Top trans and gender diverse films

Mardi Gras Film Festival always features brilliant content from trans and gender diverse people – both behind and in front of the camera.

From shorts, dramas and comedies, here are the top trans and gender diverse films at Queer Screen’s 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival!

Closing Night: She’s the He

Thu 26 Feb, 7:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St

Tired of everyone assuming they’re gay, Alex (Nico Carney) convinces best friend Ethan (Misha Osherovich, Freaky) they should come out as trans women. Alex sees it as an excuse to get close to his crush, Sasha (Malia Pyles, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin). But when Ethan steps out as a woman for the first time and experiences warmth and acceptance, she realises she actually is trans. She’s the He is a bold reinvention of the high school teen comedy, joyfully reframed through a much-needed queer and trans lens

A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint

Wed 25 Feb, 6:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St

This intimate documentary charts the rise of trailblazing performer and trans icon Miss Peppermint. Filmed over a decade, it traces Peppermint’s journey from barely scraping by to becoming an international superstar and the first openly trans contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. As a Black trans woman in the public eye, she must navigate the increased scrutiny that comes with her broadening opportunities, amidst the increasingly volatile landscape for trans people during Trump’s first term.

Between Dreams and Hope

Tue 24 Feb, 6:30pm
Dendy Cinemas, Newtown

Azad and his partner Nora can’t get married until Azad is legally recognised as a man. Azad can’t access gender affirming care without his estranged father’s permission, so they must travel to his remote family village to convince his father to sign the documents. But when Azad suddenly goes missing, Nora must navigate bureaucracy within a community that would rather he not be found.

Opening Night: Jimpa

Thu 12 Feb, 7:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St
and
Wed 18 Feb, 7:00pm
Dendy Cinemas, Newtown

Starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, filmmaker Hannah travels to Amsterdam with her non-binary teen, Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde). Reconnecting with her HIV+ academic gay father, Jim – affectionately known as “Jimpa” – she hopes to discuss plans to tell his story on screen. But when Jimpa’s health begins to decline, Hannah must negotiate what happens next as she confronts her past and the stories she’s told about her family.

Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds

Sun 15 Feb, 12:00pm
Pink Flamingo Cinema

Shot on handheld camcorder with a five hour runtime, is a labyrinthine post-modern trans epic that amassed a cult following, this standalone second part is darker than its predecessor, set against the hellish backdrop of Trump’s America. Shot on camcorder with a five hour runtime, don’t miss this rare chance to see it on the big screen and be immersed in its raw, partially-improvised horror.

Trans & Gender Diverse Shorts

Mon 23 Feb, 7:00pm
Dendy Cinemas, Newtown

An ex-pro hockey player who time travels back to his pre-transition self and a look at Sydney’s wrestling scene through legend, Nikki Van Blair, the biggest diva you’ve never heard of. These are just a few highlights from the Trans & Gender Diverse shorts lineup!

Thesis on a Domestication

Sat 21 Feb, 7:00pm
Dendy Cinemas, Newtown

A famous trans theatre actress known for her wild partying and sexual appetite falls for a bisexual lawyer (Alfonso Herrera, Sense8), who matches her freak. From the outside, they fit the heteronormative ideal, but behind closed doors it’s non-monogamy, sex clubs and bondage. But when they start the process of adopting a child, is it possible to maintain their private sexual freedom without jeopardising their family?

Fatherhood

Mon 16 Feb, 7:00pm
Dendy Cinemas, Newtown

A gay Norwegian throuple – David, Sindre and Kris, the first pregnant trans man in Norway – prepare for impending fatherhood. Until 2016, Norway required trans people to be sterilised to get legal gender recognition. Told his womb wasn’t viable, in 2009 Kris’ doctors only removed his ovaries. When a doctor discovered Kris’ womb was healthy years later, a lifelong dream of being a father was suddenly possible.

The Serpent’s Skin

Thu 19 Feb, 6:30pm
Dendy Cinemas, Newtown

After escaping her transphobic hometown, twentysomething Anna arrives in the city determined to start over. She soon falls for Gen, a goth tattoo artist, and the pair discover they share supernatural abilities. When a tattoo session with Anna’s neighbour Danny goes wrong, a demonic force is unleashed. As it begins feeding on those around them, Anna and Gen must harness their powers to protect their found family.

My Queer Career: Australian Shorts

Mon 23 Feb, 6:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St

There are eight short films competing in this year’s My Queer Career, Australia’s richest LGBTIQ+ short film prize with over $16,000 worth of cash and in-kind support to be won. With shorts ranging across a broad variety of genres, come see the works of these local filmmakers!

Second Nature

Sat 14 Feb, 11:00pm
State Library of NSW

Narrated by Elliot Page, Second Nature is an engaging documentary about the diversity of gender and sexuality in the natural world. It debunks the myth that being queer is “unnatural” or females are “inferior”, with evidence from throughout the animal kingdom. Follow trailblazing trans evolutionary biologist Dr. Joan Roughgarden (Evolution’s Rainbow), as she meets other groundbreaking scientists exploring the 1,500+ animal species who engage in same-sex sexual behaviour and parenting, change sex and form matriarchies.

If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart into Your Mouth and Smile

Sun 22 Feb, 6:30pm
Dendy Cinemas, Newtown

This Teddy Jury Prize winner brilliantly captures those nascent years of questioning identity. 12 year-old Anna and her Deaf mum live in cramped public housing. When she starts secondary school they can’t afford the clothes others wear. But she finds an ally in Mara, whose trans father always has her back. Surrounded by quietly accepted queer characters, there’s no rush for Anna to grow up or make decisions.

Girl for a Day

Mon 23 Feb, 6:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St

In 18th century France, Anne was born intersex and raised as a girl at the advice of a priest. Girl for a Day transforms historical records into a quietly devastating meditation on identity and bodily autonomy.

Skiff

Fri 13 Feb, 7:00pm
Event Cinemas, George St

The youngest of three, fifteen year-old Malou is a gifted rower bullied by her teammates for avoiding group showers. The one constant in Malou’s life is her brother Max – until she develops unexpected feelings for his new girlfriend, Nouria.

Queens of the Dead

Fri 20 Feb, 6:30pm
Event Cinemas, George St

When a zombie apocalypse breaks out during a warehouse party, an eclectic group of drag queens and club kids must put aside their differences to fight against the brain-thirsty undead. Starring a who’s who of queer scene-stealers – Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Tomás Matos (Fire Island), Nina West (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Jack Haven (I Saw the TV Glow), Dominique Jackson (Pose) and Margaret Cho – Tina Romero puts her own sparkly twist on the genre her father George A. Romero popularised, in this laugh-out-loud comedy.