Films That Focus On Trans and Gender-Diverse Experiences at MGFF24

We have a 10/10 line-up this year (not to brag, but we are! Loudly and proudly!) of films that focus on trans and gender-diverse experiences screening at MGFF24.

We’ve curated this list of narative features, Transgender Shorts and Non-binary and Gender-diverse Shorts.
So, bookmark this page, buy tickets, do whatever you need to do to make sure you do not miss these films.

Kokomo City

Sun, Feb 25, 4:00pm
Dendy Cinemas Newtown

Trans director D. Smith’s Sundance-winning doco Kokomo City is frank, fearless and funny exploration of the lives and experiences of four Black trans sex workers in New York and Atlanta. An unforgettable portrait of the modern Black, trans experience in all its complexity.

2023 Sundance Film Festival – Winner NEXT Audience Award
2023 Berlinale – Panorama Audience Award
2023 Chicago Film Critics Association – Winner Best Documentary

Mel

Sat, Feb 24, 2:30pm
Dendy Cinemas Newtown

And On Demand (1–11 March 2024, Australia-wide)

Armenian weightlifter Mel Daluzyan was a beloved national champion who won medals and broke world records – before his transition. Hoping to come out privately and eventually compete as a man, his life is turned upside down when he is publicly outed and anti-trans protests sweep the nation.

Australian Premiere

Monica

Tue, Feb 27, 7:00pm
Ritz Cinemas, Randwick

Monica (Trace Lysette) is reunited with her terminally ill mother (Patricia Clarkson) for the first time in twenty years. But following her transition, does the woman who has caused her so much pain even recognise her? Powerful performances anchor this complex exploration of family and forgiveness.

Australian Premiere

2024 Independent Spirit Awards – Nominee Best Lead Performance, Best Cinematography
2022 Venice Film Festival – Winner ARCA CinemaGiovani Award, Nominee Queer Lion

Mutt

Tue, Feb 20, 6:30pm
Dendy Cinemas Newtown

Featuring a Sundance Special Jury prize-winning performance from non-binary heartthrob Lio Mehiel, Mutt follows twenty-something trans man Feña as he’s thrown into an eventful 24 hours in New York City where he reconnects with his ex-boyfriend, sister, and father for the first time since coming out.

Sydney Premiere

2023 Sundance Film Festival – Winner Special Jury Award Acting
2023 Berlinale – Nominee Teddy Award

Summer Solstice

Wed, Feb 28, 6:20pm
Ritz Cinemas, Randwick

Writer-director Noah Schamus’ debut feature is a touching, funny and beautifully rendered study of friendship that spans pre- and post-transition for trans man Leo as he reconnects with cis friend Eleanor.

Australian Premiere

The People’s Joker

Sat, Feb 24, 8:40pm
Dendy Cinemas Newtown

What if Joker was actually about a trans woman coming out? That’s the premise of this surreal, handmade superhero parody which mixes live-action and animation. Drawing on writer-director-star Vera Drew’s own coming out, she’s crafted a funny yet achingly personal film about finding oneself.

F.L.Y.

Fri, Feb 23, 6:30pm
Ritz Cinemas, Randwick

And On Demand (1–11 March 2024, Australia-wide)

Trent Kendrick and Rafael Albarran take on writing, directing and lead-acting duties in this comedy set in the all-too-familiar past. They play exes forced to live together when the pandemic hits. It’ll put their relationship (and some high heels) to the test.

International Premiere

Transgender Shorts

Sun, Feb 25, 6:00pm
Dendy Cinemas Newtown

And On Demand (1–11 March 2024, Australia-wide)

Continuing the trend of trans filmmakers pushing the bounds of how stories are told on screen, this excellent selection of films puts trans voices front and centre. Covering the length and breadth of genres, these must-see films explore a whole host of topics, from unexpected meet cutes and self-discovery through artmaking, through to the mysterious preparations for a heist and the pressures for trans people to present in a certain way.

Non-Binary and Gender-Diverse Shorts

Mon, Feb 19, 8:30pm
Dendy Cinemas Newtown

And On Demand (1–11 March 2024, Australia-wide)

Featuring non-binary actor Emma D’Arcy (House of the Dragon) as an overlooked assistant dreaming of the spotlight, these short films collectively capture a whole spectrum of gender identity and expression. Including the heartfelt tale of a queer aunt giving a child space to wear dresses, a documentary about non-binary performers within a ballroom scene that prizes gender “realness”, the story of an old car haunted by its queerdo owner’s judgemental dead grandmother and much more.