Romance reigns in 2019 Queer Screen Film Festival full program announcement

Romance reigns in 2019 Queer Screen Film Festival full program announcement
Image: End of the Century.

A woozy Spanish romance and maestro Pedro Almodóvar’s gorgeous new film feature prominently in the love-struck full program for the 2019 Queer Screen Film Festival.

Pain & Glory, the famed director’s latest masterpiece which stars Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz, is just one of the thrilling additions to the previously announced teaser films.

With 29 films including 22 Sydney premieres from twelve countries, this year’s festival focuses on romantic films under the theme ‘Light Your Fire’.

“With our theme of ‘Light Your Fire’ we are asking the audience to engage their hearts and minds and join us in witnessing passion on screen in a variety of circumstances,” said Festival Director Lisa Rose.

“From sexy and intense romances, to passionate causes, strength in adversity, fanatical obsessions with camp classics and the incredible desire to create a family.

“Use the festival to embrace your passion for film and our community and ignite some passions of your own,” Rose said.

Opening the festival is acclaimed new French film Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which embodies the theme in charting a simmering period romance.

Also added to the line-up is End of the Century, from Argentine director Lucio Castro, which The Hollywood Reporter called “an erotic, time-jumping … space-age love song.” (Also, its first plot keyword on IMDb is ‘male frontal nudity’.)

In the film, Javi and Ocho meet on the beaches of Barcelona and hook-up – and soon realise they had already met, 20 years earlier in 1999, under far less freeing circumstances.

Other highlights of the program include Vita & Virginia, starring Australia’s Elizabeth Debicki as Virginia Woolf opposite Gemma Arterton as Vita Sackville-West in a portrayal of their affair which inspired the novel Orlando.

Lesbian Shorts and Gay Shorts also return, alongside the Queer Screen Pitch-off event for LGBTI filmmakers.

On the documentary side, Killing Patient Zero looks at the life of the Canadian flight attendant maligned as the man who introduced the AIDS virus to North America, Gaëtan Dugas.

Seahorse, meanwhile, documents a trans man as he ceases hormone treatment in order to fall pregnant.

A Luv Tale: The Series presents an episodic narrative set among queer women of colour in Harlem, which features Vanessa Williams.

And lovers of high camp will be sure to love the double feature of Showgirls, Paul Verhoeven’s legendary, subversive cult classic, as well as documentary You Don’t Nomi, which explores the film’s legacy and reputation almost 25 years on.

The 2019 Queer Screen Film Festival returns to Event Cinemas George Street from September 18 to 22.

To view the full program and buy tickets, head to queerscreen.org.au.

Watch the trailer for End of the Century below:

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