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First up, with the 35th Melbourne Queer Film Festival under way, we let you know about a few of the films we’ve seen that you can check out in this year’s programs, including In Transit, She’s The He, Hot Milk and 300 Letters.

We then moved on to ‘He Had It Coming’, a new Aussie series coming to Stan on November 20 that bills itself as a feisty feminist murder mystery that has an impressive international cast set against the backdrop of a fictional university in Adelaide.

We finished up by turning the spotlight on to a new independent cinema that has opened up in the heart of Melbourne’s Northside. Eclipse Cinema is found in Collingwood’s former Sherrin factory and is now home to a single-screen cinema that’s pairing new and recent films with classic must-sees. We caught up with Mark Walker, the owner and operator of Eclipse Cinema, to find out more about his love of cinema, how he decides on what to screen each week and more.

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First up, we took a look at ‘Kiss of the Spiderwoman’. It started life as an award-winning novel. Then, a groundbreaking drama in the 1980s that won the late William Hurt a Best Actor Oscar. In the 90’s, it was transformed again – this time into a record-setting Broadway musical that bagged seven Tony awards. Now, nearly half a century on, the web’s being woven all over again with Jennifer Lopez taking one of the lead roles in this movie musical that is in cinemas now.

Next up we welcomed back Dion Blackler, our UK correspondent and one of the co-hosts of the ‘In The Mood For Film’ podcast, to discuss the recent BFI London Film Festival which highlighted some of the queer films coming down under soon including the much anticipated ‘Pillion’ and ‘The History of Sound’ plus some of the many highlights from this year’s festival.

To celebrate the launch of the 115th Issue of Senses of Cinema, we spoke with not one, but two doctors – Dr Patrick Kelly and Dr Stayci Taylor, who joined us to discuss their special event ‘My Formative Queers: Stories of the Music Videos that Made Us Queer’. Both will be on the panel for this free ticketed event so they gave us a taste of what to expect and explained what makes a classic queer music video.

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We had the opportunity to review three films, starting with ‘Never Stop the Action’, which is described as a kaleidoscopic journey through time and space. We begin the film in The Bronx, catching a 5am D-Train with our guides Teshi and Casey, two old friends recently reunited at an all-night dance party. On their long subway ride through the awakening city, the two share stories that take us out of the train on surreal swerves into vivid imaginary universes.

We then looked at ‘Ten Years of Yes’, a wonderful short film that follows Sydney Queer Irish, a social group for Irish expats and their friends of all identities and nationalities in Sydney. For the last 15 years, they have held regular meetups and annual events, participated in the Mardi Gras festival, and created a home away from home for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ diaspora down under. This short documentary follows Sydney Queer Irish in their preparation for the 2025 Mardi Gras parade, where they unveiled a sensational wedding party upon Sydney’s Oxford Street, honouring ten years of marriage equality in Ireland. ‘Ten Years of Yes’ captures a moment of both reflection and celebration amongst a community in their adopted city, thousands of kilometres from where history was made. We spoke with Alan Fitzgerald, the film’s director and member of Sydney Queer Irish, about how he got involved in the group, the importance of capturing this moment on film and also how he became an ‘accidental’ filmmaker.

Our final review was the feature documentary ‘Mrs Robinson’, which tells the impressive life story of change-maker Mary Robinson: Ireland’s first female President, a pioneering UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the successor of Nelson Mandela as Chair of The Elders. This intimate portrait takes viewers from Mary Robinson’s childhood in the rural west of Ireland to the world stage working with Bishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama. Unfettered access for the first time allows the viewer to hear Mary’s commentary on a changing Ireland, her legal wins decriminalising homosexuality, legalising divorce and contraception and her triumphant Presidential victory.

We finished by speaking with Dr Enda Murray, an award-winning filmmaker who has lived and worked in Ireland, England, USA, and Australia. His academic and filmmaking practice focuses on community, social justice, and popular culture. He is also the founder and creative director of the Irish Film Festival, and we spoke with him to find out more about the history of the festival, the importance of sharing Irish stories on our screens and more.

The post 2025 Irish Film Festival appeared first on Out Takes.

First up we reviewed the delightful ‘Egghead & Twinkie’ which explores the aftermath of Vivian a.k.a. Twinkie, a teenage girl who has just come out to her conservative parents who then takes off on a road trip to meet her online crush with the help of her nerdy best friend Egghead. This film is heart-warming and very a sweet tale about embracing your identity and the ups and downs of best friendship. It’s written and directed by Sarah Kambe Holland who joined us to discuss the film, the importance of representation and more.

Next up, we ran an encore of our interview from November 2024 with writer, producer and film director Stephen Soucy who was the driving force behind this insightful and educational documentary ‘Merchant Ivory’ that explores the legendary creative team behind Merchant Ivory Productions who became synonymous with prestige arthouse cinema. Check out this fantastic film at the ‘Meet the Filmmaker’ screening at Cinema Nova with Stephen Soucy for a post-screening Zoom Q&A.

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We started off with a review of Wayward which is streaming now on Netflix and is from Mae Martin, the queer comedian and actor whose previous show ‘Feel Good’ was a big hit in 2020 – 21, and also stars Toni Collette in a scene stealing role. Wayward is set in the picture-perfect town of Tall Pines where sinister secrets lurk behind every closed door. This genre-bending limited series about the eternal struggle between one generation and the next, what happens when friendship and loyalty are put to the ultimate test, and how buried truths always find a way of coming to the surface.

We followed up with a selection of films, television shows and a podcast that we’ve been enjoying as it warms up down under including The Hunting Wives, Caught Stealing, Weapons, Good Hang podcast, Peacemaker Season 2 and more. Let us know what you think of our recommendations and share yours with us too! 

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For this Out Takes we’re saying Bentornato to the St Ali Italian Film Festival which is back this spring in Palace Cinemas across Australia from September 17, delivering a Bellissimo selection of box office hits and award-winning films. We started with a review of ‘Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa’, also known as ‘The Boy with Pink Trousers’, which has become a cultural phenomenon and box office sensation in Italy. This incredibly moving, emotional and heartbreaking drama explores the real story behind Italy’s first publicised case of online bullying through the short life of Andrea Spezzacatene. A gifted student and a talented singer, Andrea longs to make friends and fit in at his new school but he soon falls prey to Christian, a charming student with a darker side. Then events take a turn for the worse for Andrea as the school bullying intensifies. We were honoured to be joined by Margherita Ferri, the film’s director, for a long form chat about her involvement in the film, the importance of telling this story through a queer lens and more.

We also took a look at ‘Diamanti’ (Diamonds), the 15ht film from celebrated gay Turkish-Italian film director and screenwriter Ferzan Özpetek which is also having its Australian premiere at this year’s festival. This Italian box office hit is a gorgeous tribute to the costume designers and seamstresses whose great craftsmanship bring to life the magic of cinema and is inspired by Özpetek’s personal experience frequenting film and theatre tailoring shops in the 1980s and the incredible women he encountered in these high-pressure environments.

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We caught up with Samuel Van Grinsven, the film’s writer and director, as he was doing the rounds to promote ‘Went Up the Hill’ and discussed how this intense and very queer film got made, the casting, his connection to the landscape of New Zealand and more. We also dived in to the Out Takes archives and revisited his interview from 2019 when he was on the show to discuss his first feature film ‘Sequin in a Blue Room’.

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We also had the pleasure to speak with Onir about the challenges of getting this film made, representation in South East Asian cinema and more in the lead up to a special screening of ‘We Are Faheem and Karun’ for the Pride at IFFM event on August 22 as a double bill with ‘Badnam Basti’ from 1971, which is considered the first queer film made in India. This double bill will be followed by BollyQ, a celebration of Queer Indian Cinema hosted by Queer South Asians of Melbourne, where the celebration continues with electrifying performances by local drag sensations – definitely one not to be missed!

We concluded this Out Takes with a recap of three films that we’d seen at the Melbourne International Film Festival which runs until August 25 and has seen Melbournians turn out in droves for its great selection of films, events and more.

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First up we reviewed ‘I’m the Most Racist Person I Know’, a fantastic short film that follows Lali and Ana who go on a date where they bond over their shared experiences as queer women of colour and also force Lali to confront her prejudices. We also spoke with its creator Leela Varghese to discuss her process, inspirations, love of the Adelaide film scene and more.

Then we heard from MIFF senior programmer Kate Jinx who took us through two highlights in this year’s program. We started with looking at Chantal Akerman: Traces, an expansive survey of the queer filmmakers output, many of which are newly restored Australian premieres. That was followed by a discussion about ‘High Art’ which was recently restored in 4K that is described as a psychosexual lesbian love triangle drama featuring Melbourne’s own Radha Mitchell, along with Ally Sheedy and Patricia Clarkson.

The post MIFF 2025: ‘I’m The Most Racist Person I Know’, Chantal Akerman: Traces and ‘High Art’ appeared first on Out Takes.

First up was our review of François Ozon’s latest film ‘When Fall is Coming’ which is in cinemas from July 31 and is set in rural autumnal Burgundy where we meet Michelle who leads an isolated life, foraging for mushrooms in the forest with her friend Marie-Claude. When her sharp-tongued daughter Valérie arrives unannounced to leave her son in Michelle’s care over the school holidays, Michelle sees a chance to repair their fractured bond. But a single mistake sets off a ripple of consequences, threatening her relationships and plunging her back into estrangement and guilt. This moody, atmospheric reflection on regret, redemption and the secrets that fester just beneath the surface (like mushrooms) was one that we enjoyed and encourage you to check it out too.

It’s no secret that we look forward to the Melbourne International Film Festival (a.k.a. MIFF) every year so we took this opportunity to pull out some of the films we’re most looking forward to seeing in cinemas this August. From high profile documentaries to queer independent features, there is literally something for everyone in this year’s program so let us know what you’re looking forward to seeing at MIFF in 2025 so we can add them to our very long lists as well!

The post ‘When Fall Is Coming’ and our first picks for MIFF 2025 appeared first on Out Takes.

We also welcomed the return of Tilde for a special short film screening event this July at ACMI celebrating Australia’s emerging filmmakers conveying trans and gender diverse experiences. We spoke with Ro Bright, the CEO of Tilde, and two of the filmmakers, Jamie Connor from Sapphic Flicks and Naavikaran, whose films will feature at the screening that looks to cross-boundaries by experimenting with form, music and the filmmaking process itself.

The post ‘On Swift Horses’ with special guest Daniel Minahan + Tilde @ ACMI appeared first on Out Takes.

First up we reviewed ‘A Nice Indian Boy’ which is in select Australian cinemas now and it’s fair to say we loved this sweet and fun film that tells the story of Naveen who brings his fiancé Jay home to meet his traditional Indian family and sets off a chain of events to help them all to accept and connect with his white-orphan-artist boyfriend in the hope of them heading towards their dream Indian wedding. We were delighted to be able to speak to the films lead actor, Karan Soni, and its director, Roshan Sethi. who also happen to be a couple in real life to find out about the parallels in their own life with this very personal story and this project, the benefits of collaborating with someone who knows you so well and much more.

We also took a look at a new show from Lena Dunham, the creative force behind ‘Girls’, who is now back in front of the camera and behind the scenes on ‘Too Much’. This Netflix series has an incredible cast including breakout star Megan Stalter, Will Sharpe from season 2 of a little show called ‘The White Lotus’ plus Rita Wilson, Rhea Perlman, Richard E. Grant, Naomi Watts and a range of cameos that will blow your mind (we see you Rita Ora!). The show is described as an “ex-pat rom-com for the disillusioned” which follows Jessica, a New York workaholic who moves to London to isolate herself after a breakup but finds herself unexpectedly drawn to a man named Felix. Their connection, however, proves complicated, forcing them to question if they can bridge the cultural gap between them.

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We then turned our attention to a selection of TV shows, films and more that we wanted to recommend, review or rant about (yes, we’re looking at you ‘And Just Like That’ season 3!). As expected, it was an eclectic offering from the OT crew including season 2 of a popular lesbian dating show, the latest film from Celine Song that has got everyone talking about modern love, a beautiful documentary about the first US woman to fly in space and the same-sex relationship that kept her grounded, the return of M3GAN, plus much more.

The post Out Takes Recommendations and Reviews: 2025 Winter Warmer Edition appeared first on Out Takes.

We also celebrated the arrival of ‘I’m Your Venus’ on Netflix with an encore presentation of our fantastic interview from February with the film’s director Kimberly Reed, and two of the producers, Jonovia Chase and Dominique Jackson a.k.a Elektra Abundance Evangelista from Pose.

The post ‘King of Dirt’ with special guest Holden Sheppard + ‘I’m Your Venus’ encore appeared first on Out Takes.

Our first guest was the recently appointed MQFF Program Director Ro Bright to discuss the upcoming selection of films for Pride Month from MQFF plus we found out more about their extensive career as a writer, producer, and programmer. We then caught up with Mat and Courtney from Pride of Our Footscray to discuss the call for submissions for a special showcase of queer short films for a one-night-only event at PoOF on Thursday August 28 plus we find out more about their monthly Pride Movie Nights. We finished up with a review of the film version of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ that won acclaim and awards for it’s 2014 run in the West End from visionary Australian director Benedict Andrews. Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Kirby and Ben Foster lead the cast in  Tennessee Williams’ tense and timeless masterpiece which is returning to Australian cinemas for a limited run from June 19.

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We then turned our attention to the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) which returns from August 7 to 24 to bring some of the most talked about films arriving hot from Cannes, Berlin, Sundance and across the globe. We welcomed back MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar to look at the first glance announcement for this year’s festival which is celebrating its 73rd year with a theme that challenges us to ‘Look Closer’ which we dis aa we discussed some of the many fantastic films and events that will be on offer.

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First up, thanks to Australian streaming platform Brollie, TV’s most notorious address, NUMBER 96, made its return this May to our screens after 53 years. Launched to much fanfare in 1972, the trailblazing soap opera was the #1 rated show of 1973 and 1974, taking home eight Logie Awards for its iconic, groundbreaking characters and storylines. Set in an inner-city apartment building in Sydney, NUMBER 96 peeled back the walls of suburbia to reveal a bold, unfiltered look at Australian life in the 1970s, introducing shocked audiences to taboo subjects that had never been on TV before, with lashings of sex, nudity, diversity, and queerness. With all of the available episodes coming to streaming for the first time ever, we can thank a dedicated bunch of folks for making this happen including our special guest, Andrew Mercado. He has been a regular on our screens since his days as a VJ on Channel V in the late 90’s and is well known for his commentary as an expert in television and pop culture so who better to talk to about the very camp and very queer legacy of Number 96.

Our second special guest was Anna Brenner, the Brooklyn based queer writer/director who makes her feature film debut with ‘The Karamazovs’ which is available to watch now via VOD. Working with a primarily LGBTQ+ team on this award-winning film, this story begins with the long-estranged Karamazov siblings returning home to become reacquainted with both their dying father and each other. But when the unkind and spiteful patriarch is found murdered, they must finally face the truth about their family’s dark past… and each other.

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This year, the Geeks Out and Out Takes teams joined forces for a 2 hour live radio-crossover-extravaganza to celebrate the theme and our wonderful queer radio station that we broadcast on every Monday night. There was lots of laughs and fun going on plus we battled it out in a 4 part movie quiz that challenged our minds and proved that we are Stronger Together! Show your love for JOY now and all year ’round by making a donation or becoming a member to support Australia’s first and only LGBTQIA+ community radio station.

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We then took at the return of the 2025 HSBC German Film Festival which returns to Australian cinemas this May with a stellar line up of premieres, special guests and more. We reviewed ‘John Cranko’, Joachim A. Lang’s biopic about the brilliant dancer and choreographer who left the Royal Ballet in London in the early 60’s after he was entrapped by an undercover police officer into arrest for ‘homosexual activity’ and found fame in Stuttgart as its great dance creator. We also looked at the documentary ‘Riefenstahl’ that explores Leni Riefenstahl’s artistic legacy and her complex ties to the Nazi regime, juxtaposing her self-portrayal with evidence suggesting awareness of the regime’s atrocities. We were joined by special guest of the festival Andres Veiel, the film’s writer, and director, to delve into her complex relationship with the Nazi regime and her extraordinary career and life.

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The post The return of ‘Hacks’ and The Last of Us’ plus ‘Joey’s Heart’ with special guest Louise Lever appeared first on Out Takes.

Plus with ‘Audrey’ now streaming on Netflix, we also revisited our review and interview with its director Natalie Bailey from November last year to set you up for one of the most quirky, hilarious, and chaotic Aussie films you may have missed in 2024.

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We also honoured Trans Day of Visibility with an encore of our interview with writer / director Jane Schoenbrun who brought us the brilliant ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ in 2024.

The post Mid-Century Modern, Will & Grace plus TDOV 2025 appeared first on Out Takes.

We also looked at ‘The Parenting’, a very silly comedy horror film with a ridiculously stacked cast including Nik Dodani, Brandon Flynn, Parker Posey, Vivian Bang, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, Brian Cox, and Edie Falco. We also checked in on season 3 of ‘The White Lotus’ and tried to avoid as many spoilers as possible (Parker NOOOO!) plus we looked at ‘Running Point’, a new streaming series starring Kate Hudson as a reformed L.A. party girl who must prove herself when she’s unexpectedly put in charge of her family’s pro basketball team.

The post ‘Bob Trevino Likes It’ with Tracie Laymon and Out Takes reviews appeared first on Out Takes.

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First up was ‘Unusually Normal’, a heartwarming documentary spanning eight decades that follows the lives of two lesbian grandmothers, four lesbian mothers and one lesbian granddaughter, all in the same family. Through interviews, archival footage and viral TikToks, this extraordinary family shares their journey from hidden relationships to living proudly and openly, highlighting the similarities (and differences) between three generations of gay women. Then we reviewed ‘Drive Back Home’, a dark comedy road movie showcasing the distance that can grow between two brothers amidst the vastness of the Canadian countryside. In 1970s Toronto, Perley (played by festival favourite Alan Cumming) is arrested for having sex with a man in a park. His estranged brother Weldon (Charlie Creed-Miles) is called on to bail him out. With only each other for company, the quirky Perley, his stoic brother and a taxidermied pug are trapped in a car together as they drive cross country back to small town Stanley. Inspired by a true story, this heartfelt film is about reckoning with the past and learning to forgive.

With special screenings of ‘Moonlight’ coming to IMAX this February, we took the opportunity to revisit our interview with the film’s co-writer and director Barry Jenkins. In 2017, Out Takes was in its first year on JOY and we were offered the opportunity to review a new queer independent film from the U.S. that was generating a lot of buzz in the lead up to the 2017 Academy Awards. ‘Moonlight’ is the searing story of a young black man from Miami struggling with his identity and trying to find his place in the world that Rolling Stone called ‘a masterpiece’ and Vanity Fair called it ‘timely and timeless’.  We loved this film and knew it was something special so we were honoured to speak with its very talented writer and director in January 2017 about his ground breaking film and some of its more critical themes: representation, identity and masculinity.

We also announced a special giveaway for our Aussie listeners to win a double pass to the hilarious comedy ‘One of Them Days’ starring Keke Palmer and SZA , in cinemas March 6. Check out Out Takes on Instagram and Facebook for more details. #OneOfThemDays © 2025 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.

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The post ‘I’m Your Venus’ with special guests Kimberly Reed, Dominique Jackson and Jonovia Chase; plus ‘Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All’ review appeared first on Out Takes.

The post Europa Europa Film Festival plus reviews, reviews, reviews! appeared first on Out Takes.

We also delivered an encore presentation of our interviews with incredibly talented local filmmaker Demetra Giannakopoulos (who also happens to be one of our very own Out Takes crew) and the stars of her film ‘Love Rewind’, Maria Papas and Ruth Katerelos, in the lead up to two very special events celebrating the film at this year’s Midsumma Festival.

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The post Out Takes Guide to Award Season 2025 – part 1 appeared first on Out Takes.

We also celebrated the incredible BRAT year that Charli XCX had in 2024 by revisiting an interview from May 2022 with Bradley Bell and Pablo Jones-Soler a.k.a. Bradley & Pablo, who co-directed the ‘Charli XCX: Alone Together’ documentary. The film chronicles the recording of Charli’s album ‘How I’m Feeling Now’, which she decided to record during lockdown in 40 days. Described as a “love letter between Charli and her fans’ (many of whom are LGBTQIA+), it’s an insight into her world, her creative process and a time capsule on what went on during the COVID pandemic lockdown in 2020.

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We were also inspired by our recent review and interview with the team behind ‘Videoland’ to revisit some of the queer films from the 90’s, a few classics and some personal favourites, that we rented over and over again back in the day and that we recommend you revisit or check out for the first time.

The post ‘Buried’ with special guest Charlotte George and 90’s queer film recommendations appeared first on Out Takes.

First up was ‘Videoland’, a very funny, quirky and queer Aussie production that centres on teenage video store clerk Hayley who is furtively working her way through a handwritten list of queer films in the hope of helping her navigate her way in to lesbian life while managing her relationships with her best friend, her boss and a potential love interest in mysterious customer Jennifer. We were delighted to be joined by the series writer and director Jessica Smith and lead actor Emmanuelle Mattana to talk about how this wonderful series came to be, the incredible attention to detail in the production design and much more.

We were also joined by Stephen Gaunson, Director of Higher Degrees Research in the College of Design & Social Context at RMIT who is hosting a special introductory panel discussion at the Capitol Theatre on Wednesday September 11 for a special 30^th anniversary screening of ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’. We took this opportunity to discuss the enduring legacy of Priscilla in the Australian cinematic landscape, explore the film’s significant impact on society and how it became internationally renowned as a symbol of freedom and expression for the LGBTQIA+ community.

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The post Extended interviews with Onir and LesFlicks CEO Naomi Bennett appeared first on Out Takes.

The post I Saw the TV Glow and American Parent with special guests Jane Schoenbrun and Kristen Bush appeared first on Out Takes.

The post MIFF guests Tracie Laymon for Bob Trevino Likes It and Simon Hunt about Stephen Cummins Retrospective appeared first on Out Takes.

We speak with Indian filmmaker ONIR, the co-director of NANDINI, as well as director of MY BROTHER…NIKHIL, and PINE CONE about his films and navigating making queer films in India.

We also chat with Melbourne filmmaker AARUSHI CHOWDHURY about her short film CLOWN, which is screening in the 2024 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in the Accelerator shorts 1 program. CLOWN is about 8-year-old Sami who can’t wait to play “serial killers” with her older sister Jiya, but her sister-time is threatened when Jiya’s cool new bestie arrives. We speak with Aarushi about making Clown and themes of belonging.

The post 2024 Indian Film Festival short film My Melbourne Nandini + 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival short film Clown appeared first on Out Takes.

We then changed pace for an in-depth interview with David Charles Rodrigues, the award-winning Greek-American-Brazilian filmmaker and equal rights activist. He was in Melbourne recently for the Australian premiere of his latest film ‘The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary ~ S/HE IS STILL HER/E’ so we caught up with him to discuss this project and his previous film ‘Gay Chorus Deep South’, the impact his films have on our community along with a broader discussion about his process and the importance of sharing these stories globally.

The post OT Recommends the Olympics + Deadpool & Wolverine and feature interview with David Charles Rodrigues appeared first on Out Takes.

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Our first guest was delsi who’s film ‘FEMME’ explores what it means to be a queer femme person in modern Australia through the perspectives of 13 queer people and looks at some of the unique challenges femme people face and the beautiful parts too. Our second guest was Clementine Lloyd with ‘SYSTEM ERRORS’ which delves into the diverse experiences of online sex workers, seeking to humanise those who are frequently dehumanised by societal norms . Last but not least was ‘THE END IS THE BEGINNING IS THE END’ which is directed by Yilin Xie and is a portrait of Horis Chen who sees homosexuality through the lens of Buddhism, introducing an Eastern approach that all beings are equal regardless of gender or sexual orientation. All three films are part of the MDFF Shorts Session 5 which is selling fast so don’t miss your chance to see these films on the big screen this July.

We also reviewed the latest feature documentary from David Charles Rodrigues in the lead up to the Australian premiere of ‘S/He Is Still Her/e – The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary’ on Saturday July 27 and features an exclusive Q&A after the screening with the director in person hosted by Melbourne Queer Film Festival’s Program Director Cerise Howard. Co-presented by MQFF and ACMI, ‘S/He Is Still Her/e’ is an authorised documentary portrait of one of the most singular – yet profoundly plural – and tirelessly radical artists of the 20th and 21st century, made during the final year of their life. The film interweaves archival footage of Genesis P-Orridge with raw, reflective interviews conducted while wholly cognisant they hadn’t much longer to live. It is like no other film you’ll see this year and with an in-person Q&A with the director on offer it is definitely not to be missed.

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Also, to Electric Light Orchestra fans everywhere, we’d like to sincerely apologise for one of our hosts confusing the title of their classic tune ‘Evil Woman’ (as recently heard on the incredible season 3 opening of ‘Hacks’) with Cliff Richard’s ‘Devil Woman’. He has been reprimanded for this crime and will be listening to this wonderful Hacks playlist on repeat to avoid any further mistakes or embarassment for himself and the program. Let us know too what you rate and recommend this winter via email or on Instagram and follow us for updates on what’s coming up, giveaways and more!

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Naomi Bennett is the CEO of Lesflicks, the home to the largest collection of authentic sapphic stories of any online streaming service in the world.

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We were also joined by director/producer team Gabriel Carrubba and Zane Borg along with Liam Mollica who is the lead actor in ‘Sunflower’ playing Leo, a seventeen-year-old boy who struggles to understand and embrace his sexuality as he comes of age in the working-class suburbs on Melbourne’s edge. Along with discussing the themes and drive behind each of them to tell this story we also find out more about the challenges and opportunities that come with making an independent feature film in Australia. For more great queer film and television content, subscribe to our podcast and follow Out Takes on Instagram.

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We also revisited our interview from 2018 with Lorna Tucker, the director of WESTWOOD: PUNK, ICON, ACTIVIST, which offered an insiders take into the organised chaos of punk fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and her uphill struggle to success, looking closely at her artistry, activism and cultural significance.

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We also revisited our interview from May 2022 with Bradley & Pablo, the directors of ‘Charli XCX: Alone Together’ which covered the production of Charli XCX’s 2020 quarantine album “How I’m Feeling Now” which was created in 40 days during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its semi-collaborative nature with her community of online fans.

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We also did a deep dive into the fascinating history of ‘Interview With A Vampire’ in the lead up to the second season of the television adaptation coming to AMC from May 12. We discussed the original novel by Anne Rice from 1976 that went on to a successful but controversial film adaptation in the 1990’s, then on to the current television series that commenced in 2022. This latest version has embraced the original storyline of the intense relationship between Louis and Lestat and new characters in season 2 that directly explore the very queer world that they now inhabit in and around the Théâtre des Vampires in Paris and across Prague and New Orleans.

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We were joined by special guests Bernie Van Tiel, who plays the very cool and very queer Aisha in ‘Swift Street’, and Nick Pinkerton, the US based screenwriter of ‘The Sweet East’ who was in Australia when we spoke for a series of special screenings and Q&A’s across the country.

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All of your favourite characters are back plus a few new editions to the crew and there is a whole lot of new drama, laughs and chaos along the way.  We bring you our season 2 reviews and recaps (with no spoilers) plus a plea to the TV goddesses to bless us with a third season soon!

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First up was ‘Late Night with the Devil’, a new Australian made horror film that uses the backdrop of a late night U.S. talk show in 1977 called “Night Owls with Jack Delroy” to tell the story behind the infamous show that saw a young girl go on live television to talk about being possessed by a spirit and in turn unleashed a wave of evil into the lounges of viewers across the country and exposes the hidden secrets behind one man’s determination to become rich, famous and number 1 in the ratings. We were also joined by special guests Cameron and Colin Cairnes, the directors of ‘Late Night with the Devil’ which is in cinemas from April 11,

We then looked at ‘Monkey Man’, the new film from Dev Patel who wrote, produced, starred and directed this project which is his very personal and innovative take on the revenge story that sees him coming into his own as a leading man. It is set in Mumbai and features so much action and drama packed into it that it becomes a very bloody, very intense and very entertaining ride too.

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GLAAD formed in New York City as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in 1985 to protest against what it saw as the New York Post’s defamatory and sensationalized AIDS coverage and has transformed over the past 39 years into a high profile and well respected organisation that aims to ensure fair, accurate, and inclusive representation across the media landscape and create national and local programs that advance LGBTQ acceptance. We examined their latest  Studio Responsibility Index Report they put out annually that indicates how the distributors and networks are representing the queer community on our screens and behind the scenes too (spoiler alert – it’s a mixed bag, lots of room for improvement). We also looked at the nominees and winners at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards and revisited our recent interview with writer/director Andrea Pallaoro who’s film ‘Monica’ won this year’s award for Outstanding Film – Limited Theatrical Release.

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We also spoke with Dr Sian Mitchell, the Festival Director for the Melbourne Women in Film Festival about this year’s program and the importance of the festival in advocating for a world where the voices, stories and creativity of women and gender diverse people are equally valued, recognised and celebrated on and behind the screen. It also aims to expand the vision of gender equality and diversity in the Australian screen industries and culture by creating dynamic and inclusive spaces that bring diverse practitioners and audiences together to be moved by compelling, provocative and entertaining cinema.

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We also welcomed back our international correspondent Dion Blackler all the way from London to help us go through this year’s Oscar nominations and provide some great analysis to our chat. As always, we had a great time taking a deep dive in to the nominees and while we acknowledge the frontrunner in the race (hello ‘Oppenheimer’), we also made some big swings at a few categories that we hope could have a surprise or two for us all when the winners are announced Monday March 11 from 11am AEDT. Happy Oscars!

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‘Equal The Contest’ is a wonderful documentary by Mitch Nivalis that tells their story as a 42-year-old, non-binary filmmaker who joins a new local women’s footy club in Regional Victoria where a simple desire to play becomes a complex journey of inclusion and belonging. An unexpected turn means the team has to fight to play and their campaign challenges age old sporting traditions and joins the wider movement for gender equity. Mitch was one of our special guests for this show and we were delighted to meet them and get the story behind the story on their incredibly engaging and entertaining film.

We also took a look at ‘Triple OH!’, a 5-part series streaming via SBS on Demand that explores the personal and professional lives of Tayls and Cate, two paramedics with strikingly different personalities, who ride together to save people from life-threatening and sometimes bizarre medical emergencies, while figuring out their attraction for each other along the way. Starring Brooke Satchwell and Tahlee Fereday, this inventive online short-form approach to storytelling packs a lot in, with each episode clocking in at under 11 minutes and featuring a lot of laughs, queer sexual chemistry and medical misadventures to keep you hooked to the end. Co-creator and writer of the series Erica Harrison also joined us on the show where we discussed local queer representation on our screens and how this project is another great chapter in our community telling our stories.

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First up, we featured a beautiful documentary that is garnering well deserved praise and accolades around the world including being the first ever film to win the Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film) and the Teddy Award for best queer short film at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. ‘Marungka Tjalatjunu’, which translates in to Dipped in Black, tells the story of Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch who leaves behind the oppression of white city life in Adelaide and embarks on a road trip back to Country for spiritual healing, as memories from his childhood return. Both Derik and his co-director / collaborator Matthew Thorne joined us to discuss the film and share their story with us. We were also delighted to be joined by Natasha Gadd, the creative director and CEO of the Australian International Documentary Conference, who gave us the full scoop on this year’s program, guest speakers, special screenings and more.

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Our first review was of a film that received an 11-and-a-half-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. ‘Monica’ stars Trace Lysette in the lead role as a trans woman navigating the world on her own in LA before receiving a call to head back to Ohio to help care for her estranged dying mother, played by Patricia Clarkson. This is the third feature film from writer director Andrea Pallaoro who joined us from LA to discuss the film, the inspiration behind the lead character, the incredible cast and so much more. We also took a look at another high-profile film in this year’s program, ‘The Mattachine Family’ which stars Nico Tortorella and Emily Hampshire.

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To find out all the glorious details about this year’s festival we went straight to the source, one of our favourite returning guests, festival director Lisa Rose. We also revisited our chat with Marion Pilowsky from last November to talk about her wonderful documentary ‘Isla’s Way’ which is also screening in this years MGFF.

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