We’re just as sad as you are about the 30th Melbourne Queer Film Festival being cut short this year. To tide us over until next year, we’ve partnered with our friends at MQFF to bring you the cream of the crop of LGBTQI+ cinema and television available to stream right now, including a list gems from past editions of MQFF.
TV shows
Anne+ (2018–20)
Originally scheduled to screen in its feature length version at MQFF 2020, this charming Dutch web series follows a 20-something lesbian named Anne as she stumbles her way through love and other personal crises and triumphs.
I Am Not Okay with This (2020)
Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, this sensitive, charming coming-of-age story with a dose of queer angst, stars It and It: Chapter Two alumni Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff.
Feel Good (2020)
Canadian comic Mae Martin co-wrote and stars in this blackly funny, often anxiety-inducing and ultimately hopeful portrait of a blossoming relationship between two women. Both must face the challenges of revealing themselves to someone new while juggling the expectations of friends and family.
Sex Education (2019 –)
This hilarious series starring Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield (Hugo) follows the trials and tribulations of clueless teenagers navigating sex and friendship in an idyllic mountain setting. Come for the nostalgic 80s teen movie feel, stay for the thoughtful exploration of sexuality in all its forms.
Films
Pride (2014)
A truly heart-warming film (with a top-notch soundtrack) that you can always return to when you need a good cry, Pride recreates the true story of the alliance formed between a Lesbian and Gay activist group in London and a small mining village in Wales. It’s an inspiring example of seemingly dissimilar groups finding a sense of community in times of crisis – a timely and necessary message!
BPM (2017)
An inspiring film about French activist group ACT UP, BPM was an audience favourite at MQFF 2018. It features an excellent soundtrack and stars Adele Haenel, who was luminous in the recent Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) and isn’t afraid to speak out against misogyny and abuse in the film industry.
Holding the Man (2015)
The film adaptation of Timothy Conigrave’s memoirs of the same name was met with a warm reception upon its release in 2015. It's notable for its Melbourne-centred story and its sensitive and realistic portrayal of a gay romance across decades, disrupted by the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s.
God’s Own Country (2017)
A true classic of contemporary queer cinema, this softer British version of Brokeback Mountain played to Melbourne audiences at MIFF 2017. It features a wonderfully sensitive performance from Josh O’Connor, who can currently be seen as Prince Charles in the third series of The Crown and as a bumbling villain in the recent Emma (2020) adaptation.
A number of films that screened at recent past editions of MQFF are also available to stream now:
Death in Buenos Aires (Netflix)
A Date for Mad Mary (SBS on Demand)