The Five Best Films to See at the Brisbane Queer Film Festival 2016

Plenty of film festivals might call Brisbane home, but only one is dedicated to showcasing the best in queer cinema. That'd be the long-running Brisbane Queer Film Festival, which not only celebrates its 17th year this February, but also offers up a whole heap of must-watch movies to mark the occasion.

Take BQFF's glittering opener, for example: the '90s-made, '70s-set disco cult classic, 54: The Director's Cut. And while everyone loves a bit of Ryan Phillippe and Neve Campbell drama, that's not the only gem in the program. Here's our pick of the five best films to see at this year's BQFF — the acerbic, the emotional and the offbeat among them.

GRANDMA

Who hasn't wished that Lily Tomlin was their grandmother? The actress and comedian has proven a force to be reckoned with since the '60s, and does so again in the movie that makes our dreams the fictional Sage's (Julia Garner) reality. When the teenager needs help finding cash and dealing with a problem, she turns to Tomlin's feisty family matriarch. The likes of Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, John Cho and Sam Elliott also join in the episodic antics, though Grandma's title gives away the true star of the show, offering the veteran performer a potent role and a poignant character study suited to her talents.

REMEMBERING THE MAN

Maybe you first discovered the real-life story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo in 2015 Aussie feature Holding the Man. Maybe you had already read Conigrave's best-selling book of the same name. Either way, you'll want to see Remembering the Man, the latest effort to recount their tragic romance from their first meeting as Melbourne schoolboys in the late '70s to the cruel blow that the '80s AIDS epidemic served them. This time, documentarians Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe not only chart a familiar tale in factual form, but offer up previously unseen footage of and unheard details about Conigrave and Caleo's relationship. Our advice: bring tissues.

EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO

No one makes movies like Peter Greenaway. If you've seen The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover or The Pillow Book, then you no doubt agree — and if you haven't, Eisenstein in Guanajuato will bring you around to our way of thinking. With his usual flair and fondness for the explicit and the unsubtle, the British director hones in on another filmmaker, Soviet Battleship Potemkin helmer Sergei Eisenstein. After the titular figure made the movie all film students still study to this day, he apparently went on a Mexican odyssey, one which Greenaway recreates and fictionalises with ample experimentation of both the cinematic and sexual kind.

THE NEW MAN

Richard Linklater isn't the only filmmaker capable of taking his time to tell stories. Uruguayan director Aldo Garay has followed the plight of Stephania for more than two decades — from her former existence in Nicaragua as a boy called Roberto, to her current struggles for acceptance as a transwoman. Interviews and observational footage of Stephania's life intertwine to provide an intimate look at her journey, while also dissecting the political upheaval that has characterised Latin America since the 1970s. The powerful end result won the 2015 Berlin Film Festival Teddy Award winner for Best Documentary.

GIRLS LOST

Body swap comedies and supernatural teen exploits combine in Girls Lost — however, the Swedish feature does something a bit more interesting with the two genres than most. As based on a young adult novel, it examines sexual identity, awakenings and confusion as three outcast friends drink a strange juice and transform from girls into boys. Expect a range of genres to colour this inventive take on gender fluidity, which comes to Brisbane after making its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Expect more than the usual high school-set fare too, as well as a delicate balance of humour and honesty.

The Brisbane Queer Film Festival runs from February 18 to 28 at New Farm Cinemas. Visit the festival website for the full program.