Live from Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival

While we celebrate the success of the recent most buzzed-about film, winning the Best Picture at Oscars last night in USA, there is another significant queer film festival happening on the other side of the globe, the Mardi Gras Film Festival, which brought together 13 members of the Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance (APQFFA) to Sydney, Australia.

1) ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival (PRC)
2) Beijing Queer Film Festival (PRC)
3) Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (PRC)
4) Taiwan International Queer Film Festival (PRC)
5) Mardi Gras Film Festival (AUS)
6) Brisbane Queer Film Festival (AUS)
7) Rainbow Reel Tokyo (JPN)
8) Seoul PRIDE Film Festival (KOR)
9) &PROUD Yangon LGBT Film Festival (MMR)
10) IndigNation Queer Film Festival (SIN)
11) KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (IND)
12) AAKs International Minorities Festival Fim – Art – Dialougue (PAK)
13) Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival (USA)

Yesterday noon, the APQFFA met up for the 2nd time since its establishment in Taipei at Oct, 2015 to share more about each LGBT/Queer film festivals’ development and challenges. The alliance also discuss topics related to promoting queer films in Asia Pacific, encouraging productions of LGBTQ films within the region, sharing resources of films and filmmakers, enhancing visibility of Asia Pacific queer films in the mainstream international queer film scene and etc.

The meeting was followed by the APQFFA Forum – The Importance of Queer Cinema in the Asia Pacific at the Sydney University Business School. The forum was attended by approximately 80 queer cinema lovers, filmmakers, academia, students, LGBTQ advocacies and etc. The event discussed about bringing more diverse films from all alliance members to be screened within the region and internationally, representations of LGBTQ characters and communities in mainstream cinema and entertainment, best practices of producing LGBTQ films and etc.

The Mardi Gras Film Festival started on 15-Feb and has screened a very diverse selection of queer films, including Below Her Mouth (CAN), Liebmann (GER), Tomcat (AUT), Arianna (ITA), Australian and APQFFA short films, Out Run (PHL) and a special screening of the 10th anniversary of Shelter (USA) too! We are looking forward to premieres of Irrawaddy Mon Amour (MMR), The Priestess Walks Alone (PRC), Moonlight (USA) and more.

Next up, we are going to meet GLAAD, a US-based NGO for LGBTQ media monitoring organization, visiting queer art exhibitions, and sharing with you the proud and fun moments of the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade which is happening this Saturday! Be sure to follow us on our social media channels.