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 →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023 Review: Golden Delicious ★★★
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 →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023 Review: Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day? (Bashtaalak sa’at) ★★★
An experimental blend of film, poetry, song and more, Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day? (Bashtaalak sa'at) is an art piece that defies linear narrative or easy interpretation. We may start with a play on Shakespeare, but where we’ll end up…well, that's anyone’s guess. Egyptian filmmaker Mohammad Shawky Hassan has given us a... Continue Reading →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023 Review: Lotus Sports Club ★★★★
At its core, Lotus Sports Club is the story of found family, and one relationship in particular. Filmed over five years in Cambodia, the documentary is both inspiring and poignant as it explores the strength and limitations of the bonds we create. The Lotus Sports Club itself is the creation of Pa Vann, a trans... Continue Reading →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023 Review: #LookAtMe ★★★★★
Banned in its native Singapore, Ken Kwek’s second feature #LookAtMe takes the city-state’s repressive laws to their disturbing end point to deliver an emotionally charged, Orwellian nightmare of a story about siblings fighting for freedom when society is pressuring them to submit. Identical twin brothers Sean and Ricky Marzuki (both seamlessly played by yao) are... Continue Reading →
Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival marks 30th anniversary during World Pride – full lineup announced
The lineup for the 30th anniversary of Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival—running February 15th until March 2nd, 2023—has just been announced including several world and Australian premieres. A total of 166 films will screen over 16 days in cinemas, outdoors, and on demand at home alongside a program of panel discussions, workshops, industry networking... Continue Reading →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2022 Review: Moneyboys ★★★1/2
UPDATE: Screens at the 40th Anniversary Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival on Wednesday, July 20th at 9:45pm at Directors Guild of America, Theater 1. It’s not easy making a film with an emotionally distanced lead character, an enigma can only be so interesting without letting the audience in, so it’s a real achievement that... Continue Reading →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2021 Review: Under My Skin ★★★1/2
Australian director David O’Donnell’s feature debut, Under My Skin, takes a fresh approach to telling the story of young couple Denny and Ryan, whose relationship is tested as Denny questions their gender identity. Denny is played by four non-binary and trans non-binary performers (Liv Hewson, Chloe Freeman, Lex Ryan, and Bobbi Salvör Menuez) to dramatic... Continue Reading →
Mardi Gras Film Festival 2021 Review: Luz ★★★
Can a prison romance exist in the outside world? That’s the central question filmmaker Jon Garcia asks with Luz, the story of Ruben (Ernesto Reyes) and Carlos (Jesse Tayeh) who struggle to translate their secretive relationship into an open one when released. The dynamic between the men changes and evolves from reluctant cellmates, to mentor/mentee,... Continue Reading →
Queer Screen’s 28th Mardi Gras Film Festival lineup revealed
Queer Screen’s 28th Mardi Gras Film Festival has announced its full lineup of queer treats that will debut both in cinemas in Sydney and online on-demand across Australia from February 18th to March 4th 2021. MGFF will screen 94 films including narrative features, docs, shorts, and episodics, with 70% of those available on-demand. The program... Continue Reading →