PRESS RELEASE
Now in its 24th year, The Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) will once again delight audiences with its selection of quality queer cinema from around the world. The largest and longest running queer film festival in Australia, the MQFF will run for 12 days in March showcasing the best of international GLBTIQ cinema and home-grown talent.
To give you a taste of what’s in store MQFF has revealed three highlights from the 2014 program:
In the first of these standout titles, Jack and Diane, writer and director Bradley Rust Gray delivers a New York City love story with a twist. Debuting at the Tribeca Film Festival, the film follows teenagers Diane (Juno Temple, Atonement and MQFF’s 2011 opening night film Kaboom) and Tomboy Jack (Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough, The Runaways) as they fall passionately in love. Featuring a cameo from our own Kylie Minogue as Jack’s former lover, Jack and Diane is a romance-horror hybrid that will remind you of the intensity of your first love.
As light and delicious as its title suggests, Cupcakes is the latest feature from the award-winning Israeli filmmaker Eytan Fox (Yossi and Jagger, Walk on Water). Colourful, heart-warming and outrageously funny, Cupcakes tells the story of a group of friends living in the same apartment block in Tel Aviv, who decide to take on the Universong contest (any resemblance to Eurovision is ‘not’ coincidental) with a little ditty they dream up for a lovelorn friend. When one of the gang secretly posts the song online, it quickly becomes an internet sensation and before you can say ‘douze points’ they are selected as the official entry for Israel. Resembling Almodóvar’s style, with the colour palette to match and armed with a feel good pop score by Babydaddy (Scissor Sisters) Cupcakes is set to be top contender for cinematic guilty pleasure of the year.
The electrifying feature Free Fall (Freier Fall) wraps up this trio of highlights. This captivating German coming out drama unfurls through the masterful filmmaking of Stephan Lacant (Little India, Fireflies). Beautifully shot, Free Fall has gained critical acclaim at 2013’s Berlinale and on the international film festival circuit.
These titles are just a taste of what’s to come from the MQFF’s 2014 program. The full program launches on 19 February and goes live on the MQFF website on 20 February.
Plus, the Community Film Project is returning after its hugely successful debut in 2013 and MQFF is introducing a Film Industry Day to give GLBTIQ filmmakers and those interested in filmmaking the opportunity to network.
For more information visit mqff.com.au
DETAILS
WHAT: 24th Melbourne Queer Film Festival
WHEN: Thursday 13 – Monday 24 March 2013
WHERE: ACMI, Federation Sq, Hoyts Melbourne Central and Loop Bar
MORE INFO: www.mqff.com.au