The world outbreak of COVID has little to dampen the spirits and efforts of Queer Film Festivals which may have adjusted to lots of Virtual Screenings but are still packing their programs with exciting new films. Plus for the first time you can see most of them from the comfort of your own … and in this in the far flung parts of Australia.
The 8th Queer Screen Festival in Sydney that runs from 17th – 27th September is on more screens than ever, both in movie theaters and online. The program of over 40 feature films, documentaries and shorts include 29 Australian premieres
Queerguru has been through the whole list with a fine tooth comb and come up with our TOP TEN LIST of what we think SHOULDN’T BE MISSED. Here they are in alphabetical order:
AHEAD OF THE CURVE : This is the story of a very determined 23 year old gambler who always won. First on the horses which filled her pockets with money, and then on the magazine she started with the proceeds. This was the birth of Deneuve which later morphed into Curve became the biggest selling lesbian magazine in the world, and the very first one to put the word ‘lesbian’ on the front. Now 30 years later this fascinating documentary on the powerhouse queer activist and the magazine’s founder Frances ‘Franco’ Stevens comes to the screen as a compelling part of LGBTQ history to date.
BREAKING FAST : Writer/director MIKE MOSALLAM’S debut feature has been a favorIte on the film festIval circuit . Its part queer romantic comedy and part tutorial on the ups and downs of being a gay Arab Muslim living in West Hollywood. Somehow the two are a good fit, so it makes us feel good that love (eventually) conquers all and we’ve learnt something new too.The filmmaker said that his intention was to tell a story that speaks to the nuances of daily life and treats identity: religious, sexual, gender and otherwise, as harmonious lenses by which individuals interact with the world. He did that, and make them fall in love too
MATT FIFER wrote, co-directed and starred in his debut feature film CICADA which has such a solid ring of authenticity that it must be based on his life story. He plays twenty-something- year-old Ben who needs to find himself. It is an very enjoyable impressive first film and not just because he seems to have more sex in the first eight minutes of this film, then some people have in a whole lifetime! BTW the soundtrack is totally fab too.
From French TV comes PROUD a powerful three part mini series that is a three-generation family drama about being gay in France from the 1980’s on. It’s how a committed Socialist working-class family had to cope with the reality that the outspoken liberal views of the father were severely challenged when he could not accept his son’s sexuality. Especially because it was illegal to be gay in France at the time
Filmmaker César Award Winner Philippe Faucon’s compelling story kicks of when teeenager Victor (BENJAMIN VOISIN) is working on construction sites with his father, Charles (FRÉDÉRIC PIERROT) before going off the Architecture School. Charles is not too keen on Aurélie (LOU ROY-LECOLLINET) Victors’ girlfriend but quickly changes his mind after spotting his son furtively making out with Sélim (SAMI OUTALBALI)
STAGE MOTHER . Two time Academy Award JACKI WEAVER grabs the spotlight and our hearts too in this deliciousLy funny feel-good-comedy. In the title role Weaver plays the mother to assorted bunch of characters that are [art of the Drag Club she has inherited from her estranged gay son who has died suddenly. It’s an uplifting tale about the second chances that life gives, Unashamedly schmaltz it has a ending that you will not forget in a hurry.
P.S. Check www.queerguru.com for our interviews with the film’s director THOM FITZGERALD, and two of the stars JACKIE BEAT and MYA TAYLOR
EAMMON ASHTON-ATKINSON upliftIng documentary STEELERS is about the World’s first ever all-gay rugby team based in London .Ashton-Atkinson had hoped to be part of the Steelers Team in 2018 that were off to take part in the BINGHAM CUP TOURNAMENT in Amsterdam but an injury made that impossible. Instead he accompanied the Team with his camera and what he filmed ended up being edited into this unplanned and completely delightful documentary.
Since 1995 when the Steelers were the only gay rugby club, there are now some 6 clubs around the globe. They all meet every second year for the Bingham Cup Tournament which is the equivalent of gay rugby’s world cup. It is named after MARK BINGHAM, an American gay man who died a hero on board UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 when it crashed during the SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ATTACKS.
SONG LANG: LEON LE’S heart-string-pulling story of a love that goes unconsummated is probably the first LGBTQ movie from Vietnam that we have ever seen. It is an unexpected and very compelling love story between two previously rather confused young men who have found their potential soul mates in the most unlikely of circumstances, It is also a love song to a Saigon long changed and the wonderful tradition of Cải Lương Opera which Le, a resident of California since he was a teenager, treats with the utmost respect and passion. If this is to be the standard bearer of a new source of queer cinema then we cannot wait to see what could follow that would match this
SURVIVING THE SILENCE: This story starts with COL. PAT THOMPSON AND HER NOW WIFE BARBARA BRASS. Thompson had served in the Army her whole working life rapidly moving up the ladder and being given important assignments around the globe. She and Brass had been in a closeted relationship for decades and although they lived together went to extraordinary lengths to maintain a strict secrecy. Listening to their stories unfold and hear all the sacrifices they maintained not to jeopardise either Thompson’s career or their relationship, are tough to hear at times.
Then in 1992 when Thompson was just two years away from retirement she received an order from her commanding officer that she was to preside over the military review board investigating COLONEL MARGARETHE CAMMERMEYER who the National Guard wanted to discharge for being a lesbian. It’s a story of personal bravery and fearlessness that would go on to impact the whole LGBT Community
For his sophomore film TREMORS, which is also the 2nd movie from Guatemala with an LGBTQ story line, the award-winning writer/director JAYRO BUSTAMANTE was met with some resistance at the casting stage when over 80% of the local actors refused to play a gay man. He needn’t have worried though as he chose the extremely talented actor JUAN PABLO OLYSLAGER whose finely nuanced performance as the lead character makes this very disturbing drama so utterly watchable.
Olyslager plays 40 year Pablo, father of two children, and husband to his young wife Isa (DIANE BATHEN) and the film starts with him driving home to his heavily fortified family mansion to be confronted by his entire family. He has been outed as gay and all his devout Evangelical relatives single-mindedly refuse to admit that this is no more than an aberrant one-off accident and that they, and God, can bully him back to a path of righteousness.
WELCOME TO CHECHNYA : OSCAR nominated queer filmmaker DAVID FRANCE’S third documentary is one of the most harrowing depictions of contemporary LGBTQ life that we will ever have to sit through. Fortunately France and his team are skilled enough to tell the stories with such heartfelt compassion that we don’t just feel like voyeurs but as witnesses to a scenario that should shock us into some sort of action.
It may appear like a documentary thriller but it starts off with a sobering statement “ It happened under Stalin and Hitler. A whole section of the public were identified for extermination without charges or trials. This time it’s not Jews but homosexual. No matter how painful this devastating story may be it is a must see as we all need to know about the plight of our checkyan brothers and sister
For the full QSFF20 Program and How to Book Tickets go to https://queerscreen.org.au/ for full reviews of our choices + interviews with several of the filmmakers go to www.queerguru.com
Labels: 2020, film festival, QSFF, Sydneyu, Top Picks
