Perth Queer Film Festival heads to Geraldton for fourth consecutive year

The Perth Queer Film Festival is heading to Geraldton this weekend, with a host of local and international films to be screened at the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery. The festival began in Perth in 2017 before branching out regionally, heading to Geraldton for the fourth time. The presentation will begin on Saturday May 4 at 6.30pm with the feature film Ciure. The Italian production follows a young father who struggles to make money to support his son, before meeting Ciure, who opens his eyes to a whole new world. A highlight of the event will be the award-winning film from the Netherlands Everything of Value, which depicts how the local community deals with the fallout of an assault on two men. The film won the best feature film award at the Perth Queer Film Festival in March. The feature-length presentation will take place on closing night on Sunday at 7pm. Sunday will also have a matinee presentation beginning at 4pm, when a range of local and international short films will be shown. The festivals creators said they aimed to construct a program with a “wide range of queer films to entice, excite and thrill our local audiences in both Perth and regional areas of WA”. Geraldton LGBTIQA+ community development officer at sexual health organisation WAAC Brooke Bennett said it was important for festivals like this to reach the regions. “I think it’s really important for our local queer community to see reflections of themselves in the media they watch,” she said. “For the general public, it’s nice for everyone to see. They’re wonderful pieces of art in their own right. “I think it helps make us more accepting of everyone around us.”