Geelong Pride Film Festival to challenge, grip

The Geelong Pride Film Festival is asking people to reexamine their understanding of ‘queer’.

Now in its ninth season, the festival is under new leadership for 2026 as Louise Lever steps into the festival director role.

Lever is excited for what she says is a diverse showing with an emphasis on Australian film.

Festivals such as this, she says, are the perfect opportunity to explore new and emerging directors before their big breaks.

They also provide an important opportunity to uplift the queer community and their stories and examine the nuances of queerness through art.

“We’re living in quite turbulent times, times that threaten people’s identities and create dissonance in the spaces that we occupy as a community. This festival really comes together and celebrates the joy and the positive nature of our stories, but it holds space for the complexities of the stories as well,” Lever said.

Lever encourages people to attend films on the program that might challenge them and broaden their cinematic horizons.

“There’s definitely a few challenging films in the program. I would say 70 to 80 per cent is all joyful, but there are films in there deliberately to challenge audiences, to get people thinking,” Lever said.

“A lot of people think [a film is queer] because the character is queer, but ‘queer’ also has a long history of being associated with anti-establishment, going against social norms and standing up for what you believe in, independence, critical thinking, advocacy, protest.

“We’re trying to get audiences to think about that as an expansive term rather than just, ‘OK, they’re two queer characters’.”

She highlighted the selection of short films on offer, not only for the strength of those selected, but for the chance to enjoy the work of up-and-coming directors.

With films spanning genres, there is something for every taste, including an old favourite.

Some of Lever’s top picks include Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut and a feature set to have its Australian premiere.

“One of my personal favourites is The Chronology of Water. It’s a really standout film – it’s really exciting, it’s really gripping,” Lever said.

“Likewise, I think people definitely should not miss Drip Like Coffee, which is a Black American feature film and it’s actually the first time that it’s screening in Australia.”

A 40th anniversary screening of lesbian romantic drama Desert Hearts is also a top pick from the head of the festival.

For the first time this year, selected films will be awarded a bespoke laurel, designed by Geelong designer Kirsty Dow.

Lever said the festival has worked to make tickets as accessible as possible with general admission tickets just $12.50.

Geelong Pride Film Festival opens on 30 April and runs until 10 May.

Full program details and ticketing information can be found on the festival website.