Melbourne’s LGBTIQ+ communities will have a chance to get together again, safely, when MQFF takes over Melbourne cinemas for MQFF Together this March.
The program is now live for MQFF Together, which will screen from Thursday 11 March to Sunday 21 March 2021 at Village Cinemas Jam Factory, Cinema Nova and the Village Cinemas Coburg Drive-In. This will be the festival’s first in-cinema screenings since the postponement of its 30th festival due to coronavirus.
The impacts of COVID-19, however, have not dampened the richness of queer stories with 64 films from all parts of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer communities being featured throughout the festival.
MQFF Together will kick off with the opening night film Dating Amber, a coming-out romantic comedy set in Ireland during the mid-90s about high-school best friends who stage a relationship to hide their sexuality. The opening night will also feature the premier screening of Australian short How to be Queer – funded through MQFF’s Pitch Pleez! film competition.
The festival closes with Breaking Fast a delightfully queer rom-com that artfully explores the contradictory elements of homosexuality, Islamic politics and family. The closing night will screen with the premier screen of Australian short A Big Life also funded through MQFF.
MQFF Program Director Spiro Economopoulos says the MQFF Together program features stories in every genre and touching every part of our communities. “Whether you’re looking for a queer angle on a love story, want to see people who are just like you or want to explore the lives of other queer communities both here or overseas you will find stories at MQFF Together,” said Spiro.
MQFF Chief Executive Officer Maxwell Gratton says that MQFF Together will be the first chance for queer film lovers to get back to the cinema for MQFF and the team are making sure that the return to the big screen is as safe as possible.
“We know that our communities like to watch LGBTIQ films with other members of the community, to share in the experience of queer stories,” said Maxwell. “We are working closely with our cinema partners to ensure that we provide a safe and enjoyable experience.”
Maxwell says that screening sizes will be restricted to allow for social distancing in line with restrictions, but multiple screenings of films will provide a number of opportunities for festivalgoers to see a range of content. The festival is also planning options to move offerings online if there are any further lockdowns.
“Whilst we will have a number of films available online, we also have contingency plans in place to move a larger amount of our content online should we need to go into lockdown. This means that regardless of what happens, everyone should be getting ready to watch some of the latest in queer film this March.”
The full program and tickets for MQFF Together are available on MQFF's website.
Tickets are on sale from 9 am Monday 22 February 2021 for members and from 9 am Tuesday 22 February for general admission.
MQFF Together is proudly supported by the City of Melbourne, Quit Victoria, Film Victoria, the City of Stonnington, Me Bank, Thorne Harbour Health, Herbert Smith Freehills, Chapel Street Precinct, Equinox Gender Diverse Health Centre and Squealing Pig.
Post a comment