2 | 4 | 2026
MQFF ANNOUNCES $10,000 CASH PRIZE – THE PITCH IS BACK!
Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) is calling on queer filmmakers to submit their short film proposals for the 2026 Pitch, Pleez! competition, offering a $10,000 cash prize for the winning pitch. Pitch, Pleez! provides Australian LGBTQIA+ filmmakers the opportunity to create original content by assisting with the production expenses of a short fiction, documentary or web series pilot.
Applications are officially open and close on Sunday 26 April 2026. Entries need to address MQFF’s core values of celebrating and showcasing the lives of LGBTQIA+ communities, and successful applicants will be shortlisted and invited to pitch their project in front of a live audience and a panel of judges in Naarm (Melbourne, Victoria).
The winning pitch will receive a $10,000 cash prize to help fund the project and an All-In-Pass to the annual Melbourne Queer Film Festival. Furthermore, the winning Pitch, Pleez! film will premiere at the MQFF’s opening night in November 2026.
Chief Executive Officer of MQFF, David Martin Harris, says “Pitch, Pleez! has launched some of Australia’s most exciting queer filmmakers onto the big screen in Australia and internationally. We invite short-form concepts from across the country—documentary, horror, comedy, drama, experimental—everything will be considered. We’re seeking bold, original stories that capture the richness and diversity of contemporary queer life. Pitch, Pleez! is all about the stories that need to be told.”
To date, Pitch, Pleez! has awarded a total of $75,000 in cash and prizes to Australian queer filmmakers over the past eight years. The prize has supported a diverse range of stories, from coming-of-age romances to a historical queer biopic, animation, and a personal documentary – with filmmakers receiving acclaim, awards, and nominations after having their premiere at MQFF’s opening night. Winning Pitch, Pleez! is a career defining opportunity for new directors with previous winners going on to show at other notable festivals in Australia and around the globe.
MQFF encourages and welcomes First Nations, diaspora, trans and gender diverse filmmakers and those of other intersectional identities to apply.
Applications are open now and close Sunday 26 April 2026, at 11:59pm AEST.
For more information and application criteria, visit mqff.com.au/pitchpleez