So bring the whole gang. . . A date. . . Or your best mate! A friend, a foe, a frenemy. . . A couple, a throuple, a third wheel. . . Or, just go solo!
“Come for the love of cinema, the love of queer films, and the love of community,” Festival Director Lisa Rose says. “The film industry has changed dramatically throughout my time with Queer Screen. The volume of LGBTQIA+ content we see, as well as how and where we see it, continues to evolve,” she says.
“Yet the sense of belonging that comes when the lights dim and a room full of queer people experience a queer story together remains a constant. Even when a film has the audience divided, the feeling of community that envelops us is unifying.”
The 2025 programme marks Lisa’s final involved with Queer Screen. She’s been at the helm for eight years. The line-up features almost 150 of the world’s best LGBTQIA+ films, presented across 72 sessions at Event Cinemas (George Street and Hurstville), Dendy Cinemas Newtown, and Ritz Cinemas Randwick.
Opening things up is ‘Young Hearts’. It’s a coming-of-age tale set in rural Belgium, where 14-year-old Elias is navigating his burgeoning feelings for new neighbour Alexander, with the support of his loving family.
Then, bringing things to a close is charming French comedy-drama ‘Somewhere In Love’. This one sees the world open up for its main character, fifty-something single mother Nicole, whose unexpected romance with the beguiling Nora offers respite from the fractured relationship she has with her son.
Audiences can expect a handful of premieres screening this year, including the world premiere of ‘In Ashes’, a raw debut from Denmark-based filmmaker Ludvig C. Poulsen about an awkward 20-something struggling to get over his ex.
There are 20 feature films in the programme celebrating their Australian premieres including ‘Drive Back Home’ starring Alan Cumming and Charlie Creed-Miles, ‘Three Kilometres To The End Of The World’, which won the Queer Palm at Cannes, ‘Lilies Not For Me’, and ‘Layla’.
In ‘To Live, To Die, To Live Again’, an unorthodox love triangle unfolds under the shadow of the AIDS epidemic. Plus, ‘Crossing’ follows a retiree’s search for her runaway niece, in vibrant Istanbul. There’s some real-world love in ‘Unusually Normal’, following the lives of a family comprising two lesbian grandmothers, four lesbian mothers, and one lesbian granddaughter.
The strong documentary programme features profiles of singer-songwriter Ani De Franco, artist Jürgen Baldiga, lesbian feminist Sally Gearheart, and Black trans singer Jackie Shane.
Not to mention, the Australian premiere of Bruce David Klein’s new documentary ‘Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story’. . . Which will go hand-in-hand with a presentation of ‘Cabaret’.
Kaye Adelaide’s ‘The Rebrand’ follows lesbian influencer power couple Thistle and Blaire, commissioning a documentary about themselves to salvage their image after being cancelled.
Following the success of last year’s ‘The Sound Of Music’ singalong, the fun-filled event returns, this time with ‘Sister Act’ on screen, followed by sinful shenanigans from the Sisters and Brothers of The Order of Perpetual Indulgence, Sydney.
Throwing it back again is camp classic ‘The Birdcage’, in which a gay couple (Robin Williams and Nathan Lane) try to convince their son’s ultra-conservative future in-laws they’re not gay. In the equally beloved lesbian classic ‘Imagine Me & You’, Rachel (Piper Perabo) locks eyes with Luce (Lena Headey) while walking down the aisle, and tries to convince herself she didn’t make a big mistake.
Once again, the festival includes an on-demand encore season, with a selection of films including ‘Drive Back Home’, ‘The Rebrand’, ‘Unusually Normal’, ‘My Queer Career’ and all the popular shorts packages.
“Without Lisa [Rose]’s drive and vision, Queer Screen would not be what it is today,” Queer Screen Co-Chair Abs Osseiran says. “We will celebrate her achievements throughout this year’s festival and look forward to her ongoing engagement with Queer Screen when her time as Festival Director comes to an end. There will be some exciting changes for Queer Screen coming, which we will share in due course.”
Check out the full programme.
Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival is from 13-27 February (in cinemas) and 28 February-10 March (on demand).
