About Us
Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) is a non-profit queer community organisation governed by a voluntary Board of Directors. It is staffed by a team of committed arts and community professionals as well as hundreds of volunteers who support our events each year.
MQFF is Australia’s oldest and largest queer film festival attracting tens of thousands of festival-goers annually. The Festival is recognised internationally as one of the most important platforms for Queer cinema in the world and plays a vital role in providing a forum for celebration, advocacy and visibility for queer communities.
Held in November, the annual Film Festival features over 140 feature films, shorts, and documentaries – MQFF curates an intersectional showcase of queer narratives along with a range of public programs, discussions, and events for the queer community and our allies to enjoy.
We work in partnership with the State and Local Governments to collaborate and activate the city, tour regionally, and foster community partnerships to ensure participation and access for all members of the LGBTQI+ community.
Our Mission
Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) aims to engage the community with the best LGBTQI+ content in order to educate, entertain and celebrate diversity.
We seek to change lives through the experience of shared stories – bringing the best of world queer culture to Victoria and nurturing the development of new Australian voices.
Our Values
• Excellence:
We work hard to deliver exceptional experiences to our community, our industry supporters, filmmakers and allies.
• Celebration:
We inspire our community to take joy and pride in queer history and the journey to visibility, equity, and equality.
• Diversity:
We give a voice and ensure access to the under-represented and showcase the diversity of gender identities and sexualities from across the world.
• Community:
We are an active participant and leader in the queer cultural landscape of Victoria. We provide social connections, safe and respectful spaces, a platform for issues relevant to the film and queer communities. We also provide employment opportunities, advancement and training.
• Respect:
We are professional, thoughtful, considerate and engaging. Through trust, respect and collaboration we enjoy positive interactions with others.
Our Vision
MQFF is dedicated to celebrating and giving a voice to the queer community by showcasing the unique perspectives of LGBTQI+ people.
In line with our three strategic objectives, and building on our previous strategic plan, we have developed a vision of our future success.
MQFF’s three strategic objectives are:
• Healthy, sustainable MQFF:
To ensure the long-term sustainability of the organisation and provide for its future. This includes investing in our staff and supporters and acting in accordance with our values.
• Delivering a world-class MQFF:
To be recognised for curatorial excellence, delivering exceptional content, innovative experiences and a world class Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
• Social responsibility – giving back to the community:
To be an active participant and leader in the queer cultural landscape of Victoria, to build capacity for Australian queer filmmakers, advocate for our community, and ensure participation and accessibility for a wide range of community members.
