Melbourne Queer Film Festival announces winners
The Melbourne Queer Film Festival has announced its winners, Grant Scicluna, Daniel Monks, Madeleine Olnek, Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf, Maria Block and Mitsuyo Miyazaki.
The announcement:
The 22nd Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) came to a close on Sunday with a whole lot of dance in Leave It on the Floor by Sheldon Larry.
A record 161 films from 28 countries filled the 11 day festival along with 4 panel sessions, plus a huge 28 sessions sold out and six back-by-popular demand screenings were programmed after their first sessions sold out.
At the Oz Shorts screenings on Saturday 24 March the City of Melbourne Emerging Filmmaker Award for Best Australian Short Queer Film (which has a prize of $3000) was awarded to Grant Scicluna for The Wilding, which looks at a juvenile inmate who has a choice of freedom or his cell mate lover. A special commendation was given to Adam’s Tallit by Justin Olstein. Having won the City of Melbourne Award, Grant Scicluna now qualifies for automatic inclusion in the Iris Prize, the world’s largest prize for gay and lesbian short films.
The Selector’s Choice Award for Best Short Film at Celluloid Casserole, which has a prize of $500 courtesy of Shaun Miller Lawyers, was awarded to Daniel Monks for his film Charlotte about a woman who musters up courage to go on her first blind date.
The Audience Choice Awards, which were cast online during the Festival, offer deserving filmmakers a chance to win $8500 over four awards. Best Feature Film went to Co-dependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same directed by Madeleine Olnek (a $3500 cash prize sponsored by MQFF Members Warwick Eddington & Tony Hillery); Best Documentary was awarded to Wish Me Away by Bobbie Birleffi & Beverly Kopf (a $3000 cash prize sponsored by MQFF and Life Member David McCarthy); Grant Scicluna picked up his second award at the Festival, with The Wilding being voted Best Australian Short Film (a $1000 cash prize courtesy of MQFF and Step Right Up); and the Best Short Film was a tie between Bald Guy directed by Maria Block and Tsuyako directed by Mitsuyo Miyazaki (they will share a $1000 prize sponsored by MQFF).
The Wilding Trailer from The Wilding on Vimeo.
Source: Melbourne Queer Film Festival press release
