Mardi Gras Film Festival

Mardi Gras Film Festival
Queer Screen Film Fest
StatusActive
GenreLGBTQ+ film festival
Begins2 September 2026 (2026-09-02) (QSFF)
Ends8 September 2026 (2026-09-08)
FrequencyAnnually
LocationsSydney, New South Wales
CountryAustralia
InauguratedFebruary 1994 (1994-02) (MGFF)
September 2013 (2013-09) (QSFF)
FounderQueer Screen (1993)
CEO
Benson Wu
Organised byQueer Screen Limited
Websitequeerscreen.org.au

The Mardi Gras Film Festival, formerly known as the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, is an Australian LGBTQ+ film festival held in Sydney, New South Wales annually each February as part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrations. It is organised by Queer Screen Limited, which also organises the Queer Screen Film Fest (QSFF), held each September in Sydney.

History

Australia had the world's first gay film festival, entitled A Festival of Gay Films at the Sydney Filmmakers Co-op in June 1976, part of a larger commemoration of the Stonewall Riots in New York City of 1969.

Inaugurated in 1978 as the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival by the Australian Film Institute, the film festival joined the Mardi Gras in 1986 to present an annual "Sydney Gay Film Week" in conjunction with the parade. Queer Screen took control of the festival in 1993, and held the first festival in 1994.

For ten years, Queer Screen ran a separate documentary festival, queerDOC, which became was the first and only LGBTQI documentary film festival in the world. It also ran a short film competition for locally produced work, called My Queer Career. Both of these were merged into the Mardi Gras Film Festival.

In 2013 Queer Screen founded a new film festival, the Queer Screen Film Fest, which is now a major annual event taking place on screens in Sydney each September. In 2014, St George's Bank committed to funding Queer Screen for two years.

In 2023 Queer Screen became the first LGBTIQ+ film festival in the world to participate in the "Goes to Cannes" program at the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival.

Description

In addition to the Mardi Gras Film Festival, Queer Screen organises the Queer Screen Film Fest, awards funding to Australian filmmakers through its Queer Screen Completion Fund, and since 2018 has funded the Queer Screen Pitch Off, a short film pitching competition.

As of September 2026 Benson Wu is CEO of Queer Screen, while Jessica Liley and Mike Whalley are co-chairs of the board. Queer Screen Limited is a non-profit organisation, and one of the world's largest platforms for queer cinema.

Mardi Gras Film Festival

Queer Screen Film Festival

In 2026, the 13th edition of Queer Screen Film Festival (QSFF26) is taking place from 2 to 8 September, in which 28 films are screened. Afterwards, a curated on-demand season is held. The festival also includes the Queer Screen Pitch Off Competition and Emerging Narrative Feature Competition, as well as the inaugural Queer Screen Studio, comprising masterclasses and panels.

Below is a list of some of the films featured in each festival edition.[which?]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Peach, Ricardo (March 2005). Queer cinema as a fifth cinema in South Africa and Australia (PDF) (Thesis). University of Technology, Sydney. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Smith, Martin (June 1976). "Aussie Gay Pics". Campaign. No. 10. p. 33.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "History". Queer Screen. 5 August 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival". Pink Media Group. 2015. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "St George Bank and Queer Screen to make movie magic". Star Observer. Sydney. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "Our Team". Queer Screen. 7 July 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Queer Screen Film Fest returns for its 13th Edition". Australian Pride Network. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.