For this Out Takes the theme of the show was ‘eclectic’ with a delightful mix including our review of JLo’s latest film (and her first ever movie musical), an update from our London-based international correspondent on the latest releases coming our way soon and we catch up with two special guests to discuss the power and importance of queer music videos.
First up, we took a look at ‘Kiss of the Spiderwoman’. It started life as an award-winning novel. Then, a groundbreaking drama in the 1980s that won the late William Hurt a Best Actor Oscar. In the 90’s, it was transformed again – this time into a record-setting Broadway musical that bagged seven Tony awards. Now, nearly half a century on, the web’s being woven all over again with Jennifer Lopez taking one of the lead roles in this movie musical that is in cinemas now.
Next up we welcomed back Dion Blackler, our UK correspondent and one of the co-hosts of the ‘In The Mood For Film’ podcast, to discuss the recent BFI London Film Festival which highlighted some of the queer films coming down under soon including the much anticipated ‘Pillion’ and ‘The History of Sound’ plus some of the many highlights from this year’s festival.
To celebrate the launch of the 115th Issue of Senses of Cinema, we spoke with not one, but two doctors – Dr Patrick Kelly and Dr Stayci Taylor, who joined us to discuss their special event ‘My Formative Queers: Stories of the Music Videos that Made Us Queer’. Both will be on the panel for this free ticketed event so they gave us a taste of what to expect and explained what makes a classic queer music video.

For this Out Takes, we went on a global cinematic trip looking at films and filmmakers from Britain, Iran, and the U.S.A.
First up, we looked at ‘Hedda’, the latest provocative drama from writer-director Nia DaCosta which is a modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic. This time around, the action has been transposed from 19th-century Oslo to 1950’s Britain, where former bohemian free-spirit Hedda has moved into a sprawling estate with her new husband, the pinched and humourless academic George. Hedda has a lot going on – as the daughter of a general navigating a house she does not want and a marriage she feels trapped in, and a female ex-lover who reappears in her life. Tessa Thompson is exceptional in the title role and delivers a performance that is a bold and haunting portrait of a woman on the edge.
We were then joined by Palace Cinema’s National Program Manager Kim Patelas to discuss the return this November of the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival and some of the highlights in this year’s program. As the Festival’s curator and who worked for Palace for 40 years, Kim started the British Film Festival and even though he retired from Palace in 2021 he has continued to program the Festival and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of British film.
We concluded the show with a look at the upcoming ‘Focus on Jafar Panahi’ retrospective that is coming to Melbourne this November. While he has not directed any explicit queer films, his work often addresses social restrictions that heavily affect marginalised individuals, including LGBTQ+ people. Despite arrests, filmmaking bans, and restrictions on travelling outside of Iran, Jafar Panahi has resolutely made films marked by profound humanism for over 30 years. ACMI has curated a program of twelve films, from his breakout feature ‘The White Balloon’ to the Out Takes favourite ‘Offside’ through to this year’s Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, ‘It Was Just an Accident’.

For this Out Takes, we reviewed two new films from gay directors that explore the queer experience in vastly different ways and environments, plus we celebrated the return of The Other Film Festival and MQFF who are collaborating on a special inclusive cinema event this November.
First up, we reviewed ‘Twinless’, a truly original and entertaining film that is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. After meeting in a twin bereavement support group, Roman and Dennis develop an unlikely friendship as they both search for solace and an identity without their better halves. They soon become inseparable, but old wounds reopen that will have permanent consequences for their friendship. This stirring, whip-smart, wholly original dark-comedy comes from breakout multi hyphenate writer, actor and director James Sweeney and it’s fair to say it is one of our favourite queer films of 2025. Next, we discussed ‘After The Hunt’, the latest film from gay Italian director Luca Guadagnino starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny. that tells the story of a college professor who is forced to grapple with her own secretive past after one of her male colleagues is faced with a serious accusation against an up-and-coming young queer female student at Yale University. We were then joined by The Other Film Festival’s Artistic Director Fiona Tuomy to discuss their ground-breaking disability-led program for 2025 that places Deaf and Disabled people at the centre of the Australian screen industry. Founded in 2004, The Other Film Festival is Australia’s first international disability film festival and a pioneer in offering a global standard of universal access for audiences. Along with putting on their own festival, this year they are collaborating with MQFF on a special inclusive cinema event for the Australian Premiere of ‘If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart into Your Mouth and Smile’. We ended the program with a look at this year’s Melbourne Queer Film Festival which is back across Naarm this November with a stellar selection of LGBTQIA+ cinema and events, including a swag of premieres and films that we have been very excited to see on the big screen and in its online program.
 

For this show, we take the phrase ‘mixed-bag’ and make it a reality by celebrating the return of one of our favourite local film festivals, review two television shows that highlight two gay men’s experience of dealing with two very different battlefields – one being the US Marine’s boot camp and the other being the hellscape known as the American High School campus, and we revisit a queer highlight from the ‘Black Mirror’ anthology.
With TILDE returning to Melbourne from October 31 – November 2, we welcome back their CEO Ro Bright to discuss this year’s program and find out why the festival’s theme “Bites Back” is a celebration of creative defiance, self-determination, and the power of storytelling to challenge dominant norms and reclaim space on their own terms. We also reviewed the new series ‘Boots’ a Netflix dramedy set in the 1990s that follows Cameron, a closeted gay teenager, who impulsively joins the U.S. Marine Corps with his best friend. Based on Greg Cope White’s memoir ‘The Pink Marine’, the series explores themes of identity, friendship, and resilience as the recruits navigate boot camp, a dangerous environment where being openly gay meant severe consequences. We then moved on from the Marine’s boot camp to another battleground that is well known to many of us – the teenage warzone known as high school. ‘English Teacher’ is a comedy series from Brian Jordan Alavarez who plays Evan Marquez, a gay man who finds himself at the intersection of professional, political, and personal aspects of working at a high school in Texas. We finished by revisiting ‘San Junipero’ from the critically acclaimed and much-loved British science fiction anthology television series Black Mirror. This episode premiered on Netflix in October 2016, and the story begins in 1987 in a beach resort town named San Junipero, where the introverted Yorkie meets the more outgoing Kelly. Many felt that this episode marked a cultural shift in relation to the portrayal of lesbianism on television, or proof of concept that works dealing with queer characters need not be tragic.

It’s no secret that we love a film festival at Out Takes so for this program we let you know what’s the craic with the return of the Irish Film Festival. Now in its 11th year, the 2025 Festival will showcase sixteen films and documentaries from Ireland, including 14 Australian premieres, and will take place in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, and Perth, alongside a nationwide online program from October 9 to November 9.
We had the opportunity to review three films, starting with ‘Never Stop the Action’, which is described as a kaleidoscopic journey through time and space. We begin the film in The Bronx, catching a 5am D-Train with our guides Teshi and Casey, two old friends recently reunited at an all-night dance party. On their long subway ride through the awakening city, the two share stories that take us out of the train on surreal swerves into vivid imaginary universes.
We then looked at ‘Ten Years of Yes’, a wonderful short film that follows Sydney Queer Irish, a social group for Irish expats and their friends of all identities and nationalities in Sydney. For the last 15 years, they have held regular meetups and annual events, participated in the Mardi Gras festival, and created a home away from home for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ diaspora down under. This short documentary follows Sydney Queer Irish in their preparation for the 2025 Mardi Gras parade, where they unveiled a sensational wedding party upon Sydney’s Oxford Street, honouring ten years of marriage equality in Ireland. ‘Ten Years of Yes’ captures a moment of both reflection and celebration amongst a community in their adopted city, thousands of kilometres from where history was made. We spoke with Alan Fitzgerald, the film’s director and member of Sydney Queer Irish, about how he got involved in the group, the importance of capturing this moment on film and also how he became an ‘accidental’ filmmaker.
Our final review was the feature documentary ‘Mrs Robinson’, which tells the impressive life story of change-maker Mary Robinson: Ireland’s first female President, a pioneering UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the successor of Nelson Mandela as Chair of The Elders. This intimate portrait takes viewers from Mary Robinson’s childhood in the rural west of Ireland to the world stage working with Bishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama. Unfettered access for the first time allows the viewer to hear Mary’s commentary on a changing Ireland, her legal wins decriminalising homosexuality, legalising divorce and contraception and her triumphant Presidential victory.
We finished by speaking with Dr Enda Murray, an award-winning filmmaker who has lived and worked in Ireland, England, USA, and Australia. His academic and filmmaking practice focuses on community, social justice, and popular culture. He is also the founder and creative director of the Irish Film Festival, and we spoke with him to find out more about the history of the festival, the importance of sharing Irish stories on our screens and more.

For this program, we looked at two films that explore the queer experience through very different perspectives; one being a documentary on the creative team behind many loved films from the past 50 years including the queer classic ‘Maurice’; and the second, a queer coming-of-age comedy about coming out of the closet that is screening at the VPC and Thornbury Picture House in Melbourne this October.
First up we reviewed the delightful ‘Egghead & Twinkie’ which explores the aftermath of Vivian a.k.a. Twinkie, a teenage girl who has just come out to her conservative parents who then takes off on a road trip to meet her online crush with the help of her nerdy best friend Egghead. This film is heart-warming and very a sweet tale about embracing your identity and the ups and downs of best friendship. It’s written and directed by Sarah Kambe Holland who joined us to discuss the film, the importance of representation and more.
Next up, we ran an encore of our interview from November 2024 with writer, producer and film director Stephen Soucy who was the driving force behind this insightful and educational documentary ‘Merchant Ivory’ that explores the legendary creative team behind Merchant Ivory Productions who became synonymous with prestige arthouse cinema. Check out this fantastic film at the ‘Meet the Filmmaker’ screening at Cinema Nova with Stephen Soucy for a post-screening Zoom Q&A.
 

For this Out Takes, we bring you a spring edition of Out Takes Recommends looking at a selection of films, TV shows and more that we’re enjoying as it is warming up down under and we struggle through hay-fever season a.k.a springtime in Melbourne!
We started off with a review of Wayward which is streaming now on Netflix and is from Mae Martin, the queer comedian and actor whose previous show ‘Feel Good’ was a big hit in 2020 – 21, and also stars Toni Collette in a scene stealing role. Wayward is set in the picture-perfect town of Tall Pines where sinister secrets lurk behind every closed door. This genre-bending limited series about the eternal struggle between one generation and the next, what happens when friendship and loyalty are put to the ultimate test, and how buried truths always find a way of coming to the surface.
We followed up with a selection of films, television shows and a podcast that we’ve been enjoying as it warms up down under including The Hunting Wives, Caught Stealing, Weapons, Good Hang podcast, Peacemaker Season 2 and more. Let us know what you think of our recommendations and share yours with us too! 

Disclaimer: the two films discussed on this episode deal with the topic of suicide and domestic violence and our commentary may contain content that could be distressing to some people so listener discretion is advised.
For this Out Takes we’re saying Bentornato to the St Ali Italian Film Festival which is back this spring in Palace Cinemas across Australia from September 17, delivering a Bellissimo selection of box office hits and award-winning films. We started with a review of ‘Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa’, also known as ‘The Boy with Pink Trousers’, which has become a cultural phenomenon and box office sensation in Italy. This incredibly moving, emotional and heartbreaking drama explores the real story behind Italy’s first publicised case of online bullying through the short life of Andrea Spezzacatene. A gifted student and a talented singer, Andrea longs to make friends and fit in at his new school but he soon falls prey to Christian, a charming student with a darker side. Then events take a turn for the worse for Andrea as the school bullying intensifies. We were honoured to be joined by Margherita Ferri, the film’s director, for a long form chat about her involvement in the film, the importance of telling this story through a queer lens and more.
We also took a look at ‘Diamanti’ (Diamonds), the 15ht film from celebrated gay Turkish-Italian film director and screenwriter Ferzan Özpetek which is also having its Australian premiere at this year’s festival. This Italian box office hit is a gorgeous tribute to the costume designers and seamstresses whose great craftsmanship bring to life the magic of cinema and is inspired by Özpetek’s personal experience frequenting film and theatre tailoring shops in the 1980s and the incredible women he encountered in these high-pressure environments.
 

For this episode we turned the spotlight on two local female directors in line with a special cinema event coming to the Victorian Pride Centre for one and the latest release for the other which is coming to a cinema near you soon. First up we took a look at ‘Revolt She Said’, a feature documentary that interrogates ideas about contemporary feminism and gender from an Australian and New Zealand lens. The film is from director Louise Lever who appeared on the program recently to discuss her short film ‘Joey’s Heart’ and is presenting a special screening of ‘Revolt She Said’ on Wednesday September 17 at the Victorian Pride Centre. Louise joined us again to discuss this upcoming event and how this film continues to provoke discussion around the themes of identity, gender politics, queer identity, power and women’s roles. We were then joined by Kate Woods, the celebrated Australian director of ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ who has taken time away to direct film and television overseas and is now back in Australia with her latest film ‘Kangaroo’ which is in cinemas nationally from September 17. This family friendly film is inspired by the extraordinary true story of kangaroo-carer Chris “Brolga” Barns and stars Ryan Corr as a fallen TV personality who forms an unlikely friendship with a 12-year-old Indigenous girl, played by newcomer Lily Whiteley, as they rescue and rehabilitate orphaned joeys in the red centre. We had the pleasure to speak with Kate to discuss her interest in bringing this story to life along with looking back at her incredible career. Finally, with the Melbourne International Film Festival concluding in late August, we took the opportunity to look back at some of our favourite films we saw across the 18 days.

For this episode, we took a deep dive into ‘Went Up the Hill’, the latest film from Samuel Van Grinsven that stars Vicky Krieps and Dacre Montgomery which has been appearing at festivals around the world and will be in Aussie cinemas from September 11. This haunting, original tale of grief and possession set in remote New Zealand. The film follows Jack who has arrived at a distinctly unwelcoming funeral of Elizabeth, the artist mother he barely knew. An unnerving atmosphere hovers in Elizabeth’s cavernous and isolated house as Jack attempts to connect with Jill, his mother’s widow.
We caught up with Samuel Van Grinsven, the film’s writer and director, as he was doing the rounds to promote ‘Went Up the Hill’ and discussed how this intense and very queer film got made, the casting, his connection to the landscape of New Zealand and more. We also dived in to the Out Takes archives and revisited his interview from 2019 when he was on the show to discuss his first feature film ‘Sequin in a Blue Room’.

For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne that promises ‘More Cinema, More Culture, More Celebration’ featuring an inclusive Pride event this August. We began by reviewing ‘We Are Faheem and Karun’, the latest film from celebrated gay Indian filmmaker Onir. This beautiful and unique tale is the first ever queer Kashmiri love story, set in Kashmir itself, and in the Kashmiri language, with local actors. Set in a remote Kashmiri village on the Indian and Pakistan border, we meet reserved security guard Karun who forms a forbidden bond with Faheem, a man torn between tradition and desire. Through stolen glances, online flirtation, and secret visits, their connection challenges beliefs and loyalties.
We also had the pleasure to speak with Onir about the challenges of getting this film made, representation in South East Asian cinema and more in the lead up to a special screening of ‘We Are Faheem and Karun’ for the Pride at IFFM event on August 22 as a double bill with ‘Badnam Basti’ from 1971, which is considered the first queer film made in India. This double bill will be followed by BollyQ, a celebration of Queer Indian Cinema hosted by Queer South Asians of Melbourne, where the celebration continues with electrifying performances by local drag sensations – definitely one not to be missed!
We concluded this Out Takes with a recap of three films that we’d seen at the Melbourne International Film Festival which runs until August 25 and has seen Melbournians turn out in droves for its great selection of films, events and more.

The Melbourne International Film Festival not only allows us to explore over 250 films during its run but we also get to meet some of the people behind them who have travelled from around the world to come to Australia to present their films to local audiences. One of these special guests in 2025 was Addison Heimann, a California based queer filmmaker who was down under at MIFF this August to promote his latest film ‘Touch Me’ which is described as an erotic extraterrestrial horror-comedy with a kaleidoscopically camp aesthetic inspired by 1960s and 70s Japanese horror. However, amid the gory mayhem, he also explores big themes like trauma, mental health, co-dependency and addiction. We caught up just after he’d landed from LA and had a great conversation about the film, his creative inspirations, mental health and more so please enjoy this Out Takes Extra with writer/director Addison Heimann.

For this Out Takes, we reviewed two new films, one very queer and the other very camp, plus we celebrated the return of the Queer Screen Film Festival that is bringing fresh and diverse LGBTIQ+ cinema from around the world to Sydney from August 27 to 31.
Our first review was for the highly anticipated and award winning ‘Lesbian Space Princess’ that is finally showing in Melbourne at sold out sessions at MIFF and getting a general release across Australia this September. Described as an adult animated science fiction comedy, this truly original and ridiculously hilarious feature is written and directed by South Australian based filmmakers Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese and won the prestigious Teddy Award for Best Feature at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. We’d been looking forward to discussing this one since we heard about it late last year and we’re pleased to say it was worth the wait!
Our second film review was for ‘Freakier Friday’ which is in Australian cinemas now and is a sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday which was itself based on Mary Rodgers’s 1972 novel and is the seventh overall film in the franchise. The film reunites Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan with the story picking up 22 years after Tess and Anna endured an identity crisis that literally saw them swap bodies for a very memorable Friday. In this latest version, Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice. It’s camp, full of nostalgia and continues the Freaky Friday legacy with a very queer coded romp through modern day L.A.
We finished up the show with an interview with Benson Wu, the recently appointed CEO for Queer Screen. and Andrew Wilkie. the festivals Programming & Industry Manager, to talk about the fantatsic program on offer, the state of the industry, the power of volunteering and more. This comes in the lead up to the 12th Queer Screen Film Festival which takes place in Sydney from August 27 to 31 and promises to present a bold and dynamic program that highlights LGBTQI+ emerging voices, international excellence and community celebration.

We continue celebrating the return of the Melbourne International Film Festival this August with two special guests and a look at a wonderful homegrown queer short film, a retrospective from a revered Belgian auteur, and the return of a lesbian cult classic to the big screen that spotlights the heady heroin-chic days of the 90’s New York art scene.
First up we reviewed ‘I’m the Most Racist Person I Know’, a fantastic short film that follows Lali and Ana who go on a date where they bond over their shared experiences as queer women of colour and also force Lali to confront her prejudices. We also spoke with its creator Leela Varghese to discuss her process, inspirations, love of the Adelaide film scene and more.
Then we heard from MIFF senior programmer Kate Jinx who took us through two highlights in this year’s program. We started with looking at Chantal Akerman: Traces, an expansive survey of the queer filmmakers output, many of which are newly restored Australian premieres. That was followed by a discussion about ‘High Art’ which was recently restored in 4K that is described as a psychosexual lesbian love triangle drama featuring Melbourne’s own Radha Mitchell, along with Ally Sheedy and Patricia Clarkson.

For this program, we looked at the latest film from revered French filmmaker François Ozon film that is a very timely tale of secrets, murder, and mushrooms, plus we discussed some of the many queer films on offer that we’re looking forward to seeing in August at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
First up was our review of François Ozon’s latest film ‘When Fall is Coming’ which is in cinemas from July 31 and is set in rural autumnal Burgundy where we meet Michelle who leads an isolated life, foraging for mushrooms in the forest with her friend Marie-Claude. When her sharp-tongued daughter Valérie arrives unannounced to leave her son in Michelle’s care over the school holidays, Michelle sees a chance to repair their fractured bond. But a single mistake sets off a ripple of consequences, threatening her relationships and plunging her back into estrangement and guilt. This moody, atmospheric reflection on regret, redemption and the secrets that fester just beneath the surface (like mushrooms) was one that we enjoyed and encourage you to check it out too.
It’s no secret that we look forward to the Melbourne International Film Festival (a.k.a. MIFF) every year so we took this opportunity to pull out some of the films we’re most looking forward to seeing in cinemas this August. From high profile documentaries to queer independent features, there is literally something for everyone in this year’s program so let us know what you’re looking forward to seeing at MIFF in 2025 so we can add them to our very long lists as well!

For this Out Takes, we reviewed ‘On Swift Horses’ which is screening now exclusively in Melbourne at Cinema Nova. Director Daniel Minahan’s queer period romance stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva and Sasha Calle. Set in the 1950’s, it tells the story of Muriel and her husband, Lee, who begin a new life together after he returns home from the Korean War. However, their newfound stability gets upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic brother Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past. While its director is not a household name, his list of credit’s feature some of the best and most loved television shows from the past 20 years including 6 Feet Under, L Word, True Blood, Halston and Fellow Travellers. We spoke with Daniel Minahan from Toronto to discuss the making of the film, its incredible cast, his passion for telling queer stories without tragedy and much more.
We also welcomed the return of Tilde for a special short film screening event this July at ACMI celebrating Australia’s emerging filmmakers conveying trans and gender diverse experiences. We spoke with Ro Bright, the CEO of Tilde, and two of the filmmakers, Jamie Connor from Sapphic Flicks and Naavikaran, whose films will feature at the screening that looks to cross-boundaries by experimenting with form, music and the filmmaking process itself.

For this Out Takes, we turned the spotlight on to a new gay romantic comedy that follows a gay Indian man who both dreams of – and fears – the big Indian wedding of their dreams with the love of his life and his journey to get there with Jonathan Groff by his side, plus we welcomed back the creative force behind ‘Girls’ who has teamed up with one of the standout performers in Hacks for a new must-see TV show on Netflix.
First up we reviewed ‘A Nice Indian Boy’ which is in select Australian cinemas now and it’s fair to say we loved this sweet and fun film that tells the story of Naveen who brings his fiancé Jay home to meet his traditional Indian family and sets off a chain of events to help them all to accept and connect with his white-orphan-artist boyfriend in the hope of them heading towards their dream Indian wedding. We were delighted to be able to speak to the films lead actor, Karan Soni, and its director, Roshan Sethi. who also happen to be a couple in real life to find out about the parallels in their own life with this very personal story and this project, the benefits of collaborating with someone who knows you so well and much more.
We also took a look at a new show from Lena Dunham, the creative force behind ‘Girls’, who is now back in front of the camera and behind the scenes on ‘Too Much’. This Netflix series has an incredible cast including breakout star Megan Stalter, Will Sharpe from season 2 of a little show called ‘The White Lotus’ plus Rita Wilson, Rhea Perlman, Richard E. Grant, Naomi Watts and a range of cameos that will blow your mind (we see you Rita Ora!). The show is described as an “ex-pat rom-com for the disillusioned” which follows Jessica, a New York workaholic who moves to London to isolate herself after a breakup but finds herself unexpectedly drawn to a man named Felix. Their connection, however, proves complicated, forcing them to question if they can bridge the cultural gap between them.

For this program, we started off by welcoming back the 2025 Hurtigruten Scandinavian Film Festival this July and August which once again presents the best new cinema from the Nordic region . One highlight in the program that we were excited to review was ‘Odd Fish’, a tale of dreams, identity, and acceptance. This feel-good film follows childhood friends Hjalti and Björn, who run a seafood restaurant in their hometown during the summer. They dream of keeping the restaurant open year- round, and when an unexpected opportunity arises, Björn reveals to Hjalti that she is a transgender woman and will be known as Birna from now on. These changes test their friendship, and both must face life with a new perspective to preserve what matters most. We then turned our attention to ‘Here Comes the Dykes’, a brilliant and thought provoking short documentary that recounts the alternative history of photography by JEB (Joan E. Biren) with lesbians as central protagonists in The Dyke Show, produced by The New Yorker films. ‘Here Comes They Dykes’ is streaming for free so check it out and then do yourself a favour and dive into the world of Joan E Biren a.k.a JEB as well, you will not be disappointed. We finished up by highlighting some of the many diverse First Nations films on offer this NAIDOC Week. Running from July 6 to 13, NAIDOC Week marks a powerful milestone in 2025 with 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience. This year’s theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy which celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of First Nation young leaders, the vision of their communities, and the legacy of their ancestors. Along with a great selection of free content streaming on DocPlay and SBS on Demand, we also featured an encore presentation of our interview from October 2024 with Jon Bell, the writer/director of ‘The Moogai’, a ground breaking First Nation’s horror thriller film that debuted at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival winning the Audience Award for Best Feature, premiered globally at the Sundance Film Festival, and won the prestigious 2024 CinefestOZ Film Prize Award.

The cold weather has well and truly settled in down under so for this Out Takes we presented a Winter Warmer edition of recommendations and reviews to get you through  the next few motnhs of this chilly Melbourne winter.  We started off by looking at ‘We Were Liars’, a new TV series streaming on Prime Video that brings a much loved book from E. Lockhart to our screens that explores revenge and redemption for a very wealthy American family torn apart by tragedy and their self-imposed drama. No spoilers here but needless to say that despite a beautiful setting and some stand out cast members, in this instance, not all reviews are recommendations…
We then turned our attention to a selection of TV shows, films and more that we wanted to recommend, review or rant about (yes, we’re looking at you ‘And Just Like That’ season 3!). As expected, it was an eclectic offering from the OT crew including season 2 of a popular lesbian dating show, the latest film from Celine Song that has got everyone talking about modern love, a beautiful documentary about the first US woman to fly in space and the same-sex relationship that kept her grounded, the return of M3GAN, plus much more.

As you know, Out Takes is the home of queer cinema and television on JOY 94.9 but for this show, we dived into the world of gay literary fiction to spotlight an Aussie author who is doing great things on the page that has also been making waves on our screens. When we heard Holden Sheppard had a new book out and was available for interviews, we jumped at the chance to speak with him. From the author of ‘Invisible Boys’, now a hit original series on Stan that we reviewed earlier this year and loved, comes a new novel; ‘King of Dirt’, Holden’s first novel for adults. Described as a gritty and heartfelt gay coming-of-age story set in the world of FIFO workers and tradies in Western Australia, the story follows Jack who by all accounts, including his own, is a mess. He works piecemeal construction gigs in remote WA, drinks himself to oblivion and is estranged from his family and friends. He’s consumed by a self-loathing all too common for closeted men who have grown up in a world of hate and shame. But then Jack returns to his regional hometown of Geraldton for a family wedding. He hasn’t been back since he fled at the age of eighteen, and his past soon catches up with him… It was a delight to speak with Holden Sheppard about his latest book and we hope you think so too.
We also celebrated the arrival of ‘I’m Your Venus’ on Netflix with an encore presentation of our fantastic interview from February with the film’s director Kimberly Reed, and two of the producers, Jonovia Chase and Dominique Jackson a.k.a Elektra Abundance Evangelista from Pose.