Brisbane’s New Farm Queer Film Festival is marking its fifth anniversary with its most ambitious programme yet, bringing together acclaimed international premieres, boundary-pushing independent cinema, and landmark queer classics for a ten-day celebration of LGBTQIA+ storytelling. Running from July 30th to August 8th at New Farm Cinemas, the festival once again positions itself as one of Australia’s most exciting showcases of queer film culture.
Before NFQFF kicks off with it’s opening night film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (which has already sold out three screens!), Nick L’Barrow spoke with the festival’s founder and programmer Sean Tayler about how he has seen the festival grow over the last five years, and what audiences can expect with the biggest and best festival yet!
Nick: With the New Farm Queer Film Festival coming into its fifth year, could you take me back to 6 years ago and beyond and talk me through your relationship with queer cinema and how you went about discovering those films?
Sean Tayler: My journey with queer cinema, and I would say with film in general, was finding interesting films on the margins – independent films, foreign language films, film festivals. I like exploring what sort of films are emerging from around the world, with maybe less exposed perspectives and origins. I think discovering films from that angle really inspired me to seek out real cutting-edge films.
Nick: How do you program a festival? What are you looking for in diverse stories and even genres?
ST: I think it’s really important to approach this festival looking at it not as just films that explore gay interest, lesbian interest, trans interest. But rather exploring films of different styles and origins. This year’s program will have films that appeal to everyone. We have some fantastic genre films, horror films, and some really provocative thrillers in the program as well. It has been great to curate! I suppose I’ve been trying to come at it from a different angle and trying to do something a bit different. And I think that’s what a festival in Brisbane really needs.
I have the privilege of regularly attending film festivals here in Australia – Sydney Film Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival. But also following international festivals from afar. Of course, we’re an independent festival, so international travel is off the cards. But it doesn’t mean we can’t aspire to program festivals like Locarno or San Sebastian. I like to follow what’s happening overseas and what interesting festivals and theatres are doing around the world. I think it’s important to not just program titles that have Australian distribution, but rather also look for films that are otherwise undiscovered and audiences might not get a chance to see if we don’t play them.
Nick: I remember being here for the first NFQFF. How have you seen the festival evolve over the last five years?
ST: Oh wow! It’s crazy to think that this will be the fifth year of the festival. It sure has come a long way. Just reflecting on that has been really interesting. I suppose this year’s festival is bigger and better than ever. We have more films, more sessions, multiple screens. So, it’s just great to see a grassroots interest in the film build up over time.
Nick: Who are some queer filmmakers who we should be keeping an eye on?
ST: Well, I suppose the one that comes to mind is a filmmaker who I don’t even think we can describe as up and coming anymore – Jane Schoenbrun, who will be bringing us Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma for our opening night film. As a filmmaker, they’ve really gone from small, DIY intimate indies to what is a real explosion of genre and texture with this new title. I think that’s what’s great about festivals – being able to find these discoveries.
Nick: You mentioned earlier how film can be this perspective shifter and bring forward undiscovered stories. Do you have any films that have stood out to you that held that kind of power?
ST: I can think of so many! In recent years, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest was a big one for me. Just how that film is able to tell a whole other story between the lines of what the narrative depicts. I think that is such a powerful film. Albert Serra’s Pacficition is another title that I think there is just so much power within it. I guess that’s why I and other people love film – it is more than just the sum of its parts.
Nick: How can people outside of Brisbane help to grow NFQFF even more for the future?
ST: I suppose to tell your friends about it. Seeing films in a theatre, the communal experience of that is what cinema is all about. I like to think I programmed this festival as if it weren’t just a queer film festival. Sure, all of these films have queer elements, and are often by queer filmmakers, but there is a much broader audience out there. So don’t write it off!
New Farm Queer Film Festival is taking place at Five Star Cinemas New Farm from July 30 – August 8. You can find tickets and more information at https://www.fivestarcinemas.com.au/new-farm/new-farm-queer-film-festival
