Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2026, The Moment and A Friend of Dorothy

Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2026, The Moment and A Friend of Dorothy

Author: JOY 94.9 - LGBTI, LGBTIQA+, LGBTQIA+, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGB, Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Intersex, Queer Podcasts for all our Rainbow Communities March 10, 2026 Duration: 51:28

For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of the Melbourne Women in Film Festival. Running from March 19–23 across ACMI and Fed Square, this year’s program continues to bring together bold works from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Pasifika. Over four days, audiences can look forward to premiere screenings, restorations, creator conversations and hands-on workshops—an immersive celebration of diverse perspectives and the homegrown visionaries shaping the screen industry’s future. The Melbourne Women in Film Festival recently unveiled its landmark tenth-year program, marking a decade of championing women and gender-diverse filmmakers from Australia and beyond. We caught up with Festival Director Dr Sian Mitchell to discuss this year’s program and much more.

We also reviewed ‘The Moment’, a new film that turns the spotlight on Charli XCX as we go behind the scenes for a hilarious look at the life of a popstar as she navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena tour debut.

Finally, we took a look at ‘A Friend of Dorothy’, a new short film that is delightfully queer and in the running to win an Oscar too.

The post Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2026, The Moment and A Friend of Dorothy appeared first on Out Takes.


Dive into the rich and ever-evolving world of queer cinema with Out Takes. This isn't just a series of reviews; it's a thoughtful exploration of how LGBTQIA+ stories on screen intersect with the wider world. Each episode places films and television within a broader cultural, political, and cinematic context, asking what these narratives say about us and the society we live in. You'll hear insightful interviews with creators, critics, and community voices, offering perspectives that go far beyond a simple plot summary. Presented by JOY 94.9, this podcast is a vital resource for anyone interested in the depth and diversity of rainbow storytelling. Whether discussing a groundbreaking new release or re-examining a classic through a contemporary lens, the conversations are always engaging and substantive. Tune in for a deeper appreciation of how queer film both reflects and shapes our collective experience. Find Out Takes for a regular dose of analysis and celebration dedicated to all our communities.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Out Takes
Podcast Episodes
Out Takes Guide to MQFF 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:40
If you listen to Out Takes regularly, you know we love a film festival and one at the top of our list is MQFF a.k.a the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. It returns this year from November 14 to 24 with a program that celeb…
Love Rewind: spotlight on local queer cinema [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:50
At Out Takes, it’s no secret we love highlighting local queer cinema and the talent behind it, so for this program we were delighted to spotlight one of our very own team members who’s new film is having its Australian p…
Out Takes Guide to the 2024 St Ali Italian Film Festival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:10
For this Out Takes we said Ciao to the St Ali Italian Film Festival which is returning to cinemas this September and October across Australia. We took a look at some of the films on offer, including the gorgeous coming-o…
Extended interviews with Onir and LesFlicks CEO Naomi Bennett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:35
In this episode of Out Takes we bring you two extended highlights of interviews with a filmmaker and a distributor in the LGBTIQ filmmaking space. First up is Onir, a fearless gay Indian filmmaker. Onir has been making q…