News
GPFF LAUNCHES A BOLD NEW PROGRAM FOR 2026
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
02.04.2026
Geelong Pride Film Festival (GPFF) is announcing their 2026 program launch at Platform Arts on 09 April 2026 at 6:30pm.
This year’s Geelong Pride Film Festival, from 30th April to 10th May 2026, includes a screening of the contemporary classic Portrait of a Lady on Fire at the newly rebranded Bellarine Arts Centre (Potato Shed), and a concert from Homophonic at Platform Arts Opening Night will be at the Geelong Arts Centre on the 3oth of April.
This event is an opportunity to hear from Festival Director Louise Lever and Festival Chair Stephen Ryan on their curated collections and feature film selection. There will be printed brochures and the event is supported by sponsor Great Ocean Gin.
Highlights from our program this year include the premiere of US lesbian film Drip Like Coffee where an intimate connection between two Brooklyn baristas leads to a life-changing transformation. Opening night Rainbow Shorts will be hosted by Dolly Diamond and will feature the Australian documentary Tasty, about the 1990s police raid from director Cameron Collett and Australian drama Big Johnny about a lonely warehouse worker who must find the courage to embrace his true self after an unexpected encounter with Melbourne’s drag scene, from Director Jeanie Kane.
The film Plainclothes, starring Russell Tovey and Tom Blyth will feature in the GPFF opening weekend. Other highlights include Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut The Chronology of Water, lesbian feature film documentary 3000 Lesbians Go to York that chronicles the largest gathering of LGBTQ+ women in the UK.
An extensive selection of approximately 40 short films will be screened across six collections. Locally made and international short films will feature in the Gender Frontiers a collection exploring the lives and experiences of transgender, gender diverse, and non-binary people. Other programs include Lesbian Shorts and Gay Shorts. The GPFF finale of Happy Endings will feature comedy short films and films with positive and uplifting outcomes for characters.
VLine’s Pride Train will travel from Melbourne to Geelong for a special 40th Anniversary screening of Desert Hearts on the festival’s second weekend and will screen alongside a trio of award-winning gay films, Welsh drama On the Sea, and the Brazilian erotic thriller Night Stage.
The event is made possible by several generous sponsors Energy Australia, Provincial Media, WorkSafe Victoria, Meli, MacKillop Family Services, Great Ocean Road Gin, the Victorian Government, City of Greater Geelong, Thorne Harbour Health, Q Psychology, Deakin University, Snap Printing, Platform Arts, Geelong Arts Centre, Bellarine Arts Centre, Valley Road Nursery, Ballroom Baby and Post Lab IO.
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Contact details:
Geelong Pride Film Festival
Email: festival@gpff.org.au
Media Release
GPFF ANNOUNCES A BOLD NEW FILM FESTIVAL DESIGN FOR 2026
Media ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26.03.2026
Geelong Pride Film Festival (GPFF) is proud to announce Kirsty Dow as the Winner of the 2026 Film Festival Design Competition. This is the very first time in our 9-year history that we will be featuring a new design that resonates strong with the local Geelong region, our people, history and local nature.
Kirsty will receive the $1,200 cash prize for her winning entry that features the Murnong plant (Yam Daisy) which is a native plant of Geelong.
In her entry, Dow writes that this plant is, “significant to the Waddawurrung people as it was a primary food source before colonization. It is known as a symbol of resilience and survival, which I think also resonates with queer people and our history also.”
Louise Lever, Festival Director at GPFF, said the design highlights the unique nature of our connection to the land of Geelong and queer identity through its dynamic design and innovative use of the stylised laurel. “I came up with the idea of running this competition because I really wanted to imbue Geelong into the Geelong Pride Film Festival. As I was going through the entries, concepts of time and place kept emerging, and I wanted to celebrate the essence of this festival, what makes us unique, what makes Geelong Pride authentic. I’m proud of this laurel and design and I can’t wait to get it out there.”
The 2026 entries represented a diverse and dynamic group of artists whose work each explored different aspects of the queer experience, including the use of the colours in the progressive pride flag, our local lighthouses in the region, and clever use of space and shapes. The judges were impressed with the high calibre of work, attention to detail, time put into each entry and thoughtfulness to our collective queer identity. Each entry was highly valued and appreciated.
The GPFF continues to be a featured and prominent film festival in Regional Victoria, with new venues this year reaching even more people. The festival runs from 30 April to 10 May 2026, and tickets can be purchased online now.
For more information visit www.gpff.org.au Tickets available for $9.90.
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Contact details:
Geelong Pride Film Festival
Email: festival@gpff.org.au
