‘Neptune Frost,’ ‘Sweet As’ Win Top Prizes in Melbourne International Film Festival’s Inaugural Competitions

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Munich-based Beta Film, one of Europe’s biggest truly independent TV-film groups, has licensed to PPCW Media for Hong Kong and Macau International Emmy winner “Atlantic Crossing,” starring Kyle MacLachan and Sofia Helin. PPC Media has also acquired Alejandro Amenábar’s Movistar Plus+ original “La Fortuna,” with Stanley Tucci and Clarke Peters, a tale of piracy, court room battles and historical justice set between the U.S. and Spain. Reaching more remote places, Beta has also closed Mongolia with Hulegu Media, on “Sisi” a mix of sex, politics and period glam from RTL, Beta and Story House, a modern mindset take on a film icon.  

This week in Queer Melbourne we have a platter of delicious options. Enjoy your fix of culture with intergenerational queer bonding, speed dating, theatre, burlesque and more.One Friday every month, the Motley Bauhaus is taken over by the campy, glitter streaked performers of the Melbourne burlesque scene. This month you’ll have the pleasure of watching Evana de Lune, SHAM, Celia Bow, Whiskey Falls and Zaphyer Enfield.

While video games have come a long way from the usual heterosexual, cis-gendered characters or storylines, very few have taken a step further into the LGBTQI territory. However, a new video game from a Melbourne-based company, Up Multimedia, along with support from the Victorian state government and Film Victoria Australia, does just that.The Beat: A Glam Noir Game is an investigative thriller game where you take on the role of a gay cop still in the closet who has to investigate a murder that’s happened in an unnamed city’s gay scene.Game developer, Luke Miller went into detail behind some of the game’s iconic locations, like the laundrette and Black Rock Beach.“In the 1980s there was a ground-breaking gay film from the UK called ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’.

This was yet another soft weekend at the international box office with no major fresh titles and as summer fully closes out in Europe and beyond.

Emily Blunt Heading To Mipcom For ‘The English’ Red Carpet Curtain Raiser

From comedy to kink and quiet contemplation, Melbourne has got it all! Welcome to our pick of queer events that you can check out this week in Melbourne. Image: Pride Of Footscray BarIf there’s one thing us queers know how to do, it’s laugh. With Geraldine Hickey to MC, check out the best of Melbourne’s up and coming queer comedic talent at this classic LGBTQIA+ friendly venue, ‘Pride of Our Footscray’.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Film studios in Asia-Pacific are expanding the scale of their operations and want location incentives to keep pace. “Incentives are fundamental, they are an expectation [of production managers] and having one is no longer a USP,” said Rashid Karim, CEO of Iskandar Malaysia Studios. He was speaking at the Content Asia summit conference in Bangkok on Thursday. The IMS facility opened ten years ago around the same time as Malaysia introduced a location production incentive scheme. These days, the scheme offers a generous 35% uncapped rebate. But since the scheme launched, rival locations in the Asian region including Thailand, India and Mongolia have launched or are in the process of launching rebate schemes.

From comedy to kink and quiet contemplation, Melbourne has got it all! Welcome to our pick of queer events that you can check out this week in Melbourne. Image: Pride Of Footscray BarIf there’s one thing us queers know how to do, it’s laugh. With Geraldine Hickey to MC, check out the best of Melbourne’s up and coming queer comedic talent at this classic LGBTQIA+ friendly venue, ‘Pride of Our Footscray’.

Continuing its hypersonic run, Paramount/Skydance’s Top Gun: Maverick has, in its 13th weekend of release, crossed the $1.4B mark worldwide, lifting the cume to a touch over $1.403B through today.

Victoria’s department of health on Saturday issued a health alert over an emerging monkeypox outbreak in Melbourne and increase in cases of local transmission. As of August 18, Victoria reported around 40 monkeypox cases, with many due to local transmission. Though monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease, the current outbreak has been predominantly among gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorA24 dropped the first trailer for its upcoming psychological thriller “God’s Creatures” on Tuesday. The film from directing duo Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer stars Paul Mescal, Aisling Franciosi and Emily Watson.Set in a quiet Irish fishing village, “God’s Creatures” follows the strained relationship between Brian O’Hara (Mescal) and his mother, Aileen (Watson). When Brian suddenly returns home to his family after living abroad in Australia for seven years, he is accused of a horrible crime.

Sony’s Bullet Train was the global and international box office leader for the studios during its sophomore frame with an added $17M from 61 overseas markets for an offshore cume of $60M and global riding the rails past $100M for $114.5M through Sunday.

(CNN)Olivia Newton-John, the singer and "Grease" star who died on Monday in the United States, will receive a state memorial service in Australia, Victorian state Premier Dan Andrews announced Thursday. In a Twitter post, Andrews said he had spoken with Newton-John's family and they had accepted the offer of a state ceremony.

Olivia Newton-John will be given a special send-off in her native Australia, it has been announced.

Two Saudi sisters, who had reportedly applied for asylum in Australia on the grounds that one was a lesbian woman and the other an atheist, were found dead in a Southwest Sydney flat in June 2022. The sisters had had their applications for permanent protection visas, based on sexuality and religious beliefs, denied earlier this year. Trigger Warning: This story discusses deaths of two women, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.The sisters, Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, were found dead in their Canterbury unit in Sydney’s southwest on June 7.