Posted 18 Jan, 2019
People across Australia are being urged to cast their vote in the Melbourne Queer Film Festival ‘Keep The Vibe Alive’ short film competition.
The competition aims to highlight smoking rates in the LGBTIQ community, which are up to three times higher than those in the general population.
Four short films have now been produced by the chosen finalists to show how smoking can “kill the vibe” in important moments.
Each finalist received a $4,000 grant to develop their written concept into a short film.
Screenwriter Benjamin Law and a panel of judges from Quit Victoria, MQFF, Minus18 and Thorne Harbour Health selected the finalists, from a field of more than 40 entries, based on criteria including innovation, creativity, relevance and relatability.
MQFF’s Program Director Spiro Economopoulos said “The final videos ranged in style and focus with subject matter from Ghostbusters to topical legislative changes. The competition finalists have taken their $4,000 grants and created impactful works of art, which is a credit to the creative abilities of each entrant.”
Thorne Harbour Health’s Manager of Health Promotion Adam Hynes said “I will be interested to see who the Australian public chooses as the competition winner, as shortlisting the finalists was a particularly challenging task. These creative filmmakers have done a stellar job of portraying how smoking really does kill the vibe in important moments.”
The finalists are:
· The Third Wheel by Millie Hayes (O’Connor, ACT)
· Fuming by Sam McGowan (Forest Hill, VIC)
· Worm Lurve by Sebastian Berto (Northcote, VIC)
· Vibe-raters by Brigitte Haviland and Amber Kinnear (Camden, NSW)
Voting is open until Tuesday 5 February at 10:00am (AEDT) on the MQFF website: mqff.com.au/votevibe/
When people vote and share the promotional post on Facebook or twitter, they’re entered into the draw for one of three prize packs containing 10 MQFF ticket passes (valid for 10 screenings at MQFF 2019, valued at $175). Visit https://mqff.com.au/votevibe/ for entry details.
The film winner will be announced at MQFF’s Program Launch on Tuesday 12 February, and their concept will air before every screening at MQFF 2019. The winner will also be awarded with a second prize of $4,000.
About the competition and partnership
‘Keep the Vibe Alive’ is proudly supported by Minus18 and Thorne Harbour Health.
Quit Victoria is a partnership between VicHealth, the State Government of Victoria and Cancer Council Victoria. For more information, visit: www.quit.org.au
Melbourne Queer Film Festival is Australia’s oldest and largest LGBTIQ film festival and celebration of the moving image. For more information, visit: www.mqff.com.au
Minus18 is Australia's largest LGBTIQ youth network. The charity creates social change, mobilises community support and smashes queerphobia through their youth-led events, workshops and campaigns and by delivering education resources nationwide. We aim for an Australia where all LGBTIQ young people feel safe, included and belong. For more information, visit: www.minus18.org.au
Thorne Harbour Health is a community controlled organisation, governed by our members, and working for our sex, sexuality and gender diverse communities. For more information, visit: https://thorneharbour.org/
If you would like to arrange an interview with a finalist or one of the organisations’ spokespeople, contact Lauren Allnutt, Communications Coordinator, (03) 9514 6476