MQFF is a non-profit organisation governed by a voluntary Board of Management, staffed by a small team of committed professionals and supported by an army of generous volunteers. MQFF is further supported by our Sweethearts who are members of our Private Giving Program. We couldn’t do it without our Team Players – all of our valued Festival Sponsors, Partners and Providers who help us to produce a first-class Festival each year.
MQFF Team
OUR WONDERFUL STAFF
David Martin Harris ( they / them )
Chief Executive Officer
David Martin Harris (they/them) was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Melbourne Queer Film Festival in November 2021.
A first-generation Australian born in Western Sydney, David is a skilled cultural leader with a sound knowledge of cultural advancement, multi-arts curatorial practice, LGBTQI+ social justice, and the Australian not-for-profit landscape.
Their career, spanning over 17 years in the arts, has included roles at some of Australia’s most prestigious cultural institutions including Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, Carriageworks, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art and West Australian Ballet.
David’s pro-bono work includes being the Chair and Co-Curator of SEVENTH Gallery and Board Director of Moogahlin Performing Arts. They were a co-recipient of the 2019 FBi SMAC Award for Best NSW Arts Program and a guest speaker at VIVID Ideas in 2019. In 2023, David was appointed to the Board of Directors of The Substation.
Cerise Howard ( she / her )
Program Director
Cerise Howard was appointed as Program Director of Melbourne Queer Film Festival in May 2023. She hails from Aotearoa New Zealand and has for several years been a co-curator of the Melbourne Cinémathèque.
She co-founded the Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia and was its Artistic Director from 2013-2018; she was also a co-founding member of tilde: Melbourne Trans and Gender Diverse Film Festival.
Not unrelatedly, she identifies as a non-binary trans woman.
For five years she has been a Studio Leader at RMIT University, specialising in interrogating the shortcomings of the canon and incubating film festivals, from 2019’s Melbourne International Youth Film Festival (which made a programming cameo at MQFF in 2020) through to the Debut International Film Festival. She is a long-time commentator and widely published writer on film, and on intersections of screen media, gender, sexuality and other matters; a regular broadcaster on community radio station 3RRR, and has been a member of the International Jury Board of the East-West: Golden Arch Awards, celebrating Eurasian cinema, for its three editions to date.
Nathan Boadle ( he / him )
Marketing & Fundraising Manager
Nathan Boadle is an experienced Marketing Manager with a background in print and digital design.
After completing his degree is graphic design, Nathan used his newly gained expertise to co-found B.TIES – a successful handmade business creating bespoke bow ties.
As an avid cinephile, Nathan first volunteered for MQFF in 2021, after being a longtime patron of the Festival for many years.
In 2022, he joined the MQFF team as the Marketing & Fundraising Manager, bringing his experience in marketing and communications to strengthen the organisation’s outreach and leverage the fundraising efforts of the Festival.
Bree Davis ( she/her )
Finance Manager
Bree Davis joined the MQFF team as Finance Manager in July 2024. She brings with her a wealth of experience from within the Non For Profit sector where she has worked with many different organisations.
Bree is a staunch supporter of human rights. Working with indigenous, women's rights, LGBQTI+ and community based organisations has been her passion for the last 25 years.
With Bree's commencement at MQFF, she has now managed to serendipitously combine her love of cinema with her socially based principals.
OUR INCREDIBLE BOARD
Gail Veal ( she / her )
Co-President
Gail has been an avid member and supporter of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival ‘since forever’. She has been swaggering into queer films since the days of the old State Theatre underground screenings, and isn’t afraid to share that.
Gail has been a Board Member since early 2020, and became Co-President in late 2021. She has spent the majority of her career managing HSE for multinational companies so it’s no surprise that she chairs the Risk Management Sub Committee for MQFF.
Gail is also a MQFF Sweetheart, a Rainbow Patron of Midsumma, and a Bronze Patron of the Victorian Pride Centre. Gail holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma of Ergonomics, both from La Trobe University. Her time away from desks and cinemas is spent working on her second book, swimming, riding her Vespa and epicurean travels.
Anouska Phizaklea ( she / her )
Co-President
Anouska Phizacklea (BA (hons), MA, MCom, CPA, GAICD) is the Director of the Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh). Phizacklea has expertise across the visual, decorative and literary arts as well as finance and organisational development, with Masters Degrees in both Fine Arts and Commerce.
She has held senior management positions at leading Victorian public institutions including Heide Museum of Modern Art and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), and worked for many years in art research and valuations in galleries and auction houses in Melbourne and London.
Since her appointment at MAPh Phizacklea has led the strategic and operational development of MAPh, including its recent rebrand as well as curated group and single artist exhibitions with leading Australian practitioners.
David Morgan ( he / him )
Secretary
David has been the Secretary of MQFF since 2014 and is responsible for the Board’s governance and reporting obligations. He has been a passionate festival-goer for many years and is a particular fan of MQFF’s documentaries and shorts packages.
Outside of the Festival, David is a commercial barrister at the Victorian bar, where he specialises in tax, financial services, property law and general commercial disputes. He acts for governments, corporates, individuals and pro bono clients. David has previously worked as a solicitor at a major commercial law firm and as an Associate to a Federal Court Judge.
David holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne, where he also obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English, French and Chinese.
As well as film, his interests include travel, swimming, food, literature and parenting his son.
Jasmine Fiegehen ( she / her )
Board Member
Jasmine Fiegehen is a strategic communications leader making words and pictures effective for both the public and not-for-profit sectors.
With a passion for creating behaviour change campaigns and generating positive organisational engagement, Jasmine enjoys working on marketing, creative advertising, complex, reputational and crisis media management.
Jasmine completed her studies in media and communication, including cinema studies and ultimately a thesis addressing representations of cultural diversity in Australia’s media landscape and is here to make sure we see our community represented on screen, in all of its diversity.
Marco Angele ( he / him )
Board Member
Marco is a Principal at marshalls+dent+wilmoth lawyers, specialising in commercial, media and entertainment law. His expertise includes commercial contracting and procurement, transactions, fundraising and intellectual property. He has been on the MQFF Board since 2021.
Marco advises clients predominantly from the technology, media and entertainment industries. Recently, he has acted for leading television and film production companies, media content distributors, festivals and hospitality venues.
Marco has led the delivery of legal services on a number of feature films and television series. A list of these can be found at his IMDb.
Rebeckah Loveday ( she / her )
Board Member
Rebeckah Loveday has been a board member of MQFF since December 2022. Rebeckah is a model, actor, presenter and transgender advocate, using her platform and lived experience to advocate for the transgender community.
Outside of MQFF, Rebeckah is a co-founder of Trans Sisters United, a member for the LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee at the City of Port Philip, radio personality on Joy 94.9 and co- founder of Trans Pride March Melbourne. In November 2022, the first Trans Pride March Melbourne took place in Naarm.
Rebeckah currently works at Sacred Heart Mission as a Team Leader in the Journey to Social Inclusion program, supporting people experiencing homelessness.
Lou Curry
Board Member
Lou joined the MQFF board in October 2022 and enjoys MQFF’s lesbian and trans films, as well as the opportunities that MQFF provides for members of the LGBTIQA+ community to come together in person.
Outside of the Festival, Lou is a public service professional with 15 years of experience working in complex policy and project roles for the Victorian Government.
Lou holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Besides film, Lou’s interests include reading, travel, hiking, live music and spending quality time with family and friends.
Alex Chivers ( she / her )
Board Member
Alex is a marketing professional working in the not-for- profit space and is an active member of the LGBTIQA+ community. She has an extensive track record of driving growth through marketing, engaging audiences, and delivering outstanding results for a wide range of businesses and organisations. With a passion for design and developing visually stunning campaigns that resonate with audiences, she drives meaningful engagement that have resulted in substantial increases in brand awareness and ultimately, revenue generation.
Alex also has experience in forging strong partnerships with corporate entities. She has orchestrated impactful brand activations and fundraising events to raise significant funds and facilitate new partner acquisitions.
Alex is currently the Chief Marketing Officer of The Reach Foundation.
Max Jahufer
Board Member
Max Jahufer, a passionate Trans advocate and founder of Melbourne-based creative agency FutureStudio, brings over 15 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and sales. His drive to revolutionise the agency experience led to the creation of his creative agency FutureStudio, where he blends creativity with commercial sustainability to deliver innovative and impactful solutions for top Australian brands.
Outside his agency work, Max is a versatile writer, actor, and musician. He also co-founded Roaring Tribe, a film production company dedicated to elevating diversity and amplifying authenticity. His work on the 2024 feature film “A Savage Christmas,” where he served as co-creator, community advisor, and actor, highlights his dedication and commitment to inclusivity and authentic representation on screen. Max’s portrayal of lead character, Kane, in the film breaks boundaries and redefines norms for his community, contributing to its 2024 AACTA nomination for Best Independent Feature Film.
Damien O'Meara ( he / him )
Board Member
Damien is a screen industry researcher, who investigates the influence of production culture on queer representations. He researches and teaches across the areas of screen, media, culture, gender and sexuality, communications, and advertising. Damien has previously worked in communications and advertising, was a volunteer Marketing Director of GLOBE Victoria, and on the founding committee of the GLOBE Community Awards, where he oversaw the nomination and judging processes for its first five years.
Damien is undertaking his PhD ‘Queering Australian Screens’ through Swinburne University of Technology. It uncovers the behind-the-scenes processes that led to a boom in queer stories in Australian scripted television between 2011–2021. He also holds a Master of Arts (writing) from Swinburne, and a Bachelor of Communications (Public Relations) from Griffith University. In his spare time, Damien enjoys hikes whenever he can get away, and spending time with his elderly staffy, Stella.
OUR OUTSTANDING SPONSORS, PRESENTERS & PROVIDERS
MQFF is very fortunate to be supported by a range of incredibly generous organisations, community groups, cinemas, government departments and businesses each year. We love working with our Partners and Sponsors who celebrate difference and together share a commitment to support the LGBTIQ+ community and the arts in Melbourne.
To see a full list and to enquire about joining them, visit our Sponsors page:
MQFF SPONSORS
OUR CHERISHED LIFE MEMBERS
Our life members have devoted countless hours to ensure the longevity and success of MQFF over the Festival’s colourful history. They are a much-loved and valued part of our community.
Rowland Thomson, Crusader Hillis, Madeleine Swain, Suzie Goodman, miss jan horstman, David McCarthy, Richard Watts, Suzy Green, Rowena Doo, Luke Gallagher, Alex Green, Paul Tonta, Leanne Sumpter, Colin Billing, Claire Jackson, Lisa Daniel, Paul Clifton, Roberta Armitage, Jason Ngam, Cathy Anderson, Scott Herron and Richard Laslett.
