Out Takes: Recent Episodes
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One of the queerest, campiest and funniest films of 2026 is about to land in Australian cinemas and we jumped at the chance to speak with its director Adam Shankman and two lead stars Jujubee and Ginger Minj in the lead up to its release. From the producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race comes STOP! THAT! TRAIN!, a cinematic experience not to be missed that celebrates the kitsch, glamour and tongue-in-cheek humour of drag queens. Drag Race icons Ginger Minj and Jujubee star as train stewardesses faced with a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatening to derail their train, leading them to join forces with RuPaul as President Gagwell. Celebrity cameos abound in this camp comedy, such as gay icons Lisa Rinna, Sarah Michelle Gellar and many, many more. For this Out Takes Extra, we discussed how they got involved with this project, their favourite cameos in the film, whether the sequel could be made in Australia and much more.
STOP! THAT! TRAIN! will be released in Australian cinemas on August 13, 2026.
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For this Out Takes, Out Takes, we featured two films that delve into the world of experimental filmmaking from a queer perspective. First up, ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ has been one of the most anticipated films of 2026 and it is finally coming to Aussie cinemas from August 6. Described as a new kind of horror remake from Jane Schoenbrun starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, the film picks up on the Camp Miasma slasher film franchise after years of slapdash sequels where it has been handed over to an enthusiastic young director for resurrection. But when she visits the original’s star, a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. We confirm if this film lived up to the hype and whether or not it received the Out Takes Recommends seal of approval (spoiler alert – it did!).
Then we were joined by Brisbane-based writer / director Adam C. Briggs whose latest film ‘Phillip Philadelphia’ is having it’s world premiere at MIFF on Friday August 7 and an encore screening on Sunday August 9. Briggs has often worked closely with non-professional actors to craft narratives whose blends of fact and fiction are as riotous as they are discomforting; he previously garnered acclaim for his 2024 feature ‘A Grand Mockery’ which took out top honours at SXSW Sydney as well as the Best Director prize at Sitges. With ‘Phillip Philadelphia’, he captures the garish, grubby beauty of the Gold Coast on 16mm while also extending his own distinctively homegrown, eloquently vulgar style. In this discussion, we discussed his career, influences and his thoughts on being a queer filmmaker and what makes a film queer.
Finally, we were joined by Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM, the founder and festival director of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) which is the largest annual celebration of Indian cinema outside of India. This year the program has an expansive lineup of over 130 films in 38 languages screening from August 13 – 24 so we went straight to the source to find out more about what they have in store for the 2026 IFFM.
The post Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma review, Phillip Philadelphia with Adam C. Briggs and Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2026 appeared first on Out Takes.
In this episode of Out Takes we speak with Kate Jinx, senior programmer at Melbourne International Film Festival about the retrospective of German avant-garde filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger, titled Radical Travels. We hear from Screen Australia COO Grainne Brunsdon about their new innovation the Private Investment Toolkit to encourage more investment in Australian film. We also encore our interview with Bina Battacharya, the writer and director of From All Sides, which is now streaming on SBS On Demand.
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For this Out Takes, we speak with Jill Bilcock, the acclaimed editor of some of the most iconic films of Australian cinema, including Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Muriel’s Wedding and Head On, which are all currently screening at ACMI.
We follow that up with our review of Heartstopper Forever, the final instalment of the much loved YA series, we talk Obsession and why it’s this year’s phenomenal box office hit, and we make a first attempt at highlighting some of the queer- themed films in this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
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For this Out Takes, we were very excited to welcome back MIFF a.k.a the Melbourne International Film Festival which is back in cinemas and online this August. Our special guest was Al Cossar, the Artistic Director of the Melbourne International Film Festival, who discussed with us many of the queer highlights and special events on offer for this year’s festival. We also heard from Dr Patrick Kelly who has curated two films, My Own Private Idaho’ and ‘Scorpio Rising’, that are coming to the Capitol Theatre on Tuesday July 21 for ‘The Best Films You’ve Never Seen: Queer Edition’.
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For this Out Takes, we were excited to feature an up-and-coming queer filmmaker whose first feature film will be in Aussie cinemas soon plus we acknowledged NAIDOC week by spotlighting an award-winning short film that celebrates the queer First Nation’s experience on country.
We started off by reviewing ‘First Light’, a new Australian-Filipino co-production that is in cinemas from July 9. It is the debut feature film from acclaimed Melbourne filmmaker and photographer James J. Robinson. The film centres around Sister Yolanda who has spent her life as a servant to God and the people in her community working as a nurse at the local hospital and living at an old convent in the mountains, Yolanda’s grace and selflessness make her a quiet but valued figure in her town. When Yolanda is called to perform last rites on a young construction worker on his deathbed, suddenly things aren’t so simple. The unusual circumstances surrounding the boy’s death begin to weigh on her conscience. Swept up in the lives of the people around her, including a young novice nun Sister Arlene, the affluent Linda Dela Cruz, and the father of the construction worker, an unavoidable question in the back of Yolanda’s mind begins to resonate louder and louder: Has she spent her life dutiful to the wrong thing?
The films writer and director then joined us while he was in Tokyo. James J. Robinson is a 29-year-old Filipino/Australian artist based in Los Angeles. With a successful career in photography and filmmaking, he is published regularly by the likes of The New York Times and Vogue, shooting the world’s biggest names including Kylie Jenner and Rihanna, while directing campaigns for brands like Apple and Maison Valentino. Despite a successful career in this world, James is also a talented filmmaker whose work has covered music videos, short films and now ‘First Light’ which is his feature film. Our long form discussion covered his career and how he got into filmmaking along with a great chat about what constitutes a queer film.
We ended this program by highlighting NAIDOC Week 2026 which takes place from July 5 to 12. This year’s theme, “50 Years of Deadly,” celebrates five decades of the NAIDOC movement, honouring the Elders, activists, artists, and leaders who have proudly shaped Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history. In February 2024, we featured the beautiful documentary ‘Marungka tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black)’ that deservedly garnered well deserved praise and accolades around the world including being the first ever film to win the Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film) and the Teddy Award for best queer short film at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and will finally be available to stream from July 9 thanks to DocPlay. This short documentary tells the story of Aboriginal man Derik Lynch who leaves behind the oppression of white city life in Adelaide and embarks on a road trip back to Country for spiritual healing, as memories from his childhood return. Both Derik and his co-director / collaborator Matthew Thorne joined us in February 2024 when the film was screening as part of the AIDC to discuss the film, their professional and personal relationship and more.
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For this Out Takes, we dedicated it to the return of MDFF aka Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, which is celebrating its 10th year this July in bringing quality films online and in cinema for Melbourne cinephiles that amplify marginalised voices and share stories from here and around the world.
One of the LGBTQIA+ documentary’s on offer this year is ‘Out Laws’ which follows three queer activist-litigants – Friedel from Namibia, Rosanna from Sri Lanka and Raven from Barbados – as they take their governments to court over the colonial-era laws that still criminalise same-sex intimacy across 60+ countries. The film premiered at BFI Flare in March to a standing ovation and five-star reviews in Screen Daily and will be screening with a selection of queer short films on Sunday July 12 from 5.15pm at Cinema Nova. Our special guest was James Lewis online from London who is the codirector of ‘Out Laws’ and the co-founder of The Good Side and Head of Productions, where he steers the agency’s film work. James has 20 years of experience as a producer in TV news, branded content and impact documentary filmmaking. ‘Out Laws’ is James’ first feature documentary and is a result of a decade working to support the decriminalisation movement and provided excellent insight and context into this must-see documentary.
We followed that up with reviews of two fantastic short films that are also on offer at this year’s MDFF; “Sheesh, A Taylor Love Story” that documents Filipino Taylor Swift impersonator Taylor Sheesh and explores how her drag performances have transformed Swiftie fandom into a movement of joy, empowerment, and belonging; and ‘The Last Closet’ which is directed by Reese Leigh and explores why the AFL remained the last major sports league without an openly queer male player, and examines inclusion within Australian sports.
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For this Out Takes, we were very excited to bring you our review and interview with Adrian Chiarella, the writer and director of ‘Leviticus’, a new gay horror-supernatural film that is in cinemas now and is already being hailed as one of the best Australian films of the year. Set within a Christian community in regional Victoria, it takes the already-terrifying reality of conversion therapy and magnifies it into something supernatural: a haunting demon, visible only to its victims, which takes the shape of the person they most deeply desire. With a fantastic cast and an excellent premise that is explored specifically from a queer lens, Leviticus is one to definitely see on the big screen this Pride Month. Adrian Chiarella is a local award-winning screenwriter and director who has made his mark in television and delivered highly acclaimed short films at festivals around the world. We caught up with him recently on the promo trail for ‘Leviticus’ to discuss all aspects of the film including the development of his original idea into a feature film, his cinematic inspirations, the casting process and more.
Also, with the recent announcement of the return of John Cameron Mitchell for the 2026 Melbourne International Film Festival for a special 25th anniversary celebration of ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, we revisited our 2018 interview with the queer auteur to discuss the ongoing impact of this defiant and uncategorisable cult classic.
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JOY 94.9’s Radiothon maybe officially over but you can still relive the magic of the 2nd annual ‘Geeks-Out-Out-Takes’ two hour crossover quiz extravaganza which was broadcast live from the JOY studios and proudly supported by FOMO Cinemas. You can also continue to support JOY by making a donation and becoming a member which keeps this incredible independent LGBTQIA+ media organisation growing and thriving.
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With the Australian cinema release finally here, we were delighted to speak with ‘Leviticus’ director Adrian Chiarella about this homegrown queer horror feature film that caused a stir at Sundance and is about to be unleashed here and around the world. Set within a Christian community in regional Victoria, ‘Leviticus’ takes the already-terrifying reality of conversion therapy and magnifies it into something supernatural: a haunting demon, visible only to its victims, that takes the shape of the person they most deeply desire. Led by incredible performances by Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen, this film is also a celebration of local gay talent courtesy of its very talented writer / director and definitely one of the must-see Australian films of this year. For this Out Takes Extra exclusive, we spoke with Adrian about his career and the film, including finding out more about his inspirations, how his sexuality and experiences growing up shaped the story and much more.
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For this Out Takes, we put the spotlight on three queer filmmakers whose films are featured in this year’s Sydney Film Festival which is on now until June 14. First up, we spoke with Gregg Araki, the legendary gay filmmaker whose latest film ‘I Want Your Sex’ is a queer highlight in this year’s Sydney Film Festival program. Noted for his involvement with the New Queer Cinema movement, his filmography includes the Teenage Apocalypse film trilogy from the 90’s and his 2010 film Kaboom was also the inaugural winner of the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. His latest film stars Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman and Charli XCX in what has been described as an enjoyably outrageous, risqué sex-comedy, set in the Los Angeles contemporary art scene. We jumped at the chance to speak with him and in this interview, we discussed his motivation for telling this story, his influence on the lead characters and how he feels now about being labelled one of the pioneers of New Queer Cinema. Next up, we took a look at ‘Joy Boy: A Tribute To Julius Eastman’ which is described as a prismatic, polyphonic tribute by six artists to the prolific visionary queer African American composer and noted as one of the unsung pioneers of 20th century minimalism. Created by a collective of Belgian-Congolese artists, this spell-binding film channels the radical energy of Julius Eastman, a Black, gay iconoclast who challenged the conventions of minimalism, fusing avant-garde techniques with pop and free jazz in 1970s and ’80s New York. Structured in four chapters, the film honours Eastman’s key works through incredible visuals, archival recordings and exuberant choreography. Two of the people involved in the project are curator, researcher, and artist Mawena Yehouessi who positions herself as a “collisionist,” stating she explores the frictions and assemblages between disciplines, formats, and narratives; and composer, artist, and performer Fallon Manyanja who in her work mobilizes different relationships with our environment and social, inter-relational, and self-reflexive ideas. W caught up with the real-life couple online from their Paris apartment to discuss the project in the lead up to it screening at this year’s Sydney Film Festival and we discussed how they first came to know about Julius Eastman and his work, their process in bringing these stories together to explore his prolific career and more.
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With his latest film ‘I Want Your Sex’ about to have its Australian Premiere at the Sydney Film Festival, we jumped at the opportunity to speak with Gregg Araki about the film, its incredible cast and more. Noted for his involvement with the New Queer Cinema movement, Gregg Araki’s filmography includes the Teenage Apocalypse film trilogy from the 90’s, consisting of Totally F***ed Up, The Doom Generation and Nowhere, all which have been heralded as cult classics. His 2010 film Kaboom was also the inaugural winner of the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. His latest film stars Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman and Charli XCX in what has been described as an enjoyably outrageous, risqué sex-comedy, set in the Los Angeles contemporary art scene. For this Out Takes Extra, we discussed his motivation for telling this story, his influence on the lead characters and how he feels now about being labelled one of the pioneers of New Queer Cinema. As expected, he is full of great stories and insights, so we highly recommend you listen to this then book your tickets immediately for ‘I Want Your Sex’ at the Sydney Film Festival before they sell-out!
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For this Out Takes, we had a bumper crop of reviews and interviews as we took a look at some of the best queer films and television on offer this winter in Melbourne and via streaming too. First up was the St Kilda Film Festival, Australia’s largest and longest-running short film festival which is back on from June 4 – 14. One of the highlights in the program each year is the Pride Without Prejudice LGBTQIA+ showcase on Saturday June 13 at the Victorian Pride Centre which features a stellar lineup including laugh-out-loud comedy, moving romance, fearless sexuality and deeply personal documentary. We reviewed a selection of films on offer and also caught up again with AP Pobjoy who joined us in March to discuss their fantastic series ‘Homebodies’ and was back on Out Takes to discuss their beautiful and engaging film ‘Billie and Jesse’ which is on at this year’s St Kilda Film Festival. We then moved onto our review of ‘The Four Seasons’ whose second season is streaming now on Netflix and promises more from the long-term relationships in a group of middle-aged friends that takes them to fresh locations while continuing to explore the highs, lows, and humour of enduring friendships, and love. We finished up the program by looking at the fantastic new initiative from FOMO Cinemas that that brings a great selection of queer films chosen by queer staff for queer audiences to Melbourne’s northside. Cleverly titled ‘Queer All Year’, these monthly screenings kick off June 5 and run on the first Friday of each month and our special guest Kaley from the FOMO team gave us the lowdown on the program and more.
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For this Out Takes, we put the spotlight on two queer filmmakers whose films are featured in this year’s Sydney Film Festival. The 73rd edition of the festival will showcase the very best in contemporary cinema from June 3 to 14 and features an incredible selection of films from around the world,
Our first guest was L.A. based filmmaker, writer, and multimedia artist William D. Caballero who is known for blending documentary, animation, and miniature world-building into visually inventive, emotionally grounded storytelling. ‘TheyDream’ is his debut feature film in which William returns home to be with his mother as they navigate the loss of their family members. Together, they draw on family audio and video, and step into the roles of their relatives – reimagined through vivid animation. We spoke with him in the lead up to his visit to Australia to present his film at the Sydney Film Festival and we discussed his career, his storytelling process, how his bisexuality was a key part of shaping this story and much more.
We were then joined from Sydney by Dean Francis whose latest film ‘Body Blow’ is described as a neon-noir exploring sex, power, and queer identity starring Tim Pocock, Tom Rodgers, Paul Capsis and Sacha Horler in a genre defining Aussie film that is unashamedly queer and chaotic. We caught up with the writer, producer and director in the lead up to the highly anticipated screenings of his film at the Sydney Film Festival and we got to discuss his career as an all-rounder in the industry, his inspirations for this bold slick erotic thriller, how he landed on this incredible cast plus we discuss the films brilliant marketing campaign that includes collector cards, t-shirts and limited edition cock cages!
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We went around the world for this Out Takes, featuring some of the latest queer films on offer this May from Chile, Germany and the UK . With the 2026 HSBC German Film Festival back on in Melbourne until May 28, we had the opportunity to speak with director Faraz Shariat about their film ‘Prosecution’ which is one of the featured Australian Premieres in this year’s festival. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2026 Berlinale, ‘Prosecution’ is described an engrossing tale of good versus evil that cleverly combines legal drama and thriller for a powerful and urgent story about the realities of Germany’s judicial system. Our exclusive interview with Faraz Shariat saw us cover a wide range of topics related to the film and its exploration of queerness for the main character.
We also reviewed ‘The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo‘, an intense and at times fantastical drama written and directed by Diego Céspedes that is streaming now on Mubi. The film unfolds in the early 1980’s in Chile in a dusty mining town nestled in the Atacama Desert, where eleven-year-old Lidia is the only child raised in a household of queer performers working at a local cantina. With his widely acclaimed feature debut, Céspedes emerges as a distinctive cinematic voice, crafting a poetic vision of love and resilience that also reflects the marginalisation and violence faced by queer communities today. Our final review for this program was ‘Mother Mary’, directed by David Lowery and featuring an incredible all female ensemble cast including Michaela Coel, Anne Hathaway, Hunter Schafer, Kaia Gerber and FKA Twigs, the film explores the complicated professional and personal relationship between iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) who reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance. ‘Mother Mary’ is in cinemas now and features original music written and produced by Charli XCX, FKA Twigs and Jack Antonoff and sang by Anne Hathaway.
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For this Out Takes, we turned our spotlight on to one of the retrospective highlights in a new Aussie focused cinema celebration screening right through May at Cinema Nova, plus we reviewed Jodie Foster’s latest film that is one for the Francophiles.
First up, we took a look at ‘Going Down’ from the early 80’s, a film about four young women living in a share house in Sydney that after its initial release was deemed a cult classic but all but disappeared until a copy showed up in the US a few years ago which started a chain reaction that has lead to it being restored, resurrected and back in cinemas across Melbourne this May. This film is bold, brash and an incredible time capsule of the uncontrolled excess in inner-city Sydney for many young people during the early 1980s and who better to discuss it in-depth than its director Haydn Keenan who provided some great insight into the making of the film and the importance of preserving our local cinematic history.
We also took the opportunity to review the latest film from Jodie Foster. ‘A Private Life’ (Vie Privée) premiered to great acclaim at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and is described as a frisky, feminine, film noir about psychoanalysis, sex and more.
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For this Out Takes, we turned the spotlight on to another great local film festival that is taking over the Northside this month plus we revisited one of our favourite interviews from earlier this year to celebrate its inclusion in a new Aussie focused cinema celebration coming to Cinema Nova this May.
First up we took a deep dive into the Brunswick Underground Film Festival (a.k.a BUFF) with festival director Felix Hubble. When it was announced that BUFF was coming back from May 14 to 17, we knew we were in for a brilliant collection of local and international underground, independent, cult, trash and schlock films but we’re also pleased to report that there is a great selection of queer content in the mix too. Felix took us through many of the highlights in the lead up to the festival and also shared with us what makes the festival underground, Needless to say, we’re pumped for this program and looking forward to getting (into) BUFF this May!
Another highlight for this May was the recently announced G’day May program from Cinema Nova which pays tribute to Australian cinema with a selection of curated anniversary classics, new features and special events celebrating Australia’s rich movie culture. One of the highlights in the program is ‘From All Sides’ which we reviewed in January and had the pleasure of speaking to its writer and director Bina Bhattacharya at the time so we thought this was the perfect time for an encore of that chat to encourage you all to get your tickets for this limited run before they sell out.
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For this Out Takes, we celebrated the return of two local film festivals that are bringing fantastic queer cinema to big screens across Melbourne and Geelong over April and May. First up, we dived into this year’s TILDE which is the trans-led international film festival that is in its 12th year showcasing the work of established and emerging trans and gender diverse artists. In 2026, TILDE is getting out and about with eight sessions across six days in venues that support and highlight Melbourne’s diverse arts and cinema scene. We are always keen to find out more about the festival, so we went straight to the source and one of our favourite returning guests a.k.a TILDE CEO Ro’ Bright, for more details on this year’s theme, the program and more.
Then we caught up with another friend of the show, Louise Lever, this time in her capacity as Festival Director for the Geelong Pride Film Festival which is back for its ninth year from April 30 to May 10. This year’s program is jam-packed with contemporary and classic LGBTIQ+ themed films along with a series of special screenings and events, so we had Louise fill us in on all of the details. She also reminded us that with free public transport across Victoria until the end of May that there’s never been a better time to head on over to Geelong for some great queer cinema and to show some support for this fabulous festival.
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During April, the team at ACMI presented Drag Week, a super-sized selection of films about the art and artists of drag who blazed a trail in this irreverent, outrageous and unapologetic performance style. On Thursday April 23, JOY 94.9 and the Out Takes teamed up with ACMI to deliver a special live outside broadcast to celebrate a special shadow cast screening of ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ featuring some of Melbourne’s premiere drag talent including Lazy Susan, Art Simone, Pashion Couture and Zelda Moon. We also spoke with ACMI Film Program Team members Ella and Anton about the creation of this special celebration of drag on the big screen and we spoke with Nicole and two of the aspiring queer filmmakers about ACMI’s LGBTQIA+ Young Filmmakers Workshop. So listen up and enJOY this special highlights package of the ACMI Drag Week special live outside broadcast!
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For this Out Takes, we reviewed a new Aussie musical that brings, the latest television show from Dan Levy and two of the local films on offer for ACMI Drag Week plus an interview for you with one of Australia’s favourite comic actresses and a global movie star.
First up was ‘The Deb’, an original musical comedy about two teenage cousins who dig deep to find self-acceptance and a date to the Debutante Ball in a small country town in Australia. We thoroughly enjoyed this truly Aussie and wildly original movie musical that is also Rebel Wilson’s hotly anticipated directorial debut so who better to tell us about it than the star herself. Alaisdair caught up with Rebel online where they discussed why she wanted to tell this story, her musical inspirations, the importance of queer representation in this film and more.
Next was ‘Big Mistakes’, the latest project from Dan Levy which is streaming now on Netflix. Described as a bold, new comedic family saga within a high-stakes crime thriller. Big Mistakes follows Nicky (played by Dan Levy) and Morgan (played by Taylor Ortega), two deeply incapable siblings who are in over their heads when a misguided theft for their dying grandmother accidentally pulls them into the world of organized crime. Blackmailed into increasingly dangerous assignments, they clumsily fail upwards, sinking deeper into chaos they’re ill-equipped to handle. This one divided the OT team but it’s fair to say if you’re needing a Dan Levy fix then this should satisfy your cravings.
We finished up with reviews of two local films featured in ACMI Drag Week which is a week long celebration of queer films that highlight the wonderfully diverse world of drag from April 17 – 23. The first film is the rarely screened 1984 camp short film ‘XOS A Cry for Help’ about two sisters (both played by Doug Lucas) fighting over their recently departed grandmother’s final wishes. This was followed by our review of ‘Victorian Queens’ which explores Melbourne’s unique drag community through four very intimate and distinct portraits of four drag artists and showcases their progressive leadership through artistic expression while they push for cultural change and inclusion.
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For this Out Takes Extra, we had the pleasure of speaking with Rebel Wilson, the local comedy legend who has gone on to become an incredibly successful international movie star who is now launching her feature film directorial debut with a story that is near and dear to her heart. Bold, outrageous, and funny, ‘The Deb’ is a vibrant Australian musical about two wildly different teenage cousins who start out at odds, but ultimately find common ground, and unexpected friendship, at their town’s annual debutante ball. It’s in Australian cinemas now and we got to speak to Rebel in the lead up to its local release about why she wanted to tell this story, her musical inspirations, the importance of queer representation in this film and more. Enjoy this Out Takes Extra then go see ‘The Deb’ on the big screen this April!
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For this Out Takes, we put the spotlight on Drag Week which is coming to ACMI this April which allows you to experience a super-sized week of films that walked so Drag Race could run … in heels! Our special guest was Spiro Economopoulos who has recently joined the team at ACMI to help bring great cinema to the masses in Melbourne and he’s kicking it off with a week long celebration of queer films that highlight the wonderfully diverse world of drag. From April 17 – 23, ACMI will screen twelve films about the art and artists of drag who blazed a trail in this irreverent, outrageous and unapologetic performance style. Spiro helps to break it all down for us including the special screening of ‘The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ as you’ve never seen it before, performed with a live shadow cast of local drag queens Lazy Susan, Zelda Moon, Pashion Couture and Art Simone plus a special live JOY 94.9 outside broadcast from ACMI featuring the Out Takes team from 6 – 7pm before the screening kicks off at 7.30pm – see you there! We also revisited our reviews of ‘Jimpa’ and Pillion, two of our favourite queer films of 2026 that are now available to rent or buy online.
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With International Day of Transgender Visibility being celebrated on March 31, we took the opportunity to spotlight ‘Homebodies’, a brand new digital series that is streaming now on SBS on Demand that highlights local trans and queer talent on screen and behind the scenes including its creator AP Pobjoy.
Fresh from its selection for this year’s prestigious Series Mania in France, ‘Homebodies’ stars Claudia Karvan, Luke Wiltshire and Jazi Hall, and follows Darcy, a trans man who reluctantly returns to his regional hometown to care for his estranged mother Nora. But home isn’t as he left it. Nora has been living with a secret housemate: Dee, the teenage ghost of Darcy’s pre-transition self. As old wounds resurface, Darcy must confront the parts of himself he tried to leave behind or risk losing himself entirely. The creator, lead-writer and one of the directors of the series is AP Pobjoy, a Sydney based creative who was in Lille, France when we spoke for Series Mania where ‘Homebodies’ had its world premiere. We discussed how they got into filmmaking, the importance of trans representation on our screens and much more.
We also reviewed the latest film from indie American film director and musician Jim Jarmusch. ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ is constructed in the form of a triptych and includes a beautiful performance from Indya Moore along with a cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Rampling, Tom Waits and Adam Driver. The three stories all concern the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents), and each other. Each of the three chapters takes place in the present, and each in a different country. The film is described as a series of character studies, quiet, observational and non-judgmental – a comedy, but interwoven with threads of melancholy and is in Australian cinemas from April 2nd.
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If you listened to our show in June 2023, then you know we absolutely loved season 1 of Deadloch and we were very excited to hear that a second season was in the works. Nearly three years later and its fair to say that the return of Deadloch to our small screens was well worth the wait! Not only do we get to spend more time with Eddy and Dulcie, this time the unlikely cop duo are in Darwin investigating the death of Eddie’s former policing partner Bushy, but when the body of a Top End icon is discovered in a remote town, they are flung into a sweatier, stickier investigation with crocodiles and chaos following them every step of the way.
To coincide with the release of season 2, we had the pleasure of speaking with Kate Box and Madeleine Sami about all things Deadloch and had a wonderful time talking about their experiences on set in the Top End, the importance of representation in the show and much more. Enjoy this Out Takes Extra with Madeleine Sami and Kate Box for Deadloch season 2 with all episodes streaming now on Prime Video.
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For this Out Takes, we celebrated the return of two homegrown television shows that represent the best of Aussie queer talent across the board, and we took a look at five LGBTQIA+ short films that highlight some of the best global queer cinema on offer for free this March.
First up, we welcomed back Deadloch which saw its second season transported from the cool Tasmanian climate up into the balmy Top End for a wild ride full of murder, mystery, crocodiles and that brilliant trademark comedy we loved the first time around. Not only did we get to review season 2 which is streaming now in full on Prime Video (spoiler alert – we LOVED it!), we also got to speak with the two fantastically funny and whip smart leads of the show, Madeleine Sami and Kate Box.
We also said hello and goodbye to the kids from Hartley High for the third and final season of Heartbreak High which is streaming from March 25, plus we take a look at the Five Films for Freedom online short film program from the British Council that celebrates global stories in support of LGBTQIA+ communities across the world that are available to watch online for free until March 29.
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For this Out Takes Extra, we got together 24 hours post-Oscars for a debrief and to see if any of our winner predictions were spot on or way off (spoiler – we did pretty well). Let us know what you loved and loathed about the 98th Academy Awards via email or on our socials. Happy Awards Season to all who celebrate!
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With Awards season wrapping up for another year, we thought we’d celebrate some of the winners at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards (LIZA!) and revisited our interview with the team behind ‘A Nice Indian Boy’ who took home one of the big prizes of the night. We also threw our Oscar predictions into the mix with varying degrees of success and as always, we congratulate everyone who was nominated – everyone’s a winner baby!
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For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of the Melbourne Women in Film Festival. Running from March 19–23 across ACMI and Fed Square, this year’s program continues to bring together bold works from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Pasifika. Over four days, audiences can look forward to premiere screenings, restorations, creator conversations and hands-on workshops—an immersive celebration of diverse perspectives and the homegrown visionaries shaping the screen industry’s future. The Melbourne Women in Film Festival recently unveiled its landmark tenth-year program, marking a decade of championing women and gender-diverse filmmakers from Australia and beyond. We caught up with Festival Director Dr Sian Mitchell to discuss this year’s program and much more.
We also reviewed ‘The Moment’, a new film that turns the spotlight on Charli XCX as we go behind the scenes for a hilarious look at the life of a popstar as she navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena tour debut.
Finally, we took a look at ‘A Friend of Dorothy’, a new short film that is delightfully queer and in the running to win an Oscar too.
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With ‘Scream 7’ finally out in cinemas around the world after various delays and controversies, we took the opportunity for this Out Takes to review this latest instalment in the 30+ year franchise and also explore its queer legacy across this incredibly popular and at times very camp slasher film series. From those iconic early days of high-profile scream queens being killed off in the opening scenes of the films to the enduring and contentious relationship between Sidney and Gail across the years, we celebrate the queer connection between the films and its fans along with the impact it’s gay creator Kevin Williamson has had on the horror genre.
We then took the program in a different direction by taking a look at the new Netflix docuseries that has everyone talking about Tyra. ‘America’s Next Top Model’ was created and hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks and began in 2006. It ran for 24 seasons and created spin offs around the world including here is Australia. The show featured up and coming models from across the USA vying to win the competition by competing in challenges, doing photo shoots and commercials and living in a shared house all while being filmed 24/7. The show was always controversial and with more contestants sharing their stories online it was only time before someone decided to take a look back at the people involved and what actually went on behind the scenes on this massively popular reality television juggernaut ‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model’ packed a lot in to its three episodes and we were keen to join the conversation on this series too.
Finally, with Award’s season nearing the finish line before the Academy Awards in mid-March, we took the time to reflect on the recent BAFTA Awards and see if there are any clear favourites or surprises coming through in the recent winners and to also provide an update on our picks for Oscar glory in 2026.
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For this Out Takes, we celebrated the release of two highly anticipated queer films for February that celebrate the diversity of our community, the importance of representation and the ability for LGBTQIA+ folks to tell our own stories in an authentic way while still been given the opportunity to have them out in the mainstream.
First up was ‘Jimpa’, the latest film from Adelaide based writer, producer and director Sophie Hyde. Inspired by Hyde’s own life with a direct link to her gay activist father Jim, this film is a multi-generational queer family story starring award-winning favourites Olivia Colman and John Lithgow plus it introduces us to the extraordinary talents of Aud Mason-Hyde. Along with our review of ‘Jimpa’, we were delighted to be joined in the JOY studios by Sophie and Hyde where we covered a wide range of topics and themes including how this very personal story developed into a feature film, how audiences have responded to the performances and characters, plus we discuss the connection that their father and grandfather Jim Hyde had to JOY and his impact in the queer community.
We then reviewed ‘Pillion’, the debut feature film from British director Harry Lighton that tells the story of Colin (Harry Melling) who lives a small, carefully ordered life with his parents until Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), the charismatic leader of a gay biker gang, claims him as his submissive. Drawn into Ray’s world of leather, ritual, and unspoken codes, Colin awakens to intoxicating new dimensions of desire and belonging and the film traces the ecstatic and uncomfortable contours of a dom-sub relationship that evolves into something far deeper – a meditation on identity, control, and the unsettling shapes devotion takes when boundaries dissolve.
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For this Out Takes Extra, we had the pleasure of speaking with Sophie Hyde and Aud Mason-Hyde at the JOY studios in the lead up to the Australian release of ‘Jimpa’ which is in cinemas now. Sophie Hyde is an acclaimed Adelaide-based film director, writer, and producer. Following on from her debut feature ’52 Tuesdays’, she has gone on to work on projects here and around the world including ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ with Emma Thompson and ‘Animals’ with Alia Shawkat. Her latest film ‘Jimpa’ is based on her own family story after her father, Jim Hyde, came out to his wife as gay when they were married with young children, and explores a fictionalised version of their unique path forward in keeping their family connected while also living their own lives. The film stars Olivia Colman, John Lithgow, and introduces us to the extraordinary acting abilities of Sophie’s very talented child, Aud Mason-Hyde.With Sophie and Aud at the JOY studio’s to discuss ‘Jimpa’, we took the opportunity to cover a wide range of topics from film-making to gender identity through to Jim Hyde’s connection to JOY and the experience of being in a bath with Olivia Colman on set! ‘Jimpa’ is in Australian cinemas now so visit your local cinema listings for details and also visit the Queerest Part of Us project to celebrate, recognise and remember our stories and connection to community. Also, keep up to date with everything Out Takes on Instagram, BlueSky and Facebook and thanks for listening to this Out Takes Extra.
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For this Out Takes, we had a stack of reviews to cover some of the films on offer in cinemas and online this February. We started off by saying bon retour to the 37th Alliance Française French Film Festival which kicks off again across Australia from March 3rd. One of the queer highlights in this year’s program is ‘The Little Sister’ which tells the story of Fatima (played by Nadia Melliti), who is the youngest daughter of a Franco-Algerian family living in the suburbs of Paris. Surrounded by her sisters, she grows up in a warm, loving household shaped by strong traditions and Muslim faith. A gifted student, she graduates high school and enrols in a philosophy program in Paris, where she is suddenly exposed to a world far removed from everything she knows. In the capital, new encounters and ideas unsettle her certainties, specifically her exploration of her sexuality and connection with the queer community. This beautiful film was selected for the Official Competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where Nadia Melliti won the Best Actress award and the film received the Queer Palm and is a must-see. We then took a look at ‘Cashing Out’, a new documentary that is streaming now online for free from The New Yorker that tells a little heard story about an insurance scheme that had a huge impact in the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. ‘Cashing Out’ was shortlisted for this year’s Best Documentary Short Film and was executive produced by Matt Bomer and RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Angeria Paris Van Michaels and is another incredible story of the resilience of our community in the face of an epidemic. We then moved on to ‘Wuthering Heights’, the latest film from celebrated writer and director Emerald Fennell who brought together Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi and a Charli XCX soundtrack for her ‘horny’ interpretation of the classic novel by Emily Bronte. Everyone has a lot to say about this new version, so we jumped on the bandwagon to give you the Out Takes take on this one. We ended the program by spotlighting ‘She’s The He’, the closing night film at this year’s Mardi Gras Film festival, plus we paid tribute to two wonderful talents and LGBTQ allies, Catherine O’Hara and James Van Der Beek, who both sadly passed away recently.
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For this Out Takes, we celebrated the recent success of Leela Varghese at the 2026 AACTA Awards for ‘Lesbian Space Princess’ and ‘I’m The Most Racist Person I Know’ (which were two of our favourite queer films of 2025) by revisiting our interview with her from last year along with our review of LSP which is available to watch locally on Netflix now. We also reviewed ‘Christy’, the latest film from Aussie director David Michôd that stars Sydney Sweeney in the lead role that chronicles the rise of former professional boxer Christy Martin and her incredibly tumultuous life in and outside of the ring, including accepting her sexuality, along with her abusive and coercive relationship with her coach that led to an attempted murder on her life. We also had an encore presentation of an excerpt from our interview from March 2025 with actor Arka Das and the founder of the Indian Film Festival and film producer Mitu Bhowmick Lange to discuss ‘My Melbourne’ which features four unique stories that celebrate diverse voices and talents from four Indian filmmakers who worked with emerging creatives from underrepresented backgrounds to create a multicultural Australian film about identity and belonging based on authentic migrant experiences and is available to watch now on SBS on Demand.
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Now that we’re well in to this new year, we’re starting to see the return of some of our favourite film festivals and we were excited to take a closer look at the fifth edition of the Europa! Europa Film Festival which is back in cinemas across Australia and New Zealand from February 19 to March 19. To take a deep dive in to the program, we welcomed back the festival’s Artistic Director Spiro Economopoulos to tell us more about the 43 films on offer and some of his personal recommendations too.
We also reviewed one of the highlights of this year’s program called ‘Maspalomas’, a beautiful Spanish film that tells the story of Vicente who came out as gay at the age of 50, leaving his wife and daughter back home in San Sebastián, to enjoy the sun-drenched gay resort town of Maspalomas in the Canary Islands After recently splitting up with his partner Esteban in his mid-seventies, Vicente is making the most of his newly single life until one night he suffers a stroke and ending up in a coma. Upon waking up, Vicente finds that he’s been moved to a care home by his estranged daughter and to make matters worse, he finds himself back “in the closet”, since he hasn’t told anyone at the home about his sexual identity.
We ended the show with a recap on the recent award nomination announcements for the GLAAD Media Awards, the 98th Academy Awards and the BAFTA’s including some of the LGBTQIA+ nominees we’re hoping to see pick up a win this award season.
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For this Out Takes, we were excited to introduce you to ‘From All Sides’, a new Australian feature film that is having a special Q&A screening at the Sun Theatre in Yarraville on Friday January 30 that is described as a subversive, sexually frank drama about a seemingly average suburban middle-class, multiracial family that features a strikingly original fusion of steamy bisexual orgies, extramarital hookups, and dazzling classical Indian dance sequences. We wanted to know more about this exciting local queer film so we went straight to the source and spoke to its writer and director Bina Bhattacharya. This wonderful interview covered many important topics including her journey as a filmmaker, her passion for Western Sydney and importance of using it as a backdrop to tell modern Australian stories, the impact of racism on her storytelling and more.
We concluded the show by looking at ‘Blue Moon’, the latest from award-winning director Richard Linklater that stars Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott and is set in New York City in 1943. It follows the gay and closeted musical genius Lorenz Hart as he reflects on himself on the opening night of Oklahoma!, a new musical by his former colleague Richard Rodgers. We thoroughly enjoyed watching Ethan Hawke in this transformative role which has seen him nominated for a Golden Globe and Academy Award.
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It’s no secret we love a film festival and with the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival returning this February, we took the opportunity for this show to spotlight the fantastic Mardi Gras Film Festival and many of the top tier queer films on offer in this year’s program. Queer Screen’s 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival runs from 12-26 February 2026, presenting outstanding LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the world. Alongside film premieres, audiences can enjoy panel discussions and networking events celebrating global queer storytelling and connection. We wanted to know more about this incredible line up, so we went straight to the source and heard from Andrew Wilkie, the Queer Screen Programming and Industry Manager, about many of the highlights in this year’s program and more.
We also revisited our interview from August last year with the director of one of the highlights in this year’s MGFF program. ‘We Are Faheem and Karun’ is the latest film from Onir, the gay Indian writer, film and television director, editor, screenwriter and producer who is best known for his film My Brother…Nikhil which at the time was one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with AIDS and same-sex relationships. He also won the National Award for his film I Am and with his latest film ‘We Are Faheem and Karun’, he creates the first ever queer Kashmiri love story, set in Kashmir itself, and in the Kashmiri language, with local actors. He’ll be a guest at this year’s Mardi Gras Film Festival for a special Q&A screening and as part of the Industry Panel & Networking event so book your tickets now as this session and screening not to be missed.
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With Melbourne’s premiere queer arts and culture festival a.k.a. Midsumma 2026, kicking off on January 18, we dedicated this program to celebrating two fantastic LGBTQIA+ film related events that are coming your way that will leave you entertained and engaged. First up, we always know that the Melbourne Queer Film Festival brings a great selection of films for Midsumma and 2026 is no exception. One of our favourite returning guests, MQFF’s Program Director Ro Bright, joined us to take us through the great line up of films on offer for their 2026 MQFF Midsumma series. Then we turned our attention to a workshop that will help to nurture and inspire the next generation of local queer filmmakers forward with their own projects. Lead by Melbourne based Kiwi born independent filmmaker Lousie Lever, ‘There’s a story in you: a Queer filmmaking workshop’ is on January 24 – 25 with a goal to empower participants to connect with likeminded creatives and learn more about the process of filmmaking. Show your support for these fantastic events and have a very safe, happy, and queer Midsumma!
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Even though we are at the start of a new year, we wanted to take the time to spotlight a TV series that came out at the end of 2025 that has literally taken over social media (and our lives) plus made us all into big fans of ice hockey. ‘Heated Rivalry’ came out in late November and took the internet by storm with its good-looking cast, romantic storylines, and steamy gay sex scenes. As the first season rolled out over six episodes, the fandom grew and it was easy to see why this Canadian-made show set in the world of professional ice hockey was winning hearts all over the world at a time when representation of LGBTQIA characters in television and film are under threat. With the final episode still playing on repeat in our hearts and minds, we took this opportunity to take a look at the ‘Heated Rivalry’ phenomenon and explore its history starting out as a series of novels through to its development as a television show along with its cultural impact broadly and from a gay perspective. We also took a look at some of the films we’re looking forward to seeing and reviewing in 2026 including ‘Pillion’, ‘Supergirl’, ‘Heartstopper Forever’ and more. Happy New Year!
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With 2025 coming to a close, we thought it would be a good time to revisit some of our favourite interviews from the past 12 months. We’ve been fortunate to speak to so many great filmmakers, actors and industry creatives over the year and quite honestly, we could do another 5 of these interview highlight shows and still have more leftover. For this special, we revisited our interviews with Tracie Laymon, Karan Soni, Roshan Sethi, Andrew Ahn and Kate Woods to discuss their respective projects, careers and more. If you enjoy these interviews and want more then you’re in luck – check out more from the past 10 years of the show on our podcast feed and also find us on social media to see what’s coming up on the show too. Happy New Year, we’re looking forward to bringing you more of the best in queer film and television in 2026!
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We know that ‘Best of’ lists can be problematic but with the end of the year fast approaching we wanted to share with you some of our favourite queer films and television shows for 2025. In no particular order, we offered up three picks each that reflected some of the best shows and movies this year that showcased representation from a LGBTQIA+ perspective on our big and small screens or was just something that brought us some joy and that we loved watching in a very challenging year. Let us know if you liked our selections, think we made a mistake or missed one of your faves by dropping us an email or messaging us on our socials. Happy holidays and here’s to a very queer 2026 for us all!
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The year was 2016 and two weeks out from Christmas, a new show started on JOY that promised to bring you the best in queer film and television every week… and on Monday December 15, Out Takes celebrated 10 years on air and on podcast and everyone was invited! For this very special live show from the JOY studios at the Victorian Pride Centre, we were joined by some very special guests, including Cinema Nova CEO and friend of the show Kristian Connelly, along with a shout out from our London-based international correspondent Dion. We also had some great giveaways courtesy of Eclipse Cinema and Cinema Nova plus we reminisced on some of the many highlights and memorable moments from our last decade bringing you the best in queer film and television. Thank you for your support and for listening!
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For this Out Takes, we decided to get into the festive season by looking at two new Christmas themed films that explore queer stories within the family dynamic that is often overlooked in these genre.
First up we took a look at ‘The Christmas Writer’ from Tello Films which is the first network dedicated to telling stories featuring and about lesbian/queer women and is the world’s longest running LGBTQ+ streaming platform with the biggest library of sapphic holiday films available anywhere. Their latest sapphic holiday-themed film follows Noel, a bestselling lesbian Christmas author who loses her holiday muse and experiences writer’s block, so she returns to her quaint hometown in search of renewed inspiration. What she finds is an unexpected love story that even she couldn’t have written… We really enjoyed this film and jumped at the chance to speak to Christin Baker, the film’s director and CEO of Tello Films, and Stacey Lee Powell, her real life partner and one of the stars of ‘The Christmas Writer’, from their homebase of Nashville. We covered a lot in this two-part interview, including the intent behind Tello Films, the importance of representation in lesbian and sapphic series, movies, and shorts plus the all-important question, what makes a great queer Christmas movie.
We then moved on to ‘Oh.What.Fun.’, the new Christmas film streaming now on Prime Video, with an all-star cast including Michelle Pfeiffer, Denis Leary, Chloe Grace Moretz, Felicity Jones, Danielle Brooks, Jason Schwartzman, Eva Longoria, Maude Apatow and Joan Chen. We had high hopes for this one, especially with a queer character in the mix, so listen to our review to see if it lives up to the hype.
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For this special Out Takes episode, we headed back in time then back to the future in honour of JOY 94.9’s 32nd on-air anniversary and World AIDs Day 2025. We started off by using the 1993 December 1st start date for JOY to reflect on what was happening in queer film and television during this period and also check in on where we were at on our specific queer journeys and what we were watching at the time. We then caught up with Cal Hawk from Thorne Harbour Health and one of the hosts of Well, Well, Well on JOY to discuss the importance of World AIDs Day, the history of HIV and AIDS activism in Melbourne, and some of the seminal films and TV programs that have shaped the discussion around HIV/AIDs over the years. We then finished up with some television and film recommendation’s that we have previously discussed focusing on HIV/AIDS that are available to listen to now in the Out Takes podcast archive.
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As is our way at Out Takes, we literally had something for everyone this week! The highly anticipated second film of the most talked about movie musical in years, the return of a fantastic local documentary to a local streaming service, a queer Christmas radio play from one of our own that is on around Melbourne for a limited run, and a review of a new psychological drama that is in Aussie cinemas from November 27.
First up, we discussed our return to Oz with the release of ‘Wicked: For Good’ and had our say on whether it’s a perfect part 2 to one of the biggest films of last year or left us wanting more. Needless to say, it’s a celebration of diversity and queerness that we need more than ever, and we love seeing Cynthia, Ari and Jonathan belting it out on our big screens. We then welcomed back Sue Thomson, the local filmmaker whose delightful documentary ‘The Coming Back Out Ball Movie’ is heading to DocPlay this month. Following its release in 2018 at the height of the marriage equality debate, this wonderful celebration of LGBTQIA+ elders is an incredible legacy piece that is well-worthy of a re-watch plus we hear more from Sue around her memories from that time, her thoughts on the current landscape for Australian documentaries and more. Our second interview for the show was with one of our very-own as Demetra told us all about her latest creative venture that is having three special performances around Melbourne in the lead up to Christmas. Billed as a live queer radio play, “Coming Out for Christmas” is the story of a queer young Greek-Aussie woman, who brings her Aussie girlfriend home for her family’s Christmas lunch and discovers her conservative family is hiding from everyone. This is a comedy about family, community, and living your truth. Our final review for this show was ‘Lurker’, a new film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and screened at MIFF this year where it garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews. The film follows Matthew as he manages to infiltrate the inner circle of a rising pop star, Oliver, and glories in his new status as an indispensable member of the entourage. But when Matthew realises how easy he is to replace – or even worse, that he is not as important as he believed – he will go to any lengths to stay relevant to Oliver and his crew.
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For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of Melbourne’s very own queer film festival with a selection of reviews, took a look at a new local show that promises to be a feisty feminist murder mystery plus we checked in on Eclipse Cinema, the latest independent cinema to open in Melbourne’s Northside.
First up, with the 35th Melbourne Queer Film Festival under way, we let you know about a few of the films we’ve seen that you can check out in this year’s programs, including In Transit, She’s The He, Hot Milk and 300 Letters.
We then moved on to ‘He Had It Coming’, a new Aussie series coming to Stan on November 20 that bills itself as a feisty feminist murder mystery that has an impressive international cast set against the backdrop of a fictional university in Adelaide.
We finished up by turning the spotlight on to a new independent cinema that has opened up in the heart of Melbourne’s Northside. Eclipse Cinema is found in Collingwood’s former Sherrin factory and is now home to a single-screen cinema that’s pairing new and recent films with classic must-sees. We caught up with Mark Walker, the owner and operator of Eclipse Cinema, to find out more about his love of cinema, how he decides on what to screen each week and more.
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For this Out Takes, we kept it eclectic by discussing the latest all-star female focused series from Ryan Murphy that the internet cannot get enough of, a documentary about one of the most respected and queer friendly world leaders, and we welcome the return of Melbourne’s very own queer film festival.
We started off with ‘All’s Fair’, the new TV series that has received some of the worst reviews in recent history while generating excellent ratings and major online buzz. Is it a case of its-so-bad-it’s-great or something more predictable at work here like good old-fashioned misogyny? With a cast including Glenn Close, Niecy Nash, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, and Kim Kardashian, and with Ryan Murphy’s fingerprints all over it you can guarantee it looks good and is camp AF so based on that you will either love it or loath it!
We shifted gears dramatically to review ‘Prime Minister’, a new documentary that chronicles Jacinda Ardern’s tenure as New Zealand PM where she navigates crises while redefining global leadership through her empathetic yet resolute approach, including being recognised as a political ally to the LGBTQIA+ community.
We finished this show with a two-part interview with one of our favourite returning guests, Melbourne Queer Film Festival’s Program Director Ro Bright. Along with taking us through the program and a few of their personal highlights and recommendations for 2025, we also discussed some of the many special events on offer and explored this year’s theme and what it means to be searching for queer utopias.
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For this Out Takes the theme of the show was ‘eclectic’ with a delightful mix including our review of JLo’s latest film (and her first ever movie musical), an update from our London-based international correspondent on the latest releases coming our way soon and we catch up with two special guests to discuss the power and importance of queer music videos.
First up, we took a look at ‘Kiss of the Spiderwoman’. It started life as an award-winning novel. Then, a groundbreaking drama in the 1980s that won the late William Hurt a Best Actor Oscar. In the 90’s, it was transformed again – this time into a record-setting Broadway musical that bagged seven Tony awards. Now, nearly half a century on, the web’s being woven all over again with Jennifer Lopez taking one of the lead roles in this movie musical that is in cinemas now.
Next up we welcomed back Dion Blackler, our UK correspondent and one of the co-hosts of the ‘In The Mood For Film’ podcast, to discuss the recent BFI London Film Festival which highlighted some of the queer films coming down under soon including the much anticipated ‘Pillion’ and ‘The History of Sound’ plus some of the many highlights from this year’s festival.
To celebrate the launch of the 115th Issue of Senses of Cinema, we spoke with not one, but two doctors – Dr Patrick Kelly and Dr Stayci Taylor, who joined us to discuss their special event ‘My Formative Queers: Stories of the Music Videos that Made Us Queer’. Both will be on the panel for this free ticketed event so they gave us a taste of what to expect and explained what makes a classic queer music video.
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For this Out Takes, we went on a global cinematic trip looking at films and filmmakers from Britain, Iran, and the U.S.A.
First up, we looked at ‘Hedda’, the latest provocative drama from writer-director Nia DaCosta which is a modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic. This time around, the action has been transposed from 19th-century Oslo to 1950’s Britain, where former bohemian free-spirit Hedda has moved into a sprawling estate with her new husband, the pinched and humourless academic George. Hedda has a lot going on – as the daughter of a general navigating a house she does not want and a marriage she feels trapped in, and a female ex-lover who reappears in her life. Tessa Thompson is exceptional in the title role and delivers a performance that is a bold and haunting portrait of a woman on the edge.
We were then joined by Palace Cinema’s National Program Manager Kim Patelas to discuss the return this November of the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival and some of the highlights in this year’s program. As the Festival’s curator and who worked for Palace for 40 years, Kim started the British Film Festival and even though he retired from Palace in 2021 he has continued to program the Festival and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of British film.
We concluded the show with a look at the upcoming ‘Focus on Jafar Panahi’ retrospective that is coming to Melbourne this November. While he has not directed any explicit queer films, his work often addresses social restrictions that heavily affect marginalised individuals, including LGBTQ+ people. Despite arrests, filmmaking bans, and restrictions on travelling outside of Iran, Jafar Panahi has resolutely made films marked by profound humanism for over 30 years. ACMI has curated a program of twelve films, from his breakout feature ‘The White Balloon’ to the Out Takes favourite ‘Offside’ through to this year’s Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, ‘It Was Just an Accident’.
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For this Out Takes, we reviewed two new films from gay directors that explore the queer experience in vastly different ways and environments, plus we celebrated the return of The Other Film Festival and MQFF who are collaborating on a special inclusive cinema event this November.
First up, we reviewed ‘Twinless’, a truly original and entertaining film that is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. After meeting in a twin bereavement support group, Roman and Dennis develop an unlikely friendship as they both search for solace and an identity without their better halves. They soon become inseparable, but old wounds reopen that will have permanent consequences for their friendship. This stirring, whip-smart, wholly original dark-comedy comes from breakout multi hyphenate writer, actor and director James Sweeney and it’s fair to say it is one of our favourite queer films of 2025. Next, we discussed ‘After The Hunt’, the latest film from gay Italian director Luca Guadagnino starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny. that tells the story of a college professor who is forced to grapple with her own secretive past after one of her male colleagues is faced with a serious accusation against an up-and-coming young queer female student at Yale University. We were then joined by The Other Film Festival’s Artistic Director Fiona Tuomy to discuss their ground-breaking disability-led program for 2025 that places Deaf and Disabled people at the centre of the Australian screen industry. Founded in 2004, The Other Film Festival is Australia’s first international disability film festival and a pioneer in offering a global standard of universal access for audiences. Along with putting on their own festival, this year they are collaborating with MQFF on a special inclusive cinema event for the Australian Premiere of ‘If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart into Your Mouth and Smile’. We ended the program with a look at this year’s Melbourne Queer Film Festival which is back across Naarm this November with a stellar selection of LGBTQIA+ cinema and events, including a swag of premieres and films that we have been very excited to see on the big screen and in its online program.
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For this show, we take the phrase ‘mixed-bag’ and make it a reality by celebrating the return of one of our favourite local film festivals, review two television shows that highlight two gay men’s experience of dealing with two very different battlefields – one being the US Marine’s boot camp and the other being the hellscape known as the American High School campus, and we revisit a queer highlight from the ‘Black Mirror’ anthology.
With TILDE returning to Melbourne from October 31 – November 2, we welcome back their CEO Ro Bright to discuss this year’s program and find out why the festival’s theme “Bites Back” is a celebration of creative defiance, self-determination, and the power of storytelling to challenge dominant norms and reclaim space on their own terms. We also reviewed the new series ‘Boots’ a Netflix dramedy set in the 1990s that follows Cameron, a closeted gay teenager, who impulsively joins the U.S. Marine Corps with his best friend. Based on Greg Cope White’s memoir ‘The Pink Marine’, the series explores themes of identity, friendship, and resilience as the recruits navigate boot camp, a dangerous environment where being openly gay meant severe consequences. We then moved on from the Marine’s boot camp to another battleground that is well known to many of us – the teenage warzone known as high school. ‘English Teacher’ is a comedy series from Brian Jordan Alavarez who plays Evan Marquez, a gay man who finds himself at the intersection of professional, political, and personal aspects of working at a high school in Texas. We finished by revisiting ‘San Junipero’ from the critically acclaimed and much-loved British science fiction anthology television series Black Mirror. This episode premiered on Netflix in October 2016, and the story begins in 1987 in a beach resort town named San Junipero, where the introverted Yorkie meets the more outgoing Kelly. Many felt that this episode marked a cultural shift in relation to the portrayal of lesbianism on television, or proof of concept that works dealing with queer characters need not be tragic.
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It’s no secret that we love a film festival at Out Takes so for this program we let you know what’s the craic with the return of the Irish Film Festival. Now in its 11th year, the 2025 Festival will showcase sixteen films and documentaries from Ireland, including 14 Australian premieres, and will take place in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, and Perth, alongside a nationwide online program from October 9 to November 9.
We had the opportunity to review three films, starting with ‘Never Stop the Action’, which is described as a kaleidoscopic journey through time and space. We begin the film in The Bronx, catching a 5am D-Train with our guides Teshi and Casey, two old friends recently reunited at an all-night dance party. On their long subway ride through the awakening city, the two share stories that take us out of the train on surreal swerves into vivid imaginary universes.
We then looked at ‘Ten Years of Yes’, a wonderful short film that follows Sydney Queer Irish, a social group for Irish expats and their friends of all identities and nationalities in Sydney. For the last 15 years, they have held regular meetups and annual events, participated in the Mardi Gras festival, and created a home away from home for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ diaspora down under. This short documentary follows Sydney Queer Irish in their preparation for the 2025 Mardi Gras parade, where they unveiled a sensational wedding party upon Sydney’s Oxford Street, honouring ten years of marriage equality in Ireland. ‘Ten Years of Yes’ captures a moment of both reflection and celebration amongst a community in their adopted city, thousands of kilometres from where history was made. We spoke with Alan Fitzgerald, the film’s director and member of Sydney Queer Irish, about how he got involved in the group, the importance of capturing this moment on film and also how he became an ‘accidental’ filmmaker.
Our final review was the feature documentary ‘Mrs Robinson’, which tells the impressive life story of change-maker Mary Robinson: Ireland’s first female President, a pioneering UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the successor of Nelson Mandela as Chair of The Elders. This intimate portrait takes viewers from Mary Robinson’s childhood in the rural west of Ireland to the world stage working with Bishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama. Unfettered access for the first time allows the viewer to hear Mary’s commentary on a changing Ireland, her legal wins decriminalising homosexuality, legalising divorce and contraception and her triumphant Presidential victory.
We finished by speaking with Dr Enda Murray, an award-winning filmmaker who has lived and worked in Ireland, England, USA, and Australia. His academic and filmmaking practice focuses on community, social justice, and popular culture. He is also the founder and creative director of the Irish Film Festival, and we spoke with him to find out more about the history of the festival, the importance of sharing Irish stories on our screens and more.
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For this program, we looked at two films that explore the queer experience through very different perspectives; one being a documentary on the creative team behind many loved films from the past 50 years including the queer classic ‘Maurice’; and the second, a queer coming-of-age comedy about coming out of the closet that is screening at the VPC and Thornbury Picture House in Melbourne this October.
First up we reviewed the delightful ‘Egghead & Twinkie’ which explores the aftermath of Vivian a.k.a. Twinkie, a teenage girl who has just come out to her conservative parents who then takes off on a road trip to meet her online crush with the help of her nerdy best friend Egghead. This film is heart-warming and very a sweet tale about embracing your identity and the ups and downs of best friendship. It’s written and directed by Sarah Kambe Holland who joined us to discuss the film, the importance of representation and more.
Next up, we ran an encore of our interview from November 2024 with writer, producer and film director Stephen Soucy who was the driving force behind this insightful and educational documentary ‘Merchant Ivory’ that explores the legendary creative team behind Merchant Ivory Productions who became synonymous with prestige arthouse cinema. Check out this fantastic film at the ‘Meet the Filmmaker’ screening at Cinema Nova with Stephen Soucy for a post-screening Zoom Q&A.
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For this Out Takes, we bring you a spring edition of Out Takes Recommends looking at a selection of films, TV shows and more that we’re enjoying as it is warming up down under and we struggle through hay-fever season a.k.a springtime in Melbourne!
We started off with a review of Wayward which is streaming now on Netflix and is from Mae Martin, the queer comedian and actor whose previous show ‘Feel Good’ was a big hit in 2020 – 21, and also stars Toni Collette in a scene stealing role. Wayward is set in the picture-perfect town of Tall Pines where sinister secrets lurk behind every closed door. This genre-bending limited series about the eternal struggle between one generation and the next, what happens when friendship and loyalty are put to the ultimate test, and how buried truths always find a way of coming to the surface.
We followed up with a selection of films, television shows and a podcast that we’ve been enjoying as it warms up down under including The Hunting Wives, Caught Stealing, Weapons, Good Hang podcast, Peacemaker Season 2 and more. Let us know what you think of our recommendations and share yours with us too!
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Disclaimer: the two films discussed on this episode deal with the topic of suicide and domestic violence and our commentary may contain content that could be distressing to some people so listener discretion is advised.
For this Out Takes we’re saying Bentornato to the St Ali Italian Film Festival which is back this spring in Palace Cinemas across Australia from September 17, delivering a Bellissimo selection of box office hits and award-winning films. We started with a review of ‘Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa’, also known as ‘The Boy with Pink Trousers’, which has become a cultural phenomenon and box office sensation in Italy. This incredibly moving, emotional and heartbreaking drama explores the real story behind Italy’s first publicised case of online bullying through the short life of Andrea Spezzacatene. A gifted student and a talented singer, Andrea longs to make friends and fit in at his new school but he soon falls prey to Christian, a charming student with a darker side. Then events take a turn for the worse for Andrea as the school bullying intensifies. We were honoured to be joined by Margherita Ferri, the film’s director, for a long form chat about her involvement in the film, the importance of telling this story through a queer lens and more.
We also took a look at ‘Diamanti’ (Diamonds), the 15ht film from celebrated gay Turkish-Italian film director and screenwriter Ferzan Özpetek which is also having its Australian premiere at this year’s festival. This Italian box office hit is a gorgeous tribute to the costume designers and seamstresses whose great craftsmanship bring to life the magic of cinema and is inspired by Özpetek’s personal experience frequenting film and theatre tailoring shops in the 1980s and the incredible women he encountered in these high-pressure environments.
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For this episode we turned the spotlight on two local female directors in line with a special cinema event coming to the Victorian Pride Centre for one and the latest release for the other which is coming to a cinema near you soon. First up we took a look at ‘Revolt She Said’, a feature documentary that interrogates ideas about contemporary feminism and gender from an Australian and New Zealand lens. The film is from director Louise Lever who appeared on the program recently to discuss her short film ‘Joey’s Heart’ and is presenting a special screening of ‘Revolt She Said’ on Wednesday September 17 at the Victorian Pride Centre. Louise joined us again to discuss this upcoming event and how this film continues to provoke discussion around the themes of identity, gender politics, queer identity, power and women’s roles. We were then joined by Kate Woods, the celebrated Australian director of ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ who has taken time away to direct film and television overseas and is now back in Australia with her latest film ‘Kangaroo’ which is in cinemas nationally from September 17. This family friendly film is inspired by the extraordinary true story of kangaroo-carer Chris “Brolga” Barns and stars Ryan Corr as a fallen TV personality who forms an unlikely friendship with a 12-year-old Indigenous girl, played by newcomer Lily Whiteley, as they rescue and rehabilitate orphaned joeys in the red centre. We had the pleasure to speak with Kate to discuss her interest in bringing this story to life along with looking back at her incredible career. Finally, with the Melbourne International Film Festival concluding in late August, we took the opportunity to look back at some of our favourite films we saw across the 18 days.
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For this episode, we took a deep dive into ‘Went Up the Hill’, the latest film from Samuel Van Grinsven that stars Vicky Krieps and Dacre Montgomery which has been appearing at festivals around the world and will be in Aussie cinemas from September 11. This haunting, original tale of grief and possession set in remote New Zealand. The film follows Jack who has arrived at a distinctly unwelcoming funeral of Elizabeth, the artist mother he barely knew. An unnerving atmosphere hovers in Elizabeth’s cavernous and isolated house as Jack attempts to connect with Jill, his mother’s widow.
We caught up with Samuel Van Grinsven, the film’s writer and director, as he was doing the rounds to promote ‘Went Up the Hill’ and discussed how this intense and very queer film got made, the casting, his connection to the landscape of New Zealand and more. We also dived in to the Out Takes archives and revisited his interview from 2019 when he was on the show to discuss his first feature film ‘Sequin in a Blue Room’.
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For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne that promises ‘More Cinema, More Culture, More Celebration’ featuring an inclusive Pride event this August. We began by reviewing ‘We Are Faheem and Karun’, the latest film from celebrated gay Indian filmmaker Onir. This beautiful and unique tale is the first ever queer Kashmiri love story, set in Kashmir itself, and in the Kashmiri language, with local actors. Set in a remote Kashmiri village on the Indian and Pakistan border, we meet reserved security guard Karun who forms a forbidden bond with Faheem, a man torn between tradition and desire. Through stolen glances, online flirtation, and secret visits, their connection challenges beliefs and loyalties.
We also had the pleasure to speak with Onir about the challenges of getting this film made, representation in South East Asian cinema and more in the lead up to a special screening of ‘We Are Faheem and Karun’ for the Pride at IFFM event on August 22 as a double bill with ‘Badnam Basti’ from 1971, which is considered the first queer film made in India. This double bill will be followed by BollyQ, a celebration of Queer Indian Cinema hosted by Queer South Asians of Melbourne, where the celebration continues with electrifying performances by local drag sensations – definitely one not to be missed!
We concluded this Out Takes with a recap of three films that we’d seen at the Melbourne International Film Festival which runs until August 25 and has seen Melbournians turn out in droves for its great selection of films, events and more.
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The Melbourne International Film Festival not only allows us to explore over 250 films during its run but we also get to meet some of the people behind them who have travelled from around the world to come to Australia to present their films to local audiences. One of these special guests in 2025 was Addison Heimann, a California based queer filmmaker who was down under at MIFF this August to promote his latest film ‘Touch Me’ which is described as an erotic extraterrestrial horror-comedy with a kaleidoscopically camp aesthetic inspired by 1960s and 70s Japanese horror. However, amid the gory mayhem, he also explores big themes like trauma, mental health, co-dependency and addiction. We caught up just after he’d landed from LA and had a great conversation about the film, his creative inspirations, mental health and more so please enjoy this Out Takes Extra with writer/director Addison Heimann.
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For this Out Takes, we reviewed two new films, one very queer and the other very camp, plus we celebrated the return of the Queer Screen Film Festival that is bringing fresh and diverse LGBTIQ+ cinema from around the world to Sydney from August 27 to 31.
Our first review was for the highly anticipated and award winning ‘Lesbian Space Princess’ that is finally showing in Melbourne at sold out sessions at MIFF and getting a general release across Australia this September. Described as an adult animated science fiction comedy, this truly original and ridiculously hilarious feature is written and directed by South Australian based filmmakers Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese and won the prestigious Teddy Award for Best Feature at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. We’d been looking forward to discussing this one since we heard about it late last year and we’re pleased to say it was worth the wait!
Our second film review was for ‘Freakier Friday’ which is in Australian cinemas now and is a sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday which was itself based on Mary Rodgers’s 1972 novel and is the seventh overall film in the franchise. The film reunites Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan with the story picking up 22 years after Tess and Anna endured an identity crisis that literally saw them swap bodies for a very memorable Friday. In this latest version, Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice. It’s camp, full of nostalgia and continues the Freaky Friday legacy with a very queer coded romp through modern day L.A.
We finished up the show with an interview with Benson Wu, the recently appointed CEO for Queer Screen. and Andrew Wilkie. the festivals Programming & Industry Manager, to talk about the fantatsic program on offer, the state of the industry, the power of volunteering and more. This comes in the lead up to the 12th Queer Screen Film Festival which takes place in Sydney from August 27 to 31 and promises to present a bold and dynamic program that highlights LGBTQI+ emerging voices, international excellence and community celebration.
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We continue celebrating the return of the Melbourne International Film Festival this August with two special guests and a look at a wonderful homegrown queer short film, a retrospective from a revered Belgian auteur, and the return of a lesbian cult classic to the big screen that spotlights the heady heroin-chic days of the 90’s New York art scene.
First up we reviewed ‘I’m the Most Racist Person I Know’, a fantastic short film that follows Lali and Ana who go on a date where they bond over their shared experiences as queer women of colour and also force Lali to confront her prejudices. We also spoke with its creator Leela Varghese to discuss her process, inspirations, love of the Adelaide film scene and more.
Then we heard from MIFF senior programmer Kate Jinx who took us through two highlights in this year’s program. We started with looking at Chantal Akerman: Traces, an expansive survey of the queer filmmakers output, many of which are newly restored Australian premieres. That was followed by a discussion about ‘High Art’ which was recently restored in 4K that is described as a psychosexual lesbian love triangle drama featuring Melbourne’s own Radha Mitchell, along with Ally Sheedy and Patricia Clarkson.
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For this program, we looked at the latest film from revered French filmmaker François Ozon film that is a very timely tale of secrets, murder, and mushrooms, plus we discussed...
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For this Out Takes, we reviewed ‘On Swift Horses’ which is screening now exclusively in Melbourne at Cinema Nova. Director Daniel Minahan’s queer period romance stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi,...
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For this Out Takes, we turned the spotlight on to a new gay romantic comedy that follows a gay Indian man who both dreams of – and fears – the...
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For this program, we started off by welcoming back the 2025 Hurtigruten Scandinavian Film Festival this July and August which once again presents the best new cinema from the Nordic...
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The post Odd Fish, Here Comes The Dykes and NAIDOC Week 2025 appeared first on Out Takes.
The cold weather has well and truly settled in down under so for this Out Takes we presented a Winter Warmer edition of recommendations and reviews to get you through ...
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As you know, Out Takes is the home of queer cinema and television on JOY 94.9 but for this show, we dived into the world of gay literary fiction to...
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For this Out Takes we celebrated Pride Month with the return of a special selection of queer films from MQFF, a new short film showcase coming to Melbourne’s west, and...
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The post MQFF Pride Month Screenings 2025 with special guest Ro Bright, Pride of Our Footscray short film showcase and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ review appeared first on Out Takes.
For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of two of our favourite film festivals that will be entertaining us in cinemas over the winter months here in Melbourne. We...
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The post 2025 HSBC Spanish Film Festival and MIFF 2025: First Glance appeared first on Out Takes.
On our June 2nd program, we reviewed ‘The Karamazovs’, a US independent film that is available to view via VOD now which updates Dostoevsky’s final novel into a contemporary queer...
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The post Out Takes Extra: Anna Brenner for ‘The Karamazovs’ appeared first on Out Takes.
On our June 2nd episode, we reviewed ‘Number 96’, the trailblazing soap opera from the 70’s that peeled back the walls of suburbia to reveal a bold and unfiltered look...
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In early February of this year, we reviewed ‘Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story’ which was screening at the Queer Screen Film Festival and is streaming now on DocPlay....
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The post Bruce David Klein for ‘Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story’ and Saara Lamberg for the Winter Warmers Film Festival appeared first on Out Takes.
For this Out Takes, we looked at a new television show and two films that explore the process of coming out, homophobia, toxic masculinity and accepting who you really are....
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Every year, JOY 94.9’s Radiothon brings us together to celebrate, support, and sustain LGBTQIA+ voices in media. This year’s theme, ‘Stronger Together’, is a rallying call: in a world of...
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For this Out Takes, we reviewed three films that explore very different themes including chosen family, intergenerational relationships, artistic redemption, persecution, and propaganda. First up was ‘The Wedding Banquet’, the...
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For this Out Takes, we literally have something for everyone with three interviews and six reviews of queer films from around the globe. First up we looked at ‘Daughters of...
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For this Out Takes, we celebrated the return of ‘Hacks’ as it comes back with season 4 on Stan and which has featured fabulous queer characters and storylines plus tons...
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With the return of ‘The Handmaids Tale’ this April and as it concludes with its sixth season, we took this opportunity to look back at the first five seasons and...
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For this Out Takes, we looked at ‘Mid-Century Modern’ whose first season is streaming now and is definitely one of the gayest sitcoms you’ll see in 2025. It also shares...
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For this Out Takes we looked at two new films and TV shows are available to watch now on your big and small screens that feature queer stories and creators...
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The post ‘Bob Trevino Likes It’ with Tracie Laymon and Out Takes reviews appeared first on Out Takes.
For this Out Takes, we looked at some of the films on offer in this years Melbourne Women in Film Festival including the opening night film ‘We Were Dangerous’, a...
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We love celebrating local films that highlight diversity and representation and ‘My Melbourne’ is one worth celebrating. Themed around four pillars – sexuality, gender, disability, and race – the anthology...
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For this Out Takes Extra, Demetra spoke to Tara Thorne, the writer / director of ‘Lakeview’ which is screening as part of the QueerScreen Mardis Gras FIlm Festival On Demand...
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For this Out Takes, we dedicated the entire show to the 97th Academy Awards a.k.a. the 2025 Oscars! It’s no secret that we love the international film award season and...
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The on demand program kicks off soon for the 2025 Mardi Gras Film Festival so we looked at two of the fabulous films on offer that will be available to...
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For this Out Takes it was a mixed bag of reviews and interviews to celebrate the arrival of a new Aussie series based on a much loved queer coming of...
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For this Out Takes, we’re going back to the Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival to look at ‘I’m Your Venus’, a powerful film from the U.S. that is described...
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The post ‘I’m Your Venus’ with special guests Kimberly Reed, Dominique Jackson and Jonovia Chase; plus ‘Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All’ review appeared first on Out Takes.
It’s no secret that we love highlighting local film festivals and the talent behind it and for this Out Takes we were delighted to welcome back Artistic Director Spiro Economopoulos...
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For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of the 2025 Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival which is now in its 32nd year in Sydney from February 13 to...
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The post Queer Mardi Gras Film Festival 2025 with Lisa Rose plus ‘Love Rewind’ encore for Midsumma 2025 appeared first on Out Takes.
The latest release from award winning Irish film and theatre director John Crowley is called ‘We Live in Time’, starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, which is in cinemas now....
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Midsumma Festival is back in 2025 with an explosion of queer events that centre around hidden and mainstream queer culture, involving local, interstate, and international artists including a fantastic range...
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Now that award season has officially kicked off with the Golden Globes, we thought it was a good time to take a look at how it all went down; from...
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The post Out Takes Guide to Award Season 2025 – part 1 appeared first on Out Takes.
Happy New Year! With our first show for 2025, we took a look at ‘Teaches of Peaches’ which is streaming now on DocPlay. This frenetic and audacious film celebrates the...
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Following from last week where we got together to look back at the year and state our picks for the best and worst films and TV shows of the year,...
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The post Out Takes 2024 Year in Review: Part 2 appeared first on Out Takes.
With 2024 coming to a close, we took this opportunity to bring the entire team together to discuss the best and worst films and television shows of the year plus...
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The post Out Takes 2024 Year in Review: Part 1 appeared first on Out Takes.
We managed to get the whole team together for this show so we decided it was the perfect time to serve up another batch of recommendations and reviews to get...
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For this Out Takes, we welcomed back Dion Blackler to the show in his official capacity as our London Film Correspondent to discuss some of the highlights and lowlights from...
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For this program, we spoke in depth with local Aussie queer filmmaker Timothy Despina Marshall, the writer & director of ‘In the Room Where He Waits’, about navigating a career...
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The press run for this film has been epic and with Wicked finally in cinemas we took the opportunity to celebrate part one’s release with a look at all of...
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With MQFF 2024 in full swing, we took the opportunity to do our final round of reviews and recommendations including spotlighting a great new local film that is screening now...
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The post ‘Strange Creatures’ with Riley Nottingham and 2024 CGA Rising Star Janet Anderson appeared first on Out Takes.
The Melbourne Queer Film Festival is Australia’s oldest and largest queer film festival and returns from November 14 to 24 with a program that celebrates the way sound and vision...
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The post Out Takes Guide to MQFF 2024 part 2: reviews and recommendations appeared first on Out Takes.
We go to great lengths to highlight the diversity and representation on offer in LGBTIQA+ cinema and for this program we looked at two very different films that showcase this...
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The post ‘Merchant Ivory’ with Stephen Soucy and ‘Audrey’ with Natalie Bailey appeared first on Out Takes.
With spooky season upon us, we thought it was a good time to look at some of the latest supernatural and scary content on offer including a new First Nations...
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The post Out Takes Guide to Halloween: The Moogai with special guest Jon Bell, Agatha All Along and The Substance appeared first on Out Takes.
If you listen to Out Takes regularly, you know we love a film festival and one at the top of our list is MQFF a.k.a the Melbourne Queer Film Festival....
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The post Out Takes Guide to MQFF 2024 appeared first on Out Takes.
When it was announced that the latest film from the incredibly talented Melbourne based Academy Award winning filmmaker Adam Elliot was the opening night film for the 2024 Melbourne International...
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The post ‘Memoir of a Snail’ with special guest Adam Elliot + Heartstopper s3 review appeared first on Out Takes.
At Out Takes, it’s no secret we love highlighting local queer cinema and the talent behind it, so for this program we were delighted to spotlight one of our very...
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The post Love Rewind: spotlight on local queer cinema appeared first on Out Takes.
With so much content coming our way on our small and big screens, we took this opportunity to put together a mixed bag of reviews and recommendations for some new releases and welcomes the return of a film festival that is all about accessibility and celebrating people with a disability. We started off with ‘Will & Harper’, a new Netflix documentary that has received a lot of attention due to the involvement of Will Ferrell and the subject matter, specifically looking at the friendship between him and Harper Steele and what happens after her transition which is explored on camera as they go on a road trip across the U.S. Then we took a trip back to the future with ‘My Old Ass’, a queer coming-of-age story that is in cinemas now about free-spirited Elliott (played by Maisy Stella) who after an 18th birthday experience with her besties on a mushroom trip, brings her face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self (played by Aubrey Plaza). But when Elliott’s “old ass” starts handing out warnings about what her younger self should and shouldn’t do, Elliott realises she has to rethink everything about family, love, and what’s becoming a transformative summer. Next up, we celebrated the return of The Other Film Festival which is back in 2024 with a fantastic selection of shorts and features that celebrates 20 years of disability-led storytelling. Their free program of international and Australian films is screening via ACMI Cinema 3 from October 3 – 16. All films are made by Deaf and Disabled people either as key creatives, collaborators, and/or performers and all films are free to watch, audio described and captioned. From the festival program, we highlighted ‘Leilani’s Fortune’, a documentary feature film that follows Witch Prophet, a queer, immigrant Ethiopian-Eritrean musician, as she navigates newfound momentum in Canada and stands true to her unique voice while on the verge of a major international breakthrough. Finally, with the release of ‘The Critic’ in cinemas from October 3, we took the opportunity to celebrate the incredible professional career and advocacy work of Sir Ian McKellen and look at his latest film that sees him tackle the role of Jimmy Erskine, an extravagantly malicious theatre critic who strikes fear into the thespians of 1930s London.
The post Out Takes Recommendations and Reviews: Will & Harper, My Old Ass, The Other Film Festival and The Critic appeared first on Out Takes.
For this Out Takes we said Ciao to the St Ali Italian Film Festival which is returning to cinemas this September and October across Australia. We took a look at some of the films on offer, including the gorgeous coming-of-age story ‘The Beautiful Summer’ that follows Ginia, a young working-class woman in Turin navigating the throes of burgeoning adulthood amidst a tumultuous backdrop of pre-WWII Italy, and ‘Gloria!’, which tells the music-fuelled story of an overlooked maid at a Venetian refuge whose hidden talent helps inspire an uprising. We featured an exclusive interview with Italian actress, singer-songwriter and filmmaker Margherita Vicario who directed ‘Gloria!’ who was a special guest of the festival and in Australia to premiere the film. We also caught up with the festival’s program director Elysia Zeccola to find out about the diverse range of films on offer in this year’s program plus her personal recommendations for you to check out too.
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When we got the press release about ‘Buried’ it ticked so many boxes that we knew we needed to feature it on the show. This five-part Melbourne-based series brings us the school run drop-off from hell; after single mum Abi accidentally kills a cyclist on the morning school run, her to-do list gets a lot more complicated as she tries to juggle the battle of everyday parenting with the disposal of a corpse. Over the course of one not-so-average school day, Abi must navigate a suspicious rival parent, avoid the police, and hide the evidence – all before 3:30pm pick-up. Other than the murder and disposal of a body, this series rang very true for our co-host with kids so we were delighted to be joined by the series co-writer, co-creator and director Charlotte George to give us the origin story behind this innovative series, the incredible cast involved and more.
We were also inspired by our recent review and interview with the team behind ‘Videoland’ to revisit some of the queer films from the 90’s, a few classics and some personal favourites, that we rented over and over again back in the day and that we recommend you revisit or check out for the first time.
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For this Out Takes, we went back to the future to focus on a new local lesbian coming of age rom-com series set in a video store in the 90’s that has just hit Netflix and we took a look at the legacy of an Australian queer film classic about drag queens, fabulous frocks and a bus in the desert.
First up was ‘Videoland’, a very funny, quirky and queer Aussie production that centres on teenage video store clerk Hayley who is furtively working her way through a handwritten list of queer films in the hope of helping her navigate her way in to lesbian life while managing her relationships with her best friend, her boss and a potential love interest in mysterious customer Jennifer. We were delighted to be joined by the series writer and director Jessica Smith and lead actor Emmanuelle Mattana to talk about how this wonderful series came to be, the incredible attention to detail in the production design and much more.
We were also joined by Stephen Gaunson, Director of Higher Degrees Research in the College of Design & Social Context at RMIT who is hosting a special introductory panel discussion at the Capitol Theatre on Wednesday September 11 for a special 30th anniversary screening of ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’. We took this opportunity to discuss the enduring legacy of Priscilla in the Australian cinematic landscape, explore the film’s significant impact on society and how it became internationally renowned as a symbol of freedom and expression for the LGBTQIA+ community.
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In this episode of Out Takes we bring you two extended highlights of interviews with a filmmaker and a distributor in the LGBTIQ filmmaking space. First up is Onir, a fearless gay Indian filmmaker. Onir has been making queer films in India for over 20 years, including My Brother…Nikhil which was one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with AIDS and same-sex relationships, and the films I Am, and Pine Cone. Our interview with Onir arose from a short film he co-directed titled Nandini which was screened in the recent Indian Film Festival in Melbourne [see Out Takes episode 13 August 2024]. Our extended discussion covered many more topics including challenging the classification of his films and responding to his film script being banned by the military. Our second interview was with Naomi Bennett, CEO of Lesflicks, an online streaming platform dedicated to sapphic stories on film. We interviewed Naomi in celebration of Pride Month [see Out Takes episode 26 June 2024]. Naomi generously shares her insights about how the LGBTIQ community can and should support its queer filmmakers, and how filmmakers can learn more about connecting their films to their audience.
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For this Out Takes we review AMERICAN PARENT which is screening as part of this year’s QueerScreen Film Festival in its online offerings. AMERICAN PARENT is a tender, heart-warming film about a lesbian couple raising a toddler amid financial and professional uncertainty. We are delighted to interview one of its lead actors KRISTEN BUSH. We review I SAW THE TV GLOW which stars JUSTICE SMITH and BRIDGETT LUNDY-PAINE as two troubled high school students whose connection to their favourite TV show drives them to question their reality and identities. We also speak with the film’s writer and director, JANE SCHOENBRUN, about what makes I SAW THE TV GLOW a queer film.
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In this Out Takes we are all about the Melbourne International Film Festival with two in depth interviews. First up we chat with TRACIE LAYMON the writer and director of the film BOB TREVINO LIKES IT which is a gorgeously touching film that tells the story of lonely 20-something Lily Trevino, who unexpectedly forms a close bond with a grieving, childless man named Bob Trevino, who shares the same name as her self-centred father, and how this unexpected friendship, filled with encouragement and support, has the potential to change her life for the better. We also speak with SIMON HUNT, creative collaborator of STEPHEN CUMMINS to talk about the retrospective or their queer experimental films.
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For this Out Takes we review two short films. NANDINI one of the short films within the 2024 INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF MELBOURNE opening night film MY MELBOURNE, an anthology of four unique diverse stories based on true incidents themed around the four pillars of diversity – sexuality, gender, disability, and race. NANDINI is a story about Indraneel, a queer Indian man and his estranged father who reunite in Melbourne to complete a ceremonial ritual, exploring their fraught relationship and the power of forgiveness amid grief.
We speak with Indian filmmaker ONIR, the co-director of NANDINI, as well as director of MY BROTHER…NIKHIL, and PINE CONE about his films and navigating making queer films in India.
We also chat with Melbourne filmmaker AARUSHI CHOWDHURY about her short film CLOWN, which is screening in the 2024 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in the Accelerator shorts 1 program. CLOWN is about 8-year-old Sami who can’t wait to play “serial killers” with her older sister Jiya, but her sister-time is threatened when Jiya’s cool new bestie arrives. We speak with Aarushi about making Clown and themes of belonging.
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We are known for celebrating representation and diversity on Out Takes so we embraced the chaos and threw everything in to this one! We turned a very queer eye to the 2024 Olympics and celebrated the record number of LGBTIQA+ athletes competing this year along with the glitz, glamour and Gaga/Celine of the opening ceremony. Then it was our review of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s latest screen collab’ that has the world turning out in droves to enjoy the camp spectacle of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.
We then changed pace for an in-depth interview with David Charles Rodrigues, the award-winning Greek-American-Brazilian filmmaker and equal rights activist. He was in Melbourne recently for the Australian premiere of his latest film ‘The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary ~ S/HE IS STILL HER/E’ so we caught up with him to discuss this project and his previous film ‘Gay Chorus Deep South’, the impact his films have on our community along with a broader discussion about his process and the importance of sharing these stories globally.
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For this Out Takes, we reviewed two documentaries that looked at the long-term cultural impact of the mid 90’s films ‘Showgirls’ and ‘Kids’ which continue to spark discussion nearly 30 years after their release and the controversy they unleashed on the world. First up was ‘You Don’t Nomi’, which looks at Paul Verhoeven’s ‘Showgirls’ which in 1995 was met by critics and audiences with near-universal derision and then traces the film’s redemptive journey from notorious flop to cult classic, and even masterpiece. Then we discussed ‘We Were Once Kids’ that came out in 2022 and explores the aftermath of the young people involved in the film ‘Kids’ in the mid 90’s who were thrust into the mainstream spotlight only to be then left adrift under the bright lights. While some discovered transcendent lives and careers, others were abandoned and unequipped to handle fame, with some going on to suffer fatal consequences. We were joined by Australian filmmaker Eddie Martin who directed ‘We Were Once Kids’ and presented the stories of the now adults who as the original ‘Kids’ were mainly unknown teens actually living this life who’s likeness and stories were taken and worked into this film that won awards, made millions of dollars and turned them in to overnight celebrities without any of the skills or support needed to handle it. He shared why he wanted to tell this story, how he connected with the subjects in the film and the many challenges and surprises that have come with sharing this story with the world. Both of these films are streaming now on DocPlay.
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For this Out Takes, we were excited to herald the return of the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival by turning the spotlight directly on to three local filmmakers presenting queer focused short films in this year’s program that offer further proof of the high quality content being produced around Australia.
Our first guest was delsi who’s film ‘FEMME’ explores what it means to be a queer femme person in modern Australia through the perspectives of 13 queer people and looks at some of the unique challenges femme people face and the beautiful parts too. Our second guest was Clementine Lloyd with ‘SYSTEM ERRORS’ which delves into the diverse experiences of online sex workers, seeking to humanise those who are frequently dehumanised by societal norms . Last but not least was ‘THE END IS THE BEGINNING IS THE END’ which is directed by Yilin Xie and is a portrait of Horis Chen who sees homosexuality through the lens of Buddhism, introducing an Eastern approach that all beings are equal regardless of gender or sexual orientation. All three films are part of the MDFF Shorts Session 5 which is selling fast so don’t miss your chance to see these films on the big screen this July.
We also reviewed the latest feature documentary from David Charles Rodrigues in the lead up to the Australian premiere of ‘S/He Is Still Her/e – The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary’ on Saturday July 27 and features an exclusive Q&A after the screening with the director in person hosted by Melbourne Queer Film Festival’s Program Director Cerise Howard. Co-presented by MQFF and ACMI, ‘S/He Is Still Her/e’ is an authorised documentary portrait of one of the most singular – yet profoundly plural – and tirelessly radical artists of the 20th and 21st century, made during the final year of their life. The film interweaves archival footage of Genesis P-Orridge with raw, reflective interviews conducted while wholly cognisant they hadn’t much longer to live. It is like no other film you’ll see this year and with an in-person Q&A with the director on offer it is definitely not to be missed.
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For this Out Takes, we were doing our best Daft Punk impression and going around the world and back again looking at the line up for two international film festivals that are back on in Melbourne this July and August and the return of a film related program to the JOY airwaves that shares a lot in common with our show. First up, we turned the spotlight on full for the program announcement for the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival (fondly known as MIFF in these parts) and were joined by Artistic Director Al Cossar to give us the scoop on what not to miss in cinemas and online this August. Then we were off to Finland to review ‘Light Light Light’, one of the many great Nordic features on offer at this year’s Scandinavian Film Festival and hear our exclusive interview with director Inari Niemi. We finished up this jam-packed show by speaking with Dave and Henry, the wonderful team behind ‘Strictly Soundtracks’ which returned for season 2 on JOY on Sundays from 11am and promises to deliver a broad range of genres from a wide variety of local and international artists, with a diverse selection of music from the most beloved soundtracks and scores. Definitely one to add to your weekly list of shows to enJOY via Australia’s first only LGBTIQA+ community radio station, along with Out Takes of course!
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For this Out Takes, we highlighted two film festivals on in Melbourne this July and provided some great queer First Nations recommendations to enjoy this NAIDOC week. First up was the return of Marion Pilowsky to discuss her wonderful documentary ‘Isla’s Way’ that we first covered last year for MQFF and is now back screening as part of this year’s Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. We also revisited our interview with Rachael Antony, the director of the Bob Brown documentary ‘The Giants’ which is featured in the upcoming Environmental Accelerator Film Festival. We wrapped up this show with some recommendations for NAIDOC Week, putting the spotlight on some fabulous First Nation’s LGBTIQA+ content including ‘Bastardy’, ‘Marungka Tjalatjunu’ and more to celebrate this year’s theme – Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.
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As has become tradition on Out Takes over the past few years, we used this show to rate, review and recommend a very diverse range of films and television for you to check out this winter on the big and small screen. From queer coded classic movies to brand new TV shows, there is literally something for everyone to enjoy. We also threw in an encore presentation of our June 2023 interview with the fabulously funny Nina Oyama and Tom Ballard to celebrate their three well deserved Logie nominations for ‘Deadloch’, the certified Out Takes favourite Aussie series of last year.
Also, to Electric Light Orchestra fans everywhere, we’d like to sincerely apologise for one of our hosts confusing the title of their classic tune ‘Evil Woman’ (as recently heard on the incredible season 3 opening of ‘Hacks’) with Cliff Richard’s ‘Devil Woman’. He has been reprimanded for this crime and will be listening to this wonderful Hacks playlist on repeat to avoid any further mistakes or embarassment for himself and the program. Let us know too what you rate and recommend this winter via email or on Instagram and follow us for updates on what’s coming up, giveaways and more!
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For this Out Takes Extra, Demetra spoke with Lesflicks CEO Naomi Bennett for our June 2024 Pride Month special and in this extended interview also covered a wide range of topics from favourite lesbian films, representation, the challenges of distributing and promoting a queer film and much more.
Naomi Bennett is the CEO of Lesflicks, the home to the largest collection of authentic sapphic stories of any online streaming service in the world.
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While our queer friends in the Northern Hemisphere are celebrating Pride Month in the sun, we’re shivering down under wishing we were there too and wondering what celebrating Pride in June means for us and what it means for what we’re seeing on our small and big screens. We’re pleased to let you know that this June we’ve found two new channels that not only bring you great queer content during Pride season but all year ’round. Our special guests were Hannah Barnes, the Director of Unscripted & Original Production for We Are Pride, one of YouTube’s leading LGBTQIA+ film and TV channels, and CEO Naomi Bennett from Lesflicks, home to the largest collection of authentic sapphic stories of any online streaming service in the world.
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Thanks to everyone who has let us know that the latest episode of Out Takes has not been available to stream or download as a podcast as usual. We’re trying to get to the bottom of it so we’re using this as a test to see if it is a one off issue or something else. If you can hear the above message or not drop us an email and tell us where you’re listening from and on what polatform so we can see if it was a one-off or if we need to do more work to figure this out – outtakes@joy.org.au
Thanks for your patience, we’ll provide an update a.s.a.p.
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While our friends in the Northern Hemisphere are celebrating Pride Month in the sun, we’re shivering down under wishing we were there too and wondering what celebrating Pride in June means for us and what we’re seeing on our small and big screens. We’re pleased to let you know that this June we’ve found two new channels that not only bring you great queer content during Pride season but all year ’round. Our special guests were Hannah Barnes, the Director of Unscripted & Original Production for We Are Pride, one of YouTube’s leading LGBTQIA+ film and TV channels, and CEO Naomi Bennett from Lesflicks, home to the largest collection of authentic sapphic stories of any online streaming service in the world. Also, follow us on Instagram to find out what’s coming up on the show including giveaways, extended interviews and more, plus check us out on Facebook and X to get more Out Takes in your life too!
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For this Out Takes, we showcased the diversity of our local cinema scene with a new queer independent release from a Sydney art collective and the return of one of our favourite film festivals. First up was our review and interview with Andre Shannon and Jen Atherton, the team behind ‘Grape Steak’, which is described as a “…wishfully ambient portal, a love-poem of trauma and humiliation set in Sydney, a slow comedy for a come-down, made resourcefully and communally over five years.” Then we caught up with Benjamin Zeccola, Palace Cinema CEO and curator of the HSBC Spanish Film Festival which is celebrating its 26th year of presenting a superb selection of the finest new and classic films from Spain and Latin America to Australian audiences this June and July.
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It’s no secret we love highlighting local queer cinema and for this show we looked at two new bold and highly impressive queer Australian feature films available for you to indulge in. ‘In The Room Where He Waits’ follows Tobin Wade, a theatre actor poised to perform in his Broadway breakthrough role, who must return home to Australia after the breakdown of his long-term relationship and the sudden death of his father. Stuck quarantining in a hotel room before the funeral, Tobin begins to unravel, not ready to confront a past long-left behind. The film stars critically acclaimed WA actor Daniel Monks (Sissy, Pulse) Susie Porter (Ladies in Black) and Anthony Brandon Wong (from Sequin in a Blue Room) and is written and directed by Timothy Despina Marshall who joined us to discuss the process of making the film and why it was important for him to share this story in his feature film debut.
We were also joined by director/producer team Gabriel Carrubba and Zane Borg along with Liam Mollica who is the lead actor in ‘Sunflower’ playing Leo, a seventeen-year-old boy who struggles to understand and embrace his sexuality as he comes of age in the working-class suburbs on Melbourne’s edge. Along with discussing the themes and drive behind each of them to tell this story we also find out more about the challenges and opportunities that come with making an independent feature film in Australia. For more great queer film and television content, subscribe to our podcast and follow Out Takes on Instagram.
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For this program, we were Out, Loud, Live and Proud from the JOY studios for a very special JOY Radiothon show! JOY Radiothon is back from 1-7 June 2024, and in celebration of 30 years of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community media organisation helping our communities flourish, the theme this year is FLOURISH. We wanted to highlight the importance of community media and local film festivals supporting each other to thrive and flourish so we were joined by St Kilda Film Festival director Richard Sowada and Melbourne Queer Film Festival’s CEO David Martin Harris to tell us about their upcoming events in June and also discuss how their respective organisations continue to highlight our stories and create stroing community connections. We also encourage you to join and re-new your membership, make a donation or purchase an item from the new JOY Merch’ store and help support JOY 94.9 to remain a voice for our community and continue nto flourish for another 30 years!
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For this show we hit the runway and took an in depth look at the new documentary ‘High & Low: John Galliano’ that explores the controversial and very talented fashion designer’s rapid ascent, fall from grace after an antisemitic tirade, and rehabilitation. We spoke with the film’s Academy-Award winning director Kevin Macdonald who took us behind the scenes of the captivating and complex life of the flamboyant and iconoclastic designer. The film features intimate interviews with Galliano himself, offering a rare glimpse into his perspective and search for redemption, along with candid interviews from renowned figures in the fashion world such as Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Anna Wintour providing a multifaceted understanding of Galliano’s impact on the fashion industry.
We also revisited our interview from 2018 with Lorna Tucker, the director of WESTWOOD: PUNK, ICON, ACTIVIST, which offered an insiders take into the organised chaos of punk fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and her uphill struggle to success, looking closely at her artistry, activism and cultural significance.
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‘Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero’ is the latest in a long line of music documentaries that in this instance turns the spotlight on full to one of the biggest queer hip hop and popstars in the game. Zac Manuel is an award–winning, New Orleans bred-and-based filmmaker and his work in documentary and music video explores intimacy, Black masculinity, class, identity and inheritance. Zac was our special guest on the show to discuss his role as the co-director of this film, his insight in to the world of Montero Lamar Hill a.k.a Lil Nas X and much more.
We also revisited our interview from May 2022 with Bradley & Pablo, the directors of ‘Charli XCX: Alone Together’ which covered the production of Charli XCX’s 2020 quarantine album “How I’m Feeling Now” which was created in 40 days during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its semi-collaborative nature with her community of online fans.
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For this program, we looked at the latest iteration of a revamped vampire classic from Anne Rice and also celebrated the return of the German Film Festival in Melbourne this May and June. We were joined by special guest Claire Burger, the acclaimed French film screenwriter and director whose latest film ‘Langue Étrangère’ is screening direct from the Berlinale and is the centrepiece film for this year’s German Film Festival.
We also did a deep dive into the fascinating history of ‘Interview With A Vampire’ in the lead up to the second season of the television adaptation coming to AMC from May 12. We discussed the original novel by Anne Rice from 1976 that went on to a successful but controversial film adaptation in the 1990’s, then on to the current television series that commenced in 2022. This latest version has embraced the original storyline of the intense relationship between Louis and Lestat and new characters in season 2 that directly explore the very queer world that they now inhabit in and around the Théâtre des Vampires in Paris and across Prague and New Orleans.
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For this show, we turned the Out Takes spotlight on Goran Stolevski, one of the most talented openly gay screenwriters and directors on the rise in Australia and worldwide. ‘Housekeeping for Beginners’ is Goran’s third feature film and explores the universal truths of family, both the ones we’re born into and the ones we find for ourselves. We were delighted to welcome Goran back for his third time on the show to discuss the film plus check in on how he has been spending his time on the festival circuit and travelling around the US with his husband too.
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For this Out Takes, we took a look at two very different projects that highlighted our interest in independent cinemas and quality Aussie TV; ‘The Sweet East’, a wildly original US indie film that has been described as Alice in Wonderland in the upside down world featuring an incredible cast including Jacob Elordi and Ayo Edebiri, and ‘Swift Street’, a new local television series from SBS that shines a spotlight on diversity and representation through a fast paced action packed crime drama that also deals with young love and family friction in inner city Melbourne.
We were joined by special guests Bernie Van Tiel, who plays the very cool and very queer Aisha in ‘Swift Street’, and Nick Pinkerton, the US based screenwriter of ‘The Sweet East’ who was in Australia when we spoke for a series of special screenings and Q&A’s across the country.
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As the heading states, this program was all about ‘Challengers’, the latest film from Luca Guadagnino (two times Out Takes guest and one of our favourite filmmakers) which is set in the world of professional tennis and focuses on an unconventional, dysfunctional and highly explosive love triangle. Along with our very comprehensive review, we also heard from the three stars of ‘Challengers’ – Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor and Zendaya – from their recent media conference in Sydney where they officially launched the film and started a global press tour which saw Zendaya serving major looks on red carpets around the world. There was also quite a few tennis puns used in this one so you have been warned and it’s fair to say we loved this film a lot so that’s game, set and match to Luca, Zendaya and the boys for this one!
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For this Out Takes, we’re heading back to high school with the cool kids from Hartley High to look at season 2 of Heartbreak High which is on Netflix now. We explored the entire HH universe, including ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ movie from 1993 and the spinoff original TV series that ran for seven seasons, on to the re-boot that dropped on our screens in late 2022 and introduced a whole new cast of crazy, cool and very queer kids navigating modern teen life in Western Sydney on to our screens.
All of your favourite characters are back plus a few new editions to the crew and there is a whole lot of new drama, laughs and chaos along the way. We bring you our season 2 reviews and recaps (with no spoilers) plus a plea to the TV goddesses to bless us with a third season soon!
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For this Out Takes we looked at two new releases that have brilliant performances and innovative stories plus jump scares and action scenes that will literally have you on the edge of your seat.
First up was ‘Late Night with the Devil’, a new Australian made horror film that uses the backdrop of a late night U.S. talk show in 1977 called “Night Owls with Jack Delroy” to tell the story behind the infamous show that saw a young girl go on live television to talk about being possessed by a spirit and in turn unleashed a wave of evil into the lounges of viewers across the country and exposes the hidden secrets behind one man’s determination to become rich, famous and number 1 in the ratings. We were also joined by special guests Cameron and Colin Cairnes, the directors of ‘Late Night with the Devil’ which is in cinemas from April 11,
We then looked at ‘Monkey Man’, the new film from Dev Patel who wrote, produced, starred and directed this project which is his very personal and innovative take on the revenge story that sees him coming into his own as a leading man. It is set in Mumbai and features so much action and drama packed into it that it becomes a very bloody, very intense and very entertaining ride too.
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With a longer than usual weekend for many of us, this program seemed like the perfect one to catch up on some reviews and recommendations for Easter and beyond. As always it is an eclectic mix of new movies and television we’re enjoying plus we through a You Tube recap series and an audiobook in the mix too so definitely something for everyone to check out. We also look at the latest film in the Ghostbuster franchise and reflect on how disappointed we were to see it use old tropes (lesbian villain alert!) to make up for a lacklustre plot and bad CGI… plus we celebrate the continued renaissance of Lindsay Lohan with her latest film, the so-bad-it’s-amazing ‘Irish Wish’. Enjoy!
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For this Out Takes program, we took a deep dive into the world’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer media advocacy organisation, who are so well known for their mission in increasing media accountability and community engagement that ensures authentic LGBTQ stories are seen, heard, and actualised that Taylor Swift name checked them in one of her biggest hits.
GLAAD formed in New York City as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in 1985 to protest against what it saw as the New York Post’s defamatory and sensationalized AIDS coverage and has transformed over the past 39 years into a high profile and well respected organisation that aims to ensure fair, accurate, and inclusive representation across the media landscape and create national and local programs that advance LGBTQ acceptance. We examined their latest Studio Responsibility Index Report they put out annually that indicates how the distributors and networks are representing the queer community on our screens and behind the scenes too (spoiler alert – it’s a mixed bag, lots of room for improvement). We also looked at the nominees and winners at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards and revisited our recent interview with writer/director Andrea Pallaoro who’s film ‘Monica’ won this year’s award for Outstanding Film – Limited Theatrical Release.
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The latest film from Rose Glass stars Kristen Stewart as Lou and Katy M. O’Brian as Jackie who meet in New Mexico in 1989 and their chemistry is immediate. They fall hard for each but their intense love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family. Peter Travers from the ABC said that “it is unabashedly queer and winningly deranged” and we had a great time reviewing it plus we had an informal ‘Kristen Stewart Fan Club’ meeting at the same time!
We also spoke with Dr Sian Mitchell, the Festival Director for the Melbourne Women in Film Festival about this year’s program and the importance of the festival in advocating for a world where the voices, stories and creativity of women and gender diverse people are equally valued, recognised and celebrated on and behind the screen. It also aims to expand the vision of gender equality and diversity in the Australian screen industries and culture by creating dynamic and inclusive spaces that bring diverse practitioners and audiences together to be moved by compelling, provocative and entertaining cinema.
The post ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ and 2024 Melbourne Women in Film Festival appeared first on Out Takes.
It’s no secret we love the international film award season so we made the obvious choice to dedicate this entire program to THE ultimate event, the 96th Academy Awards. It’s been another interesting take on the ‘best’ in cinema over the past 12 months and recognising what that means in the film industry but as always we have our favourites and love to take the time to dissect and discuss who will win, who we wanted to win and who was snubbed (we’re looking at you ‘All Of Us Strangers’).
We also welcomed back our international correspondent Dion Blackler all the way from London to help us go through this year’s Oscar nominations and provide some great analysis to our chat. As always, we had a great time taking a deep dive in to the nominees and while we acknowledge the frontrunner in the race (hello ‘Oppenheimer’), we also made some big swings at a few categories that we hope could have a surprise or two for us all when the winners are announced Monday March 11 from 11am AEDT. Happy Oscars!
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This was a jam packed Out Takes, full of all the things we love to feature on our program; local queer productions, interviews with their creators and special guests. For the latter, we were joined by Aarushi and Demetra to help us review two new very Aussie and very Queer projects that are available to view online in March.
‘Equal The Contest’ is a wonderful documentary by Mitch Nivalis that tells their story as a 42-year-old, non-binary filmmaker who joins a new local women’s footy club in Regional Victoria where a simple desire to play becomes a complex journey of inclusion and belonging. An unexpected turn means the team has to fight to play and their campaign challenges age old sporting traditions and joins the wider movement for gender equity. Mitch was one of our special guests for this show and we were delighted to meet them and get the story behind the story on their incredibly engaging and entertaining film.
We also took a look at ‘Triple OH!’, a 5-part series streaming via SBS on Demand that explores the personal and professional lives of Tayls and Cate, two paramedics with strikingly different personalities, who ride together to save people from life-threatening and sometimes bizarre medical emergencies, while figuring out their attraction for each other along the way. Starring Brooke Satchwell and Tahlee Fereday, this inventive online short-form approach to storytelling packs a lot in, with each episode clocking in at under 11 minutes and featuring a lot of laughs, queer sexual chemistry and medical misadventures to keep you hooked to the end. Co-creator and writer of the series Erica Harrison also joined us on the show where we discussed local queer representation on our screens and how this project is another great chapter in our community telling our stories.
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For this Out Takes, we took a deep dive with some very special guests in to the return of the premier event for nonfiction screen content in the Southern Hemisphere. This year’s Australian International Documentary Conference a.k.a. the AIDC, is back in Melbourne this March, welcoming industry players from across the globe to drive collaboration, development, and production and to inspire innovation and ignite social change.
First up, we featured a beautiful documentary that is garnering well deserved praise and accolades around the world including being the first ever film to win the Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film) and the Teddy Award for best queer short film at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. ‘Marungka Tjalatjunu’, which translates in to Dipped in Black, tells the story of Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch who leaves behind the oppression of white city life in Adelaide and embarks on a road trip back to Country for spiritual healing, as memories from his childhood return. Both Derik and his co-director / collaborator Matthew Thorne joined us to discuss the film and share their story with us. We were also delighted to be joined by Natasha Gadd, the creative director and CEO of the Australian International Documentary Conference, who gave us the full scoop on this year’s program, guest speakers, special screenings and more.
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For this Out Takes, we brought you some reviews and an exclusive interview for the return of one of our favourite film festivals for 2024. This year’s Mardi Gras Film Festival is back screening in Sydney this February with a selection of on demand content streaming nationwide in March. For full details on the line up of films, events and more, check it out here.
Our first review was of a film that received an 11-and-a-half-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. ‘Monica’ stars Trace Lysette in the lead role as a trans woman navigating the world on her own in LA before receiving a call to head back to Ohio to help care for her estranged dying mother, played by Patricia Clarkson. This is the third feature film from writer director Andrea Pallaoro who joined us from LA to discuss the film, the inspiration behind the lead character, the incredible cast and so much more. We also took a look at another high-profile film in this year’s program, ‘The Mattachine Family’ which stars Nico Tortorella and Emily Hampshire.
The post MGFF 2024 reviews and an interview with special guest Andrea Pallaoro appeared first on Out Takes.
This year’s Mardi Gras Film Festival is back screening in Sydney from February 15 to 29, before an on demand encore streaming nationwide from March 1 to 11. Now in...
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With an upcoming retrospective coming to Melbourne cinemas soon, we took this oppoprtunity to revisit the career of one of our favourite filthy filmmakers – the man. the myth and...
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Ever since the announcement was made in 2020 that there was a film version of the ‘Mean Girls’ musical coming, we’ve been waiting and hoping that it was going to...
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While this was our first program for 2024, we decided to say our final farewell to 2023 by taking a look back at the year that was and give a...
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It’s been another interesting year in film and television so as we get set to farewell 2023, we took this opportunity to look back on some of the movies and...
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For this Out Takes, we took a deep dive in to free to air streaming services in Australia and the content on offer including the variety of LGBTIQ programs across...
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As you all know, Out Takes is the home of queer cinema and television on JOY 94.9 and for this program we reflected on two milestones that are linked to...
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For this Out Takes, we turned our spotlight on two new funny and very quirky films that highlight a new wave of LGBTIQ+ millennial and Gen Z cinema that is...
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The post ‘Bottoms’ and ‘Dicks: The Musical’ with special guests Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp appeared first on Out Takes.
With the silly season just around the corner, we dedicated this program to bringing you the latest on a great new film that looks at Christmas from a very queer...
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It is no secret that we think ‘Of An Age’ is one of the best queer films to come out of Australia in years so for this Out Takes we...
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With everything going on in the world, it seemed like a good time for us to make some recommendations to help bring us together and let the art of cinema...
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It is no secret we love a good film festival at Out Takes so for this program we looked at two coming our way this November. First up we discussed...
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For this Out Takes, we got nostalgic for the gay golden days of Hollywood by looking at a new documentary and book that both explore many of the films and...
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It’s one of our favourites that we cover each you so for this program we were excited to bring you all the latest news on our local LGBTIQA+ film festival...
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After an extended break, the Out Takes team is back on the airwaves and in your ears so for our first show back we took a trip to France to...
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Ciao! The Out Takes team is taking a well-deserved break until mid-October but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to highlight the St Ali Film Festival which is back in...
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It is no secret that we love a documentary at Out Takes and we’re excited to welcome back one of our favourite local annual film festivals that turns the spotlight...
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With a new documentary coming to Netflix this July and to acknowledge what would have been his 60th birthday, we dedicated this program to the legacy and impact of Wham!...
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For this Out Takes, we were joined by special guest Alaisdair to look at some Winter Warmers, a.k.a. our recommendations for some new television shows and films to get in...
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There is nothing better than getting into a cosy cinema in winter and enjoying some quality queer films so we took this program as an opportunity to highlight some of...
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The post 2023 Spanish Film Festival, Cinema Nova Pride Season and ‘All The Beauty and the Bloodshed’ appeared first on Out Takes.
Language warning – this episodes has a bit of colourful language in it from us and the TV show itself 🙂 For this Out Takes, we turned our attention to...
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The post Deadloch: must-see queer Aussie TV appeared first on Out Takes.
Disney is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and its latest live action adaptation of one of its most popular animated films ‘The Little Mermaid’ has just hit cinemas so we took this opportunity to explore our relationship and experiences from a queer perspective to their extensive catalogue of films and television. We brought in experts Dr Lauren Rosewarne, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, academic, writer, commentator and broadcaster on sex, gender, pop culture, media, politics and feminism, plus ‘Deconstructing Disney’ author Eleanor Byrne, to discuss their thoughts on Disney’s impact on pop culture and its relationship to the LGBTIQ+ community. We also reviewed the latest version of ‘The Little Mermaid’ and discussed the perfect casting of Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy in the lead roles and why these films still resonate with audiences after many years and many adaptations.
The post Queering 100 Years of Disney featuring ‘The Little Mermaid’ appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we turned the spotlight on two iconic Melbourne film festivals and looked at the the importance of local film festivals that tell stories by us, for us and about us. Our guests were the newly appointed program director of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival Cerise Howard and St Kilda Film Festival director Richard Sowada.
St Kilda Film Festival is back in person and online from June 1 – 12 and supports the Australian film industry by turning the spotlight on exceptional films by both emerging talent and short works by accomplished industry professionals. Accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the St Kilda Film Festival is an Academy Awards® qualifying event. Award-winning films from the Festival are eligible for consideration in the Short Film Awards and Documentary Short sections of the Oscars®. The Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) is the biggest/oldest queer film festival in Australia and will run from Nov 9 – Nov 19 this year and as always, aims to engage the community with the best LGBTI+ content in order to educate, entertain and celebrate diversity.
The post St Kilda Film Festival 2023 and new Program Director for MQFF appeared first on Out Takes.
It’s no secret that we love a good film festival at Out Takes, so we were excited to take a look at the South African Film Festival which returned to Melbourne and around Australia this May. For this show, we took a closer look at three films that showcase the diversity and talent of LGBTQ film makers and content coming out of South Africa that are featured in this years program.
We were joined from South Africa the incredibly warm and talented creative duo Bonnie & Philani Sithebe to discuss their beautiful and confronting film ‘Valley of a Thousand Hills’ that explores the relationship and romance of two women set in a traditional, patriarchal and rural community in South Africa’s stunning Kwa-Zulu Natal region. We also discussed ‘Call me Miles’, a honest and exposing documentary that charts the challenging journey of Miles’ transition and his attempts to live a meaningful life and find acceptance and happiness as a trans man in modern day South Africa. We also reviewed the exquisitely and sensitively filmed short documentary ‘Prayers for Sweet Waters’ that takes you into the lives of three transgender sex workers in Cape Town.
The 2023 South African Film Festival is being held from May 4 – 31 in cinemas and online across Australia. This not-for-profit event is organised by a group of passionate volunteers to showcase South African talent, culture and diversity and support educational opportunities for disadvantaged children.
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We loved bringing these interviews to you the first time around so here they are again for an encore presentation a.k.a. Out Takes Encore: The Interview Edition part 2.
First up was our interview from July 2021 with director-producer Aaron Bear who’s poignant documentary ‘Yes I Am – The Ric Weiland Story’ has enjoyed much success on the film festival circuit and will be released on May 16 through Virgil Films; pre-order the film right here and now.
Later in the show, we revisited our interview with Rachel Antony, the co-director of the new documentary ‘The Giants’ (which is in cinemas now) that beautifully explores the intertwined fates of trees and humans in a poetic documentary portrait of environmental activist Bob Brown.
We also presented an encore of our interview with Goran Stolevski, the writer and director of ‘Of An Age’, which Vanity Fair says is one of the best films of 2023 so far and is in cinemas across Australia now.
The post Out Takes Encore: The Interview Edition part 2 appeared first on Out Takes.
JOY’s annual fundraising drive (a.k.a Radiothon) was back live from the Victorian Pride Centre for 2023 and for this show we were too, broadcasting live in the studio for the first time in a long time! The theme for this years Radiothon is ‘Together We Thrive’ so we took this opportunity to look at the intersection of community and film. Just as JOY is about community, so too is queer film. Both mediums look to reflect the voices of our diverse communities and give us opportunities to be seen and heard – and we know how important representation is. But also, film is an experience – and like JOY, our film and cinema industries rely on our communities to thrive.
To acknowledge and celebrate this, we had on special guests Lisa Rose, Director of the Mardi Gras Film Festival, and Cinema Nova CEO Kristian Connelly. We also discussed the films and Out Takes moments that showcase the importance of representation in film and our community.
Photo (L – R): Campbell, Alan, Conrad, Daniel.
The post JOY Radiothon 2023: Together We Thrive appeared first on Out Takes.
To acknowledge Earth Day 2023, we took a look at a new Australian documentary and U.S. produced docu-series that deal with environmental issues from a queer perspective and the impact they have on our community.
First up we spoke with Rachel Antony, one of the co-directors of ‘The Giants’, a wonderful hybrid documentary that explores the intertwined fates of trees and humans in a poetic portrait of environmentalist Bob Brown and the Forest. From a seedling to forest elder: the film draws on Bob’s 50 years of inspiring environmental activism and his very public experience as Australia’s first openly gay member of Parliament. Told in Bob’s own words, his story is interwoven with the extraordinary life cycle of Australia’s giant trees, bought to the screen with stunning cinematography and immersive animated forest landscapes.
Our second film and guest were related to ‘Fire and Flood’, a grassroots documentary that explores the vulnerability of LGBTQ communities to climate disasters and also lifts up queer and trans strategies for resilience, transition, and survival. We spoke to the U.S. based creator and director of the project, Vanessa Raditz, to find out more about the project, the movement behind it and how you can get involved. We also encourage you to find out more about Vanessa’s other project ‘Can’t Stop Change’ which continues their work exploring the anti-change culture wars and climate change in Florida
The post Queer Environmental Activism appeared first on Out Takes.
This year feels like it is flying by so for this show we pumped the brakes and revisited four of our favourite interviews from the past 12 months.
First up was our chat with award winning director, content creator and newly published author Hannah McElhinney to discuss ‘TransAthletica’, the 17-part documentary series that focuses on the trans experience in a world of gendered sports and features the voices of leading transgender athletes and activists. Recently the team behind TransAthletica announced that it has been nominated for Best Use of Vertical Video, Social in the 27th Annual Webby Awards which are hailed as the “Internet’s highest honour” by The New York Times.
Next up we revisited our interview with Georgie Stone and director Maya Newell about their beautiful collaborative Netflix documentary ‘The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone’ that takes us into Georgie’s world as an Australian transgender teen as she helps change laws, affirms her gender and finds her voice. On April 4th of this year, Georgie delivered an incredibly powerful and timely speech to The National Press Club of Australia about transgender specific issues including what it means to be a true ally to the trans and queer community.
When Daniel caught up with writer-director Maryam Touzani in February, her award winning film ‘The Blue Caftan’ was appearing at the Sydney Queer Screen Film Festival and receiving rave reviews. From May 18, The Blue Caftan will be in cinemas across Australia.
Our final encore interview was with director and producer Gus Berger to discuss his fantastic documentary ‘The Lost City of Melbourne’ which premiered at the 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival and is still screening now across Melbourne at many of our favourite local independent cinemas.
The post Out Takes Encore: The Interview Edition appeared first on Out Takes.
This year, we’ve been enjoying covering national film festivals, industry events and local LGBTIQ+ television. Hpwever, with a long weekend on our doorstep, we decided to look at some of the latest queer and LGBTIQ-adjacent television we’ve been enjoying recently and that we think you’ll enjoy too a.k.a. Out Takes Recommends: April 2023 edition!
For this show, we looked at two fantastic new Australian releases (Wellness, Class of ’07), a genre defying series from the genius mind of Donald Glover (Swarm) and the final season of one of our favourites (Ted Lasso). We also spoke with Goran Stolevski, the writer and director of ‘Of An Age’, which is one of the best Aussie queer films we’ve seen in a long time and is in cinemas now.
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We talk about representation a lot on Out Takes but it always deserves revisiting. For this show, we took a deep dive into women’s representation on screen and behind the scenes This ties in with the Being Seen on Screen Conference at Melbourne’s ACMI on April 5 which is presented in partnership with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, one of the world leaders in research and advocacy for representation of women on screens. Actors, activists, writers, directors, academics and creators will pull the curtain back on some of the most pressing issues facing our culture and screen industries including body image, ageing and diversity, with a special focus on Australian created content.
We were joined by two special guests who will appear at the conference to give us their take on what’s working and what still needs to be done in regards to gender equality and diversity on our screens. First up was filmmaker, historian and author Santilla Chingiape who is also the founder of Behind The Screens, an annual program supported by VicScreen, aimed at increasing the representation of people historically excluded from the Australian film industry. We were also joined by First Nations actor, singer, songwriter and writer Elaine Crombie, who has a career that spans over 20 years as well as a wealth of experience behind the scenes.
Finally we took a look at ‘Loving Highsmith’, a fantastic documentary that is released exclusively on DocPlay on April 27 which explores the life of celebrated American author Patricia Highsmith. Based on her diaries, notebooks and the intimate reflections of her lovers, friends and family, it also looks at Highsmith’s quest for love, her troubled identity and writing.
The post Gender Equality and Diversity Representation in Media appeared first on Out Takes.
‘Of An Age’ is a beautiful Melbourne-made film from the incredibly talented writer / director Goran Stolevski that tells the story of Kol (played by Elias Anton), a Serbian Australian teenager who enters a brief but intense romance with Adam (played by Thom Green), the brother of his ballroom dance partner Ebony. Their story plays out over a very long day in 1999 as they get to know more about each other and develop a brief but intense connection before going their separate ways. They are reunited more than a decade later to discover many of the feelings they had all of those years ago still remain, even though they have become very different people along the way.
For this Out Takes Extra, we spoke to Goran about how this film came to be, why it was so important to have this queer love story represented on the big screen and what’s coming next for this wonderful storyteller and director that puts him as one-to-watch in the international film scene
‘Of An Age’ is in Australian cinemas from March 23rd and is not to be missed, check out your local cinema listings for more details. Many thanks to Roadshow Films for their support with this interview.
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For this program, we turned the spotlight on to two new programs that explore Australia’s broad, diverse and in some cases, very hidden and heartbreaking queer history.
First up we reviewed the highly anticipated new Aussie series ‘In Our Blood’ which premiered Sunday March 19 at 8.30PM on ABC TV, with all episodes then available to binge on ABC iview. This captivating four-part musical drama series is set in the 80’s, has an incredible cast with a fantastic selection of music from the time that beautifully tells the story of people from politics, medicine and within affected communities grappling separately with a terrifying new disease known as AIDS. We were joined by the wonderful Jane Allen, one of the writers and executive producers of the series, to take us behind the scenes and tell us what it took to take this incredible story from the stage to the screen.
We also showcased ‘Queerstralia’, a brilliantly engaging three-part documentary series now streaming on ABC Iview. Hosted by the very funny and very lesbian Zoe Coombs Marr, ‘Queerstralia’ wipes away the straightwashing and reveals the untold and fascinating queer history of Australia.
The post Queer Australian History featuring ‘In Our Blood’ and ‘Queerstralia’ appeared first on Out Takes.
It’s all over for another year hut we can never let the Academy Awards pass without celebrating this iconic film event and give our picks for what will take out the big awards (spoiler alert: we agreed on some of them, disagreed on quite a few and got the winner of Best Film right for the first time in ages!). For this, the 95th Academy Awards, we not only cast our predictions for which films would nab the top awards of the night, we also revisited our chat with Australian icon Catherine Martin, who was nominated for an incredible three oscars this year for her work on ELVIS.
The post The Out Takes Guide to the 2023 Oscars appeared first on Out Takes.
Have your pride flags at the ready! With World Pride taking over Sydney, Australia and the World, we’re celebrating by looking at films from around the globe that make us PROUD. We looked at some of our favourite pride films and television from across the world and were joined by Moroccan film maker Maryam Touzani, whose delicate new queer film THE BLUE CAFTAN was the official Moroccan entry into the Academy Awards this year. We also spoke with Onir, the groundbreaking Indian director behind some of the most queer forward films in Hindi cinema.
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For this episode of Out Takes, we looked at three new films that look at grief, loss and what comes next for those left behind. We kicled off by talking about the show and a episode of ‘The Last of Us’ that tackled these themes head on, caused a huge buzz around the world and was hailed by the Guardian as “the single best episode of television that will be broadcast this year” and keep in mind, it’s only February.
The first film we looket at was ‘Spoiler Alert’, based on Michael Ausiello’s best-selling memoir. It is a heart-warming/heart-breaking, funny and life-affirming story of how a relationship is transformed and deepened when one of them falls ill with cancer and stars Jim Parsons, Sally Field and Ben Aldridge.
Next up was ‘The Whale’, which follows Charlie, a gay reclusive English teacher with class III obesity played by Brendan Fraser, who’s pain and misery is manifested physically and emotionally due to the death of his partner, which leads to his chronic binge-eating and related health issues. At the same time, Charlie tries to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter played by Sadie Sink for one last chance at redemption.
Finally, we looked at the latest film from Florian Zeller starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby and Anthony Hopkins. ‘The Son’ tells the story of Peter who’s hectic life gets further upended when his ex-wife tells him their teenage son is deeply troubled. He soon tries to take care of himthe same way he would have wanted his own father to have taken care of him with tragic results.
If this program brings up any issues for you or you are needing any support related to this content or with similar matters, please contact QLife online or call 1800 184 527.
The post Stories of Love, Loss and Grief: The Last of Us, Spoiler Alert, The Whale and The Son appeared first on Out Takes.
As Out Takes is the home of queer cinema on JOY 94.9, it’s only fitting that we dedicated this show to a festival that is on in Melbourne soon with some fabulous films to check out plus an incredible documentary screening at this years Mardi Gras Film Festival.
Through the theme Connections, the 2023 Melbourne Women in Film Festival showcases the best Australian, Aotearoa New Zealand and Pasifika women’s and gender diverse stories on screen and explores creative collaborations and community through a dynamic program for its seventh year from February 23 – 27. We were joined by Dr Sian Mitchell, the Festival Director for the Melbourne Women in Film Festival, who gave us the scoop on what to check out at this year’s festival and much more.
Later in the program we looked at ‘How to Tell A Secret’, a powerfully moving hybrid documentary tackling the stigma people living with HIV face when disclosing their status in present-day Ireland which is screening at this years Mardi Gras Film Festival. We were delighted to have Robbie Lawlor and Enda McGrattan aka Veda on the program who both appear in the film and share their stories of disclosing their HIV status and the impact it’s had on their lives.
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For this week on Out Takes, we celebrated the international premiere of THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL at the Queer Screen – Mardi Gras Film Festival by looking at some of our favourite drag films!THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL is the camp new romp from director James Demitri starring Drag Race alumnus Maxi Shield as a jilted lover who finds herself at the center of a farcical murder mystery.To celebrate, we revisited some of our favourite Out Takes interviews with auteurs of drag cinema: think John Waters and PRISCILLA director, Stephan Elliott. We also spoke with James Demitri and Maxi Shield about their camp new farce, which co-stars Manuel Kornisiuk and Jack Stratton-Smith.The post Drag Cinema with Maxi Shield and “The Winner Takes It All” Director James Demitri appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we took the plunge and deep dived into the world of gay sporting films. We looked at IN FROM THE SIDE, PUNCH, and GOLDEN DELICIOUS – three exciting new films that in each instance, say something about what it means to be gay through the prism of the sports field. Our guest was GOLDEN DELICIOUS director Jason Karman, who joins us to talk about his new coming of age film. GOLDEN DELICIOUS screens alongside IN FROM THE SIDE and PUNCH at the Queer Screen – Mardi Gras Film Festival (MGFF) this year. Checkout the full MGFF program now or catch our chat with MGFF Festival Director Lisa Rose.The post Gay Sporting Films with ‘Golden Delicious’ Director Jason Karman appeared first on Out Takes.
Now in its thirtieth year, the Mardi Gras Film Festival will bring 166 films from Australia and around the world to Sydney for two glorious weeks of queer cinema from February 15 – March 2. Along with a fantastic in-cinema program, many of the titles will be available online and on demand for audiences to enjoy right around the country. There’s a lot to look at as we celebrate the Festival so we were delighted to welcome back Mardi Gras Film Festival director Lisa Rose for a deep dive into everything that the Festival has to offer. To check it out for yourself, visit Queer Screen online and on social media.
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Whilst many of us were happy to see the back of 2022, we couldn’t let the opportunity go by to look at some of the best queer content from the year that was. So for our first show for 2023, we celebrated our favourite queer films and TV shows from 2022 – everything from local indie period fare (think OF AN AGE) to animated fantasies (we’re looking at you TURNING RED and LIGHTYEAR) and a neo-gothic romantic road movie featuring cannibals (how could we not look at BONES AND ALL from two time Out Takes guest Luca Guadagnino). We also looked at some of the trends that made 2022 a challenging year for cinema and an exciting year for queer TV.
The post Out Takes 2022 in Review appeared first on Out Takes.
Technically this is the Christmas edition of Out Takes but don’t panic, we’re not talking about holiday themed movies – been there, done that, not today Santa! For this program we’re looking post Christmas day, specifically from Boxing Day into early 2023, at some of the films coming our way and particularly those we are very excited to see. As always, there is a lot on offer and it’s a mixed bag of Oscar contenders, art house dramas, documentaries and more. To help us with what films and television series to check out this holiday season and beyond, we’re delighted to welcome back Cinema Nova CEO Kristian Connelly and Madman Cinemas Theatrical Acquisitions Manager Paul Tonta to tell us about their film and television show recommendations for this holiday season and in 2023.
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For this very special Out Takes, we celebrated our seventh anniversary as the home of queer cinema on JOY 94.9! Over more than 300 episodes, we have looked at literally thousands of queer films and spoken with some of the leading queer film makers from around the world. For this very special anniversary episode, we looked back over the last seven years and took stock of everything that we have accomplished. Thanks for your support too, we love doing this show and look forward to doing it for many more years to come!
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For World AIDS Day 2022, the Out Takes team wanted to highlight two of the fantastic films and interviews from our archives that acknowledge the importance of representation and seeing...
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We’ve been enjoying covering the Melbourne Queer Film Festival the past couple of weeks but for this show we decided to look at some of the latest queer and LGBTIQ-adjacent...
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There is just too much to talk about at this years Melbourne Queer Film Festival so we took this week to again dive deeper in to the program and discuss...
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It’s finally that time of year again: MQFF is back! Running from November 10 – 21, the 32nd Melbourne Queer Film Festival features a Spotlight on Brazil, 35 Australian premieres,...
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The post The Out Takes guide to MQFF 2022: part 1 appeared first on Out Takes.
It was the spooky season so the Out Takes team took this as a sign to dive in to some of the latest scary movies and television shows that were...
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For this Out Take, we were very excited to celebrate the release of ‘BROS’, the highly anticapted and much discussed romantic comedy about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling...
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IN FROM THE SIDE is the new gay rugby film from director Matt Carter and screenwriter Adam Silver, which screens at the British Film Festival and MQFF in November. We...
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With World Homelessness Day on October 10 and it also being Seniors Month in October here in Australia, for this Out Takes we took a look at a powerful new...
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Spring is here down under and there is still enough rainy days in between the bursts of sunshine to enjoy some quality TV & films so we took this opportunity...
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For this jam-packed program, we turned the spotlight on three fantastic Melbourne-made documentaries that we highly recommend you check out. First up was ‘The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone’ which takes...
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The attempted ‘modernisation’ of Melbourne in the 1950s destroyed much of the city, including its elegant cinemas and picture palaces. Now, a new Melbourne-made documentary called ‘The Lost City of...
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As Cinema Nova are celebrating their 30th anniversary from August 24 with a week of festivities including a retrospective programme of some of the Carlton cinema’s most popular and memorable movies,...
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The post Celebrating Melbourne’s Independent Cinema Scene appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we celebrated Craig Boreham’s steamy new film LONESOME by exploring the gay western and cowboy genre. Our special guest was Josh Lavery, the star of...
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The Melbourne International Film Festival is back and we’re celebrating with a guest studded line up! Our first guest was Goran Stolevski, the breakout director behind Of An Age, which...
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Now in its 70th year, the Melbourne International Film Festival returns to cinemas and online this August with a monumental new program featuring more than 370 films and a stellar...
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In this episode of Out Takes, we looked at the world of short format queer content designed for TikTok – the new media frontier where content creators are pushing boundaries...
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We love a good queer doco’ at Out Takes and this July we’re spoilt for choice with a fantastic new docuseries on offer and the welcome return of the Melbourne...
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The post Queer Documentaries: TransAthletica & MDFF 2022 appeared first on Out Takes.
With the release of Baz Luhrmann’s eagerly anticipated epic cinematic spectacle about the king of rock n roll, we dedicated this program to taking a deep dive in to the...
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The new QUEER AS FOLK series from Peacock is FINALLY here and we think that it’s (mostly) great. So this week on Out Takes, we reviewed the series and celebrated...
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While we down under traditionally celebrate our queer season in our summer, those in the northern hemisphere are currently in the midst of Pride Month 2022. This annual celebration is...
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Winter is here in Melbourne and it’s very cold outside so we thought what better way to warm us all up is by dedicating this program to some of the...
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For this week on Out Takes, we’re talking about documentaries again but this time specifically those that take a look behind the scenes of Women In Pop Music; think In...
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For this Out Takes exclusive, we got to speak with openly gay comedian, actor and producer Billy Eichner. He’s well known for his star turns in many popular TV shows...
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For this program, we took a look at this years St Kilda Film Festival. It’s the longest running short form film festival in Australia and an excellent hub of content...
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It’s well know that we love a good film festival at Out Takes so this week we were excited to take a look at two that are on now and...
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Film festival season is well and truly upon us, so for this program, we turned the spotlight on to two exciting and challenging festivals with some excellent queer offerings: the...
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While we’re still fondly reminiscing about the return of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival in November of last year, the fantastic team at MQFF is coming back sooner than expected...
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This week on Out Takes, we turned the spotlight on to magic realism in queer cinema: think local productions like The Greenhouse and Ellie and Abby and Ellie’s Dead Aunt....
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It costs $6552 for each hour of broadcasting on JOY 94.9 so the Out Takes team brought you more bang for your bucks for this show and took over the...
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The post #GrowWithJOY – the Out Takes 2022 Radiothon Special appeared first on Out Takes.
The Oscars were set to hit the Dolby Theater the Monday after this program aired so we took this opportunity to make more predictions on who would be the big...
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It’s an annual tradition that when the Academy Awards roll around, the Out Takes team take out our crystal ball and make some calculated and wildly subjective predictions on who...
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‘ALINE’, the unofficial Celine Dion biopic from French comedienne Valerie Lemercier, has just landed in select cinemas around the county. So to mark the occasion, Out Takes explore the ‘Celinaissance’...
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The Mardi Gras Film Festival was back in full swing in February 2022 so for this Out Takes, we celebrated by reviewing some of our favourite content from the Festival....
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In this Out Takes special, we sit down with Thomas Wilson-White for an exclusive chat about his new film, THE GREENHOUSE, which has screened at festivals around the world and...
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It’s no secret that we love a good documentary at Out Takes and for this program we took a look at one of the best to come our way in...
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The post Spotlight on Documentaries with special guest Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Director of ‘FLEE’ appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the return of the Mardi Gras Film Festival. Screening online and in cinemas, the Festival runs from February 17 – March 3. Joining...
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The post Mardi Gras Film Festival 2022 – Part 2 appeared first on Out Takes.
For this special program, it was all about Almodóvar, Pedro that is. To coincide with PEDRO ALMODÓVAR: A COMPLETE RETROSPECTIVE at the Classic and Lido cinemas, featuring all 22 of...
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This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the 2022 return of the much loved Mardi Gras Film Festival. Featuring over 100 films from every corner of the globe, the Festival...
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At Out Takes, we’re always keen to explore what’s happening in Queer Cinema but we know that some of the best storytelling and representation for the LGBTIQA+ community is happening...
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The post BINGE! The Best Queer TV Series To Catch Up On in 2022 appeared first on Out Takes.
For this special look back on our favourite films for 2021, we all did some serious homework in advance to narrow down all of the movies we saw last year...
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This week on Out Takes, we waved goodbye to the year that was with Daniel taking a look back at some of his picks for the best movie musicals of...
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With Christmas Day behind us, the Out Takes team took a deep dive with this special program to look at many of the great films that are coming our way...
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This week on Out Takes, Gina was taking a well deserved break so the boys went full yuletide gay by reviewing some of the latest, queerest, most saccharine Christmas cinema:...
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The post The Out Takes Guide to the 2021 Gay Christmas Films appeared first on Out Takes.
For this Out Takes, we turned the whole program over to ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, the latest in a line of blockbuster-stage-musical-to-big-screen adaptation that is in cinemas now across Australia and...
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This week on Out Takes, we waved goodbye to this year’s Melbourne Queer Film Festival by reviewing some of our favorite picks from the program: think MOFFIE and SWEETHEART. We...
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The post MQFF 2021 wrap up with ‘Forgiveness Day’ director Derek Ho appeared first on Out Takes.
Happy 6th anniversary to US! For the last six years, over more than 250 episodes, we’ve brought the filmic landscape on the other side of the rainbow to JOY. So...
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This week on Out Takes, we continued our celebration of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival by diving head first into this year’s exciting new program of films. We reviewed a...
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This year, cinemas have been pretty much closed in Melbourne and film festivals either were put on hold or went completely online. While we all appreciated the effort that went...
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The post Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2021 with MQFF Program Director Spiro Economopoulos appeared first on Out Takes.
We’re no stranger to a bit of controversy on Out Takes so this week we’re taking on one of the biggest controversies in the global film industry: casting. Since its...
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The post Casting Controversies in Queer Cinema with special guests Miranda Sparks and Ruby Mountford appeared first on Out Takes.
Here on Out Takes, we enjoy discussing films and television each week but we also love a good story. Jacqueline Bublitz is the author of ‘Before You Knew My Name’,...
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This week on Out Takes, we looked at PRAY AWAY, the new documentary from producer Ryan Murphy and Director Kristine Stolakis about faith based conversion ‘therapy’ practices in the US and...
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The post Pray Away and Conversion ‘Therapy’ in Queer Cinema appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the much anticipated release of EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE, the heartfelt new coming of age musical from director Jonathan Butterell. Based on the...
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Since 2013, the Queer Screen Film Fest has become a major event that delivers the latest LGBTIQ movies to Sydney’s screens in the month of September. This year’s Queer Screen...
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This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the return of the Queer Screen Film Fest, which commenced from September 16 online for 10 days. Our guests were festival director Lisa...
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This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the release of CINDERELLA on Amazon Prime. From director Kay Cannon, CINDERELLA is a new juke box musical starring Camila Cabello, Idina Menzel...
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This week on Out Takes, we spoke with two Australian content creators, Julie Kalceff & Oliver Ross. Both Julie and Oliver have recently had stories featured in Screen Australia’s Authentic...
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In this episode of Out Takes, we looked back at the Melbourne International Film Festival. The Festival had initially planned to take viewers back into cinemas, but last minute lockdown...
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This week we spoke with two Australian content creators who are taking the traditional model of making films and turning it on its head, making it more inclusive and accessible...
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The post The Future of Feature Film Making with Lean Filmmaking, For Films Sake and Attagirl appeared first on Out Takes.
We continued our coverage of the Melbourne International Film Festival on Out Takes this week by speaking with the Festival’s Artistic Director, Al Cossar. Catch up on the program and...
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This week on Out Takes, we dive in and take a look at one of our favourite film festivals and some of the many LGBTIQA+ films they have on offer...
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The post Melbourne International Film Festival 2021: LGBTIQA+ Highlights appeared first on Out Takes.
We maybe in lockdown but we’ve still managed to find some great new documentaries for you to stream from the comfort and safety of your home. We took a look...
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This week on Out Takes, we recognised the tenth anniversary of WE WERE HERE. From director David Weissman, WE WERE HERE recalls the early years of the HIV/AIDS crisis in...
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‘Dating Amber’ is the second feature film from the very talented London-based Irish writer / director David Freyne. With the film now hitting cinema screens in Australia and available to...
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This week on Out Takes, we turned our attention to the small screen and the rapidly changing world of short form storytelling. In particular, we looked at some of the...
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Before Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda brought the story of Usnavi & Washington Heights (a.k.a ‘In The Heights’) to Broadway in 2008 and now it’s on the big screen as a...
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This week on Out Takes, 3/4 of the team did our first broadcast live from JOY’s new home at the Victorian Pride Centre (we missed you Gina!). So as winter...
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ACMI has launched its new exhibition, Disney: the Magic of Animation. It’s the first time the exhibition, which brings together over 500 Disney artworks, is showing in the Southern Hemisphere....
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The post Queer Reading the Wonderful World of Disney appeared first on Out Takes.
St Kilda Film Festival is Australia’s largest and longest-running short film festival and it’s back bigger than ever for 2021. The Out Takes team were excited to welcome Festival Director...
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This week on Out Takes, we’re paying our respects to the many incredible people from the cinematic universe behind the scenes and in front of the camera who left us...
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This week on Out Takes, we looked back at an awards season like no other – the Golden Globes, the Razzies, the GLAAD Media Awards, the Oscars, and the diverse...
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“I never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television” – Gore Vidal. This week on Out Takes, we’re not talking about our sex lives but we did...
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JOY’s Radiothon is back for another year and the Out Takes team geared up to fully #EmbraceJOY! Out Takes is proud to be part of the JOY family and we’re...
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The Out Takes team are back together again! It’s been nearly a year since the last episode of Out Takes hit the air so with all of us back together...
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This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the launch of the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival looking at two films that showcase the quality cinema featuring in this years virtual festival....
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This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the return to business of some of our favourite independent local cinemas. We were joined by CEO of Cinema Nova Kristian Connelly and...
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In this Out Takes retrospective, we look back at our coverage of how the COVID19 public health crisis has effected our local film and cinema industries. We revisit exclusive Out...
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This week on Out Takes, as protesters take to streets across the globe demanding an end to racism, we looked at the ways in which race relations, rebellion and resistance...
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The post Race Relations, Rebellion and Resistance in Queer Cinema appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the St Kilda Film Festival, which returns to screens for a bumper online edition this June. St Kilda Film Festival features a number...
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This week on Out Takes, we looked at #metoo cinema in the post Harvey Weinstein era. Our guest was Kitty Green, whose new film, THE ASSISTANT, has been called ‘a...
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Two of the best queer films of 2020 have come via Netflix and this week on Out Takes we were extremely honoured to have the directors of both documentaries joining...
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The post LGBTIQ Representation of Family in Cinema featuring Rachel Mason and Chris Bolan appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we celebrated the release of HOLLYWOOD, Ryan Murphy’s much anticipated new miniseries on Netflix. HOLLYWOOD follows an aspiring group of actors and filmmakers trying to...
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This week on Out Takes, we continued our look at the ways in which the COVID19 public health crisis has impacted the film and cinema industries in Australia and around...
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The post Supporting the local Film and Television industry through COVID-19 appeared first on Out Takes.
It’s that time of year again! JOY 94.9 is Australia’s premiere LGBTI radio station and it needs your help. So this week on Out Takes, we’re celebrating RADIOTHON – JOY’s...
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The post We Are You: Out Takes 2020 Radiothon Special appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, as we continue to scramble for online content like we never really have before, we took al ook at some of the best, or most...
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This week on Out Takes, we’re looking at the ways in which differently abled, LGBT lives are represented in queer cinema. And here’s a spoiler: they rarely are. The question...
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The post Queer and Differently Abled Identity in LGBT Cinema with Directors Ian Watson & Suzanne Guacci appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, as the COVID19 public health crisis continues to take a devastating toll on communities and industries around the world, we turned our attention to the...
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The post The impact of COVID-19 on the Australian Film Industry appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we turned our spotlight on full beam to the work of prolific Argentinian film maker Marco Berger as his new film, YOUNG HUNTER, hits film...
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This week on Out Takes, as people all over the world took to their homes, we turned the spotlight on some of our favourite binge worthy queer films that you...
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This week on Out Takes, we turned our attention to the 30th annual Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF). MQFF kicked off on March 12 with a program set to bring...
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For this Out Takes program, we celebrated the theatrical release of Peter Strickland’s IN FABRIC by looking at some of the most iconic cinematic dresses: think Judy Garland’s pinafore in...
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The post The Look: Iconic Cinematic Dresses appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we looked to celebrate the 30th Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), which kicked off on March 12 and which was yet again poised to bring...
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For this week on Out Takes, Mardi Gras season was upon us so we decided to celebrate Sydney and the ways that it figures in queer Australian cinema. Our first...
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In this Out Takes special, to mark the theatrical release of UNDERTOW, the new film from Australian film maker Miranda Nation, we looked at queer films about obsession: think classics...
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For this Out Takes special, love was in the air! Valentine’s Day was just around the corner so to celebrate we looked at some of our favorite LGBT themed romance...
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This week on Out Takes, with the 92nd Academy Awards to be announced on Monday February 10, we throw caution to the wind and made our opinions known by casting...
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This week on Out Takes, we celebrated Queer Screen’s 27th Mardi Gras Film Festival, which returns to Sydney this month with a fresh and thought provoking new line up of...
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The Academy announced its fresh batch of nominees ahead of the 92nd annual Academy Awards later this month so to mark the occasion on Out Takes we turned our attention...
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For the first live Out Takes of 2020, we turned the spotlight on some of the most anticipated films headed our way in 2020: think new Disney blockbusters, star studded...
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We kicked off the first Out Takes of 2020 by taking one last look back at the year that was and put the spotlight on some of our favourite interviews...
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The Out Takes waved goodbye to 2019 by looking at the year that was in queer cinema by counting down our favorite LGBTIQ leaning fare and celebrating the best films...
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The post The Out Takes Guide to the Best & Worst Films of 2019 appeared first on Out Takes.
25 years after its initial release, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” finally reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. So for this Out Takes Xmas...
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This week on Out Takes we celebrated our 200th episode! To mark the occasion, we took a look back at our last four years as the home of queer cinema...
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It’s nearly the end of the decade so we took stock of the past ten years that was and looked back at the queer films that left a big impression...
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The post The Out Takes Guide to the Best Queer Films of the Decade appeared first on Out Takes.
Disney’s FROZEN is the highest grossing animated film of all time. Now, FROZEN 2 is screening in cinemas around the world, and has already grossed over $738 million dollars internationally....
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The post Finding the Queer in ‘Frozen 2’ appeared first on Out Takes.
After the success of the Charlie’s Angels television show in the late 70’s and the movies in the early 2000’s, there was much excitement around the announcement of a third installment, with...
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The post Charlie’s Angels 2019 – back on the big screen appeared first on Out Takes.
Martha Cooper is one of the most adored and influential members of the street art world yet almost unknown outside of it, perhaps ‘the most iconic photographer you’ve never heard...
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The post Out Takes Extra: Director Selina Miles on ‘Martha: A Picture Story’ appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we turned our attention to the representation of intimacy in contemporary lesbian cinema. Is same-sex female intimacy still depicted through a male gaze or is...
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This week on Out Takes we took a look at two very different films that highlight the ongoing transformation many LGBTIQ people go through and how this is represented on...
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The post Transformation in Cinema featuring Jillian Bell & Paul Downs Colaizzo appeared first on Out Takes.
As the end of the decade quickly approaches, the Out Takes team begin a series of retrospectives looking back at the decade in queer cinema. In this retrospective, the Out...
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The post The best queer film soundtracks of the decade appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we turned our attention to films that spotlight families in transition: think indie flicks like 52 TUESDAYS and A KID LIKE JAKE. These films focus...
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This week on Out Takes, we took a look at the representation of gay pornography in queer cinema, in particular at how queer cinema employs representations of pornography to interrogate...
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The post Representation of Gay Pornography in Queer Cinema appeared first on Out Takes.
Judy Garland is a Hollywood icon. She received a Juvenile Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Special Tony Award. In 1998, Carnegie Hall hosted a two-concert tribute to...
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The post Spotlight on JUDY starring Renée Zellweger appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we were joined by a guest studded line up as we acknowledged Mental Health Week and took stock of the way that cinema affects our...
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The Me Too movement (#MeToo), with a large variety of local and international related names, is a movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault. The movement began to spread virally...
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The post #MeToo in Cinema with WORKING WOMAN director Michal Aviad appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we celebrated MQFF eXtra, which kicked off at Cinema Nova in October. The inaugural MQFF eXtra showcased a spate of new queer films, including festival...
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The Queer Screen Film Festival (QSFF) celebrates sexual and gender diversity through queer storytelling on the big screen. This week on Out Takes, we turned the spotlight on QSFF by...
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This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the release of Sophie Hyde’s ANIMALS by looking at the representation of female friendship in queer leaning cinema: think films like STEEL MAGNOLIAS, CLUELESS and...
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The post Female Friendship in Queer Cinema with ANIMALS Director Sophie Hyde appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we celebrated the iconic cinematic legacy of John Waters. Waters is a queer cinema auteur and film making icon responsible for cult classics like Pink...
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This week on Out Takes, we plunged into the world of Hollywood remakes, in particular we looked at the ways in which Hollywood remakes mirror the sexual politics of their...
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The post Sex and Sexuality in Modern Screen Remakes appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we waved goodbye to the MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL by reviewing some of our favorite Festival films: think PAIN & GLORY, 5B, THE QUEEN, THE...
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The post MIFF 2019: wrap up and reviews appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we plunged into the world of Indian cinema to celebrate the 10th annual Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. This year’s program features 60 films spanning...
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The post Your LGBTIQ Guide to the 2019 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne appeared first on Out Takes.
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is back for 2019, taking over our lives and the entire city from August 1 – 18. Celebrating its 68th year, MIFF will feature...
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The post Your Queer Guide to the 2019 Melbourne International Film Festival appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we explored modern documentaries that continue the tradition of Frank Simon’s ground-breaking and now canonical 1968 documentary ‘The Queen’. Our first guest was Mark Saxenmeyer,...
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The post Documenting Queer Gender & Sexual Outsiders appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we explored the diverse landscape of queer, modern Asian cinema. These are big questions, so we welcomed a diverse panel of guests into the Out...
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This July 23 marks 53 years since Hollywood icon Montgomery Clift passed away so for this special program the Out Takes team celebrated his remarkable filmic legacy: think queer classics...
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The post Remembering Montgomery Clift appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we dived head first into the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (MDFF) and turned the spotlight on to some of it’s great queer offerings. Joining us...
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To acknowledge her recent 70th birthday, the Out Takes team took this time to dedicate a program to arguably the most celebrated, beloved and successful actress in this modern era,...
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The post We ♥ Meryl! appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we turned our attention to the question of female representation in Western cinema. We’ve noticed a spate of recent films that have put the lives...
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For this week on Out Takes, we explored how loneliness and companionship take shape in queer cinema: think new queer cinema classics like MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, literary masterpieces like...
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The post Loneliness and Companionship in Queer Cinema with Papi Chulo Director John Butler appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the 66th Sydney Film Festival, which kicked off on June 6. For 12 thrilling days, the Sydney Film Festival will play home to...
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This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the theatrical release of ROCKETMAN, Dexter Fletcher’s trippy new homage to Elton John, by taking stock of queer musical biopics: think panegyric musicals...
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The post ROCKETMAN AND THE RISE OF QUEER MUSICAL BIOPICS appeared first on Out Takes.
For this special Out Takes, we celebrated JOY’s Radiothon, the annual drive to promote JOY and it’s fabulous family of members and volunteers. This year’s Radiothon theme was LOVE, JOY...
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The post RADIOTHON 2019: LOVE JOY, LOVE (QUEER) CINEMA appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes we turned our attention to modern coming out and coming of age cinema: think queer indie flicks like CALL ME BY YOUR NAME and 1985...
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The post Modern Coming Out and Coming of Age Cinema appeared first on Out Takes.
This week on Out Takes, we celebrated the 30th GLAAD Media Awards, which recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTIQ communities and the...
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For this Out Takes program, we celebrated the 12th annual Human Rights Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF), which kicked off in Melbourne on May 9. HRAFF is a not-for-profit Festival...
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For this Out Takes Easter special, we continued our chocolate binge by looking at films that are (perhaps) better than chocolate: think camp guilty pleasures like Another Gay Movie and Eating...
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