It's Time to Get QueerDoc

Catch some fabulous non-fiction films during queerDoc 2009.

Queerscreen - the Sydney-based queer film collective that brings us the sensational Mardi Gras Film Festival each year is preparing for its second largest annual programme - Queerdoc. This ten-day festival features a stunning array of films based on real queer lives, this year under the theme ‘Satisfy Your Qriosity'.

Ten stand-out queer documentaries will grace the Dendy Newtown from opening night on 3 September until the 13 September. The festival opens with Fig Trees, a short by Canadian director John Greyson presented in the unusual form of a documentary opera, based on the history of AIDS activism. This film blends staged and filmed arias with confronting testimonies of AIDS activists, and is this year's Teddy Award winner for best documentary.

The programme is largely based on the concept of voyeurism, which makes American director George O'Donnell's offering - College Boys Live – a perfect fit. The film is a behind-the-scenes look at life in a gay webcam house, which, judging by the runaway success of porn sites such as seancody.com and randyblue.com, is sure to be festival favourite here in dirty old Sydney.

As always it's great to see a local film make the grade and this year's powerful contender is Holding Hands – the story behind the highly publicised 2007 gay-bashing of Sydney couple Craig Gee and Shane Brennen, which brought much-needed attention to the issue of homophobic violence on Oxford Street.

Lex Lindsay and the team behind Queerscreen have put yet another stellar Queerdoc program together for 2009 that requires the support of filmgoers to ensure this fine tradition of presenting stories or real queer lives continues well into the future. So get behind this outstanding queer documentary festival and see some fabulous docos along the way.

queerDoc runs 3-13 Sep at the Dendy Cinema, Newtown. For a full programme log on to www.queerscreen.com.au.