AQFF Curators Talk
Join us for an exclusive Q&A with our curators as they discuss this year’s program. Dive into highlights, fascinating behind-the-scenes insights, and exciting details about the incredible films featured this year!
AQFF OPENING & ENZO
Join curators Dr Stuart Richards and Dr Jess Pacella for the opening night party where film lovers, storytellers, and curious minds come together. Sip on a welcome drink, dive into behind-the-scenes insights about this year’s program, and get ready for the South Australian premiere of Enzo — the intoxicating new film from Robin Campillo (120 BPM). Love film? This is your chance to mingle, chat, and connect with the brilliant minds behind the festival’s curation.
It’s a tender, slow-burn romance pulsing with desire, set against the tension of looming conflict. Think Call Me by Your Name, but with more cement dust and political weight. After the credits roll, stick around for live music at the bar and keep the party going.
Thursday 13 November, 6:30PM
After the credits, stick around for live music at the bar and keep the celebration going!
QUEERCORE BITES
We’re thrilled to partner with Chronosonder Productions for this year’s short film competition, shining a spotlight on South Australia’s next generation of queer storytellers.
Curated by Chronosonder, Queercore Bites brings together a bold, creative, and unapologetically queer mix of short films. Thanks to The Piccadilly, the standout filmmaker will receive a $1000 prize for the Most Valuable Player in the Best Film!
Film schedule:
- Dragon’s Breath directed by Melanie Easton
- Great Deliverance directed by Guy Henderson
- While We Still Have Time directed by Ava Grimshaw-Hall
- I’m the Most Racist Person I Know directed by Leela Varghese
- Trailers for upcoming LGBTQIA+ film projects
“Film festivals aren’t just for audiences — they’re spaces of education, growth, and connection for early-career filmmakers,” says curator Stuart Richards.
Join us on Friday 14 November at 6:30PM at The Piccadilly for a night that proves the future of queer cinema is bright (and brilliantly weird).
The Little Sister: A Lesbian Coming-of-Age Story
Recent Winner of the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year!
“It’s nice to feel that sort of feeling of community universally through foreign films,” says AQFF curator Dr Jess Pacella
Queer coming-of-age stories like Little Sister are vital as they reflect ongoing journeys of coming out, living openly, and the continued struggle for queer liberation. These narratives remind us that while experiences differ, the search for identity, acceptance, and community is universal. ✨
Screening: Friday 14 November, 7:30PM at #AQFF
Perro Perro
Hands up if you like homoerotic fairy tales with simmering, bi-awakening tensions between men filmed in black and white? Want to know what happens when a man on a holiday with friends finds a beautiful, naked man in the garden of their rental acting like a dog? Then make sure you buy a ticket to see Perro Perro by filmmaker and master of the slow burn Marco Berger at this year’s #AQFF to find out.
In the meantime, listen to our curators Dr Jess Pacella and Dr Stuart Richards as they kiki about this lanthimos-coded movie and how many of the scenes are shirtless in the 105-minute movie screening at our #AdelaideQueerFilmFestival.
Screening 14 November 9:30PM
The Wild Robot: Rainbow Family Screening
This year, we’re teaming up with Rainbow Families SA for another heartwarming co-presentation.
Following last year’s delightfully chaotic screening of Luca, we’re back with another animated adventure that celebrates found family; a story close to the heart of many queer people and families.
“Rainbow Family events are so important — for kids to be surrounded by other children of queer parents, and for parents to connect in those shared spaces,” says curator Stuart Richards.
Saturday 15 November at 10:30AM. Expect laughter, freedom, and a welcoming space where kids can play, parents can connect, and everyone can feel at home.
Outerlands
“People who are Trans have one night stands, they have sex, they have great sex and unfulfilling sex just the rest of us do!”
In Outerlands, Asia Kate Dillon stars as Cass, a San Franciscan gig worker juggling babysitting, waiting tables, and even part-time party drug dealing. When a new crush asks them to watch her daughter Ari (Ridley Asha Bateman), an unlikely bond forms, leading Cass to confront their own trauma.
A poetic and heartfelt exploration of resilience, found family, and the search for connection, Outerlands is a must-see queer story on the big screen.
Friday 15 November, 2:00PM
Desert Hearts
“A lesbian sex scene directed by a lesbian shouldn’t be groundbreaking but it is.”
What does a lesbian sex scene from 40 years ago look like? Listen to our curators Dr Jess Pacella and Dr Stuart Richards as they chat about Desert Hearts, a lesbian retrospective celebrating its 40th anniversary screening at this year’s #AdelaideQueerFilmFestival.
15 November at 4:30PM
Queens of the Dead
What happens when the zombie apocalypse breaks out at a nightclub!? Drag queens and club kids aren’t running… they’re serving looks and slaying the undead!
“There’s a long history of horror being meaningful to queer audiences,” “because the genre has always been coded — with monsters, repression, and the unspeakable coming out. There’s a deep affinity between queer narratives and horror.”
Come join us for a night for the fearless, the fabulous, and everyone who loves a little camp with their chills!
Saturday 15 November 9:40PM
A Body to Live In: Australian Premiere
“It’s a history of body modification, at a particular time, at a particular era and its significance to queer culture and queer BDSM culture too”
Featuring unseen archival footage, oral histories, and photographs, this film delves deep into queer and BDSM culture, challenging how we look at bodies, storytelling, and history itself. Don’t miss this fascinating glimpse into queer history and creative rebellion.
Join us for a special co-production between the Adelaide Queer Film Festival and the Documentary Film Society, curated by the brilliant Dr Kim Monroe.
Discover a powerful documentary exploring the life of a renowned body modification artist of the 1980s, a time shaped by the AIDS crisis, queer resilience, and underground art.
Sunday 16 November at 2:30PM
ROCKY HORROR DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHT
Join us for a night of chaotic camp and queer celebration at our Rocky Horror Double Feature Night.
Kick things off with the Australian premiere of Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, a brand-new documentary featuring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Patricia Quinn, and Trixie Mattel, charting the fabulously queer legacy of this cult classic.
Then keep the party going with a 50th anniversary screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show: complete with live performances, best-dressed prizes, and all the wild, glitter-soaked energy you can handle.
Join us 16 November, dress to impress! Strange Journey starts at 5PM then Rocky Horror Picture Show starts at 7:30PM
GET TICKETS FOR ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
GET TICKETS FOR STRANGE JOURNEY
Talking to the Box Office...