MQFF Together

Overview

It happened when home video arrived, when streaming became prevalent and, over the past year, when public life shut down during the pandemic. Yes, the death of cinema-going has been predicted again and again — but film lovers will always feel the yearning to see a movie on a big screen in a room filled with fellow cinephiles. For Melburnians who fancy doing just that and seeing the latest and greatest in LGBTQIA+, the city's annual queer film festival is back with its first in-cinema program in 12 months. You might remember that MQFF was actually underway in 2020 when lockdowns hit, and then held an online event later in the year.

From Thursday, March 11–Sunday, March 21, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival will hit up Village Cinemas Jam Factory, Cinema Nova and the Village Cinemas Coburg Drive-In for MQFF Together, its 2021 fest. Head along, and you'll be able to catch a lineup of 64 movies that haven't sat in your streaming queue lately. That means you'll want to put the remote down, farewell your couch and get ready to smell that familiar popcorn scent.

On the bill: Supernova, a touching queer drama starring Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci as a longterm couple navigating significant health woes; The World to Come, a frontier romance featuring Katherine Waterston (The Third Day) and Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman). The festival takes place in autumn, but you can pretend otherwise with moving French feature Summer of 85 and rural-set Aussie effort My First Summer. Plus, Rebel Dykes explores lesbian punk music, while PS Burn this Letter Please looks back at New York City's drag scene in the 50s.

And, bookending MQFF Together are to notable titles, if you're keen to start and end your viewing in a big way. Irish rom-com Dating Amber takes pride of place on opening night, and takes viewers back to high school in the 90s. As for closing night, it too will combine romance and comedy thanks to Breaking Fast.