Queer film fest coming soon

BENDIGO Queer Film Festival director Chris Butler said this year’s event is a “re-launch.”

Traditionally run towards the end of March and alongside the Bendigo Pride Festival, this year’s celebration of queer cinema will take place from Friday, 15 July until Sunday, 17 July.

“We want to try and separate [the film festival and Bendigo Pride] so we’re spreading the love and putting more queer events on across the year rather than piling them up together,” Mr Butler said.

“This is the first year we’ve tried the winter season for the film festival. We figure it’s probably a good place to put it because what’s better than when the weather’s horrible and miserable outside than sitting in the dark and watching some great films?”

The program of the 18th festival includes a range of documentaries, animation, and fiction films as well as a short film competition for queer filmmakers to display their works.

“We ended up with two sessions, the first is called true stories and it’s for documentaries or things based on real life. Then on Sunday we have drama and fiction films,” Mr Butler said.

The festival will open with a screening of triple Academy Award nominated film Flee, an aminated documentary about a gay refugee who settles in Denmark.

On Saturday, No Straight Lines, a documentary focusing on queer comic and graphic novel writers, Great Freedom, a film about anti-gay laws in post-war Germany, and Taiwanese Shakespeare adaptation, As We Like It will screen.

Two episodes of Outland, which focuses on a gay science fiction fan club, will be shown, followed by a discussion led by co-creators John Richards and comedian Adam Richard.

On Sunday, Richard will stick around for a special breakfast at the Shamrock Hotel at 10am.

The festival closes with a showing of popular queer film But I’m a Cheerleader and panel discussion on how queer women are portrayed in media led by comedian Sue-Ann Post, Castlemaine broadcaster Sherene Clow, and producer and writer Sarah Lang.

To view the program and purchase tickets, head to bendigoqueerfilmfestival.com.au.