The Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) is the largest queer film fest in the Southern Hemisphere, and the team behind it have decided that this year, one festival is simply not enough. For one weekend this October (4th-6th), at the mid-point between March’s 2019 Festival, and next year’s milestone 30th edition, the inaugural MQFF eXtra festival will take place. Alongside some of the hottest new films, from Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory to Céline Sciamma’s breath-taking Portrait of a Lady on Fire, are some hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.
For this first report, we’ll take a look at Simon Amstell’s hotly anticipated feature debut, Benjamin, as well as some of the short films that the Festival has to offer. Alongside the 10 features and documentaries on offer, eXtra showcases two short film programmes, Guy on Guy Shorts and Girl on Girl Shorts. Both contain an eclectic mix of shorts and short docs from across the world.
The Short and the Sweet
Probably the most ignored of all film’s forms, the short remains one of the hardest to perfect. A truly great short film stays with you long after its brief runtime. A few of the tiny treats in these programmes do just that.
In the Guy on Guy Shorts selection, Omer Tobi’s Set Me as a Seal Upon Thine Heart is a fascinating, concentrated burst of emotion. The majority of the film takes place inside a gay sauna, as a young man finds an older man clearly in pain, and tries to help him out. The set design here is second to none, and the camerawork is superb, zooming through the winding corridors with our frantic protagonist. It’s a little story about the depths of love that is built on so very few words. Tobi has created something pretty special with only 12 minutes of film.
In the same shorts programme is Spanish film, For the Good Times. On the face of it, Andrés Daniel Sainz’s short treads some well-worn ground, as it focuses on a man coming out to his family later in life. Sainz stops short of melodrama though, and instead of superb or horrific experiences, he focuses on creating something that feels genuine. For the Good Times hits hard because it tries for something real, filled with the complexities and the ignorance that still pervade, rather than settling for an explosive interaction. As darkness falls and the title song hits in the film’s final moments, a sweet and totally deserved sentimentality oozes from the screen.
Elsewhere, Wishin’ and Hopin’ is one of the more straight-forward shorts in the Girl on Girl programme. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s poor, but rather it fails to say anything new. The decision to set the 9-minute film in a women’s bathroom at a wedding is a clever one, as it’s the perfect setting for multiple interesting interactions. However, the film offers very little outside of the expected, ticking off boxes until the meaningful conversation we’ve all been waiting for. The discussion between the protagonist Kate, and the mother of the bride is well-acted and genuine, but overall the film lacks that extra bit of magic that could’ve made it into something special.
Benjamin: A Dazzling Debut
Multi-hyphenate Simon Amstell (comedian, actor, writer, director etc.) has been pretty damn successful at everything he has tried his hand at. From his early days presenting television talk show Never Mind the Buzzc*cks, to his widely acclaimed stand-up routines, via his ventures into sit-com television with the hugely underrated Grandma’s House, he’s barely put a foot wrong. Therefore, his first feature film, Benjamin, carries the weight of expectation. Thankfully, I’m pleased to announce that Amstell has done it again.
His protagonist, Benjamin, is having some problems. He’s working away on his second feature as director, trying to finish it up and finally present it to the world, seven years after his successful debut, Happy. His crippling self-doubt and anxiety about his work, are only amplified by the crippling self-doubt and anxiety he experiences in his personal life. One night at a gig, Benjamin meets handsome French singer, Noah, and thus begins a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Amstell is clever enough to stray far from the trappings of your run-of-the-mill rom-com and with Benjamin has crafted something unique. Infused with his trademark wit, the film is hilarious at times but also carries with it more complex undertones. The drama and the comedy even-out well, and the characters are genuine and understandable.
A Stellar Ensemble
Colin Morgan as the titular Benjamin is a wonderful stand-in for a young Amstell, foppish hair and all. Morgan ensures Benjamin is endearingly clumsy, rather than frustratingly so, and he carries a natural charm. The same can be said of Phénix Brossard’s musician Noah, who is perfect as the twenty-first century heartthrob.
In fact, the whole ensemble around Benjamin is excellent. Jack Rowan is hilarious as Harry, the actor in Benjamin’s new film, slowly growing more pompous by the day, and Jessica Raine delivers the laughs as Billie, the publicist involved with both Harry and Stephen. It is perhaps Joel Fry as the aforementioned Stephen though, a comedian and our protagonist’s best friend, who stands out the most, with his deeply moving character arc.
Amstell has proven himself in every area, and here proves himself as more than suited for the big screen. He is one of the most intriguing British directors working today and it’ll be exciting to see what he does next. Benjamin is a gorgeous little film.
More Where That Came From…
In the next report, we’ll take a look at some more of the features screening at the festival, including Seahorse, a documentary that follows the journey of gay trans-man Freddie McConnell as he attempts to deliver his own child, and Canadian coming-of-age love story Giant Little Ones.
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.