Queer Screen returns to Mount Vic Flicks to present the best of its 27th Mardi Gras Film Festival 2020 to LGBTIQ+ communities in the Blue Mountains.
Tickets for the March 27-29 screenings are on sale now at queerscreen.org.au.
"We are delighted to be taking the Mardi Gras Film Festival to the Mountains again," said Festival Director Lisa Rose. "It's very exciting to bring this hand-picked selection to such a supportive community."
The 'best of the fest' features two romances - the first between two young women and the second is about two older men. We also present two shorts programs encompassing a range of genres and styles, which reflects how far queer cinema has evolved over the years since the first Mardi Gras Film Festival.
Same but different: A true New Zealand love story is a delightfully modern, cross-cultural romantic comedy about being your true self. Of course, true love never runs smoothly and when odd couple Rachel and Nikki finally get together a spiteful ex appears to throw a spanner in the works. On Friday, March 27, at 8pm.
Best of gay shorts showcases filmmaking at its most beautifully poetic and side-splittingly outrageous, with each story offering a unique perspective on gay existence. On Saturday, March 28, at 6pm
An almost ordinary summer is a cheeky comedy that has audiences laughing out loud and holding on to their heartstrings for Carlo and Tony, a pair of later-in-life gay lovers who bring their families together to announce their engagement. The film was a hit at Frameline and the Sydney audience rated it 4.2 out of 5 when it closed the Sydney festival last month. On Saturday, March 28, at 8pm.
Best of lesbian shorts captures the experiences of lesbian women from the serious, silly and even strange! On Sunday, March 29, at 4pm.
Events like Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival continue to be a significant inclusion on the Blue Mountains LGBTIQ+ calendar. The 2020 theme - Evolve. Emerge. Fly - is a testament to the broad evolution of queer cinema and the importance of representation on Australian cinema screens.
"Seeing a story or character you identify with on screen is reaffirming; it builds confidence and pride," Rose said. "We are proud to be presenting a diverse range of stories and characters to Blue Mountains audiences and thank Create NSW for helping to make it happen. This program celebrates our community and the ongoing evolution of queer filmmaking."
Create NSW granted funding to Queer Screen to support the Festival's tour to the Blue Mountains, Canberra, Parramatta, Lismore and Newcastle, bringing visibility, diversity and the Mardi Gras experience to those communities.
NSW Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin, said Create NSW was proud to join with Queer Screen to showcase diversity and excellent films, bringing the Festival's total screenings to 102.
"The Mardi Gras Film Festival has been at the forefront of challenging prejudice and telling the stories of our community for 27 years. It is so important that our regions have the chance to see the best LGBTIQ stories from home and around the world."
