Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) is back in full swing for its 32nd year.
Over twelve unforgettable days, MQFF will showcase the latest and greatest in queer film from around the world, engaging public programs and exciting special events from 10 – 21 November.
The Festival venue partners include ACMI, Village Cinemas Jam Factory, and Cinema Nova, and a new venue, the Victorian Pride Centre Rooftop, where MQFF will hold an outdoor cinema. The program will feature 49 films and documentaries, 12 short film packages, 35 Australian premieres and four Melbourne premieres. Film lovers are encouraged to become MQFF members here to get early access to purchase tickets and exclusive access to a Festival All-In-Pass.
Opening Night features the Melbourne premiere of Private Desert (2021), showing at ACMI. Directed by Aly Muritiba (Brazil, Portugal), the story follows Sara, a genderfluid blue-collar worker who lives as her male birth identity Robson, in an online relationship with Daniel. When Sara suddenly disappears, Daniel drives 2,000 miles across Brazil to find her – a journey of the heart that will change Sara and Daniel forever.
Private Desert has picked up 12 accolades, including Best Screenplay, Original at Cinema Brazil Grand Prize, 2022 and Best Film at Venice Film Festival, 2021. This screening at MQFF kicks off the Festival’s Spotlight on Brazil, which features five Brazilian films and a Brazilian short package showcasing the quality of filmmaking coming out of Brazil.
The Closing Night film will be Uýra: The Rising Forest (2022) (pictured right), directed by Juliana Curi (Brazil). Travelling throughout the Amazon, Uýra, a trans-indigenous artist embarks on a journey of self-discovery using performance art and ancestral messages to teach indigenous youth and confront structural racism and transphobia in Brazil, screening at the Victorian Pride Centre.
MQFF CEO David Harris said: “The 32nd MQFF continues to bring the best of world queer culture to Melbourne, and we couldn’t be happier that the Festival is returning in all its glory in 2022. The entire MQFF program is full of diverse films which are stunning, emotional, beautiful, heartbreaking, hilarious and boundary-pushing. We can’t wait to share all these films with our audiences.”
The Festival’s Australian Feature of the Year will be the Melbourne Premiere of The Longest Weekend (2022) (pictured left), directed by Molly Haddon (Australia). Set in Sydney’s Inner West, this soon-to-be indie classic depicts the lives of three disconnected siblings turned upside-down when forced to live under the same roof. Normalcy seems just within reach until their estranged father resurfaces, dredging up the past. Guaranteed to be a great date night or outing with mates, the screening will be followed by a VIP afterparty at the Emerson Rooftop with queer performance artists.
Check out our interview with Molly Haddon:
The MQFF Awards and Shorts takes place on Saturday, 19 November, and celebrates the brightest and best in Australian queer filmmakers. MQFF and the City of Melbourne are proud to present these Australian shorts, highlighting the richness in storytelling and the breadth of original talent working in Australia today. The winners of the jury awards will follow this. The Winner of the City of Melbourne Award for Best Australian Short will also qualify as the MQFF official selection for the Iris Prize – the largest prize for an LGBTIQ+ short film worldwide.
Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp said that the City of Melbourne is a proud long-term supporter of MQFF. “We’re thrilled to partner again with the Festival, which celebrates our city’s wonderful diversity and inclusivity,” the Lord Mayor says.
The complete MQFF program will be announced on 13 October 2022 at mqff.com.au
MQFF Memberships are available here and provide access to exclusive benefits, the first chance to buy tickets and special MQFF events.
The Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) is Australia’s most significant and longest-running queer film festival, screening the best Australian/International queer films. MQFF aims to engage the community with the best LGBTIQ+ content to educate, entertain and celebrate diversity.
