
TILDE Film Festival Marks 11 Years by Honouring Visionary Trans Filmmaker Lilly Wachowski

Australia’s leading trans and gender diverse film festival, TILDE, is celebrating its 11th year with a powerful theme — Bites Back — and a tribute to acclaimed filmmaker Lilly Wachowski.
The three-day event, running from 31 October to 2 November, will spotlight trans-authored cinema and the creative resistance at the heart of the community’s storytelling.
Held at Footscray Community Arts Centre and other venues across Melbourne, TILDE 2025 invites audiences to celebrate more than a decade of evolution in trans-led filmmaking, as artists reclaim narratives and challenge stereotypes.
The festival’s Bites Back theme speaks to the resilience and creative defiance of trans and gender-expansive filmmakers — particularly at a time when the trans community is facing increasing anti-trans rhetoric across the globe.
Honouring Lilly Wachowski
In a major highlight, TILDE 2025 will honour writer and director Lilly Wachowski as the festival’s Aunty (Patron), describing her as “more than an icon”. Known for her genre-defining work on The Matrix trilogy and Sense8, Wachowski has long been celebrated for her visionary storytelling and advocacy for trans representation in global cinema.
With a deep connection to Australia through the production of The Matrix, TILDE says it is thrilled to recognise Wachowski’s “lasting impact on film, culture, and the broader community.” Her inclusion as Patron reflects the festival’s commitment to celebrating trailblazers who use art to reshape public imagination and elevate trans visibility.
TILDE Festival 2025 program highlights
The festival’s 2025 program spans six sessions over three days, featuring premieres, collaborations, and experimental screenings.
Opening Night (Friday 31 October)
A collaboration with Sapphic Flicks at Footscray Community Arts Centre will launch the festival with film screenings, performances, and conversations.
The evening will focus on community connection and creative exchange, while also seeding ideas for TILDE’s 2026 commissions program.
Saturday 1 November
The second edition of Our Future will showcase trans-authored short films from Australia and Aotearoa, including the world premiere of Linus Tolliday’s Journey’s End, a new short by Luka Gracie, and work by Mish Keating.
Saturday evening will see a bold programming choice — the Australian debut of Antonio D’Agostino’s 1980 cult trans film EVA-MAN: The Love Machine, featuring Eva Robbin’s and Ajita Wilson.
Sunday 2 November
Closing night will transform Footscray Drill Hall in collaboration with performance collective Snuff Puppets, creating what organisers call a “cinema hideaway.”
The program will include Ro Haber’s We Are Pat, a re-examination of the controversial 1990s film It’s Pat through a contemporary trans lens, followed by a screening of the original film and a mix of live performances, puppetry, and music.
Tickets range from $10 to $15, with half of all proceeds donated to Pay The Rent, supporting First Nations communities.
Learn more and get tickets via tildemelbourne.com.
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