This year’s annual Queer Screen Film Festival, the little sister to February’s Mardi Gras Film Festival, will be held entirely online, allowing for anyone across the country to join the celebration.
Running across 11 days from Thursday 17 September to Sunday 27 September, this year’s program features over 40 feature films, documentaries and shorts. With 29 of these films being Australian premieres, this is an excellent opportunity to see the best new queer films.
Highlights from this year’s festival include the Australian premieres of the bantering comedy Holy Trinity, the heartfelt Moonlit Winter from Korea, and the intriguing romantic comedy about a queer Muslim Breaking Fast.
Festival Director Lisa Rose suggests that the festival is the perfect remedy for the current coronavirus restrictions. “This festival, we get to queer up screens and devices around the nation,” she says. “Join us from the comfort and safety of your own home and escape to another queer time, another queer place. A whole world of queer stories awaits.”
The annual Queer Screen Pitch Off, will also be going online. a maximum of six eligible filmmakers will be invited to pitch their film proposal to a panel of assessors on 27 September, with the chance to earn a $10,000 grant to put towards the production of a queer short film.
To finish off the festival, three of the most popular titles from this year’s Mardi Gras Film Festival in February – Same But Different: A True New Zealand Love Story, Song Lang and Tu Me Manques – will be screened as encores.
For Sydneysiders, where COVID-19 restrictions are less severe, two socially-distanced events will be held – a drag double feature at the Skyline Drive-In on Saturday 26 September and two screenings of the documentary, Welcome to Chechnya, on 19 and 20 September at Palace’s Chauvel Cinema, in partnership with Antenna Documentary Film Festival.
“Queer Screen acknowledges that these are difficult times,” states Rose. “Although we can’t come together in our usual festival setting we are excited to be bringing the festival to our communities across the nation and fulfilling our remit to showcase diversity, support queer filmmakers and celebrate LGBTIQ+ stories.”
Ticketing information can be found HERE.
