Melbourne Queer Film Festival presents a program of over 120 features and shorts, panels, Q&A sessions, workshops, parties and many others ways to celebrate LGBTIQ+ culture through film and the moving image. Maxwell Gratton commenced his role as Executive Director of Melbourne Queer Film Festival in late 2017. Maxwell told SBS Greek, says that 'MQFF doesn't just get films that are just commercially popular or just mainstream popular. We do really try to represent all of the colours of the rainbow.'
MQFF continues to showcase and celebrate the best in LGBTIQ+ cinema from around the world. Festival's Program Manager, Spiro Economopoulos told SBS Greek that what makes MQFF different from other festivals is that it's very much of a community shared the experience. 'I think this is an opportunity to be involved with the queer community. I think that's a key factor in the festival success, is having that engagement you get with other queer people, allies and the films and filmmakers themselves.'
Here is the chat we had:
SBS Greek: When you see a film, how do you know it’s checking that box? In other words, what are the qualifications for the selected films?
Spiro Economopoulos: The first quality control check that I go through for any film which is going through the Melbourne Queer Film Festival is that if it's a good film. At the end of the day, we are a film festival, we’re one of the oldest queer film festivals as well and we try and show the best there is in LGBTQI+ cinema from around the world. So, I go into it as a film fan and with my festival head on thinking. And obviously you go deeper into that and think about our audience and whether this is the right thing for our audience, how they will respond to it and also how is my challenge our audience as well so I think that's always something that's in the back of my mind. We definitely want to have a program that’s equal in terms of gender and I think in terms of having trans content in there as well is really important.
Maxwell Gratton: We don't just get films that are just commercially popular or just mainstream popular. We do really try to represent all of the colours of the rainbow.
SBS Greek: Emerging directors and producers as well?
Maxwell Gratton: Absolutely! Also ensuring that we do adequately support and will support Australian directors and filmmakers. That's also very important to us; to give people an opportunity who may not get in other places.
Spiro: It's always exciting for us when we have an estrange features that land on our desk. This year we have to world premiere estranged features. So that's always great once that happened, that for us is a real key factor.
SBS Greek: I wonder if your festival provides an opportunity for straight people to think about sexuality generally, without feeling the need to ‘fit in’. Do you think that the festival has achieved that?
Maxwell Gratton: I think the festival has it's actually one of the important things to do what to strive to in the times ahead is to engage those who may not identifies LGBTQI+. People that identify straight or straight allies are very important to the LGBTQI+ communities. So we do create an environment that's it extremely welcoming for that you don't have to be gay to enjoy our movies and our offerings. The festival plays a very important role in terms of engaging those communities, it educates people who aren’t LGBTQI+ and challenges them and it also entertains them. I suppose, despite displaying LGBTQI+ lives on screen, it also empowers those who are LGBTQI+ to better identify and relate to themselves. I'm Australian half Greek half Filipino and if I want to learn about my Greek roots, I have my Greek side of the family, and if I want to learn about the Filipino roots, I have my Filipino side of the family. But where do you go to learn to be LGBTQI+, and Melbourne queer Film Festival Place plays a very important role in that.
SBS Greek: Could you tell me about this year’s program and what would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year?
At 2018 MQFF: 38 features, 14 documentaries, 72 shorts, 2 World Premieres, 12 Australian Premieres, 21 Melbourne Premieres and 2 newly restored Classic features Source: Supplied
Spiro Economopoulos: I think generally with MQFF I think what makes it different from other festivals is that it's very much of a community shared the experience. So, people, they do come to the festival more often will come with groups will come with friends. I think this is an opportunity to be involved with the queer community. I think that's a key factor in the festival success is having that engagement you get with other queer people, allies and the films and filmmakers themselves.
Maxwell Gratton: We do have a very strong curated program this year with over 120 features and shorts. Engagement and community is a very key part of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. In addition to a very strong curator program, we do have questions and answer sessions, panels, we’ll have terrific parties after opening and closing nights, we'll have DJ playing throughout as well. There are many ways to engage with the LGBTIQ+ community and film lovers and celebrate the moving image.
SBS Greek: In a couple of years, MQFF turns 30 years-old. So what next for the festival?
Maxwell Gratton: Melbourne Queer Film Festival is already Australia's oldest and largest LGBTIQ+ celebration of the moving image. We definitely have no intention to rest on our laurels, we tend to expand and reach out to other audiences as we haven't reached out to in the past i.e. to those who identify straight or straight allies. We also have ambitions to spread our influence right across Victoria. We got a touring roadshow that will be coming up, we will be supporting the Geelong Queer Film Festival, the Bendigo Queer Film Festival, we will even be going interstate to Alice Springs. We will be looking at potentially monetising and commercializing operations to all-year-round annual sort of focus. So we can continue to give people opportunity to engage with a Melbourne Queer Film Festival and to grow and build up the festival’s sustainability in the times ahead.
SBS Greek: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?
Maxwell Gratton: My background in sports administration, as CEO of Football Federation Victoria or CEO of Basketball ACT. I do build businesses and I am so very much excited about the many opportunities that lie ahead.
Spiro Economopoulos: I think for me my motivation is a personal one that comes from a love of cinema and that kind of engagement. That kind of power that you get from seeing yourself represented on the screen. I know that people talk about the idea that ‘why do we still need a queer film festival when there are so many queer characters on mainstream TV. But there is something really potent still about seeing yourself represented on the big screen and wanting to see yourself there and represented and to engage with. I think that is always going to be a really important factor and I think it's something that pulls you towards these films in a really strong powerful way.
From March 15 – March 26 MQFF will present 85 sessions at ACMI, Kino Cinemas and Cinema Nova Source: Supplied
About MQFF
Melbourne Queer Film Festival in its 28th year will showcase the finest, contemporary queer cinema from Australia and beyond in the largest queer film festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
From March 15 – March 26 MQFF will present 85 sessions at ACMI, Kino Cinemas and Cinema Nova, encompassing 38 features, 14 documentaries, 72 shorts and incorporating 2 World Premieres, 12 Australian Premieres, 21 Melbourne Premieres and 2 newly restored Classic features.
