Movies for gay men and those who love them

Featuring epic romances, steamy dalliances, touching dramas and tales of self discovery, these are just some of the many engrossing, unmissable films about gay men at Queer Screen’s 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival.

Of an Age

Wed 15 Feb, 7:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St
and
Tue 28 Feb, 7:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St

Summer, 1999. A closeted Serbian-Australian teenager develops intense feelings for his best friend’s older brother, in this phenomenal Australian coming of age romance starring Thom Green (Dance Academy) and Elias Anton (Barracuda), from acclaimed writer-director Goran Stolevski (You Won’t Be Alone).

In from the Side

Sat 18 Feb, 8:00pm
Ritz Cinemas, Randwick
and
Wed 22 Feb, 7:00pm
Hayden Orpheum, Cremorne
and
Wed 1 Mar, 8:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St

In from the Side is a captivating drama exploring an illicit affair between two partnered members of a South London gay rugby team. This sizzling crowd-pleaser faithfully captures the jealousies, camaraderie and team spirit within a local club.

Elephant

Mon 20 Feb, 6:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St
and
Wed 1 Mar, 6:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St

A tender romance between a young man and the outsider who shakes up his reality. Bartek runs his small family farm, alongside his mother. When Dawid, a neighbour’s son, returns home, Bartek is immediately attracted to this man who has broken free of the confines of this conservative rural town.

El Houb – The Love

Thu 16 Feb, 7:00pm
Event Cinemas, Hurstville
and
Thu 23 Feb, 6:20pm
Ritz Cinemas, Randwick

A quiet, ambitious and commanding exploration of a Moroccan-Dutch man’s life at a crossroads when his conservative Muslim family discovers he’s gay. With honesty and subtle humour, this beautiful film explores the power of finally being seen.

Three Nights a Week

Sun 19 Feb, 8:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St
and
Thu 23 Feb, 7:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St
and
Tue 28 Feb, 1:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St

Handsome photographer Baptiste falls in love with a drag queen, in this crowd-pleasing French dramedy that questions the rigid confines of gender presentation and sexual labels. But is he ready to be a part of this newfound world of foundation, frocks and found family, or is he just a passing tourist?

Wandering Heart

Fri 17 Feb, 9:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St
and
Sat 18 Feb, 5:30pm
Ritz Cinemas, Randwick

Leonardo Sbaraglia delivers a tour-de-force performance as a middle-aged gay man who loses his way during an eventful summer in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, in this powerful and erotically charged story. Adrift in his fear of loneliness, Santiago seeks out increasingly risky casual encounters with other men to fill his growing emotional void.

Where Butterflies Don’t Fly

Sat 25 Feb, 6:30pm
Dendy Cinemas, Newtown
and
Mon 27 Feb, 8:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St

A claustrophobic thriller drama that finds student Daniel (Daniel Krejcík), and one of his teachers, Adam (Jirí Vojta), thrown together in a precarious situation during a weekend school excursion. Daniel is an outsider among his classmates, while Adam keeps his gay relationship a secret from his workplace. While they navigate their predicament, they each work through their own issues in this gripping film from the Czech Republic.

Gay Shorts

Tue 28 Feb, 8:40pm
Event Cinemas, George St

Featuring Emmy award-winning actor Colman Domingo (Euphoria), this collection of heartfelt shorts focus on gay men from all walks of life. A young man bonds with his florist boss when they visit the garden of Derek Jarman. A Cornish rugby player struggles to keep his boyfriend a secret. A uni student meets a man he met online for an illicit rendezvous. An autistic man befriends a gay sex worker and spends a night on the town. From light-hearted to affecting, these films offer a window into the diversity of gay existence.

Punch

Thu 16 Feb, 9:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St
and
Fri 24 Feb, 6:20pm
Ritz Cinemas, Randwick

In a small New Zealand town, Jim blends in with the hypermasculine culture by focusing on his promising boxing career with his coach (Tim Roth). Whetu, who’s targeted for being queer and Māori, isn’t so lucky. When they connect, Jim must confront the cost of fitting in, in a world hostile to difference.

About Us But Not About Us

Fri 24 Feb, 7:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St
and
Mon 27 Feb, 4:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St

Intrigue is on the menu in this masterfully constructed Filipino mystery, from the director of Die Beautiful (MGFF17). A university professor and his ambitious young student meet in downtown Manila, post-COVID-19 lockdown, when restaurant sittings are time limited. This sets the scene for an enthralling game of cat and mouse in which startling revelations are made.