Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2009 (MQFF) opens tonight at the gorgeous Astor Theatre in St Kilda. Now in its 19th year, MQFF features an amazing program of 152 films over more than 93 sessions, and is the biggest queer film festival in the southern hemisphere.
“When I took this job on, we had 30 sessions and maybe two-thirds of those were really good-quality stuff and one-third was filler and padding,” said MQFF director Lisa Daniel in a recent interview with The Age.
“Now we have 93 sessions and are in a position where we can say no to things that five years ago we would have jumped at. It’s trickier now in some ways because with the amount of submissions we get, we could put it on for a month. Instead we just screen the absolute best that we can find.”
Daniel says that the festival isn’t just about the ‘bums on seats films’ – there is also a substantial emphasis on covering the great quality queer films that won’t really get seen outside the festival circuit, like short works, documentaries and films with niche content that explore more than just the G and L in GLBTI.
“The festival is really about showcasing the more challenging and eclectic films that only get 50 or 60 people — the smaller documentaries about the situation in Israel for queers, or transgender issues in Portugal.”
Here are some of the highlights of the 2009 MQFF program.
Were The World Mine
If Shakespeare had written a gay musical this would be its modern day remake. When A Midsummer Night’s Dream is chosen as the school play, Timothy lands the role of Puck, and with the help of his mischievous drama teacher, he makes Puck’s magic love potion, and sets out to turn the whole town gay and fellow student Jonathan into his adoring boyfriend.
Read our review of Were The World Mine here.
Filth And Wisdom
Written and directed by Madonna, this is a tale of three rag-tag Londonites surviving their oddball lives together, each character representing a personality Madonna herself could have been. With the added bonus of Richard E. Grant in the cast, and one of the best film soundtracks in ages, Madonna’s debut film Filth and Wisdom urges us all to get in touch with our inner sluts, and is a must-see both for her fans, and fans of good quality comedy.
Wrangler: Anatomy Of An Icon
From the dawn of the sexual revolution comes the outrageous true story of 1970s gay porn icon Jack Wrangler, who became a major brand name in adult entertainment, as well as a hero to the newly liberated gay population. Jack Stillman grew up in Beverly Hills, a child of privilege, and after a stint on a religious drama series he turned to bartending, go-go dancing and in the end, gay porn. A cavalcade of movie roles followed – sailors, cowboys and construction workers – Jack Wrangler played them all.
Today, Jack Wrangler has gone on to an accomplished theatre career, but still looks back bemusedly on his adventures in the skin trade with pride.
Read our review of Wrangler: Anatomy of An Icon here.
Affinity
The MQFF 2009 Closing Night film is the latest adaptation of a Sarah Waters’ ( Tipping the Velvet, Fingersmith ) novel, the highly anticipated Affinity.
Margaret (Anna Madeley), a young Victorian gentlewoman, begins making charitable visits to a women’s prison. As she becomes increasingly drawn towards a particular prisoner, the psychically gifted Selina (Zoe Tapper), we soon realise that Margaret’s black clothing is not, as everyone assumes, a sign of mourning for her recently deceased father, but grief for the loss of something else entirely.
This film examines how counterfeit and deceit may be necessary to survive in harsh times, but sometimes a nugget of purity can exist in even the most twisted of relationships. Or can it?
The film will be followed by a Closing Night Party in the Festival Club with guest DJ Pete Kung (Tuff Muff, Gay Shame, Q&A).
Jerusalem Is Proud To Present
In the summer of 2006, Jerusalem was to host World Pride, for the first time in history, a program of events which was to culminate in a traditional gay pride parade. The planned events stirred turmoil in the politically complex city, with Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious leaders banding together in an uncompromising battle against what they said would ‘defile the holy city’. On the other side stood the activists of the Open House, Jerusalem’s LGBT community centre. Steadfast in the face of the heated, violent and powerful anti-gay sentiment, they had to deal with threats to much more than just their right to march.
Director Nitzan Gilady will be taking part in a Q&A in the Festival Club immediately following the screening as a guest of the MQFF.
Read our recent interview with director Nitzan Gilady here.
The New Twenty – A Same Same Culture Club Event
This is the Australian Premiere of The New Twenty. Directed by US director Chris Mason Johnson, this film tells the story of five New York City best friends in their late twenties, whose tightly knit connections are being tested. A strong script, and great performances make this ensemble indie film a not-to-be-missed event.
The New Twenty is a Same Same Culture Club Event in conjunction with MQFF, and screens 7:30pm Sat 21 March 2009 at ACMI Cinemas. It will be followed by a Same Same Culture Club Party in the MQFF festival club at the ACMI lounge. To get your tickets, click here.
Win your way in! Click here to enter. Comp closes Fri March 20.
Check out our review of The New Twenty here.
Ask Not
Australian premiere. A rare and compelling exploration of the ramifications of the US military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, which forces American gay and lesbian service-members to deny their sexuality. A provocative portrait of bravery amidst exclusion, Ask Not reveals the personal stories of Americans willing to risk their lives for a country that criminalises the act of coming out.
Boystown (Cheucatown)
Gay men have a reputation world-over for moving into run-down areas and transforming them into real estate paradise, and Madrid’s Chueca district is their latest target. The only problem is, Chueca is populated by little old ladies who refuse to sell up and move on. Equal parts hysterical, thrilling and sexy, this murder romp should not be missed.
Ciao
Jeff and Mark had been best friends since college, and when Mark dies suddenly it falls upon Jeff to sort out his personal details. Checking Mark’s emails, Jeff comes across one from an Italian man, Andrea, who had been corresponding with Mark, informing him that he would be in the US and wants to meet for the first time. Jeff relays the tragic news about Mark’s passing, but Andrea still decides to visit. With seemingly nothing in common but Mark, the two talk in polite conversation, which soon turns more intimate and personal. Over the course of a weekend these two men share honest, revealing, and ultimately cathartic exchanges, with the spectre of Mark always hovering.
All online tickets sold out. Only standby tickets left.
Dog Tags
Australian premiere. Nothing has been easy about 20-something Nate Merritt’s life up to this point. Raised by his single mother, Debbie, after being abandoned by his father, Nate is hellbent on joining the Marines so that he can support his demanding fiancee, Trish. He enlists, and while on leave in Palm Springs he crosses paths with Andy, a young charismatic gay man who has dreams of escaping to Hollywood and a more exciting life. Goth styled Andy is like no one else Nate has ever met, and their friendship changes the course of his life forever.
Fashion Victims
Father-son dynamics are explored and tested to the limits in this off-the-wall German comedy of family manners. When po faced travelling salesman Wolfgang loses his license, he forces his son Karsten to drive him around the country so that he doesn’t lose the season’s sales. But for Karsten – missing out on a summer holiday and tired of his dad’s homophobic rants – the role of working closely with his father is most unwelcome. Things fast become complicated when Karsten falls for his father’s young upstart rival, Steven – all behind his father’s back. A sure-fire crowd pleaser.
Save Me
Mark (Chad Allen) is a voracious party boy, addicted to drugs and men, but is given a chance to alter his ways when he wakes up in hospital after a post-binge suicide attempt. His brother promptly sends him to Genesis House, a Christian-run ministry that attempts to ‘cure’ gay men of their urges through spiritual guidance. Mark is initially sceptical, but he finds solace and friendship with some of his fellow members, especially Scott. Sensing the two men are becoming too close, Gayle, the woman who runs the house, is determined to intervene. Judith Light is extraordinary as the tragic Gayle, whose (misguided) mission to fill the gap left by her own son, sees her stuck on a merry-go-round, seemingly never to escape.
Read our review of Save Me here. All online tickets sold out. Only standby tickets left.
Water Lillies (Naissance Des Pieuvres)
It’s summer in the suburbs outside Paris. There’s nothing to do but look at the ceiling for three 15-year-olds, Marie, Anne and Floriane. One day at her school’s synchronised swimming competition, shy and reserved Marie spots Floriane, the beautiful and confident captain of the team. Marie is smitten, but dares not express her feelings, especially to her pal, Anne, an extrovert who is consumed with her desire to kiss a boy. Marie and Floriane strike up a friendship of sorts and soon Floriane uses Marie to escape from her parents in the afternoons to meet up with her boyfriend. But how long will the charade last? Sciamma has successfully created a world devoid of adults, where these teenage girls deal with their desires and jealousies in their own awkward ways. A lesbian highlight!
Chris And Don: A Love Story
This film relates the life story of the passionate three-decade relationship between renowned British writer Christopher Isherwood (whose Berlin Stories was the basis for incarnations of the much-beloved Cabaret ) and American portrait painter Don Bachardy, 30 years his junior. From Isherwood’s Kit Kat Club years in Weimar-era Germany to the couple’s first meeting on the sun-kissed beaches of 50s Malibu, their against-all-odds story is brought to dazzling life by a treasure trove of multimedia, and reminiscences from friends like Leslie Caron, John Boorman and Liza Minelli.
Sex Positive
This film explores the life of Richard Berkowitz, a revolutionary gay S&M hustler-turned-HIV/AIDS activist in the 1980s, whose incomparable contribution to the invention of safe sex has rarely been aptly credited. Berkowitz emerged from the epicentre of the epidemic as a community leader, demanding a solution to the problem before anyone else would pay attention. However, it was not Berkowitz’ voice alone that sparked contention. Dr Joseph Sonnabend, a controversial virologist and AIDS doctor, postulated that AIDS was more complicated than just a new virus. With Sonnabend’s theory in tow, Berkowitz fought, alongside beloved activist and musician Michael Callen, for safer sex practices without giving up on sex altogether. Through the eyes of Berkowitz, the audience is made witness to a graphic testimony of sex, death, and betrayal, while placing the invention of ‘safe sex’ in a fresh and compelling context.
MQFF and the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre are proud to co-present a panel discussion which will use the preceding documentary as a springboard for discussion regarding the current issues related to HIV prevention in Victoria.
Sex Drives And Video Tape
This is the latest themed compilation to the MQFF program. The very sexy collection of short films featured in Sex Drive and Videotape all have one thing in common; they are cheeky, sexual and seductive. It’s eye candy with balls. Don’t miss it.
Steam
Steam tells the story of three very different women, whose lives are linked only by the sauna at the local gym. All three are stuck in ruts from which they seek escape, but they seem unable to overcome the things that are keeping them from growing and thriving in their lives. By interweaving the stories of their individual journeys, Steam shows how age, race, class and religion have little to do with matters of the heart – ultimately, we all want the same things: love and happiness.
The 19th Melbourne Queer Film Festival is on from March 18 to 29, 2009, at ACMI Cinemas at Federation Square.
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