Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2019

Overview

When 2020 rolls around, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival will hit its 30th year. That's a huge milestone, but everyone knows that turning 29 is just as important — it's the huge hurrah before the other huge hurrah, and it's what MQFF will be celebrating for 12 busy, cinema-filled days between Thursday, March 12 and Monday, March 25.

Highlighting 141 features, documentaries and shorts over 106 sessions — and yes, it's counting — this year's fest is going big in a variety of ways. The numbers tell part of the story. The big titles tell another part, including opening night's Papi Chulo, with Matt Bomer as an LA weather man. On closing night, attendees will be greeted with the Australian premiere of the Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern-starring Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy night, relaying a wild literary true tale that has to be seen to be believed. There's also Wild Nights With Emily, which boasts Molly Shannon as acclaimed poet Emily Dickinson; and Mapplethorpe, about the acclaimed and controversial photographer, and with Matt Smith worlds away from his Doctor Who days.

When the festival hits up Village Cinemas Jam Factory, ACMI and Cinema Nova, other highlights include Kenyan romance Rafiki, which was initially banned on home turf; tender French drama Sorry, Angel, one of the standouts of last year's Melbourne International Film Festival; and 2018 Sydney Film Festival prize winner The Heiresses, from Paraguay.

And on the doco front, Life in the Doghouse explores the tale of two men who turned their home into a dog sanctuary post-Hurricane Katrina, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood is a Golden Age tell-all focusing on Scotty Bowers, and Making Montgomery Clift focuses on the titular cinema idol.