My Queer Career gets a promotion

Margaret Pomeranz and Anton Enus will again join the judging panel for Queer Screen’s My Queer Career competition.
We’re thrilled to be maintaining a relatively new format for the judging panel, festival director Lex Lindsay said.
We now recruit judges who represent four areas in the filmmaking field: an independent producer or director; someone involved in film finance or distribution; a film critic -“ which is obviously Margaret’s role; and a gay or lesbian person working in the broader aspects of current affairs, culture and politics, for which Anton is the perfect choice.
In 2008, a series of master classes will be introduced to increase professional development opportunities for filmmakers. My Queer Career finalists will be invited to attend three forums with key professionals from the Australian Film Industry.
We need to continue to do more for our queer filmmakers, Lindsay said. If we want to see honest, powerful and meaningful representations of queer life in Australian cinema, the most important thing we can do is invest in our local queer voices.
To be eligible for the competition, films must be under 30 minutes and made by an Australian who either identifies as queer, or is working with themes of specific relevance to the GLBT community. First Prize is $3,000 cash from the Stephen Cummins Film Trust.
The My Queer Career competition will culminate in a screening and awards ceremony at the City Recital Hall on Valentine’s Day. Selected films will then tour regional centres around the country.
The deadline for submissions to My Queer Career is 12 November. Entry forms and details at www.queerscreen.com.au.