20 Sep Queer Screen Film Fest 2016
Get excited, the 4th Queer Screen Film Fest, brought to you by Queer Screen is back! We are especially looking forward to bringing you this year’s festival, as the second half of 2016 has some exceptionally high calibre queer films and documentaries to offer!
Spanning a short 6 days from 20 – 25 of September, there are twelve fantastic queer films to see metamorphosing through the whole LGBTQ rainbow.
In addition to twelve films at Event Cinemas George Street, Queer Screen Film Fest includes a free screening of Inside Out in Sydney Park (18 September), and screenings in Canberra (1 October) and the Blue Mountains (21 – 23 October).
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OPENING NIGHT – OTHER PEOPLE by Chris Kelly
USA; English with no subtitles
Tuesday 20 September, 7pm, Event Cinemas George Street – SOLD OUT
Quirky and heartrending with an authenticity rarely seen in films today, Other People will grip you with its emotional rollercoaster of a story. David (Jesse Plemons, Breaking Bad and Fargo) leaves behind a failing writing career and an ex-boyfriend when he returns home to take care of his terminally ill mother. Featuring J. J. Totah (Glee) in the most scene-stealing performance of the season, you’ll be uplifted, laugh, cry and be heartbroken all at once in this enthralling tale of love and hope in the face of tragedy.
Opening Night Party tickets are available.
FIRST GIRL I LOVED by Kerem Sanga
USA; English with no subtitles
Wednesday 21 September, 7pm, Event Cinemas George Street – SOLD OUT
17 year old cool nerd Anne falls for the school softball star Sasha, in this award-winning and incredibly authentic lesbian coming-of-age film. As her feelings grow, Anne shares the news with her best friend Cliff and he unexpectedly lashes out, causing a ripple effect through Anne’s life. Heart-rending, humorous and complex, First Girl I Loved was the winner of the NEXT Audience Award at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and is not to be missed.
THE HANDMAIDEN by Park Chan-wook
South Korea; Korean with English subtitles
Thursday 22 September, 6.15pm, Event Cinemas George Street – SOLD OUT
Directed by Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy, Thirst), this is a thriller intertwined with an erotic lesbian love story. Adapted from Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, it premiered at Cannes Film Festival. In 1930s Korea, tasked with a secret plan, petty thief Sookee begins work as handmaiden to Lady Hideko. A game of deception and seduction soon begins as the women discover feelings for one another. The hypnotic soundtrack and sensual story will immerse you utterly in its tale of class, fraud and revenge.
PARIS 05:59 by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau
France; French with English subtitles
Thursday 22 September, 9pm, Event Cinemas George Street – SOLD OUT
An encore screening of the Mardi Gras Film Festival 2016 hit, Paris 05:59. Starting with a vivid and provocative twenty minutes set in an underground sex club, strangers Théo and Hugo leave and walk the streets of Paris at night. While talking the two men start to fall hard for each other. Their relationship blossoms with the hallmarks of first love, but then something happens which changes the course of their new relationship.
SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR by Deborah S. Esquenazi
USA; English with no subtitles
Friday 23 September, 6.30pm, Event Cinemas George Street – SOLD OUT
To the viewer, there is never any doubt that the San Antonio Four are innocent of the horrifying accusations leveled at them in the late 1990s. The sincerity, credibility and resilience of the women – all wrongly accused of the gang rape of two young girls – will tear at your heartstrings and show you that despite the many wrongs faced by these women and many others in the LGBTIQ community throughout history, love, tolerance and justice will find a way. This documentary was the winner of Documentary Awards at both Frameline 2016 and Outfest 2016.
ALMOST ADULTS by Sarah Rotella
Canada; English with no subtitles
Friday 23 September, 8.30pm, Event Cinemas George Street – SOLD OUT
Saturday 24 September, 1.00pm – ENCORE – SOLD OUT
Mackenzie and Cassie have been BFFs since kindergarten, but as they approach university graduation they discover their lives are drifting apart. Mack is finally ready to come out but as she does, discovers everyone already knew. Well, everyone except Cassie. Starring Elise Bauman and Natasha Negovanlis, the leads of Carmilla, the most watched lesbian web-series of all time and coming from creators of the popular The Gay Women YouTube channel, Almost Adults is a comedy sure to put a smile on your face.
WEEKENDS by Lee Dong-ha
South Korea; Korean with English subtitles
Saturday 24 September, 3pm, Event Cinemas George Street
G-Voice is the first and only gay men’s choir in South Korea. Every weekend for a decade, they have gathered to sing for equality and an end to discrimination towards the LGBTIQ community in their country. The only trouble is, they’re not very good. This moving, funny and confronting documentary follows their preparations for a tenth anniversary concert event. Weekends is a film about hope, kindness, friendship and love and ultimately about standing together in the face of adversity.
YOU’RE KILLING ME by Jim Hansen
USA; English with no subtitles
Saturday 24 September, 6.30pm, Event Cinemas George Street
George has a killer new boyfriend, but it might take a body count for him to shut up and notice. You’re Killing Me is a sharp horror-comedy about West Hollywood gays so self-absorbed they don’t realise their new friend is a serial killer. George, a narcissistic wannabe Internet star, has fallen deeply for a new man, the monotonous but gorgeous Joe. As the relationship develops, George seems to be missing more and more of his friends, and he hardly seems to care.
MIXED SHORTS
Various countries; Some shorts include English subtitles
Saturday 24 September, 8.30pm, Event Cinemas George Street
Mixed Shorts, our popular collection of international short films, returns with another round of outrageous comedies, quality dramas, and entertaining documentaries. This package features the 2001 Australian classic Saturn’s Return, starring Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, Zero Dark Thirty), and written by Christos Tsiolkas (Barracuda, The Slap). It also includes gay romance Tremulo, lesbian comedy Oh-be-joyful and three other great films.
DANNY SAYS by Brendan Toller
USA; English with no subtitles
Sunday 25 September, 1.15pm, Event Cinemas George Street
What do The Doors, Patti Smith, The Ramones, Nico and countless other music greats from the USA in the 60s and 70s have in common? Each of them were guided on their journey to musical cult status by the out and proud Danny Fields. Featuring outstanding live concert footage, archival photos, and interviews with Danny and many celebrated musicians, this is a must for any music lover or fan of this hedonistic period of rock‘n’roll.
MAJOR! by Annalise Ophelian
USA; English with no subtitles
Sunday 25 September, 3.30pm, Event Cinemas George Street
Meet Miss Major Griffin-Gracy – transgender elder, Stonewall rebel, woman of colour and head of the Transgender GenderVariant Intersex Justice Project in California. Featuring touching interviews with queer former inmates who credit their lives to Miss Major’s interventions, MAJOR! is humbling and inspiring in its depiction of someone so dedicated to a life of one-on-one social justice. An intimate portrait of an enduring and treasured pioneer of queer rights.
THE INTERVENTION by Clea DuVall
USA; English with no subtitles
Sunday 25 September, 6pm, Event Cinemas George Street – SELLING FAST
Fan favourite and out actress, Clea DuVall and her But I’m a Cheerleader co-star, Natasha Lyonne reunite to play an onscreen couple in this crowd pleasing, hilarious comedy about the complexities of modern adult relationships. On a weekend away with friends, they are swept up in a ‘please get divorced’ intervention for another couple but of course nothing goes to plan. As secrets are revealed everyone is forced to confront their own truths, with heartfelt, funny and poignant results.
SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR by Deborah S. Esquenazi
USA; English with no subtitles
Saturday 1 October, 4.00pm, Arc Cinema Canberra
To the viewer, there is never any doubt that the San Antonio Four are innocent of the horrifying accusations leveled at them in the late 1990s. The sincerity, credibility and resilience of the women – all wrongly accused of the gang rape of two young girls – will tear at your heartstrings and show you that despite the many wrongs faced by these women and many others in the LGBTIQ community throughout history, love, tolerance and justice will find a way. This documentary was the winner of Documentary Awards at both Frameline 2016 and Outfest 2016.
OTHER PEOPLE by Chris Kelly
USA; English with no subtitles
Saturday 1 October, 6.30pm, Arc Cinema Canberra
Quirky and heartrending with an authenticity rarely seen in films today, Other People will grip you with its emotional rollercoaster of a story. David (Jesse Plemons, Breaking Bad and Fargo) leaves behind a failing writing career and an ex-boyfriend when he returns home to take care of his terminally ill mother. Featuring J. J. Totah (Glee) in the most scene-stealing performance of the season, you’ll be uplifted, laugh, cry and be heartbroken all at once in this enthralling tale of love and hope in the face of tragedy.
SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR by Deborah S. Esquenazi
USA; English with no subtitles
Friday 21 October, 7.00pm, The Carrington Blue Mountains
To the viewer, there is never any doubt that the San Antonio Four are innocent of the horrifying accusations leveled at them in the late 1990s. The sincerity, credibility and resilience of the women – all wrongly accused of the gang rape of two young girls – will tear at your heartstrings and show you that despite the many wrongs faced by these women and many others in the LGBTIQ community throughout history, love, tolerance and justice will find a way. This documentary was the winner of Documentary Awards at both Frameline 2016 and Outfest 2016.
FIRST GIRL I LOVED by Kerem Sanga
USA; English with no subtitles
Saturday 22 October, 3.30pm, Mount Vic Flicks Blue Mountains
17 year old cool nerd Anne falls for the school softball star Sasha, in this award-winning and incredibly authentic lesbian coming-of-age film. As her feelings grow, Anne shares the news with her best friend Cliff and he unexpectedly lashes out, causing a ripple effect through Anne’s life. Heart-rending, humorous and complex, First Girl I Loved was the winner of the NEXT Audience Award at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and is not to be missed.
PARIS 05:59 by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau
France; French with English subtitles
Saturday 22 October, 6pm, Mount Vic Flicks Blue Mountains
An encore screening of the Mardi Gras Film Festival 2016 hit, Paris 05:59. Starting with a vivid and provocative twenty minutes set in an underground sex club, strangers Théo and Hugo leave and walk the streets of Paris at night. While talking the two men start to fall hard for each other. Their relationship blossoms with the hallmarks of first love, but then something happens which changes the course of their new relationship.
MAJOR! by Annalise Ophelian
USA; English with no subtitles
Sunday 23 October, 3pm, The Carrington Blue Mountains
Meet Miss Major Griffin-Gracy – transgender elder, Stonewall rebel, woman of colour and head of the Transgender GenderVariant Intersex Justice Project in California. Featuring touching interviews with queer former inmates who credit their lives to Miss Major’s interventions, MAJOR! is humbling and inspiring in its depiction of someone so dedicated to a life of one-on-one social justice. An intimate portrait of an enduring and treasured pioneer of queer rights.