PRESS RELEASE
It’s awards season at Queer Screen too, with the results of the prestigious My Queer Career competition for Australian short films revealed and a brand-new prize for a feature film from the European Union (EU) announced at the 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival (MGFF) in Sydney this week.
Die Bully Die, directed by Nathan Lacey and Nick Lacey, received the Best Film award in My Queer Career, Australia’s richest prize for LGBTQI+ shorts. It also picked up Best Screenplay for Matthew Backer and Drew Weston, as well as the Audience Award.
With Love, Lottie director Lily Drummond received the Emerging Filmmaker award and lead actor Bedelia Lowrenčev was bestowed with the award for Emerging Performer.
MQC winner has horror, humour and heart
Nathan Lacey, who directed Die Bully Die with his brother Nick, said the team behind the short were incredibly grateful to the My Queer Career judges and audience. “We were thrilled to come away with three awards for the film, and to do so in front of a full house in Sydney was extra special for us.”
Die Bully Die sees protagonist Max’s grudge against his high school bully Adam manifest in horrific ways when they meet in a fancy restaurant. The script was written by friends Drew Weston and Matthew Backer, who also acted in the lead roles.
“Drew and I wanted to write something exploring my past experience of being bullied at high school and the present day consequences of that and we instantly felt like it was a topic that not only contained a lot of drama and complexity but also a heap of humour and heart,” Mr Backer said.
“Which was perfect as Matt’s a huge horror fan and I’m a big comedy fan and so we smashed those two genres together and found our first time writing together happened quickly and easily,” Mr Weston added. “We’re each other’s best audience and most honest critic so we work really well together as a screenwriting team.”
My Queer Career has been celebrating Australian short films since 1994. There’s now over $17,000 worth of cash and support to be won, with a major prize of $3,000 and automatic entry to the international Iris Prize for the Best Film winner. As Die Bully Die screened at the 2024 Iris Prize late last year, With Love, Lottie will be entered this year.
The jury for this year’s My Queer Career was MGFF guest, producer Jill Bennett, who is visiting with her film Under the Influencer; actor, comedian, writer and director Nina Oyama, well known for Deadloch, Taskmaster Australia and Utopia; and Nick Hayes, Head of Sales and Acquisitions at Umbrella Entertainment, which will release Queer Screen Completion Fund recipient and recent Berlinale Teddy Award winner Lesbian Space Princess later this year.
EU prize winning film ‘moves towards the light’
The newly established Mardi Gras Film Festival Best EU Feature Film Prize, presented by the Delegation of the European Union to Australia, was awarded to French comedy drama Somewhere in Love (original language title Une vie Rêvée), written and directed by Morgan Simon.
Morgan Simon said he was honoured to be awarded the inaugural MGFF Best EU Feature Film Prize for Somewhere in Love. A touching film about finding oneself, it celebrates everyday love in its many forms and stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Félix Lefebvre and Lubna Azabal.
“Somewhere in Love is dedicated to people who don’t look like much and who aren’t the centre of society’s attention,” he said.
“It’s dedicated to those we don’t believe in. Yet in them lies the definition of freedom and happiness, as well as dignity and honesty. This is a film that moves towards the light, a direction that I think we absolutely need today.”
Strength comes from diversity: EU delegation
His Excellency Mr Gabriele Visentin, the Ambassador to Australia, said over the last five years the delegation here and others around the world have been honouring the EU’s ground-breaking LGBTIQ strategy.
The $2000 AUD prize for Best EU Feature Film is part of the strategy’s commitment to fighting discrimination, ensuring the safety of LGBTIQ people, and supporting global action on inclusivity and diversity.
The EU’s motto is ‘United in Diversity’ because its members “understand that our social, political and economic strength comes from our diversity”, Mr Visentin explained. “In the EU, equality and non-discrimination are core values and fundamental rights are enshrined in treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.”
Somewhere in Love will close MGFF on Thursday night. Mr Visentin, who announced the prize before the screening of Belgian film Young Hearts on opening night, said he was proud to see 26 films in this year’s Mardi Gras Film Festival program were from EU countries.
Accepting the prize remotely, Mr Simon acknowledged Queer Screen’s strong commitment to filmmakers and the incredible enthusiasm of its staff, board and volunteers. “To the whole team, I say to all of you: thank you!”