26 | 5 | 2026
Pitch Pleez! 2026 WINNER ANNOUNCED!
Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) is thrilled to announce Alice Lam and her film, Strange Devil Signal, as the recipient of the 2026 Pitch, Pleez! competition, securing $10,000 in production funding.
Established in 2019, the annual initiative calls upon creators to pitch their short film concepts, with selected finalists battling it out in a live ‘Pitch Off’ before an audience and judging panel. Pitch, Pleez! continues to be one of the richest short film prizes in Australia for LGBTQIA+ filmmakers. This year’s showcase featured five brilliant filmmaking teams competing for the prize. Year after year, the volume and high standard of entries profoundly inspire the MQFF team, and 2026 proved to be no different.
MQFF Chief Executive Officer, David Martin Harris, shared, “Pitch, Pleez! continues to attract extraordinary filmmaking talent from across the country – I honestly wish we could fund all the projects. These are queer Australian stories that need to be told. Alice’s winning concept exhibited great creativity and mastery of their craft as an animator and filmmaker –– we’re proud to be supporting and platforming her work.”
The 2026 industry judging panel comprised Paul Horwell, CEO of Victorian Pride Centre, Emily Dynes and Vee Shi, both award-winning filmmakers, and Dean Arcuri, drag artist, community advocate and journalist.
“I am absolutely overjoyed and overwhelmed to receive the 2026 Pitch, Pleez! prize,” winning writer and director Alice Lam said. “It is such an honour to be a part of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and I am looking forward to putting this award toward the production of our animated short, Strange Devil Signal. I am deeply grateful to my producers, Emma and Leela, for pushing me to put myself out there, as well as to the incredible artists and staff who have been working on the film so far. This funding will allow us to support their invaluable contributions even more.”
Strange Devil Signal is a supernatural comedy, animated short film that won over both the judges and the audience with its hilarious premise of a demonic radio station and its character-driven approach to queer cinema.
Alongside the $10,000 cash prize, Lam’s Strange Devil Signal is set to make its highly anticipated world premiere at MQFF’s 2026 Opening Night. Furthermore, Lam has been awarded an All-In-Pass for the upcoming 2026 festival.
The Festival extends its heartfelt congratulations to all the 2026 Pitch, Pleez! finalists for their exceptional presentations and ongoing commitment to enriching LGBTQIA+ representation on screen.
Contact
Olym Li
olym.li@mqff.com.au
0466 643 976
About Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Melbourne Queer Film Festival is Australia’s premier queer film festival, attracting tens of thousands of cinemagoers each year. MQFF is recognised internationally as one of the world’s most important platforms for queer cinema. MQFF is a not-for-profit organisation that plays a vital role in providing a forum for celebration and visibility, along with advocacy for queer communities.
MQFF curates an annual film festival in November, showcasing the best of world queer culture and content. The festival brings together screenings, lectures, discussions, workshops, and professional development opportunities for film lovers and creators. We also provide grants to foster the development of queer Australian stories, build the capacity of emerging filmmakers, and recognise the contribution that queer filmmakers provide to the film canon.