"Russell T Davies made Doctor Who Gay", read headlines in the mid-2000s. With every passing reference to queer folks, or with the tremendous pearl-clutching when Captain Jack Harkness arrived in the TARDIS, there was much outrage or elation at the ‘New Who’ being a little bit gayer…depending on where you fell on the tabloid outrage... Continue Reading →
Writer-director Daniel Levy's Netflix film Good Grief is a testimony to the complexities of grief. More than that, it's also a reflection on the received wisdom of grieving and how we function beyond it, or more importantly, with it. Too often, we're told that grief is a cry-it-out at the funeral scene and a bounce back... Continue Reading →
A forgotten corner of Sydney's entertainment history is being celebrated at this year's Sydney Festival, as the late Black queer cabaret sensation Nellie Small is brought back to the stage though Send For Nellie. The performer began her career in the 1920s before developing her vaudeville act as a drag king. She became so adored,... Continue Reading →
The Pet Shop Boys have a key place in pop music through the 80s, 90s, and 00s. With hits like "Go West", "Left to My Own Devices", Rent", and "Absolutely Fabulous" becoming queer anthems, their synth-pop lit up gay club dancefloors and inspired generations of LGBTQ+ artists (with Russell T Davies' hit TV series taking... Continue Reading →
Alison Bechdel’s beloved weekly comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For, has been adapted into a series of audio plays on Audible with an all-star cast including Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia), Roberta Colindrez (A League of Their Own) and Roxane Gay (New York Times-bestselling author of Bad Feminist), with narration by Jane Lynch (Glee). Set in... Continue Reading →
Danish lesbian romantic drama, The Venus Effect (Venuseffekten), closes out Queer Screen's 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival with subtle charm. This gentle story is a sexy and sweet treat to round off an excellent 2023 festival. Liv is a young woman on the cusp of change. Living in rural Denmark, she is surrounded by orchards... Continue Reading →
Two mid-length documentaries about Australian trans women will receive their world premieres at Queer Screen’s 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival under the banner of Trans Women Champions: Trans Glamoré and The Accidental Archivist. Filmmaker Lachlan Bradbury's Trans Glamoré (a recipient of the Queer Screen Completion Fund), is a look at Sydney's eponymous trans cabaret night.... Continue Reading →
The autumnal landscape of southern Poland shines in writer-director Kamil Krawczycki’s new feature, Elephant (Słoń), adding fresh layers to the familiar tale of a rural young man discovering his sexuality in a homophobic town. Bartek (Jan Hrynkiewicz) works multiple jobs to support himself and his mother, looking after their farm animals by day and helping... Continue Reading →
Basketball, teen angst, social media, and family drama combine in Golden Delicious, a tale of an Asian-Canadian high schooler dealing with the claustrophobic impact of everyone else's expectations. Jake (Cardi Wong) is a good kid with a sweet girlfriend in Vancouver whose parents run a local Chinese restaurant. But the pressure is mounting. Nearing graduation,... Continue Reading →
I’ve been laughing for 80 minutes straight. Laughing at the audacity, laughing at the stupidity, and most of all, laughing at the insanity that is The Italians by Danny Ball. If you’re looking for a sensitive exploration of sexuality and assimilation into a multicultural Western country then keep walking, but if you want a solid... Continue Reading →
