Demure’s Guide to Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2023
Written by Charlie Stamatogiannis (she/they)
Charlie Stamatogiannis is an emerging/aspiring filmmaker and writer based in Naarm/Melbourne with particular interests in feminist, queer and social themes. Currently studying at RMIT, Charlie has been involved in a number of film and television projects, written for small-time and student publications, and briefly interned at ACMI. Her debut short film SHRINE, a campy bubblegum horror, is in the final stages of post-production in the hopes of a local festival run in 2024.
Melbourne’s Mardi Gras for filmmakers and cinephiles alike, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), is nearly upon us, commencing Thursday November 9th. We’ve poured over the program and chatted to a few of the directors whose films made the cut so that you know exactly what not to miss.
Beginning in 1991, MQFF is reportedly the Southern Hemisphere's oldest LGBT+ themed film festival, and in 2023 we’ve seen the appointment of a new program director, Cerise Howard, bringing a renewed vibrancy to the landmark event. Additionally, two new venue partners have been added, and festival-goers will now be able to catch films at Palace Cinema locations, as well as RMIT’s iconic and historic Capitol Theatre on Swanston Street. Opening and closing night events will also be returning to The Astor Theatre, and of course the Victorian Pride Centre will continue to host their rooftop outdoor cinema.
Whether you’re beneath The Capitol’s illuminated crystalline ceiling, admiring The Astor in all its original art deco glory, or a couple storeys high taking in that sweet St Kilda air, rest assured that this year’s program will swiftly whisk you away to a whole new world of queer filmmaking, featuring stories from far and wide.
If you’re a fan of Jamie Babbit’s 1999 high-camp classic But I’m a Cheerleader, then you need to secure a ticket to opening night ASAP and catch I Love You, Beksman (2022) at its Australian premiere. This Filipinx romp of a rom-com follows Dali, a young and fabulous makeup artist and fashion designer who leaves everyone in his life stunned and confused when he comes out as straight and embarks on a bizarre quest to lead a convincing and authentic heterosexual lifestyle.
And if you’re looking for further evidence that camp’s not dead, be sure to check out Harvey Rabbit’s Captain Faggotron Saves the Universe (2023), think The Exorcist but German, intergalactic and with a crop-top sporting hero we can truly root for.
One of the most striking new voices with an impressive not one, but two feature films appearing in the program is none other than rising star Alice Maio Mackay. At just 19 years of age, Alice is the creative genius behind T-Blockers (2023) and Satranic Panic (2023), which she describes as “a trans-hang-out body snatcher film” and “Buffy meets Priscilla Queen of the Desert'' but with musical numbers respectively.
So far Alice has worked pretty exclusively within the realm of horror, a genre that she says has historically always been queer, and that she feels allows her to be as creative as possible. Having completed four feature films at such a young age, an accomplishment rarely heard of, it really is Alice’s world and we’re all just living in it. When asked to describe her unique style and vision in just three words, Alice responded with “campy, cunty and unapologetic”, an answer that promises a bright and exciting future for this wave of Australian queer cinema.
In the realm of documentary, there’s the unmissable Australian premiere of Kokomo City (2023) tracks the interwoven lives of four black, transgender sex workers in Atlanta and NYC. Director D. Smith, also a black trans woman, gives her subjects real agency and allows them to tell their stories unfiltered in a radical display of self-representation.
Not every film in the canon of queer cinema is claimed by the community upon release, and Cruising (1980) is an example of that. It follows Al Pacino as a sexy undercover cop who dives into the world of leather and bondage to try and catch a serial killer targeting gay men. Initially protested by the queer community in fear it would demonise and misrepresent kink and LGBT+ identity, has since been revisited and embraced.
Another not-to-be-missed retrospective is Zhang Yuan’s East Palace, West Palace (1996), a powerful, erotic drama that is considered the first film from mainland China with explicit queer themes.
One of the most highly anticipated films from the program is none other than All of Us Strangers (2023), adapted by director Andrew Haigh from the Taichi Yamada novel Strangers. With leading performances from Andrew Scott (the hot priest from Fleabag) and Paul Mescal (Aftersun, Normal People), critics have praised the film for being utterly heartbreaking.
In terms of picks that are close to home, you couldn’t get a film any more local than Nicholas Anthony’s debut feature In the Meantime (2023). Shot entirely on an iPhone 13 Pro Max, it’s Frances Ha meets Tangerine in the most Melbourne way possible. Challenges keep popping up in the way of Max, an aspiring writer quickly approaching her thirties and living with her best friend, who takes us on a journey that’s bound to feel very familiar for those watching.
Screening alongside In the Meantime is another directorial debut from emerging documentarian (and admittedly my best friend) Ruby Edwards. Having made the move from Perth to the big city herself just over a year ago, Ruby’s experimental short Visibly Queer asks the question of whether Melbourne’s bright lights and various eclectic scenes are a magnet for young queer people looking to live out adulthood freely and authentically.
If you’re looking to sink your teeth into more tantalising, bite-sized stories, look no further than the Australian Shorts & Awards screening at The Capitol. Featuring 8 short films by a diverse collective of Australian-based talent, at the conclusion of the event the MQFF jury will announce the lucky winner of the City of Melbourne Award for Best Australian Short.
Among the entrants include Samuel Lucas Allen’s Cut, which follows the plight of a queer and Jewish schoolboy bullied for his intersecting identities, A Former Lover Bakes Themselves into a Pie, in which a young man does exactly as the title suggests in an attempt to escape a toxic relationship, and House of Whoreship, a breakup comedy in which two exes unexpectedly work the same shift at a brothel. Also screening fresh off an impressive worldwide festival circuit is Jasper Caverly’s Hedgehog, a tender tale of a hungover trans teen seeking emergency contraception.
I had the ultimate privilege of getting to work on this short in a minor capacity over a year ago, and so I asked Jasper what it meant to them to finally have Hedgehog return home to the very city it was shot in:
“To have screened this film in every continent is truly an immense feeling. And one I don’t take for granted. In some countries we've played, access to emergency contraception just isn’t an option. In others, the film has been screened illegally because promoting LGBT+ content is banned. The resilience, conviction and courage of the film community to support us - and those it has connected with - really validates our reason to make and to be when things feel impossible. I can’t understate how massive a privilege it is to be able to bring Hedgehog home. 12 months ago we'd just finished post-production when I took a contract operating an outdoor screen at the Victorian Pride Centre for MQFF 2022. Little did I know a year later it’d be my turn. What a wild ride life is.”
Closing night of the festival is Sophie Depuis’ French-language drama Solo. It follows a romance blossoming between Simon and Olivier, both involved in Montreal’s rich drag scene. When Simon’s opera mother visits town, he starts to struggle with feelings of validation. An electrifying character study, you can catch it at The Astor with tickets including access to the closing night party afterwards.
With tickets selling fast and concession prices available to students, there’s no better way to see in the end-of-year period than by getting to enjoy a diverse, dazzling array of queer-themed filmmaking.