MGFF23 Festival Photos

Thursday 2 March | Closing Night Gala

After an incredible festival for 2023, we closed it off with the Australian premiere of The Venus Effect, a feel-good, award-winning Danish romantic dramedy.

We’d like to thank everyone who came along, and watched On Demand, and just generally made Queer Screen’s 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival such a roaring success. Our queerest, and most joyful thank yous!

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with many fabulous pics on Facebook and the full photoset here.

Wednesday 1 March | More special guests!

We had screenings of Golden Delicious with director Jason Karman in attendance for a Q&A. Presented with the Consulate General of Canada in Sydney and Allianz. And screenings of In From The Side and Heartbeast.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a selection on Facebook and the full photoset here.

Tuesday 28 February | Vegas In Space!

A celebratory screening of 1991 lo-fi cult classic Vegas in Space at The Ritz, a fabulously camp musical odyssey that needs to be seen to be believed. Our once-in-a-lifetime screening was preceded by live performances and director Phillip R. Ford, co-stars Miss X and Silvana Nova, and musical director Timmy Spence were in attendance for a Q&A moderated by Jay Katz.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a lot of great pics on Facebook and the full photoset here:

Tuesday 28 February | Special guests

Writer/director of Heartbeast, Aino Suni was in attendance for a Q&A following her screening, which was presented with the Embassy of Finland in Canberra. And the Consulate General of Canada in Sydney presented Soft, a tender-hearted coming of age gem about friendship and resilience, from genderqueer Canadian director Joseph Amenta.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with photos on Facebook and the full photoset here.

Monday 27 February | My Queer Career

This is Queer Screen’s night of Night with My Queer Career, Australia’s richest prize for LGBTIQ+ shorts. The night included the screening of our My Queer Career finalists including Blackfellas Who Can’t Dance, Dykes On Bikes: An Origin Story, Ghosted, Pause, Right Here, Single, Sparkles and Tuī Ná. With the following winners announced..

The winners of ‘My Queer Career,’ Australia’s richest LGBTIQ+ short film prize, have been announced, with awards for Best Screenplay going to Nathan Lacey for ‘Ghosted’, Emerging Performer to Tina Fielding for ‘Sparkles‘, Emerging Filmmaker to Claud Bailey for ‘Right Here‘, Best Film to William Duan for ‘Tuī Ná‘, and the MQC Audience Award to ‘Sparkles‘.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a few choice pics here on Facebook and the full photoset here.

Monday 27 February | All the events!

A-list celebrity fashionista and Rupaul’s Drag Race judge Carson Kressley walked the pink carpet at Mardi Gras Film Festival for the Sydney premiere of All Man: The International Male Story.

We also held Afternoon Delight, with director Jacquie Lawrence and producer Fizz Milton in attendance for Q&A. Presented by ACON’s The LOVE Project and funded by NSW Seniors Festival.

And a fantastic panel on bringing a short film to life in a feature!

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with many photos on Facebook and the full photoset here:

Sunday 26 February | Queer Screen on the Green

Queer Screen on the Green was a special, all-day outdoor community event celebrating Queer Screen’s 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival! Kicking off with a Rainbow Families animated screening, followed by three retrospective, feel-good queer classics, it represented every decade of the festival’s existence (the 2020s, 2010s, 2000s and 1990s). Held at the UTS Alumni Green, just a short walk from Central Station.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a few on Facebook and the full photoset here.

Thursday 23 February | The Longest Weekend

Queer Screen were delighted to screen The Longest Weekend at MGFF23 with filmmakers Molly Haddon and the film’s creative team in attendance with a Q&A. The session was presented by Amazon Prime Video.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a selection on Facebook and the full photoset here:

Wednesday 22 February | The Giants

Queer Screen was proud to welcome Dr Bob Brown former head of the Australian Greens Party for the Sydney Premiere of The Giants which was followed by A showcase party where guests rub shoulders with the famous politician and the filmmaking team behind the fascinating documentary.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a few photos on Facebook or the full photoset here:

Tues 21 February | Stephen Cummins Retrospective Gala

Queer Screen was honoured to celebrate the life of Stephen Cummins’ and his influential career with a retrospective gala presentation of his complete works nine short films which have been digitised, restored and remastered by the NFSA, presented in partnership with the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) and Simon Hunt, Stephen’s estate executor during the 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival with a panel including Simon Hunt, Mathew Bergan and Nick Henderson who participated in a special panel discussion.

You can check out a selection of photos on Facebook or the full photoset from The Aperture Club here.

Monday 20 February | Trans Women Champion

Monday was a night of trans excellence at MGFF23, with our Trans Women Champions event!

With film cast, crew and subjects in attendance, we screened two mid-length documentaries about extraordinary Australian trans women: Trans Glamoré about DJ Victoria Anthony, founder of the Sydney institution; and The Accidental Archivist about Julie Peters, the first trans woman to run for Federal and Victorian State parliaments.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with some photos on Facebook and the full photoset right here. 

Monday 20 February | How To Tell A Secret

We’re still buzzing from the wonderful screening of How To Tell A Secret at Dendy Cinemas Newtown, which included an extra special Q&A with world-renowned activists, creators of the podcast Poz Vibes and subjects of the film Robbie Lawlor and Enda McGrattan!

A huge thanks to community partners Atomo (who also shouted the popcorn!), the Consulate General of Ireland in Sydney, and Sydney Queer Irish for all their wonderful support for this event.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a selection on Facebook and the full photoset right here. 

Sunday 19 February | Tár Screening at Westpac OpenAir Cinemas

What a night we had, screening Tár at the world’s most beautiful cinema, Westpac Open Air Cinemas! That means Cate Blanchett right alongside the beautiful Sydney harbour. Luxury.

We celebrated the night with the fabulous company of some of the Queer Screen Board, Donors and MGFF23 partners including Optus, AMEX, Prime Video, El Jimador Tequila, IVF Australia, ACON, JP Media Law, designlogic and Westpac Open Air.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club. Connect with us on Facebook in the album here or see the full photoset right here. 

Saturday 18 February | Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023

From the Asia-Pacific Queer Film Festival Award, to the premiere of Maxi Shield’s film The Winner Takes It All and more, all the pics from a wild Saturday night are ready. Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a few on Facebook and the full photoset right here. 

Plus all the pics from screenings of Blitzed and This Place screenings at The Ritz are on Facebook here and the full photoset here.

Friday 17 February | Lonesome screening at Event George St

A whole lot of incredible photos of the sexy cast, crew and audience of our SOLD OUT ‘Lonesome’ screening at Event Cinemas George St.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a few on Facebook and the full photoset right here. 

Thursday 16 February | El Houb screening at Event Hurstville

A smattering of photos from our fantastic session of El Houb at Event Cinemas Hurstville. Presented with Advance Diversity Services.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a selection on Facebook and the full photoset right here. 

Thursday 16 February | Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023

The second night of Queer Screen’s 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival was chockers with events, guests and excellent queer films. Check out all the photos from the night. These highlights are from the screening and Q&A from Number 96: TV’s First LGBT Show presented with Morgan Stanley, the launch of the Queer Comedy Specials on Prime Video, and a screening of Punch, presented with Allianz and World Gay Boxing Championships!

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with the full photoset right here. 

Opening Night Gala | Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023

We celebrated the opening of our 30th MGFF with the Sydney premiere of Goran Stolevski’s stunning Of An Age and a dazzling Opening Night Gala afterparty. It was so much fun, and the perfect way to welcome Queer Screen’s 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival. Let the queer excellence begin.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with a selection on Facebook and the full photoset right here. 

Festival Program Launch Party | Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023

We are beyond excited to kick off our 2023 Mardi Gras Film Festival with such a fun and welcoming Program Launch Party, held at the UTS Great Hall in Sydney.

Our 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival Program Launch Party was a great night to remember for all, with a memorable Welcome to Country from Gadigal Elder Graham Simms, an amazing introduction from Queer Screen’s Co-Chair Abs Osseiran and a delightful program update from Queer Screen’s Festival Director, Lisa Rose. Plus, we were lucky to experience the spectacular drumming performances from Taikoz and energetic beats from DJ Victoria Anthony, and not to forget our many wonderful guests who made this night a night to remember.

Photos thanks to The Aperture Club with the full photoset from our media wall, and guests and event photos plus the VIP pre-drinks. Also, you can find these on our Facebook Page to tag and share here.