Here's What You Should See at This Year's Melbourne Queer Film Festival

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival is an incredibly rich film festival that draws in people from different communities to celebrate cinema that shows the love, pain, unity, and diversity of LGBTQI experiences. After more than 25 years, MQFF is back this month (March 31 to April 11) with vast line-up of films, offering everything from an insight into the trans experience in Puerto Rico, to gay sex on drugs, to a camp Lily Tomlin looking for money to pay for an abortion. Here are our top ten picks to check out on this year’s MQFF program.

Chemsex, 2015

A feature documentary from VICE, Chemsex is an unapologetic and confronting look into drug-fuelled sex between gay men. With the growing popularity of using drugs like crystal meth for sex, more gay men are experimenting with “party and play” cultures. This can take the form of sex parties or one-on-one sex, but is all fuelled by injecting or smoking drugs and having unprotected sex. A harsh and visceral look into this dangerous phenomenon, the documentary shows how so many men contract HIV as their lives unravel because of their addiction–to both sex and drugs.

Mala Mala, 2014

Mala Mala has stormed screenings across America and Europe and has been awarded universal critical acclaim thanks to its sensitive and considered portrait of trans-identifying individuals and drag queens in Puerto Rico. We see the daily struggle these queer folk face, whether it’s trying to access medical services to aid their transition or simply entering and leaving bars for performances. The documentary, with its lush colour and lingering camera shots, shows the intimate moments shared between these people, celebrating the diversity of that trans experience and the importance of friendship in the queer community.

Grandma, 2015

Grandma is about a teen girl who unexpectedly becomes pregnant and asks her grandmother (the always zany Lily Tomlin) for help to fund an abortion. The pair set out to try to find the money for the procedure, first shaking down the girl’s boyfriend, the grandma’s ex-husband and finally the busy and overworked mother to the granddaughter. A breezy and clever comedy-drama, Grandma is a fun journey exploring bonds between women—both queer and not—and is a real career renaissance for Tomlin, reminding many of us why we need her in film.

Naz & Maalick, 2015

Taking place over 24 hours, Naz & Maalick is about two closeted African-American Muslim teenagers who become the target of FBI surveillance. The film covers a number of complex issues that explore themes of race, sexual identity and religion, bringing them together in a thoughtful and nuanced way. The chemistry between the pair is undeniable and much of the pleasure of the film comes from watching how Naz and Maalick try to navigate the surveillance that targets them as two Muslim boys, reminding many of us of the days when gay men were often the target of public surveillance simply for being gay.

Closet Monster, 2015

Closet Monster plays a bit like a Gregg Araki film—the landmark New Queer Cinema director of films like The Living End—because of its imaginative and psychedelic qualities. Telling the story of a young gay teen who is haunted by the homophobic attack he witnessed growing up in a small American town, he dreams of escaping the oppressive confines of the suburbs. With Isabella Rossellini voicing his hamster—I know, sounds weird too—he creates a fascinating inner world that will resonate with many queer folk, many of whom use their inner worlds to obtain self-knowledge and to build inner strength.

Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, 2015

Growing up queer often means that events like birthday parties and family gatherings can be a real strain, especially if you are closeted and trying to avoid questions or a confrontation with your relatives. Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party tackles this head on, using 17-year-old Henry’s birthday party as the catalyst to explore issues of sexuality, self-loathing, and alcohol addition. It sounds more intense than it actually is; the film is more of a rambunctious—even camp—exploration of self-discovery, using the heartland of America’s Bible belt as its setting to explore one boy’s sexual discovery.

The Duke of Burgundy, 2015

A far more aggressive take on queer sexuality, The Duke of Burgundy may make for confronting viewing as it charts the intense sexual relationship between two women, exploring S&M culture. Although the film has already had its critics, it nevertheless is a deeply passionate and romantic story of unbridled attract ion and intimacy that sees two women forge a strong sexual bond. If you’re willing to enter this intensely Sapphic world, then do so because it offers strong rewards about the pain and pleasure of queer love.

Desert Migration, 2015

Many in the queer community who live with HIV often feel shamed not only by the straight community but also sometimes by their peers, stigmatised and shamed for the way many assume they contracted the virus. Desert Migration probes the lives of men in America who have migrated to Palm Springs to forge their own unique community. The film shows their unique bond and celebrates the beauty of this particular type of queer experience—even if it is experienced from the fringes of the community.

Everlasting Love, 2015

Using some of the thematic terrain chartered by Alain Guiraudie’s Stranger by the Lake, Everlasting Love explores public cruising and sex in public in a fascinating and gripping way. A middle-aged high school teacher meets one of his students while cruising in nearby woods. The film proves to be an eerie arthouse thriller exploring how their forbidden sexual relationship is acted out in the woods but cannot be contained, soon spilling out to their public life and leading to disastrous consequences.

That’s Not Us, 2015

That’s Not Us celebrates the diversity of sexual and romantic entanglements, connecting the experiences of a gay, lesbian and straight couple. The film offers an intimate glimpse into the struggles and hardships of three couples, demonstrating how many of their struggles often pour out and can be shared by their friends in their own relationships. A romantic comedy of sorts, it is a rare film that simultaneously celebrates queer experiences alongside straight ones.

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival runs from March 31 to April 11, 2016. You can find out more information and book tickets here.

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