Fittingly, then, the 2024 theme is ‘Formative Sound And Vision’. “The gift of sound and vision”, as David Bowie once put it, has inspired and shaped queer folks and fellow travellers of all walks of life. What would LGBTQIA+ culture be without certain specific, celebrated conjunctions of sound and vision?
The 2024 programme will take a deep dive into hidden-in-plain-sight queer histories, formed by the intersections of sound and vision.
“This season, we're electrifying Melbourne with an unforgettable celebration of queer music culture. Audiences are in for a genre-spanning festival that honours the LGBTQIA+ artists and creatives who've shaped – and continue to transform – how we live, sing, and dance,” MQFF Chief Executive Officer David Martin Harris says. “From rock to pop, country and everything in between, we're diving deep into the intersection of music and film. The 2024 MQFF isn't just a film festival; it's an international queer-revisionist journey through the untold history of music. Expect an exhilarating fest that'll have everyone on their feet – it’s going to be an absolute riot!”
Throughout the festival will be 42 features and 19 documentaries – with three keystone events: Opening Night at ACMI with ‘Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story’ and its Melbourne premiere, the Centrepiece screening ‘Gondola’ and its Melbourne premiere, and the Closing Night film ‘Duino’ in its Australian premiere.
“Queers have long been hooked to the silver screen, coveting representations and reflections of ourselves, sometimes only coming out through encountering kindred spirits on-screen,” MQFF Program Director Cerise Howard says. “Inspired by festival guest Darryl W. Bullock’s ‘David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music’, this year’s theme is ‘Formative Sound And Vision’ – the 2024 MQFF will resound with queer excellence, on-screen and off!”
Also playing as part of the festival are the Australian premiere of ‘Reis’, a docu-musical featuring former prisoners depicting not only versions of themselves but also their jailers; the documentary ‘Lady Like’ following ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Lady Camden – AKA Rex Wheeler – and his journey through embracing drag, getting drafted, and dealing with the uproar following his time on the show; the Melbourne premiere of Bruce LaBruce’s ‘The Visitor’ which you can read about here; the Melbourne premiere of ‘Close To You’ from Canada starring Elliot Page in his first leading role as a trans man; and the Melbourne premiere of ‘National Anthem’ following Dylan who accepts a job at a queer ranch and explores parts of himself he’s not yet found.
The full MQFF programme will drop later in October.
Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2024 is on from 14-24 November.
