Andrew Wilkie

The Early Bird Deadline for Queer Screen Film Fest submissions is this Sunday! 🏳️‍🌈🎬🏳️‍⚧️ Submissions are now open for the 13th Queer Screen Film Fest (2-8 Sep, 2026), including our Emerging Narrative Feature Film Competition, which is open to LGBTIQ+ directors presenting their first or second narrative feature. We also accept submissions of out of competition features and short films, both narrative and documentary. All submissions must feature significant LGBTIQ+ characters and themes, or be of significant interest to the LGBTIQ+ community. Submit via @filmfreeway : /QueerScreenFilmFest Please note: we strongly encourage Australian short films to wait and submit to Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival (Feb, 2027), to be under consideration for our annual Australian short film competition, My Queer Career. Screening at Queer Screen Film Fest may impact your chances of being selected for My Queer Career.

Tomorrow is Trans Day of Visibility, a day to celebrate trans and gender diverse people, and uplift their stories and voices. Join @queerscreen for a special $12 community screening of AP Pobjoy's 🏳️‍⚧️HOMEBODIES👻, starring Claudia Karvan, Luke Wiltshire and Jazi Hall. Don't miss your chance to experience it on the big screen alongside the trans and queer community, followed by a Q&A with executive producer Liam Heyen and writer Charlotte Mars. Book now: .au/sessions/homebodies/ Darcy returns to his regional hometown to care for his estranged mother Nora, only to discover she has been living with a secret housemate: Dee, the teenage ghost of his pre-transition self. As old wounds resurface, Darcy must confront the parts of himself he tried to leave behind or risk losing himself entirely, in this bold, surprising and heartfelt Australian family drama. 🩵 Created by AP Pobjoy 🩷 Directed by Harry Lloyd and AP Pobjoy 🤍 Written by AP Pobjoy and Charlotte Mars 🩷 Produced by Cyna Strachan 🩵 Executive-produced by @madonesfilms ’ Liam Heyen, Kirsty Fisher, Deanne Weir of WeirAnderson Films, and Nakul Legha and Zaina Ahmed for @sbsondemand

It's less than two weeks until @queerscreen 's 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival (12-26 Feb, 2026) kicks off! One of the joys of my role is getting to bring together festival guests from around the world, so don't miss these sessions with filmmakers, actors and industry figures in attendance for introductions, panels, discussions and Q&As. Ticket link in bio.

Submissions for @queerscreen 's 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival are now open via @filmfreeway ! We accept features and short films of any genre from around the world that centre, or are of significant interest to, the LGBTIQ+ community. Key dates: - Early Bird Deadline (5 Oct, 2025) - Non-Member Deadline (2 Nov, 2025) - Queer Screen Member Deadline (9 Nov, 2025) - Notification date (5 Jan, 2026) - Festival dates (12-26 Feb, 2026) Submission fees for international features, international short films and Australian features will be raised after the Early Bird Deadline. There are no submission fees for Australian short films. If you have any questions about submitting your film please email [email protected]

As the dust settles on QSFF25 I want to say a huge thanks to everyone who made it possible. First, to all the filmmakers, sales agents and distributors who trusted us to showcase your work. I was proud to include all of your films in the program. To @13thgenfilm and @binafilmmaker who introduced their films and participated in Q&As. Whether flying from San Francisco or commuting from Campbelltown, connecting audiences with filmmakers is what festivals are all about. To our inaugural Emerging Narrative Feature Competition jury, @fadia_k_abboud , @michael.pdf and @svgrinsven . Thank you for making the time to immerse yourselves in queer cinema for five days. I didn't envy your difficult decision. To all the finalists of Pitch Off: when creating something new often the hardest step is letting people in, so you should all feel proud of pitching your shorts in front of an audience and the projects you've crafted. To Rosie Braye, @13thgen and Toni Stowers, this year's Pitch Off judging panel, for bringing your extensive expertise and insights to deciding who received the $10K in production funding. A tough decision managed with aplomb.  To @ispeywithmylittleeye , @rosiejlourde and the entire team at @screenaustralia ’s Gender Matters Taskforce who contributed two additional $5K prizes to support female and gender diverse participants in Pitch Off. Collaborating these past two years has been a joy. To my dedicated volunteer Programming Pre-Screener team. All of you bring so much passion for queer storytelling to the role, your insights are vital. To our Festival Interns Lucinda, Billy, JiaWen, Mervyn and Saanvi who took the time to come into the office week in and week out. A special shout out to Lucinda and Billy who were on the ground during the festival; I recommend them fully if you're looking to hire FOH staff with hands-on experience! To @benson_san727 , who took this massive leap with me. Let's do it all again at MGFF26? And of course, to the members, donors and audiences who show up to see queer cinema on the big screen. We had 4 sold out sessions which is far from guaranteed in this cinema climate. Your support is why @queerscreen exists. Thank you all!

Excited to finally share that I'm stepping in as Programming & Industry Manager at @queerscreen . I first became aware of Queer Screen after I saw Desiree Akhavan's incredible Appropriate Behaviour at Sydney Film Festival, and was eagerly searching for a chance to show it to my sibling. When I discovered it was screening again at the 2nd Queer Screen Film Fest in 2014 we went along and discovered a new side of film festivals I'd never witnessed before, and I haven't looked back. I went on to start volunteering as an usher in 2018, before joining the Pre-Screening team in 2019 after a fateful meeting with @onelisarose , outgoing Festival Director extraordinaire. It's been a whirlwind of different roles in the years since, including volunteer programming assistant and copywriter, production assistant, front of house, ticketing, tech support, paid programming assistant, industry coordinator and now this – all while having the support to go off and learn and grow while working at other festivals in between. Thank you to everyone who I've had the opportunity to work with who saw my passion for film festivals and queer cinema, and especially to the Queer Screen board for trusting me with this role. I can't wait to show you what @benson_san727 and I are working on as we take the organisation into its new chapter – see you all at the 12th Queer Screen Film Fest, 27-31 August.

Queer Screen is delighted to announce the appointment of Benson Wu as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Andrew Wilkie as its new Programming & Industry Manager. Together with the team, we're excited to usher in an exciting new chapter as Australia’s leading LGBTQIA+ screen organisation. 👏 “I’m truly honoured and excited to carry forward the legacy that Queer Screen, through its incredible teams and boards, has built over the years with both the Mardi Gras Film Festival and the Queer Screen Film Fest” - Benson Wu, CEO, Queer Screen “I’m both honoured and thrilled to step into this role, continuing my long association with the organisation...I’m excited to work alongside our new CEO, Benson Wu, as we continue to uplift and celebrate LGBTIQ+ films from around the world. At a time when our community is facing increased persecution and attempts to silence us, it’s more important than ever to bring authentic LGBTIQ+ voices to our screens.” - Andrew Wilkie, Programming & Industry Manager, Queer Screen Stay tuned for many more announcements to come about our festivals, including Queer Screen Film Fest in August this year.

Tonight at @queerscreen 's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival! Bisexual, pansexual, queer, fluid – those attracted to more than one gender take centre stage, in this inclusive package of films about finding acceptance and belonging at any age. Presented with @biconic_events . MAN>CODE Computer techie Lucas invites Theo around for what he thought would be no strings attached fun, in this exploration of hook-up culture between Black British men. KEEP IT OPEN A woman’s relationship with her polyamorous bisexual partner is tested when they run into the boyfriend who’s visiting from out of town, when she’s used to him being out of sight and out of mind. SOLID After a night out at a friend’s bachelorette party, Coles spends the day avoiding being alone in her new apartment which reminds her of her recent breakup. LOVE TAPS A young boy trying to cope with his parent’s separation gains a new perspective of his father when he accidentally discovers his affair with another man. BABY GAY Desperate to prove her bisexuality, Stevie bluffs her way into her first threesome with two women thinking she’ll figure it out when she gets there. She does not figure it out when she gets there. REJOYCE! After the death of her husband, an elderly vicar’s wife, her daughter and granddaughter stumble upon a book of autobiographical erotic fiction she wrote in her youth. FRIEND OF A FRIEND Jules is bi. Bi as in bisexual. Bi, even though he’s only slept with women. Bi and ready to try his first experience with Samuel – a friend of a friend.

Tonight at @queerscreen 's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival! Spotlighting stories that centre relationships between trans people, these shorts explore the power of trans love, solidarity and resilience. It was a joy discovering there were so many wonderful films with T4T relationships at their core during programming and bring them together like this. HONEYMOON After a traumatic experience with the police Fay is leaving Greece for good. Her best friend Sandra accompanies her to the bus station, taking this time as a chance to say goodbye. SPERM DONORS WANTED! Due to a lack of resources for trans people wanting to biologically conceive, performance artist Krishna Istha interviews hundreds of potential sperm donors live on stage in a quest to find the “perfect” sperm donor for him and his partner to start their family. ALL THE WORDS BUT THE ONE Maya (writer-director Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer) prepares for a high stakes work dinner for her partner Jio (Shaan Dasani; These Thems, MGFF20), but her past and present collide when she recognises his boss’s partner as a volatile ex she hasn’t seen in years. LOVIN' HER An older trans woman navigates the complexities of a fading memory, as flashes of her past delve into the intricacies of love and the evolution of her gender identity. BOYS IN THE WATER On a weekend retreat to his grandparents’ beachside house with some friends, his first time back in his childhood home since coming out, Oscar’s unexpected attraction when he encounters another trans man on the beach will turn his world on its head.

Tonight at @queerscreen 's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival! From the weird and wonderful, to the surreal and strange, through to the genuinely frightening, this eclectic package of queer genre films is a real scream. 😱🔪💦 RAT! When a disgruntled music journalist accuses a global pop star of queerbaiting, the singer’s devoted fans seek retribution. BLOODSPORT After a protest gets out of control, activists Nell and Esme take refuge in a seemingly empty mansion. But danger descends when an interloper arrives with an unexpected connection to Esme. BEACH LOGS KILL The star quarterback promises to pass down her lucky number to the most deserving girl on the team, but when the game goes horribly awry, an awkward admirer attempts to prove herself worthy of the captain’s love, legacy and soul. SPOOKABLE Starring Alexandra Grey (Gossamer Folds, QSFF20), two trans best friends venture into the woods on a cabin getaway vacation only to end up as part of a campy, horny supernatural world. BATH BOMB A possessive doctor prepares a romantic bath for his boyfriend, but after an accusation of infidelity things take a deeply disturbing turn. LADY PARTS When Iris thinks of Ellie, she gets wet. Very wet. She’s heard it’s normal, but something about her reaction feels different. And when you’re in high school, being different is dangerous. THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS Girlfriends Stacy and Anna pick up a traumatised woman near the scene of an accident. But something doesn’t seem right about their passenger, in this nightmare ride they’ll never forget.

This selection of Sapphic shorts is punctuated by tales of yearning, flirtation and love in its many forms – and an ode to the carabiner! Head to @queerscreen to book tickets. I ONLY KISS IN THE DARK When her roommate is outed to his family, a queer woman is forced to spend the evening with his disgruntled sister, discovering just how deep the family’s internalised homophobia runs. TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER An exploration of the complex relationship between lesbian daughter Jona and her straight mother Mirjam, after Jona moves back home following a break-up. THE HISTORY OF THE CARABINER A tongue-in-cheek, historical documentary that takes viewers on a journey through queer history to trace the origins of the carabiner as a lesbian symbol. I NEVER PROMISED YOU A JASMINE GARDEN Tara, a queer Palestinian woman in her late twenties, attempts to suppress her internal emotional turbulence during a phone call with her best friend Sarab, with whom she’s secretly in love. BEST BEFORE A woman (Tara Lynne O’Neill, Derry Girls) approaching the last leg of her last attempts at IVF treatment can’t help but put herself in competition with her egg-laying chicken. ROSES As her daughter throws an 18th birthday party, single mother Rosa unexpectedly finds herself spending an evening out alone, when she finds herself on an impromptu date. MISTAKES YOU MAKE BEFORE YOU DIE At Dora’s urging, Lennon and Dora attempt to complete the weirdest bucket list ever, beginning with item #1: participate in an orgy.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the "Queering the Writer's Room" and "It Should've Been Queer" free panels at @queerscreen 's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival over the weekend. Both were insightful and a whole lot of fun. It's still surreal that part of my job is getting a bunch of entertaining and knowledgeable people in a room together to talk film and TV to an equally invested audience. Special shout out to the audience member whose "it should've been queer" suggestion was Hey, Arnold! because when they started watching it they thought Arnold was a girl with pigtails and a skirt, and Helga's obsessive crush on him was a quintessential example of Sapphic longing. A gift of an anecdote. A massive thank you to @genfricker and @michael.pdf for moderating; @thefoxconfessor , @juanpablodipace , @anchulifeliciaking , @mahana.fugly , @brocklesnitch , @dyan_tai and @nomdepen for being panellists; the whole team at @statelibrarynsw for hosting us and making it run like a dream; @theapertureclub for the fab photos, and of course to @screennsw whose support of our entire Pride in Film: Industry Development Series made it possible to do so many interesting, free events like these. There's still five more free events in the series to come, including a filmmaker masterclass with Aussie filmmaking legend Ana Kokkinos (Head On) next Sunday – head to the link in bio to check out the full line-up!