MELBOURNE, Thursday 25 February, 2010 – The 20th Melbourne Queer Film Festival will open with South Korean director Min Kyu-Dong’s unpredictable, wildly inventive Antique on March 17 at the Astor Theatre. The eleven day festival, one of the biggest queer film festivals in the world, will close with Brazilian director Marcelo Laffitte’s Elvis and Madona. “To celebrate such the 20 year milestone, the MQFF has put together a bumper crop of outstanding national and international queer cinema, with a record number of premieres.” said Festival Director Lisa Daniel.

If cakes are your indulgence, get along to the utterly scrumptious opening night comedy/drama Antique which follows the antics of four men from various backgrounds all looking for the same thing. Sun-Woo is famous for turning even the straightest man gay, but can Jin-Hyuk, the straightest of straight men, resist his charms? Set in Copacabana, Elvis and Madona is an unconventional love story between a lesbian biker and transwoman Madona. As both Elvis and Madona run from their dreams and lives the two become entangled in an intense relationship.

Marcel Laffitte Brazillian director of Elvis and Madona will be a guest of the festival along with Aluizio Abranches, the director of Festival Centrepiece and International Premiere feature film From Beginning To End. Set to be one of the most controversial films in this year’s Festival after it was removed from screens in its native Brazil, From Beginning To End is a drama that delves into a passionate relationship between two brothers. Always close while growing up, the boys relationship moves to another level on the night of their mother’s funeral, when their affections for each other become overtly sexual.

With over 45 features on offer highlights include; Hong Kong’s legendary Shaw Brothers production Bamboo House of Dolls which is considered one of the greatest women in prison films ever made, having been called "the ultimate chain-gang kung-fu caper flick"; premiering at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, The King of Escape, is an hilarious black comedy from famed French director Alain Guiraudie who straddles the line between fantasy and reality in examining the extreme realm of impossible love; Little Ashes (starring Twilight’s Robert Pattinson) is a controversial and highly charged insight into the relationship between
alvador Dalí and poet Federico García Lorca; from Academy Award winning writer Dustin Lance Black (Milk) comes Pedro, a film that celebrates the extraordinary life of Pedro Zamora, who, when he found out he was HIV positive at 17, made the courageous decision to dedicate the rest of his life to speaking out about his condition. His appearance on The Real World brought his story and his message to MTV's youthful audience and beyond, and when Zamora's health began to deteriorate in late 1994, it became front page news nationwide.

Festival goers will be lining up to see Telstar, the remarkable, stranger than fiction, rise-and-fall, true story of gay maverick songwriter-producer, Joe Meek. With a top notch cast, including Kevin Spacey, Telstar is a fascinating glimpse into the chaotic and troubled life of a creative genius now revered as a pioneer of British pop. A number of films are screened as special presentations – which offer a panel discussion after the screening to talk about the themes each film raises.

 Holding Hands is directed by Australian filmmakers Tonnette Stanford & Katherine Wilkinson and tells the story of Craig and Shane who were holding hands when they fell victim to a brutal hate crime off Oxford Street, Sydney. The image of Craig’s shattered face in the local newspaper and the lack of police investigation led Sydney’s queer community to hold a protest on their behalf. The hardest year in these young men’s lives is captured through endless surgeries, physical and psychological recovery and their struggle to plan for their future. But despite these challenges, Craig and Shane discover that even in the worst circumstances they can create positive change. Following the screening will be an anti-violence panel which will include members of the Victorian Police and the Anti-Violence Project of Victoria Inc.

With yet another strong slate of documentaries, stand-outs include; Kimberly Reed’s Prodigal Sons - an honest, intimate and revealing portrait of her family; Beautiful Darling: The Life And Times Of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar follows the story of Candy Darling, born James L Slattery, who was famous for being part of Andy Warhol’s Factory; College Boys Live follows the lives of various gay teens and twenty-something men who struggle create new lives for themselves in their new home is CollegeBoysLive.com, a voyeur webcam house rigged with 32 cameras, where their every move is watched by thousands of paying members. This intimate, revealing and provocative documentary examines a complex subculture, but at its heart is the universal search for family and acceptance.

A fantastic selection of shorts are also on offer this year with 12 short packages including; Oz Docs, Oz Shorts, Short and Girly, Short and Burly, Boobetube, Cocktails, Femme Fatalities, Sex Drives & Videotapes, Trans Phats, Short Smorts, Queeries, and the ever popular Celluloid Casserole. More information on the Shorts release. The films screening at the festival will be in competition for the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film ($5000) and Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary ($2500). 2010 will celebrate 20 years of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, one of the oldest queer films festivals in the world. Over the past 19 years it is estimated that over 190,000 people have attended the Festival and other MQFF events. The festival opens on Wednesday 17 March at The Astor – with all other festival screenings taking place at ACMI and Greater Union.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.mqff.com.au

Tags: Melbourne Queer Film Festival, MQFF