Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Recently I was one of the 18 000 people who had the pleasure of attending the 25th Melbourne Queer Film Festival that screens at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. With over 176 films from 37 countries shown in 2015 alone, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival is one of the world’s oldest, largest and most respected queer festivals. It has played an integral role in celebrating the diverse range of sexuality in our community by providing a cultural space for LGBTI stories to be screened. Events such as this promote the visibility and equality of queer people in our society, help oppose shame and reduce social stigmas and stereotypes. I am pleased to see that the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, which receives government funding, will be returning with the theme of ‘Equality’, but the Melbourne Queer Film Festival receives no state government funding. I call upon the Minister for Creative Industries and Minister for Equality, Martin Foley, to provide rental subsidies so that the festival can continue for another 25 years.
