Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival at the Blue Mountains' Carrington Hotel.
Queer Screen’s 23rd Mardi Gras Film Festival is now on tour, showcasing the best of the fest in the Blue Mountains and Parramatta.
In Sydney, the festival saw 16,500 attendees through the doors of its eight venues.
“We really stretched ourselves this year to present 75 screenings, create a large number of community and industry events, host 10 international guests and showcase a lot more lesbian and transgender films,” said Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival Director Paul Struthers.
“This would not have been possible without the incredible hard work and passion of our volunteers, Board, partners and sponsors and my Festival Manager James Woolley and I cannot thank everyone enough for all of their time and commitment.”
Queer Screen President Giovanni Campolo-Arcidiaco said that “Queer Screen is dedicated to engaging individuals and communities through queer storytelling through film. I feel this year that Paul and the team have absolutely delivered on our mission by showcasing the whole spectrum of queer life and the rainbow of characters within that.
“On behalf of the Board I would like to say a massive thank you and congratulation to every single person who was involved in making this year such a great success".
In addition to the festival's film prize and audience awards, Queer Screen awarded completion funding to two projects.
$7500 was was awarded to documentary Naseej by Australian director Jordan Bryon.
The film was made in 2015 in Jordan in collaboration with local activists, artists and students, and aims to give a voice to queer lives in the Middle East.
Naseej "traverses the life of an ex-Imam who fled Jordan after his family tried to cut his throat, a young woman from a conservative Muslim family who demands her right to express her sexuality, and the 19-year-old transgender woman from a conservative Bedouin tribe who is determined to transition".
$2500 was also awarded to Teenage Kicks, the feature film debut from Craig Boreham, produced by Annmaree J. Bell.
It follows 17-year-old Miklós Varga after the accidental death of his older brother.
"Only Mik knows the events that led to this tragedy and as far as he can see there is only one person to blame – himself. He is suddenly torn between his desire to head north and start a new life with his best friend Dan and the obligation to his broken family".