Opening night Film “Flee”
Directed by  Jonas Poher Rasmussen

FLEE tells the extraordinary true story of a man, Amin, on the verge of marriage which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time.

Amin’s life has been defined by his past and a secret he’s kept for over 20 years. Forced to leave his home country of Afghanistan as a young child with his mother and siblings, Amin now grapples with how his past will affect his future in Denmark and the life he is building with his soon-to-be husband.

Told brilliantly through the use of animation to protect his identity, Amin looks back over his life, opening up for the first time about his past, his trauma, the truth about his family, and his acceptance of his own sexuality.

True Stories – BQFF International Short Film Festival

Documentary and Stories from Life

Part 1 of the Bendigo Queer Film Festival International Short Film festival featuring documentary and films based on true life stories. Once again our intrepid reviewers have scoured the globe for the latest queer stories. Here are films created from the real life experiences of LGBTIQ+ people from around the world.

No Straight Lines
Directed by Vivian Kleiman

No Straight Lines tells the story of five scrappy and pioneering cartoonists who depicted everything from the AIDS crisis, coming out, and same-sex marriage, to themes of race, gender, and disability. They tackled the humor in queer lives in a changing world, and the everyday pursuits of love, sex, and community.

Their work is funny, smart, and profound, and provides a unique, uncensored window into LGBTQ lives from the 1970s onward, beginning at a time in which there was no other genuine queer storytelling in popular culture. Equally engaging are their personal journeys, as they, against all odds, helped build a queer comics underground that has been able to grow and evolve in remarkable ways.

“It wasn’t until I discovered [LGBTQ comics] that I really understood what I was looking for, a queer world with stories and characters that I could recognize, that I could laugh with and care about.”

— Lana Wachowski, Director, Writer

Great Freedom
Directed by Sebastian Meise

In postwar Germany, Hans is imprisoned again and again for being homosexual.

Due to the notorious paragraph 175 criminalizing homosexual acts between men, his desire for freedom is systematically destroyed.

The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long time cell mate, Viktor, a convicted murderer. What starts in revulsion grows to something called love.

Outland 10 years on

10 years ago Outland, the first (and possibly only) sit-com about a gay and lesbian science-fiction fan club, burst onto our screens on the ABC. Starring Adam Richard, Christine Anu (in her first TV role) and Toby Truslove,

Outland explored the lives and loves of 5 gay nerds (“I prefer the term enthusiast”).

Join co-creators John Richards and (the fabulous) Adam Richard to discuss what’s changed in those years for queer representation on the small screen.

We will show two episodes from the series –

“Rae” If Rae had more warning that the science fiction meeting was at her house and her ex-girlfriend was coming over, she probably wouldn’t have brought home that enormous nude photograph of herself. With guest appearances from Kate McCartney (“The Katering Show”) and Ros Hammond (Mad as Hell).

“Fab” The science fiction fan club enters an alien world when they meet at Fab’s. Fab hasn’t turned up and the crew are forced to face their fears as they are stalked by his creepy, knife-wielding Nan.

As We Like It
Directed by Hung-i Chen and Muni Wei

A reworking of Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It,’ tells of the love blossoming between Orlando and Rosalind, who is disguised as a man. This colorful, energetic film follows Orlando and Rosalind and three other potential couples in their search for one another in an internet-free neighborhood in the bustling metropolis of Taipei, where there is no rush and people consciously live together. Fairy-tale settings, magical meetings, cryptic messages, but also fights, kidnappings, and family feuds. The film upends the binary world, making it a loving spectacle with plenty of music and doll-like design. IFFR

Special Guest Breakfast with Adam Richard

Venue: Federation Room Shamrock Hotel, Corner of Pall Mall &, Williamson St, Bendigo

Tickets $40 full / $35 concession includes buffet breakfast.

Adam Richard is an Australian comedian, actor, radio presenter, writer and media personality, best known for co-writing and starring in Outland, an ABC1 comedy series about a group of LGBT sci-fi geeks.

Adam was also a team captain on the 2014 revival of music quiz and live music performance show Spicks and Specks, and a permanent panel member on the Doctor Who-themed 2017 show Whovians.

Short Tales – BQFF International Short Film Festival

Drama and Fiction

Part 2 of the Bendigo Queer Film Festival International Short Film festival featuring drama and ficition films. Once again our intrepid reviewers have scoured the globe for the latest queer stories.

But I’m A Cheerleader/Lesbians in Film

This year our little festival is turning 18! To celebrate we’re going all teen nostalgic and showing But I’m A Cheerleader,  an iconic coming out film from way back in 1999.

To accompany the film we’re having a panel of illustrious and way intelligent queer women to discuss how portrayal of lesbians and queer women has changed (or not) since the film was first released.

Sue-Ann Post is an Australian writer, comedian and LGBTIQ+ icon. Self described as “Australia’s favourite six-foot, lesbian, ex-Mormon, diabetic, comedian and writer”, Post has performed as a stand-up comedian internationally and throughout Australia since 1991.

Sherene Clow is a broadcaster with MainFM, designer and LGBTIQA+ Engagement Officer in the Mount Alexander Shire and beyond.

Sarah Lang is head of development at Princess Pictures Film and Television production company. Sarah has worked in production, script editing and writing in projects as varied as Wolf Creek and Get Krackin.