Summary

Program of the Bendigo Queer Film Festival 2004, March 26th - 28th

The Bendigo Queer Film Festival was begun in 2004 by Chris Walters, in response to limited social opportunities for the GLBTI community living in the area. It was then the only queer film festival in Victoria outside the Melbourne metropolitan area.

Part of a Museum Victoria collection documenting the material culture of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities in Victoria. In 2005 the Museum joined with the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives and the State Library of Victoria to conducted a survey of GLBT material culture in public and private collections in Victoria. Refer Kate Davison (2006), Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender Material Survey: Project Report 2006.

Physical Description

A5, 12-page booklet, black and purple printing, contains programming information, introduction by Festival Director Chris Walters (donor), disability access information, sponsorship and partnership messages, events occurring in association with the festival, ticketing information and film descriptions/synopses. Also contains some advertising.

Significance

The Bendigo Queer Film Festival was begun in 2004 (inaugural year) by the donor, Chris Walters, shortly after she moved to Bendigo. 'As a newcomer to the district', she says, 'I felt there were limited social opportunities for the GLBTI.community living in the Bendigo and surrounding area.' As a result, she established the Festival, which is the only Queer film festival in Victoria outside the Melbourne metropolitan area (the Festival was coordinated with assistance from the Melbourne Queer Film Festival). The objects have not been worn or used, but are left-overs, except the 2004 program which has been folded during use by the donor.

These objects are important in demonstrating the cultural and sexual diversity that exists in rural areas of Victoria, but also, being only two years old, in showing that openness about queer sexuality in rural areas is still new and sometimes difficult. Often people associate queer events with metropolitan areas only, and the Bendigo Queer Film Festival is an important indicator of the fact that this association is only half-correct.

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