QUEER SCREEN FILM FESTIVAL
By Mark Morellini
This highly anticipated film festival returns for its sixth year with a program of 29 LGBTIQ feature films and 16 shorts from 12 countries, including Iceland, Brazil, The Netherlands, Canada and the USA.
Popularity of this festival is on the increase from year to year with an estimated 10% of the audience being heterosexual.
But avid movie-goers who have never attended may ask, ‘do you have to be queer to attend this festival?’ “Absolutely not – no you don’t. It’s fantastic to have people from all walks of life come and see these films,” festival director Lisa Rose explained. “Many of these films have very wide appeal and any denomination or any identity could probably identify with something in these films.”
But how would you respond to heterosexuals who ask what they would absorb from these queer films? “I would respond they would absorb seeing people, what life is like for people – after all we’re all people. These films cut across the life experiences of people. Sexuality is not the focus of many of the films that we are showing, for example Life In The Doghouse is about an older gay couple. They talk a bit about their relationship, but it’s not about that.”
Therefore, is it a misconception for audiences to think that films at this queer film festival are all pornography? “Absolutely! I mean obviously we do have varying degrees of films in our larger festival (Mardi Gras Film Festival) which straight people would find more confronting to watch, but the majority of films are not like that and they’re just about people and highly relatable to anyone.”
When asked whether this film festival was just a celebration of LGBTIQ Lisa Rose replied that’s it’s also a celebration of women, since 55% of the films are directed and co-directed by women.
“This is something very rare for a film festival to have so many films made by women.”
ROSE’S HOT PICKS:
I USED TO BE NORMAL: A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY (Australia) – This is a must-see documentary for lovers of boybands including The Beatles, Take That, Backstreet Boys and One Direction. Four women discuss their love for these bands and how strangely one of these women’s obsession for these boybands helped her in coming out.
LIFE IN THE DOGHOUSE (USA) – This documentary is one for dog-lovers. An elderly gay couple who love animals transform their house into a sanctuary for rescued dogs and have adopted 10,000 dogs so far, living with 70 dogs at a time in their house.
NOTHING TO LOSE (AUSTRALIA) – a documentary which showcases a dance performance in the 2015 Sydney Festival which was something quite unusual for dance – it brought larger bodies on stage. Preconceptions about femininity, masculinity and beauty are examined. A Q&A with the cast and crew follows the screening.
Sept 18-23. Event Cinemas George Street. $19-$70+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.queerscreen.org.au
