To celebrate Pride Month this June, Queer Screen is proud to partner with Inner West Council to present the Pride Screenings & Market — a vibrant one-day celebration of love, identity and community.
Taking place on Sunday 22 June from 11:30am to 7:30pm at Leichhardt Town Hall, this free event will feature a lively mix of market stalls, vendors, film screenings and a panel discussion.
All screenings are free to attend, but capacity is limited so booking tickets is strongly encouraged. The full list of Market vendors and stalls will be announced closer to the event date.
11:30am – Market Opens
Leichhardt Town Hall will be transformed into a buzzing hub of queer joy and community spirit. Attendees can browse a diverse range of market stalls and enjoy delicious offerings from local food vendors. LGBTIQ+ community organisations will also be present, to provide information and opportunities to connect, learn and get involved.
The screenings kick off with the Australian Premiere of Heightened Scrutiny. Direct from Sundance, award-winning director Sam Feder’s (Disclosure) latest documentary dismantles anti-trans disinformation and highlights its devastating real-world impact, with insights from familiar faces including Elliot Page (Juno, Close to You) and Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black).
ACLU attorney Chase Strangio, the first out trans person to argue before the Supreme Court, fights a high-stakes legal battle to overturn Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth (United States v. Skrmetti). The film exposes the dangerous role mainstream media has played in fuelling anti-trans legislation, uncovering how biased coverage drives hate, endangers lives and threatens democracy itself.
Stick around after the screening for a thought-provoking panel discussion with Teddy Cook (Chair of #TransEquality) and Jackie Turner (Director of Trans Justice Project). The discussion will shift focus closer to home, exploring the current state of trans rights in Australia, the recent ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth in Queensland and what can be done to push for lasting change.
This selection of audience favourite short films from the most recent Mardi Gras Film Festival showcases the diversity of the LGBTIQ+ community as they overcome obstacles – both external and internal – to live their lives openly with authenticity and pride.
International titles include animated gem Dragfox, starring Ian McKellen as the voice of a gender-affirming fox; multi-award winner One Day This Kid, about an Afghan Canadian kid coming to terms with his sexuality; Is Gay Marriage Next?, a touching exploration of the impact a single magazine cover had on director Emily Clark; the poetic Skin, exposing the inner struggle to accept one’s gender identity; plus the joyful Really Good Driver, featuring Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls) as a mum trying to connect with her adult queer child.
They’re joined by two Australian films and 2025 My Queer Career winners: Die Bully Die, about a gay man finally confronting his high school bully seventeen years later; and With Love, Lottie, about a disabled queer teen seeking guidance on navigating the complicated world of dating.
Finishing the day on a high, this gleeful selection of comedy shorts was made to be enjoyed in a room full of cackling queers – skewering everything from dating mishaps and cruising misadventures, to gender reveal parties and the dreaded voicemail overshare
This package of films includes two Sydney shorts: Single, about a group of queer Inner West housemates bamboozling their way through a kaleidoscope of psychedelic romantic encounters; and Why Not Both?, about a bi man’s dilemma when the man and woman he’s dating seem a bit too similar.
They’re joined by international titles ILY, BYE, starring scene-stealer Megan Stalter (Hacks) at her chaotic best; winner of the 2023 Queer Screen Film Fest Audience Award, 100% USDA Certified Organic Homemade Tofu; the laugh-out-loud Gender Reveal, about a non-binary throuple attending a cis-het co-worker’s party; an ode to new beginnings at any age, First Date; the bawdy laughs of cruising comedy Foraging; and F**KED, showing an unexpected conversation sparked by a lesbian couple opening their marriage.