We’re here. We’re Queer. The Melbourne Queer Film Festival program launched at Town Hall with the Lord Mayor Sally Capp presiding over rainbows, free-flowing drinks, and pipe organ music. No seriously. The launch featured a 1918 drag-comedy silent film accompanied live on Town Hall’s Grand Organ.
A fitting choice given this year’s festival theme: Rewind to Fast Forward. Spectators can look forward to seeing classic queer titles on the big screen, including La Cage Aux Folles and Chasing Amy, as well as enjoying new films and Melbourne premieres. 
MQFF, Australia’s biggest and longest running queer film fest, delivered some big news this year. (Who says size doesn’t matter?) With the cost of living crisis in mind, opening and closing night tickets dropped from $90 to a standard ticket price and concession card holders can access $12.50 early bird tickets to films across the entire festival.
Opening night promises to be hyper-camp, hilarious and heartfelt. You can trust The Plus Ones will be in the audience for the Australian premiere of I Love You, Beksman – a coming-out story with a Filipinx makeover. 
Here’s a taste of more delicious shows screening in November.
Fresh off the excitement of Women’s World Cup comes multiple sports screenings. Victorian premiere Marinette (2023, France) tells the story of Marinette Pichon, one of the world’s most influential women’s soccer players and a French lesbian icon. In Offside (2006), Iranian women soccer fans travel to a World Cup qualifier match in Tehran despite it being illegal for them to be spectators. Will they be able to fool the guards by disguising themselves as boys? 
In another Victorian premiere, All Of Us Strangers (2023, UK) follows a burgeoning relationship between Adam, a listless screenwriter (Andrew Scott, Fleabag’s “hot priest”) and Harry (Aftersun’s Paul Mescal) in a London high-rise. Bring your tissues; Indiewire’s David Ehrlich described it as a “nuclear-grade tearjerker.”
Melbourne-based filmmaker Goran Stolevski won this year’s Queer Lion at Venice with Housekeeping for beginners. The film is also North Macedonia’s Oscar candidate for 2023. See its boisterous Victorian premiere at the Capitol Theatre.
Whilst there’s plenty of award winners in the line-up, spectators could also opt to see a film simply based on the title alone. I.e. Captain Faggotron Saves the Universe.
Personally, I’m looking forward to hot nights on the MQFF rooftop and seeing some short-shorts. This year’s shorts program includes Beyond the Binary, Young and Queer, Laugh-Out Proud, Gays Will Be Gays, L-Word Shorts, and Lesbians at Large. Bring on the warm weather! 
November is just around the corner, so start booking your tickets now for a fabulous 2023 Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
– Jenny
Jenny S. is an event adventurer. When she’s not attending live shows, you can find her sampling the latest craft beer or sipping a creative cocktail.
Melbourne Queer Film Festival runs 9 – 19 November 2023. Book tickets now.
