PARTYGIRL to redeem this offer.
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ACMI Membership ACMI ACMI Membership EnjoyMembership exclusive screenings and events, Enjoy Enjoy exclusive exclusive screenings and events, events, Member ticketscreenings prices andand discounts at Member Member ticket ticket prices prices and and discounts discounts at at the shop and cafe. the the shop shop and and cafe. cafe.
MQFF celebrates the women in our community with the return of the popular film and party event It’s a Girl Thing. On Friday 1st April, following the screening of lesbian comedy Portrait of a Serial Monogamist, join us for a night of DJs and live entertainment.
AUSTRALIAN SPOTLIGHT
AUSTRALIAN SPOTLIGHT
MQFF proudly supports Australian queer filmmaking talent, shining the spotlight on a selection of local features and shorts.
MQFF proudly supports Australian queer filmmaking talent, shining the spotlight on a selection of local features and shorts.
Scrum Dir: Poppy Stockell, Australia, 2015, 54 mins Melbourne Premiere Screens with Boxeadora Dir: Meg Smaker, USA, 2014, 16 mins
For the Sydney Convicts, rugby is not just a sport – it’s a lifestyle. In 2014, the Convicts enter The Bingham Cup, an international gay rugby union tournament. Muddy, sweaty and visually arresting, this intimate documentary follows the Convicts players in the lead up to, and during, the Cup. Featuring vivid action on the field Scrum is great documentary filmmaking examining sport, brotherhood and acceptance. Game on.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3161
Sunday 3 April
3.45PM
ACMI
Remembering the Man MQFF is proud to present Remembering the Man as our Centrepiece film. This tender documentary will be sure to move Melbourne audiences. MQFF’s Centrepiece presentation is proudly supported by ACMI and Shaun Miller Lawyers. See page 5 for session details.
AUSTRALIAN Shorts
Festival favourite (selling out every year) the Australian Short Films package showcases the best of local queer filmmaking talent. All films selected for this program are eligible for a range of awards including the Audience Choice Award for Best Australian Short – make sure you have your say at mqff.com.au
Ecco Homo Dir: Richard Lowenstein & Lynn-Maree Milburn, Australia, 2015, 97 mins
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Followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers.
Ecco Homo documents the various incarnations of Peter ‘Troy’ Davies: from teenage prostitute to skinhead Sharpie, to the years lived as a woman before becoming a prominent figure in the Melbourne post-punk scene. A charming liar and hedonistic provocateur, Troy was also fragile and self-sabotaging. Weaving together interviews, dreamlike recreations and footage of family and friends (including Bono and Michael Hutchence) this is a haunting film about a fascinating, contradictory figure.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2163
Sunday 3 April
8.15PM
ACMI
Festival Sponsor of 2016 Melbourne Queer Film Festival
FILM.VIC.GOV.AU @FILMVICTORIA
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FILM VICTORIA Supporting diverse stories on screen
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The Australian Short Films and Awards Night is presented by The City of Melbourne. See page 54 for program details.
QUEER AND NOT FROM HERE (INTERNATIONAL FEATURES)
‘A luminous, golden-hued period piece’ and a ‘beautifully realized tearjerker’ – Variety
1212
Set on the cusp of the feminist revolution of the 1970‘s this wonderfully warm and moving film traces the sexual and political awakening of naïve farmgirl Delphine (Izïa Higelin), who moves to Paris and falls in love with radical
feminist Carole (played by the beautiful Cécile De France). This passionate love story embraces the creed ‘the personal is political’ weaving an intoxicating mix of passion, romance and politics.
French with English subtitles. Presented in association with the Alliance Française de Melbourne. Proudly presented by
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2162
Sunday 3 April
6.00PM
ACMI
2170
Thursday 7 April
6.00PM
ACMI
1313
La belle saison
Dir: Catherine Corsini, France, Belguim, 2015, 105 mins, MA 15+
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Winner of the Audience Award, Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2015
DEPARTURE
LIZ IN SEPTEMBER
Set in the south of France, a family vacation takes a surprising turn for young Elliot with the arrival of Clement, a rough and handsome village youth. Elliot soon finds himself competing for Clement’s affections with
Womaniser and hardcore party girl, Liz (irresistibly played by Patricia Velasquez from The L Word), joins a group of her best friends every year on a remote Caribbean resort to celebrate her birthday. When a young and seemingly straight outsider
his lonely and frustrated mother (Juliet Stevenson). Featuring excellent performances from the central leads, the film is a nuanced and potent study of a family unravelling.
(Eloisa Maturen) crashes their party, Liz is instantly smitten. Based on the successful stage play Last Summer at Bluefish Cove by Jane Chambers, Liz in September winningly blends comedy, romance and drama.
Melbourne Premiere Melbourne Premiere
Dir: Andrew Steggall, UK, France, 2015, 109 mins
Dir: Fina Torres, Venezuela, 2014, 100 mins
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SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2152
Friday 1 April
8.15PM
ACMI
3154
Saturday 2 April
12.15PM
ACMI
6178
Saturday 9 April
5.00PM
Cinema Nova
5173
Friday 8 April
6.30PM
KINO
1515
Spanish with English subtitles.
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Winner of the Grand Jury Award, Milan Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 2015
ALL YOURS Melbourne Premiere Dir: David Lambert, Belgium, Canada, 2014, 102 mins
Lucas makes a living from online hook-up sites. When he arrives in Belgium, sent for by baker Henry, he is expected to not only share Henry’s bed but to work in the bakery. When Lucas starts to flirt with his co-worker, Audrey (Monia Chokri), his life begins to grow even more complicated. A fresh and spicy take on modern love.
BARE
The luminous Dianna Agron (Glee) stars in this impressive debut feature from Natalie Leite (of the hit web series Be Here Nowish, screening in our Web Shorts program, see page 59). Loner Sarah (Agron) has just lost her job in a sleepy Nevada desert town. When drifter Pepper (Paz de la Huerta) rolls in, Sarah’s quiet life is turned on its head as she is seduced into a world of seedy strip clubs, drugs and easy money. A gritty, sexy and sometimes psychedelic trip.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Natalia Leite, USA, 2015, 88 mins
French & Spanish with English subtitles. Contains sexually explicit material. DATE
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VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2167
Tuesday 5 April
8.00PM
ACMI
3167
Tuesday 5 April
8.15PM
ACMI
2173
Friday 8 April
6.00PM
ACMI
LOEV Australian Premiere Dir: Sudhanshu Saria, India, 2015, 92 mins English, Hindi with English subtitles.
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SESSION
Wall Street dealmaker, Jai, takes a break during his business trip to Mumbai and calls on old friend, Sahil, who drops everything – including his boyfriend – to join him. While hiking the hills and canyons of the Western Ghats the two men discover that their bond runs deeper than mere friendship. This gentle and bittersweet film boasts stunning locations and great chemistry from the two leads.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
5166
Tuesday 5 April
6.30PM
KINO
MELBOURNE
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BOULEVARD
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In one of his last performances, Robin Williams stars as Nolan, a closeted married man who likes to seek the comfort of rent boys. When he starts to develop deeper feelings for one of the young men, things begin to unravel and his two worlds collide. Featuring stellar performances from Williams and co-star Kathy Baker, Boulevard is a compassionate and moving experience.
Dir: Dito Montiel, USA, 2014, 88 mins, M
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3163
Sunday 3 April
8.15PM
ACMI
BEAUTIFUL SOMETHING In one euphoric night in Philadelphia, three generations of men explore the interconnections between love and art. Brian, the poet, looks for a distraction; Drew, the sculptor, wants to finish his latest work; Jim, his muse, craves for an ounce of freedom;
and Bob, the talent scout, is looking for that beautiful something. Featuring the work of award-winning gay poet Richard Siken, this sensual film offers little moments of something beautiful.
Melbourne Premiere
OPTUS.COM.AU
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3153
Friday 1 April
10.15PM
ACMI
2180
Saturday 9 April
8.15PM
ACMI
1919
OPTUS IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE 2016 MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
Dir: Joseph Graham, USA, 2015, 91 mins
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STUFF
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Married for 14 years, dentist Trisha and stay-at-home partner Deb have drifted apart. With Trisha never home, Deb forms a strong friendship with, and attraction to, tattoo artist and single mum Jamie, forcing Deb to reconsider her marriage. A refreshingly honest drama about a marriage on the rocks and just how important it is to take care of our own stuff.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Suzanne Guacci, USA, 2015, 98 mins
SESSION
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TIME
VENUE
2168
Wednesday 6 April
6.00PM
ACMI
Winner of Best Actress and Most Popular Canadian Feature Film 2015 Montréal World Film Festival
THE GIRL KING SUMMER Australian Premiere Dir: Colette Bothof, Netherlands, 2014, 89 mins
Teenager Anna spends her days cycling with friends and swimming in the local creek under the looming presence of the powerplant. When Anna falls for outsider Lena, she is forced to deal with small minded locals and family pressure. This authentic coming-of-age drama gently captures the turbulence of youth.
conviction to the role of this extravagant monarch who brazenly flaunted her sexuality while fighting to drag Sweden into the modern age.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Mika Kaurismäki, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Canada, France, 2015, 106 mins English, French & German with English subtitles.
SESSION
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TIME
VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2160
Sunday 3 April
1.30PM
ACMI
3183
Sunday 10 April
3.45PM
ACMI
2121
20
Dutch with English subtitles.
Sweden’s 16th century ‘virgin queen’ was famously portrayed by Greta Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina. In this highly entertaining modern update, Malin Buska brings a steely
QUEER AND NOT FROM HERE (INTERNATIONAL FEATURES)
Best Debut Film, 2015 Frameline
IN THE GRAYSCALE
22
Recently separated from his wife, 35-yearold Bruno lives alone, working as a freelance architect in Santiago. When he is given a new building project Bruno is introduced to Fer, a teacher and tourist guide, who shows him the city with fresh eyes. Fer is a confident man, and flirtatious with Bruno who initially
rebuffs his advances. In The Grayscale has been compared to Andrew Haigh’s Weekend. This slow-burn Chilean drama has won acclaim for its naturalistic atmosphere, sensual performances and honest portrayal of sexuality.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Claudio Marcone, Chile, 2015, 96 mins Spanish with English subtitles.
Proudly presented by
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3165
Monday 4 April
8.30PM
ACMI
6173
Friday 8 April
7.00PM
CINEMA NOVA
2323
‘A measured, tenderly played study of imprecise sexual identity.’ – Variety
HIDDEN AWAY
Fourteen year-old Moroccan, Ibrahim, lives in a refugee centre in Bilbao. Middle-class teenager, Rafa, encounters Ibrahim one night in a club and is instantly smitten. Eager to spend more time with Ibrahim, Rafa discovers that the object of his affection is to be deported in a matter of days. A classic story of star-crossed lovers from different sides of the tracks.
Dir: Mikel Rueda, Spain, 2014, 91 mins Spanish & Arabic with English subtitles.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2165
Monday 4 April
8.00pm
ACMI
NAZ & MAALIK ‘An impressive debut for filmmaker and actors.’ – Indiewire Melbourne Premiere
Proudly presented by
Set over one fateful summer’s day in Brooklyn, Muslim teen, Naz is caught in a lie when he tries to hide the true nature of his relationship with best friend Maalik. Recalling the urban hipness of Spike Lee, Naz & Maalik is a fresh and freewheeling look at a side of New York we rarely get to see.
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GRANDMA ‘Lily Tomlin brings deep reserves of anger and sorrow to this constantly surprising character piece.’ – Variety Dir: Paul Weitz, USA, 2015, 79 mins SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3157
Saturday 2 April
6.15PM
ACMI
DADDY Australian Premiere Dir: Gerald McCullouch, USA, 2015, 89 mins
Dir: Jay Dockendorf, USA, 2015, 86 mins
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In her Golden Globe nominated performance, Lily Tomlin stars as a tough talking lesbian who hits the road with her troubled granddaughter who needs to get an abortion. Part road movie, part breezy comedy, this heartfelt film makes some honest and painful observations about mothers and daughters. Featuring the wonderful Judy Greer (who you can also catch in our screening of Addicted To Fresno, see page 26).
Colin (Bear City’s Gerald McCullouch) thinks he has it all – a successful job, a bevy of hot younger guys, and a ‘BFF’ whose devotion he takes for granted. But when he beds his much younger intern, Colin sees a chance for something more. Adapted from Dan Via’s controversial play of the same name, Daddy explores the rapidly changing understanding of ‘family’.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2157
Saturday 2 April
6.00PM
ACMI
3179
Saturday 9 April
6.15PM
ACMI
2525
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Winner, Best SHOUT Feature, 2015 Sidewalk Film Festival
ADDICTED TO FRESNO ‘ A darkly comedic plot, and sharp dialogue; the film succeeds on many levels.’ – ScreenRelish Dir: Jamie Babbit, USA, 2015, 85 mins, MA 15+
Fresh from rehab, sex addict Shannon (Judy Greer) joins her lesbian sister Martha (Natasha Lyonne) working as a hotel maid in their hometown of Fresno. When Shannon accidentally kills a hotel guest in a post-rehab relapse, the sisters go to absurd lengths to cover up his death. This hilarious edgy black comedy from director Jamie Babbit (But I’m A Cheerleader, MQFF 2000) features a wealth of talent including Fred Armisen (Portlandia, SNL), Aubrey Plaza, Ron Livingston and Molly Shannon.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3152
Friday 1 April
8.15PM
ACMI
FRONT COVER
Successful New York fashion stylist Ryan openly rejects his Asian heritage. When an assignment is forced upon him to style a famous Chinese action star, the resentful Ryan slowly finds himself warming to his brusque charms. Combining gentle humour and a surprisingly effective romance, Front Cover’s deceptively frothy facade reveals a complex take on sexuality and race.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Ray Yeung, USA, 2015, 87 mins
HENRY GAMBLE’S birthday PARTY Melbourne Premiere Dir: Stephen Cone, USA, 2015, 86 mins
It’s Henry’s birthday and he’s having a pool party. The weather is hot and the tension is sizzling: Henry may be in lust with his best friend, Gabe, and cute drama geek, Logan, may be in love with Henry. Meanwhile, the adults are dealing with their own dramas. It is life in the deep Christian middle-class America, where everyone has a secret.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3162
Sunday 3 April
6.15PM
ACMI
5171
Thursday 7 April
8.30PM
KINO
ORTRAIT P OF A SERIAL MONOGAMIST “High Fidelity for lesbians” – After Ellen Melbourne Premiere
Serial monogamist Elsie believes the key to avoiding a broken heart is to always leave your lover first. When Elsie breaks up with long term girlfriend Robyn to pursue a crush on a DJ, she is surprised to ignite the disapproval of her loveable bunch of queer friends. This smart and authentic Canadian comedy is set to a fabulous soundtrack and is bound to be a Festival favourite.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3174
Friday 8 April
8.45PM
ACMI
The session on Friday 1 April is followed by the ‘It’s a Girl Thing’ party. Present your ticket for entry. Proudly SESSION DATE TIME VENUE presented by 2151
Friday 1 April
6.30PM
ACMI
5169
Wednesday 6 April
8.30PM
KINO
27
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Dir: John Mitchell & Christina Zeidler, Canada, 2015, 83 mins
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he DUKE OF T BURGUNDY ‘ Extraordinarily lucid and deliciously entertaining.’ – Sight & Sound Dir: Peter Strickland, UK, 2014, 104 mins, MA 15+
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Set in an unspecified European female-only world, two women push the boundaries of their ritualistic and passionate courtship. This sumptuous film is part homage to 1970’s European erotica, part domestic drama. The Duke of Burgundy’s biggest delight is in the way it subverts the central sadomasochistic relationship between the two female leads, whose coy game of mistress and maid is punctuated by the mundane day-to-day challenges of any relationship.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2179
Saturday 9 April
6.00PM
ACMI Grand Jury Award for International Dramatic Feature, Outfest 2015
ANYTIME ANYWHERE
A lunch for 1600 or 6. Grand weddings or exclusive affairs. Pop ups by the river or a giant exhibition hall. Whatever your event vision, hospitality maestros Peter Rowland Catering can bring it to life anytime, anywhere. Let us add a little PRC style to your next event. Proud sponsor of the 2016 Melbourne Queer Film Festival. Visit peterrowland.com.au or contact us on 03 9825 0000
EVERLASTING LOVE ‘A taut, slender specimen of impressive technique.’ – Variety Everlasting Love has been compared to recent critical hit Stranger by the Lake with its emphasis on sex and thriller ambience. A language teacher, Carlos, spies a student, Toni, in the cruising grounds of the woods, resulting in a sultry rendezvous. As Toni
realises that his teacher has no romantic intentions, the relationship between predator and prey shifts. Accompanied by an unsettling score and dreamy cinematography, the film lingers long after you’ve left the cinema.
Dir: Marçal Forés, Spain, 2015, 69 mins Spanish with English subtitles. Screens with Just like Arcadia (Dir: Jordi Estrada, Spain, 2015, 7 mins) SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3181
Saturday 9 April
10.30PM
ACMI
2929
CREATIVE CATERING
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HOW TO WIN AT CHECKERS (EVERY TIME) ‘ Josh Kim’s appealing debut feature deftly balances concerns of gay identity and institutional corruption in Thailand.’ – Variety
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Eleven-year-old Oat lives with his aunt and openly gay older brother, Ek, whose upper-class boyfriend Jai is a casually accepted presence. Military conscription hangs heavily over Ek, whose status as the family’s chief breadwinner makes dodging the draft a necessity. Money talks in a corrupt political climate, where those with sufficient means can buy their way out of the draw. Josh Kim’s film conjures the humid haze of summer nights without being overly sentimental.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Josh Kim, Thailand, 2015, 80 mins Thai with English subtitles. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3170
Thursday 7 April
6.15PM
ACMI
The SUMMER OF SANGAILE
Winner NETPAC Award, 2014 Toronto International Film Festival
MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW ‘ Unexpectedly brilliant’ – Huffington Post Dir: Shonali Bose, India, 2014, 100 mins
Won Directing Award, Dramatic World Cinema, Sundance 2015
Laila is an adventurous, independent student living in Delhi. She also has cerebral palsy. When Laila wins a scholarship to attend New York University a new adventure begins, and she is surprised to find herself attracted to Khanum, a blind female activist who she meets at a street protest. Margarita, with a Straw is a rare exploration of sexuality and disability. A truly joyful film about loving yourself, and loving life.
This award-winning film is a sensual teen romance chronicling one fateful summer in the life of budding pilot Sangaile who falls hard for the free spirited Auste. Beautifully shot and anchored by charismatic
performances from its central leads, The Summer of Sangaile captures perfectly the swoon of first love. Featuring an original soundtrack from JB Dunckel of Air.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Alanté Kavaïté, Lithuania, 2015, 88 mins Lithuanian with English subtitles.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3177
Saturday 9 April
2.00PM
ACMI
Proudly presented by
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3166
Tuesday 5 April
6.15PM
ACMI
5179
Saturday 9 April
7.15PM
CINEMA NOVA
3131
30
English, Hindi with English subtitles.
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GIRLS LOST Melbourne Premiere Dir:Alexandra-Therese Keining, Sweden, 2015, 103 mins Swedish with English subtitles. MQFF recommends 15+
Based on an acclaimed Swedish Young Adult novel, Girls Lost is an engrossing gender-swapping fantasy that follows the plight of three outcast teenage girls who happen upon a mysterious plant that can change their gender overnight. Whilst under its effect, the girls discover a whole new perspective on life at high school, while grappling with the personal awakenings and sexual confusion the transformation brings about.
Also screening as part of National Youth Week, see page 63 for session details. Best Canadian Feature Film, Toronto International Film Festival 2015
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3164
Monday 4 April
6.15PM
ACMI
CLOSET MONSTER Direct from the Toronto International Film Festival, this stylish debut features undercurrents of black humour with a smattering of Cronenbergian body horror. Traumatised by witnessing a violent gay bashing as a child, Oscar has grown up to be an unusual young man with ambivalent
feelings towards his sexuality. When he meets the charismatic Wilder, Oscar’s unchecked desires are thrown into disarray. It’s a good thing his talking pet hamster (voiced by the always game Isabella Rossellini) is on hand to offer sage advice.
GLOBAL. STRONG. DIVERSE.
Australian Premiere Dir: Stephen Dunn, USA, 2015, 90 mins SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3159
Saturday 2 April
10.15PM
ACMI
6174
Friday 8 April
9.00PM
CINEMA NOVA
32
2015 Australian Workplace Equality Index Awards 22nd in the UK Stonewall Top 100 Employers for LGBTI people
Acknowledged as a top 20 employer and leading law firm for LGBTI inclusion in the workplace, Herbert Smith Freehills is proud to sponsor the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. HERBERTSMITHFREEHILLS.COM
AVANT-GAYS
Challenging and audacious films showcasing innovations in queer cinema.
Never one to shy away from controversy, the ever surprising Peter Greenaway (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover) has created a kinetic biopic of Russia’s greatest filmmaker, Sergio Eisenstein. ‘ An outrageously unconventional and Using an arsenal of cinematic visual tricks, Greenaway portrays Eisenstein’s late sexual awakening at the age deliriously profane biopic.’ –Variety of 33 while scouting locations for his unfinished film Dir: Peter Greenaway, Belguim, Finland, Que Viva Mexico. Embracing the brash spirit and arch Mexico, Netherlands, 2015, 105 mins artificiality of the likes of Derek Jarman and Ken Russell, Eisenstein in Guanajuato gleefully combines carnality English & Spanish with and creativity. English subtitles. Contains sexually explicit material. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
5170
Thursday 7 April
6.15PM
KINO
LIKE CATTLE TOWARDS GLOW The Saturday Paper is a remedy for the wane in quality journalism, offering the weekend’s best in news, culture and analysis.
Australian Premiere Enjoy long-form, in-depth accounts of the most important topics affecting Australia, written by the best writers in the country.
Dir: Dennis Cooper & Zac Farley, Germany, France, Canada, 2015, 93 mins
Available in bookshops, newsagencies and for home delivery.
Contains sexually explicit material.
VISIT THESATURDAYPAPER.COM.AU OR CALL 1800 077 514
Anyone familiar with the work of controversial author Dennis Cooper will find his persistent themes of death and sexual obsession present in his highly stylised feature film debut. Spread over five separate stories this unflinching film follows a motley crew of unnamed dead-eyed young men as they traverse dark, sexual desires. Equally wistful and depraved, Cooper along with co-director Zach Farley weave a hypnotic and challenging spell.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
5174
Friday 8 April
8.30PM
KINO
35
READ INTELLIGENT NEWS
ISENSTEIN IN E GUANAJUATO
PIONEERS
PIONEERS
A celebration of the pioneers who have shaped queer cinema. This year MQFF looks at German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
FASSBINDER – TO LOVE WITHOUT DEMANDS Dir: Christian Braad Thomsen, Denmark, 2015, 110 mins
This comprehensive account of one of Germany’s most revered filmmakers paints a portrait of a furiously gifted artist grappling with his inner demons. The documentary features interviews with collaborators and loved ones, but at its heart is a rare and candid interview with a sleep-deprived Fassbinder. A must for fans or anyone newly discovering one of the giants of queer cinema.
German with English subtitles.
A celebration of the pioneers who have shaped queer cinema. This year MQFF looks at German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT
In this classic (one of the inspirations for The Duke of Burgundy, also screening at MQFF – see page 28) Fassbinder adapts his own play about an emotionally sadistic fashion designer and the handful of women who visit her in the garish bedroom in which she holds court. The film’s distant gaze allows the all-female ensemble of Fassbinder regulars to create a memorable gallery of desperate women.
Dir: Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Germany, 1972, 122 mins, M German with English subtitles.
Co-presented with Melbourne Cinémathèque. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2177
Saturday 9 April
1.45PM
ACMI
3169
Wednesday 6 April
9.00PM
ACMI
QUERELLE
Fassbinder’s final film – a multinational production released posthumously just months after his untimely death – is an adaptation of one of Jean Genet’s most scandalous novels depicting the murderous, criminal and sexual exploits of a young psychopathic sailor (Brad Davis). Moving away from his naturalistic style that defined his filmmaking throughout the 1970’s, Fassbinder boldly experiments with colour and expressionism. With Jeanne Moreau and Franco Nero.
Dir: Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Germany, France, 1982, 108 mins, R 18+
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3168
Wednesday 6 April
7.00PM
ACMI
37
36
Co-presented with Melbourne Cinémathèque.
PROUD AND LOUD
Celebrating the queer musicians and tastemakers who have shaped and influenced the music we love to listen to.
PROUD AND LOUD
Celebrating the queer musicians and tastemakers who have shaped and influenced the music we love to listen to.
Proud and Loud is supported by
THE GLAMOUR & THE SQUALOR Australian Premiere Dir: Marq Evans, USA, 2015, 80 mins
One of the most important music personalities you’ve never heard of, radio DJ Marco Collins was instrumental in breaking out 1990’s grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Marco also endured a long battle with addiction and life as a closeted gay man. Featuring interviews with artists including Shirley Manson and Carrie Brownstein, as well as archival interviews with Kurt Cobain and others, this film is essential viewing for music fans.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
5167
Tuesday 5 April
8.30PM
KINO
HEN MY SORROW DIED – W THE LEGEND OF ARMEN RA & THE THEREMIN ‘Armen’s performances are beyond…They’re so spectacular.’ – Debbie Harry Former drag queen and NY club kid, the glamorously eccentric Armen Ra is a master of the theremin, creating beautiful performance pieces and opening for acts like Nick Cave’s Grinderman. A consummate storyteller, Armen recounts his childhood attending decadent opera performances
in 1970’s Iran, to being bullied at school in Boston before finding a home on the New York club scene. Director Robert Nazar Arjoyan mixes gorgeous concert performances with lavishly designed set pieces bringing the larger than life Armen Ra to the screen.
DANNY SAYS
Once dubbed the underground ‘mayor of New York’ Danny Fields played a pivotal role in the music and culture of the late 20th century, working for The Doors, Cream, Lou Reed and Nico, and managing groundbreaking artists, The Stooges, MC5 and The Ramones. Danny’s tastes and opinions, which once seemed so radical, have turned out to have been quite prescient. Danny Says is a highly entertaining documentary on the life and times of an unlikely opinion-shaper.
Dir: Brendan Toller, USA, 2015, 103 mins
SESSION
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TIME
VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2161
Sunday 3 April
3.30PM
ACMI
2175
Friday 8 April
10.00PM
ACMI
3939
38
Dir: Robert Nazar Arjoyan, USA, 2014, 85 mins
SISTERS OF THE PLAGUE
Jo makes her living giving ghost tours around the French Quarter of New Orleans. When Jo starts having terrifying nightmares, she seeks help from a medium, who alerts her of the presence of a vengeful and powerful spirit. An eerie thriller that will leave you talking long after the credits have rolled.
Australian Premiere Dir: Jorge Torres-Torres, USA, 2015, 73 mins
OUT THERE
Take a ride on the queer side with this showcase of films gleefully embracing the weird, wild and downright creepy.
LONELY STARS
Combining the brazenness of drag with the unapologetic brashness of punk, Lonely Stars defiantly dances to its own beat. Put-upon drag queens Joana and Valentina are best friends, who dream of fame and fortune. The path to success however is littered with dead divas, fierce rivals, lesbian wrestlers and amorous crime bosses. Coming off like a deranged version of All About Eve, this film delivers equal doses of sweet and sour.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Fernando Urdapilleta, Mexico, 2015, 88 mins Spanish with English subtitles.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2181
Saturday 9 April
10.15PM
ACMI
2159
Saturday 2 April
10.00PM
ACMI
YOU’RE KILLING ME ‘ In the sea of gay films coming at us via LGBT film festivals this summer, it makes for a rare example of one that actually, you know, says something.’ – Indiewire
Australian Premiere Dir: Jim Hansen, USA, 2015, 88 mins,
While George is constantly cracking jokes as a wannabe YouTube comedian, his new boyfriend Joe is cracking skulls. When Joe reveals his murderous desires, George thinks he is just being funny – until his friends start disappearing. Sincerity meets cutting sarcasm in this very bloody horror comedy. Featuring a hamster named Meryl Streep and comedians Bryan Safi and Drew Droege, You’re Killing Me is a camp horror film that’s equal parts blood and synth soundtrack. Behind all the schlock, however, is a message for us all; if your new beau creeps your friends out, you should probably heed their warnings.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3175
Friday 8 April
10.30PM
ACMI
4141
OUT THERE
Take a ride on the queer side with this showcase of films gleefully embracing the weird, wild and downright creepy.
DOCUMENTARIES
‘ Anyone who doubts that documentaries can have as much dramatic and emotional power as the best narrative films should see Back on Board…a rich, satisfying story, skillfully told.’ – The Hollywood Reporter
42
Acclaimed as the greatest diver ever, Greg Louganis’ life is one of remarkable courage and resilience. Back on Board follows Louganis over three years as he fights to regain financial security, find love, and re-enter the sport that had
virtually ignored him after he came out as gay and HIV-positive in the 1990's. Ultimately uplifting, Back on Board is an emotionally resonant portrait of an inspiring and trailblazing man.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Cheryl Furjanic, USA, 2014, 89 mins Proudly presented by
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3151
Friday 1 April
6.15PM
ACMI
2183
Sunday 10 April
4.00PM
ACMI
4343
BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS
DOCUMENTARIES
ORIENTED ‘ We’re Palestinian, We’re Here, We’re Queer’ Melbourne Premiere
DOCUMENTARIES
Khader and his friends Naeem, Fadi and Nagham are a new generation embodying Palestinian nationalism whilst enjoying their hedonistic lifestyles in Tel Aviv. Discussing politics of sexuality, gender, pride and citizenship, Oriented is a compassionate portrait exploring what it means to be Palestinian and gay.
Dir: Jake Witzenfeld, Israel, 2015, 86 mins
DEEP RUN ‘A sweet, admiring profile of a teen in transition.’ – Hollywood Reporter Australian Premiere Dir: Hillevi Loven, USA, 2015, 75 mins
Cole is a young trans man living in deeply religious, rural North Carolina. This intimate documentary highlights rebirth and courage within America’s deeply conservative Bible Belt as Cole seeks to reconcile being trans with his family, girlfriend and the Church. Executive produced by Susan Sarandon and shot by first-time filmmaker Hillevi Loven, Deep Run is a powerful portrait of contemporary trans life.
Screens with Alexa to Exa (Dir: Exa Zim, USA, 2015, 16 mins)
English, Arabic & Hebrew with English Subtitles. SESSION
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VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2164
Monday 4 April
6.00PM
ACMI
2156
Saturday 2 April
4.00PM
ACMI
EACH ARE PROUD SPONSORS OF MQFF 2016, OUR VISION IS FOR A HEALTHY AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY.
Special Jury Mention for Best Documentary Feature, 2014 Tribeca Film Festival
REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG Dir: Nancy D. Kates, USA, 2014, 100 mins
Essayist, novelist, filmmaker, activist, traveller, lover. Susan Sontag authored numerous influential, and sometimes controversial works. Narrated by Patricia Clarkson, this documentary paints a riveting portrait of a woman who was critically engaged with the world around her. The film charts her life from her enrolment at Berkley at age 15, to 1960’s Parisian parties, to her activism and later relationship with Annie Leibovitz.
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Followed by a panel discussion with Melbourne author Christos Tsiolkas and academic staff from The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Arts.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2182
Sunday 10 April
1.30PM
ACMI
Proudly presented by
1300 00 EACH
each.com.au
DOCUMENTARIES
DOCUMENTARIES
TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL ' Tab Hunter Confidential is fun and gossipy in the way that great documentaries about Hollywood often are…’ – Indiewire Melbourne Premiere
In 1950’s Hollywood, Tab Hunter was the embodiment of youthful American masculinity and a bankable star for Warner Brothers. But Hunter lived two lives – he was a studio heart-throb and intensely private about his sexuality. From I am Divine and Vito director Jeffrey Schwarz, this film is about one man’s personal journey and the changing business of Hollywood. This highly entertaining documentary features John Waters, George Takei, Portia de Rossi and Debbie Reynolds.
Dir: Jeffrey Schwarz, USA, 2015, 90 mins SESSION
DATE
3158 Saturday 12:14 2 AprilPM Page 1 Movie club for Queer FF_Layout 1 18/12/15
TIME
VENUE
8.15PM
ACMI
BENEFITS HFREE TICKET UPON JOINING H$10 BIRTHDAY VOUCHER HDAILY DISCOUNTS
DRESSED AS A GIRL ‘Affectionate, insightful and often very funny’ – The Guardian Enter the world of London’s underground drag scene. Jonny Woo is the self- proclaimed “ringmaster of this glittery circus” of outrageous drag queens and trans women. From provocative and boundary pushing
shows at gay bingo to large scale ensemble pieces at the Royal Opera House, Dressed as a Girl is a glorious mash of anarchy, art, sex, drugs and booze.
Australian Premiere
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Dir: Colin Rothbart, UK, 2015, 96 mins SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2184
Sunday 10 April
6.15PM
ACMI
Proudly presented by
MOVIE CLUB JOIN NOW AT PALACECINEMAS.COM.AU palacecinemas.com.au
# palacecinemas
380 Lygon Street Carlton cinemanova.com.au
DOCUMENTARIES
MALA MALA
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Winner of over a dozen international festival awards, Mala Mala has been a popular hit with audiences worldwide who have embraced its look at the lives of 9 trans-identifying people in Puerto Rico. Covering a wide spectrum of age and
experience in its subjects, Mala Mala explores the highs and lows of identifying as trans in a country where a macho, Latino culture holds sway. An entertaining and enlightening documentary made by Christine Vachon’s Killer Films.
Melbourne Premiere Dir: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini, Puerto Rico & USA, 2014, 87 mins English & Spanish with English subtitles. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
5168
Wednesday 6 April
6.30PM
KINO
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‘ This beautifully photographed documentary delivers movingly dignified portraits of its diverse subjects.’ – Hollywood Reporter
DOCUMENTARIES
CHEMSEX Melbourne Premiere Dir: William Fairman, Max Gogarty, UK, 2015, 80 mins Contains high level drug use and sex scenes. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2153
Friday 1 April
10.30PM
ACMI
3178
Saturday 9 April
4.15PM
ACMI
DESERT MIGRATION Melbourne Premiere Dir: Daniel F. Cardone, USA, 2015, 80 mins
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An eye-opening and unflinching documentary that looks at the devastating effect of the use of amphetamines amongst London’s gay subculture. This candid portrayal explores the impulses and desires that lead these men into a hedonistic spiral of sex and drugs while offering sobering reports from sexual health workers who are witness to an alarming increase in HIV infections.
Proudly presented by prahran market clinic
A rainbow star spangled banner flies high above a stark desert landscape. This is Palm Springs, an oasis for HIVpositive older men escaping death, loss and the expense of living with long-term HIV. This touching documentary introduces us to a diverse community of the marginalised, including an ex-Broadway performer, a Studio 54 disco bunny, a former alcoholic and others who just want to live out their lives in a place that they love.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3156
Saturday 2 April
4.15PM
ACMI
Proudly presented by
Industry Day
QUEER FILMMAKING WORKSHOP
MQFF 2016 Industry Day supported by Film Victoria will explore key aspects of the filmmaking process, with a focus on financing and distribution. All presentations are open to the public and suitable for film students, aspiring and emerging queer filmmakers and anyone who wants to learn more about the script to screen process (note the MQFF Film Lab is invitation only).
The Queer Filmmaking Workshop provides an opportunity to amplify the voice of the LGBTIQ community by empowering real people to share their stories. Presented with The University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), this workshop will provide the opportunity to learn fundamental filmmaking techniques in addition to discussing what it means to be a queer filmmaker.
Saturday 9th April
The University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts will offer 1 participant an award of a free enrolment to the VCA Film & TV Winter Adult Intensive (valued at $440 for 3 days and runs from 8 - 10 July 2016).
MQFF Film Lab 12.00 - 2.00pm Filmmakers with works selected in the Australian Shorts package are invited to attend this exclusive industry event which will provide access to distributors, filmmakers and industry representatives. Featuring Festival Guest Ingrid Veninger (He Hated Pigeons).
Note – invitation only.
Workshop 10.00 - 4.00pm The workshop is designed for budding filmmakers. Participants will learn to:
• Break down a scene
REMEMBERING THE MAN Masterclass Shaun Miller (principal of Shaun Miller Lawyers and Executive Producer of Remembering the Man) will moderate a panel featuring the director, Nick Bird, and producer, Eleanor Sharpe, of the MQFF Centrepiece film. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
7600
Saturday 9 April
2.30 - 3.30PM
ACMI STUDIO
Script to Screen Workshop
• Understand camera shots
• Identify methods for rehearsing, blocking and directing actors within a scene
• Create storyboards
• Light and shoot a scene
Award-winning filmmaker Kate Lefoe is coordinating the workshop, together with a group of fellow students from the Victorian College of the Arts, School of Film and Television. Kate’s short films include Under Pressure (MQFF 2011), Plunge (MQFF 2015) and co-directing a documentary with David Muir It’s Who We Are (MQFF 2014). Lauren Anderson is a Melbourne based award-winning filmmaker. She completed a Masters of Film Narrative at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2009 and liked it so much she’s back there now working on a Masters of Screenwriting. Her short films include Vigilant! Healthy! Wholesome! (MQFF 2011) and Love & Other Red Spot Specials (MQFF 2010, Selectors Choice Award for Best Australian Short Queer Film).
So you’ve completed your film?
Panel 4.00 - 5.00pm
This session will explore the various ways in which queer films can be funded including government funding and private investors.
‘What is the future of Queer Film?’ This panel will examine what it means to be a queer filmmaker. What is queer filmmaking? What is the future of queer filmmaking? The panel is open to a general audience and is free to attend.
A panel featuring Jannine Barnes (producer of Downriver, The Wilding), Roger Monk (screenwriter & development producer for Essential Media and Entertainment QLD) and representatives from Film Victoria will explore distribution over the myriad media platforms that exist in order to distribute queer films and maximise target audiences. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
7700
Saturday 9 April
4.00 - 5.00PM
ACMI STUDIO
Both workshops/events are free – go to mqff.com.au to register.
Proudly presented by
WORKSHOP
DATE
TIME
VENUE
7400
Saturday 2 April
10.00AM - 5.00PM
ACMI STUDIO
Workshop: $30 full / $20 concession & MQFF members.
Panel Only: Sat 2 April 4.00 - 5.00pm Studio ACMI. This is a free event and open to the general public.
Note: participant numbers are limited.
No booking required for the free panel.
AWARDS Proudly presented by
MQFF is proud to recognise local and international filmmaking talent thanks to our generous award sponsors and private donors.
MQFF & Jury Awards • • • • •
City of Melbourne Award for the Best Australian Short Film ($3,000)* Film Victoria Award for Best Director – Australian Short Film ($1,000) Shaun Miller Lawyers Award for Emerging Australian Filmmaker ($500) Lisa Daniel & Claire Jackson Award for Best Feature – Australian or International ($2,000) David McCarthy Award for Best Documentary – Australian or International ($2,000)
* Recipients of the City of Melbourne Award for Best Australian Short Film are automatically qualified to be nominated for The Iris Prize – the largest prize for a gay or lesbian short film in the world.
Audience Choice Award
MQFF Awards are proudly presented by
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Don’t miss your chance to vote for the 'Best of the Fest'. Vote for your favourite films at mqff.com.au • Step Right Up Audience Choice Award for Best Australian Short Film ($500)
SHORTS
SHORTS
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS These seven remarkable true stories include the courageous parents raising a trans child, a regional church with a viral message of marriage equality and a disabled man’s quest for love.
Bedding Andrew (Dir: Blair Fukumura, 2014, USA, 5 mins) Raising Ryland (Dir: Sarah Feeley, 2015, USA, 15 mins) The Bower Effect (Dir: Kate Follington, 2015, Australia, 15 mins) Elder (Dir: Genéa Gaudet, 2015, USA, 14 mins) The Typist (Kristine Stolakis, 2015, USA, 7 mins) Elise (Dir: Evan Sterrett & Jo Bradlee, 2014, USA, 12 mins) Queer Habits (Drew Denny, 2015, USA, 13 mins) Total run time: 80 mins Check mqff.com.au for further details.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2155
Saturday 2 April
2.00PM
ACMI
AUSTRALIAN SHORTS A festival favourite (selling out each year), the Australian shorts package puts the spotlight on local queer filmmakers. This year’s films range from dark schoolyard dramas, intimate documentary, through to farcical camp and sweet romantic comedy. There is something for everyone! All films selected for this program are eligible for a range of awards including the Audience Choice Award for Best Australian Short – make sure you have your say at mqff.com.au
The Summer of ABC Burns (Dir: Dannika Horvat, 2015, 13 mins) Cake (Dir: Jacintho Muinos, 2015, 15 mins) On Stage (Dir: Benjiman Southwell, 2015, 10 mins) Nineteen (Dir: Madeline Kelly, 2015, 10 mins) The Fruity (Dir: Jamieson Pearce, 2015, 10 mins) Love is Love (Dir: Logan Mucha, Daniel Von Czarnecki, 2015, 11 mins) Oasis (Dir: Joshua Longhurst, 2015, 8 mins) Marrow (Dir: Stevie Cruz-Martin, 2015, 3 mins) Total run time: 80 mins Check mqff.com.au for further details.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3184
Sunday 10 April
6.00PM
ACMI
5555
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MQFF Jury Awards presented post-screening.
SHORTS
SHORTS
COMEDY SHORTS A new shorts package, this non-stop LOL fest finds humour in unlikely places: a depressed woman seeks the comfort of a kids’ party clown, a closeted politician is haunted by a suit that just won’t die and a gay couple get harassed by their deranged landlady.
The First Session (Dir: Ryan Logan, 2015, USA, 7 mins) Mini Supreme (Dir: Michael Phillis, 2015, USA, 10 mins) Pipe Dream (Dir: Yudho Aditya, 2015, USA, 15 mins) Spare Parts (Dir: Yasmin Al-Manaseer, 2015, USA, 7 mins) Tradesman’s Exit (Dir: Tom E Brown, 2015, USA, 12 mins) One Year Lease (Dir: Brian Bolster, 2014, USA, 10 mins) The Outfit (Dir: Yen Tan, 2015, USA, 13 mins) Clown Service (Dir: Tig Notaro, 2015, USA, 13 mins) Total run time: 86 mins Check mqff.com.au for further details.
SESSION 2174
DATE Friday 8 April
TIME 8.00PM
VENUE ACMI
Proudly presented by
International SHORTS A selection of award winning shorts from across the globe. This group of seven diverse films features a French couple grappling with infidelity, two Israeli men on a thirsty trek through the desert, a homophobic soccer coach facing team insurrection and a Latino trans woman contemplating dubious plastic surgery.
Thirst (Dir: Guy Sahaf, 2014, Israel, 14 mins) Pepper (Dir: Patrick Aubert, 2015, Canada, 7 mins) Hole (Dir: Martin Edralin, 2015, Canada, 15 mins) Actresses (Dir: Jeremy Hersh, 2015, USA, 12 mins) Vessels (Dir: Arkasha Stevenson, 2015, USA, 15 mins) Laundry Mood (Dir: Sebastian Jansen, 2015, Germany, 5 mins) The Forgiven (Dir: François Chang, 2015, France, 15 mins) Total run time: 83 mins
your voice, your radio station facbook.com/joy949
Check mqff.com.au for further details. SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3160
Sunday 3 April
1.45PM
ACMI
twitter.com/joy949
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instagram.com/joy949
joy.org.au
SHORTS
SHORTS
Cruise Patrol (Dir: Bobby de Groot & Arjan van Meerten, 2013, Holland, 7 mins) Coming Full Circle (Dir: Kim Yaged, 2015, USA, 2mins) (Orpheus) The Poetics Of Finitude (Dir: Rudy Lemke, 2014, USA, 7 mins) Happy & Gay (Dir: Lorelei Pepi, 2014, Canada, 10 mins) Heavenly Peace (Dir: Andreas Wessel-Therhorn, 2014, USA, 5 mins) Lady Of The Night (Dir: Laurent Boileau, 2014, France, 11 mins) Paper Thin (Dir: Nataly Lebouleux, 2014, UK, 20 mins) UUUUUU (Dir: David Delafuente, 2015, USA, 4 mins) We Can’t Live Without Cosmos (Dir: Konstantin Bronzit, 2015, Russia, 15 mins)
WEB SHORTS
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
Be Here Nowish (Dir: Alexandra Roxo & Natalia Leite, USA, 10 mins) Brothers (Dir: Emmett Jack Lundberg, 2015, USA, 9 mins) Dyke Central (Dir: Florencia Manóvil, USA, 9 mins) Kam Kardashian (Dir: Ryan Logan, 2015, USA, 5 mins) Kelsey (Dir: Christina Raia, 2013, USA, 10 mins) McTucky Fried High: Secret Valentine (Dir: RobertCarnilius, USA, 6 mins) Pot Luck (Dir: Ness Simons, New Zealand, 8 mins) Shakespeare Republic (Juliet episode) (Dir: Sally McLean, Australia, 4 mins) Two JasperJohns (Dir: Vinny Lopez, USA, 5 mins) Wallflowers (Dir: Kieran Turner, USA, 15 mins)
2178
Saturday 9 April
4.00PM
ACMI
2166
Tuesday 5 April
6.00PM
ACMI
Check mqff.com.au for further details.
ANIMATION SHORTS Diverse arrays of rainbow colours are mixed, inked, drawn and rendered in this collection of highly original and Oscar nominated works. Ranging from the downright weird to the sublimely sweet, these nine films will delight and surprise.
Total run time: 81 mins Check mqff.com.au for further details..
Queer voices are increasingly finding the liberating format of the short form web series the best place to express themselves. This collection of diverse films is a great sampler, ranging from trans buddy comedies, lesbian rom-coms and the ‘other’ Kardashian. You could well find your next binge watch. Total run time: 81 mins
MQFF Memberships Sign up to receive discounts on Festival tickets, at cinema & Festival partners and exclusive offers.
For film reviews and all the latest
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We’re proud to play our part in bringing another great year of queer film to the big screen.
information on MQFF visit
starobserver.com.au
is a proud Media Supporter of MQFF
Sign up as a new member by 11 April and receive a FREE MQFF “The Fast and the Bi-Curious” tote bag (valued at $20.00). mqff.com.au/membership
HOT LITTLE SHORTS
GUY-ON-GUY SHORTS This collection of international shorts features an array of men falling in love, embracing their dark side or just having a bit of fun. These five awardwinning films will take you to places as diverse as a sweaty club in London, a remote fishing village in Chile and a suburban backyard party in Australia.
HOT LITTLE SHORTS
San Cristóbal (Dir: Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo, 2015, Chile, 29 mins) Amsterdam (Dir: Sam Langshaw, 2015, Australia, 11 mins) I Really Like You (Dir: Jason Karman, 2015, USA, 13 mins) Like Hope (Dir: Yinchao (Oates) Wu, 2015, USA, 13 mins) Nightstand (Dir: Charlie Parham, 2015, UK, 26 mins) Total run time: 92 mins Check mqff.com.au for further details.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3180
Saturday 9 April
8.30PM
ACMI
GIRL-ON-GIRL SHORTS Whether it’s a fleeting connection at a house party, an awkward threesome or a relationship on the brink of collapse, these six essential slices of life and love will enlighten, surprise and make you laugh.
HOOKING UP SHORTS The laws of desire are uncovered in this collection of shorts that examine the various ways we connect, get it on and get off. From roleplaying, online dating and anonymous sex, these five revealing and at times eye-opening films are not to be missed.
Want It (Dir: Lee Haven Jones, 2015, UK, 11mins) Criticism (Dir: Ryder Grindle, 2015, Australia, 14 mins) No Strings (Dir: Eoin Maher, 2015, UK, 23, mins) The Tricks List (Dir: Brian Bolster, 2015, USA, 18 mins) Glory Hole (Dir: Jarrod Carter, 2015, Australia, 26 mins) Total run time: 92 mins Check mqff.com.au for further details. Contains sexually explicit material.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
2158
Saturday 2 April
8.00PM
ACMI
09:55 - 11:05, Ingrid Ekman, Bergsgatan 4B (Dir: Cristine Berglund, Sophie Vukovic´, 2014, Sweden, 15 mins) The Escape Hatch (Dir: David Willing, 2015, Australia, 10 mins) Betty (Dir: Kristiina Kello, 2015, UK, 8 mins) One Last Night (Dir: Kerem Blumberg, 2015, Israel, 22 mins) Step (Dir: Alva Lindenbaum, 2015, Sweden, 6 mins) No Matter Who (Dir: Anne-Claire Jaulin, 2015, France, 18 mins) Total run time: 78 mins Check mqff.com.au for further details.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3155
Saturday 2 April
2.15PM
ACMI
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Proudly presented by
MIXTAPE SHORTS
YOUNG AND QUEER
A selection of features and shorts exploring issues of gender and sexuality this program will enlighten, entertain and stimulate discussion.
Young & Queer Proudly Presented By equal
HEY
healthy
youth
GRANTS
promoting the mental health of same sex attracted & sex and gender diverse youth
MIXTAPE A compilation of highlights from the various shorts packages throughout MQFF 2016; featuring a diverse range of genres, themes and voices including Tig Notaro’s latest, an Iris Prize winner and a category defying animated short.
Clown Service (Dir: Tig Notaro, 2015, USA, 13 mins) Cruise Patrol (Dir: Bobby de Groot & Arjan van Meerten, 2013, Holland, 7 mins) Thirst (Dir: Guy Sahaf, 2014, Israel, 14 mins) Charlotte (Dir: Angel Kristi Williams, 2015, USA, 11 mins) Cake (Dir: Jacintho Muinos, 2015, Australia, 15 mins) Vessels (Dir: Arkasha Stevenson, 2015, USA, 15 mins) Bedding Andrew (Dir: Blair Fukumura, 2014, USA, 5 mins) Total run time: 81 mins
GIRLS LOST ‘ A body-swap situation played not for laughs but as an intimate consideration of gender fluidity.’ – Hollywood Reporter ir: Alexandra-Therese Keining, D Sweden, 2015
Three teenage girls – all best friends – discover a mysterious plant that can change their gender overnight. The girls discover a whole new perspective on their high school lives, whilst grappling with the personal awakenings and sexual confusion the transformation brings about. Based on an acclaimed Swedish Young Adult novel, Girls Lost is an engrossing and moving gender-swapping fantasy.
Swedish with English subtitles.
Check mqff.com.au for further details.
MQFF recommends 15+
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
Themes include: peer pressure, sexual pressure, bullying, mental health, gender identity. In association with HEY qualified youth workers will be available after the session.
3182
Sunday 10 April
1.45PM
ACMI
This is a special screening as part of National Youth Week and will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives from YACVic, Minus 18 and the Safe Schools Coalition.
SESSION
DATE
TIME
VENUE
3172
Friday 8 April
2.30PM
ACMI
Youth Shorts
Big Time – My Doodled Diary (Dir: Sonali Gulati, 2015, USA, 11mins) Charlotte (Dir: Angel Kristi Williams, 2015, USA, 11 mins) Closets (Dir: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, 2015, UK, 18 mins) From an Indian girl contemplating her sexuality, a boy discovering a time Noam (Dir: Boaz Foster, 2015, Israel, 15 mins) travelling closet, to a transgender teen Swirl (Dir: Lance McDaniel, 2015, USA, 6 mins) finding his voice, this entertaining Whittier Boulevard (Dir: Michael Patrick Spillers, 2015, USA, 16 mins) shorts program examines what it Total run time: 77 mins means to be young and queer. Check mqff.com.au for further details. MQFF recommends 15+ DATE Saturday 9 April
TIME 12.15PM
VENUE ACMI
MQFF promotes access to thought provoking and quality cinema for all. Tickets to our Youth Program sessions are discounted: $12 Full / $9.60 Concession & MQFF Members.
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SESSION 3176
FILM INDEX
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(Orpheus) The Poetics of Finitude .............................58 09:55 - 11:05, Ingrid Ekman, Bergsgatan 4B............60 Actresses.......................................................................... 56 Addicted to Fresno.........................................................26 Alexa to Exa.....................................................................45 All Yours............................................................................ 16 Amsterdam......................................................................60 Back on Board: Greg Louganis....................................42 Bare....................................................................................17 Be Here Nowish.............................................................. 59 Beautiful Something...................................................... 19 Bedding Andrew...................................................... 55, 62 Betty..................................................................................60 Big Time – My Doodled Diary.....................................63 Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant, The............................. 37 Boulevard......................................................................... 18 Bower Effect, The........................................................... 55 Boxeadora........................................................................ 10 Brothers............................................................................ 59 Cake..................................................................... 11, 54, 62 Charlotte................................................................... 62, 63 Chemsex..........................................................................50 Closet Monster............................................................... 32 Closets..............................................................................63 Clown Service...........................................................57, 62 Coming Full Circle.........................................................58 Criticism........................................................................... 61 Cruise Patrol............................................................. 58, 62 Daddy................................................................................ 25 Danny Says......................................................................39 Deep Run.........................................................................45 Departure......................................................................... 14 Desert Migration.............................................................50 Dressed As A Girl............................................................46 Duke Of Burgundy, The................................................28 Dyke Central.................................................................... 59 Ecco Homo..................................................................... 10 Eisenstein In Guanajuato.............................................. 35 Elder.................................................................................. 55 Elise................................................................................... 55 Escape Hatch, The.........................................................60 Everlasting Love..............................................................29 Fassbinder – To Love Without Demands..................36 First Session, The............................................................ 57 Forgiven, The.................................................................. 56 Fourth Man Out................................................................ 5 Front Cover......................................................................26 Fruity, The.................................................................. 11, 54 Girl King, The................................................................... 21 Girls Lost................................................................... 33, 63 Glamour & The Squalor, The.......................................39 Glory Hole........................................................................ 61 Grandma.......................................................................... 25 Happy & Gay...................................................................58 He Hated Pigeons............................................................ 6 Heavenly Peace..............................................................58 Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party................................... 27 Hidden Away................................................................... 24 Hole................................................................................... 56 How To Win At Checkers (Every Time)......................30 I Really Like You..............................................................60 In The Grayscale...................................................... 22, 23 Just Like Arcadia.............................................................29 Kam Kardashian.............................................................. 59
Kelsey................................................................................ 59 La Belle Saison.......................................................... 12, 13 Lady Of The Night..........................................................58 Laundry Mood................................................................. 56 Like Cattle Towards Glow............................................. 35 Like Hope.........................................................................60 Liz In September............................................................. 15 Loev................................................................................... 16 Lonely Stars..................................................................... 41 Love Is Love............................................................... 11, 54 Mala Mala..................................................................48, 49 Margarita, With A Straw.................................................30 Marrow....................................................................... 11, 54 McTucky Fried High: Secret Valentine....................... 59 Mini Supreme.................................................................. 57 My Cunt Special Screening in Conversation...............7 Naz & Maalik.................................................................... 24 Nightstand.......................................................................60 Nineteen..................................................................... 11, 54 No Matter Who...............................................................60 No Strings........................................................................ 61 Noam................................................................................63 Oasis............................................................................ 11, 54 On Stage.................................................................... 11, 54 One Last Night................................................................60 One Year Lease............................................................... 57 Oriented...........................................................................44 Outfit, The........................................................................ 57 Paper Thin........................................................................58 Pepper.............................................................................. 56 Pipe Dream...................................................................... 57 Portrait Of A Serial Monogamist.............................9, 27 Pot Luck........................................................................... 59 Queer Habits................................................................... 55 Querelle............................................................................ 37 Raising Ryland................................................................. 55 Regarding Susan Sontag...........................................7, 44 Remembering The Man..............................................5,11 San Cristóbal...................................................................60 Scrum................................................................................ 10 Shakespeare Republic (Juliet Episode)...................... 59 Sisters of the Plague......................................................40 Spare Parts....................................................................... 57 Step...................................................................................60 Stuff...................................................................................20 Summer............................................................................20 Summer Of ABC Burns, The.................................. 11, 54 Summer Of Sangaile, The............................................. 31 Swirl...................................................................................63 Tab Hunter Confidential............................................... 47 That’s Not Us..................................................................... 4 Thirst.......................................................................... 56, 62 Tradesman’s Exit............................................................. 57 Tricks List, The................................................................. 61 Two Jasperjohns............................................................ 59 Typist, The........................................................................ 55 Uuuuuu.............................................................................58 Vessels....................................................................... 56, 62 Wallflowers...................................................................... 59 Want It.............................................................................. 61 We Can’t Live Without Cosmos..................................58 When My Sorrow Died..................................................38 Whittier Boulevard.........................................................63 You’re Killing Me............................................................. 41