Queer Screen returns to Event Cinemas Manuka to present the best of its 27th Mardi Gras Film Festival 2020 to Canberra’s LGBTIQ+ communities.
“We are delighted to be taking the Mardi Gras Film Festival on tour to Canberra 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’ opens Friday 13 March, 7pm with AN ALMOST ORDINARY SUMMER, 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 festival.
Saturday 14 March, 6pm TRANSGENDER SHORTS showcases some of the best filmmaking about transgender people from around the world. A beautifully realised package, these short films confront bigotry, stereotypes, religion, cultural norms, and the medical establishment.
Saturday 14 March, 8pm WHITE LIE is a stylish Canadian drama which explores social media and the lengths we go to for status, attention, and love through lead character Katie, a college student who fakes having cancer. As her elaborate charade begins to fall apart, Katie digs herself in deeper.
Sunday 15 March, 4pm 5B was runner up in the audience award at the festival in Sydney and is a heartfelt documentary about the start of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, told through the personal stories of those who established and worked on the HIV ward in the local hospital.
Sunday 15 March, 6pm 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.
Events like Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival continue to be a significant inclusion on the Canberra 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 Canberra audiences and thank Create NSW for helping to make it happen. This program celebrates our community and the ongoing evolution of queer filmmaking.”
Tickets for the 13–15 March 2020 screenings are on sale now at queerscreen.org.au.