Melbourne Queer Film Festival Is Back With Celebrity Guests, Primo Parties And Future Camp Classics
It’s here, it’s queer, and it’s celebrating 35 years. Australia’s flagship celebration of queer film, Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) has announced a jam-packed special anniversary program for the summer of 2025.
From a dazzling queer apocalyptic zombie comedy to scream queens and dysfunctional family drama, this colourful festival is rolling out the red carpet with a whole rainbow of inclusive screenings, talks, after-parties, celebrity guests, and special events brought together under this year’s theme: Searching for Queer Utopias.
Presenting 130 features, documentaries and short films across more than 100 sessions, this program promises plentiful moments of queer joy, connection and liberation—as well as spaces where the LGBTQIA+ community and allies can exhale and be themselves while celebrating freedom, solidarity and creative expression with the best and latest cinema.
Cinephiles will also be happy to know that the program features 35 Australian and 15 Victorian Premieres, promising to immerse audiences in the breadth of queer cinematic talent, including releases direct from Venice, Cannes, Berlinale, Sundance, Newfest, Framelane, SXSW, and InsideOut festival.
So start your engines, mark your calendars, and grab some popcorn, we’ve got the skinny on all the essential details.
When And Where Is MQFF Happening?
MQFF 2025 will be painting the town rainbow from 13 to 23 November. With major events at Collins Place, Melbourne Town Hall and The Capitol Theatre, the festival presents its hub this year at Cinema NOVA in Carlton.
The Best And Biggest Films And Events At MQFF
The festival will kick off in style, taking over Collins Place for an Opening Night Extravaganza (Thursday, 13 November) with an after-party for the Victorian Premiere of Queen of the Dead—a brand new queer apocalyptic zombie comedy directed by visionary debut filmmaker Tina Romero, with a killer ensemble featuring Margaret Cho, Katy O’Brian, Cheyenne Jackson, Jack Haven, Nina West, and Dominique Jackson.
Mother herself, Dominique Jackson (best known for her starring role as Elektra Abundance in the FX series Pose) will be travelling from New York to Australia to attend the festival, where she will be honoured with the inaugural MQFF Tribute Award for her outstanding contributions to queer screen and culture. If you simply must soak in more of this abundance, you can also attend An Audience with Dominique Jackson (Friday, 14 November)—an intimate conversation hosted by Lillian Ahenkan (aka FlexMami) exploring Jackson’s groundbreaking career and advocacy work.
Leading Australian director Sophie Hyde (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and 52 Tuesdays) will also be in town to present a special keynote address ahead of the Victorian Premiere of their new film Jimpa, a tender exploration of queer family dynamics starring Academy Award winner Olivia Colman and Golden Globe winner John Lithgow (Saturday, 15 November).
The festival will also feature two dedicated events at The Capitol Theatre showcasing First Nations film and voices, Indigiqueer Voices and The Ramon Te Wake Collection (Friday, 21 November). With short films from Australia, Canada and Aotearoa, the evening is dedicated to celebrating Indigiqueer excellence.
The MQFF Australian Shorts & Awards (Saturday, 22 November) also returns, presenting boundary-pushing storytelling and the remarkable visions of both emerging and established filmmakers who are redefining Australia’s cinematic landscape.
To wrap it all up, MQFF takes over Melbourne Town Hall for the Closing Night Gala (Sunday, 23 November), a fully catered romantic evening where audiences will enjoy the Victorian Premiere of Plainclothes by Carmen Emmi (winner of the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast at Sundance). Starring Russell Tovey and Tom Blyth, the 1990s-set feature blends digital and lo-fi aesthetics for a raw and poetic vision of queer desire that’s set to become a classic in the queer cinema canon—sign us up!
So, How Do I Get Tickets?
Tickets and passes (3, 6, and 10 Film Passes, plus the All-in Pass) for MQFF are available via mqff.com.au, the MQFF App, in person at the MQFF Box Office (located at Cinema Nova during the festival), or by calling 0466 643 976.
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Melbourne Queer Film Festival and proudly endorsed by The Urban List. To find out more about who we work with and why read our editorial policy here.
Imagery: Supplied.