Opening night film Tramps! has sold out and organisers have advised cinema goers to book early to avoid disappointment as films will only be screening once each.
MQFF mini will screen 12 features and documentaries with seven Australian and Melbourne premiere titles, including Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day? [pictured], a modern queer musical joyfully mixing Arab folktales and Egyptian pop music, and lesbian drama The Divide which won the Cannes Film Festival prestigious Queer Palm Award in 2021.
“From Canada to Egypt, France to Taiwan, and Argentina to Ireland, the Melbourne Queer Mini-Film Festival will immerse our audience in a world trip of queer storytelling,” says Chief Executive Officer of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, David Martin Harris (they/them).
“It’s been an extremely challenging couple of weeks for our community, especially our trans and gender diverse communities, and we’re so happy to be providing a space for queer people to come together and share in culture, to create connections, and to have positive experiences.”
MQFF are hosting a range of programs for trans and gender-diverse communities, including Sediments, a Spanish docu-drama that explores the lived experiences of six trans women actresses; No Ordinary Man, a Canadian documentary about legendary trans-masculine jazz musician Billy Tipton; and a free public program New Queer Cinema: Transgender representation & reclaiming the narrative – where panel moderator Dr. Tobi Evans (he/they), will lead panellists Oliver Ross (he/him) and Sam Elkin (he/him) as they discuss the film, current trends in trans, queer and gender diverse representation.
Pitch Pleez! Finalists Announced
MQFF’s Pitch Pleez! offers Australian LGBTQI+ filmmakers the opportunity to create original content by awarding a $10,000 cash prize plus technical equipment for the production of a short fiction, documentary or web series pilot. The winning pitch will address MQFF’s central values of celebrating and showcasing proudly different queer stories in an Australian context.
MQFF has announced 5 finalists: Ben Chuah, Lizzie Cater, Renée Marie Petropoulos, Morgan Flint and Ada. Finalists will pitch their concepts to a panel of industry professionals at Rainbow International House Club, Fitzroy, on Tuesday 3 May 2022 – where the winner will be decided.
COVID-19 safety at MQFF Mini
MQFF want to ensure that all members of the community can participate in the MQFF Mini and are strongly encouraging all patrons to wear face masks and practice social distancing where possible.
“We know that some are still hesitant about returning to theatres, even with the recent lifting of restrictions. As we bring the community together again, we ask that our audience help us by masking up and practicing social distancing, in the spirit of providing LGBTQI+ community access,” said David.
The festival has been organised in conjunction with both the Victorian Government’s and Cinema Nova’s COVID-19 policies.
Full timetables and more information as well as tickets are available at mqff.com.au
MQFF Mini Ticket Pricing
Single tickets
Full: $21.30, Concession: $18.30, Members or Groups (10+): $17.30
Passes
3 Film Pass
Full: $59, Concession: $51, Members: $49
5 Film Pass
Full: $95, Concession: $82, Members: $77
About Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Melbourne Queer Film Festival is Australia’s oldest and largest queer film festival attracting tens of thousands of cinemagoers each year. Housed at the Victorian Pride Centre, MQFF is recognised internationally as one of the world’s most important platforms for queer cinema.
MQFF is a not-for-profit organisation that plays a vital role in providing a forum for celebration and visibility along with advocacy for queer communities.
MQFF curates an annual film festival in November showcasing the best of world queer culture and content. The festival brings together screenings, lectures, discussions, workshops, and professional development opportunities for film lovers and creators. We also provide grants to foster the development of queer Australian stories, build the capacity of emerging filmmakers, and recognise the contribution that queer filmmakers provide to the film canon.
