Advertise on podcast: Out Takes

For this Out Takes, we shared three interviews for you that highlight some of the great talent and queer films on offer here and abroad this October and November. We recently reviewed the beautiful drama ‘On The Sea’ which is screening exclusively at Cinema Nova which is set in a remote fishing community in Northern Wales. The film begins with us meeting Jack, a mussel harvester, who expects his son to continue the family trade. Tensions arise when his son resists this expectation, and the arrival of Daniel, a new deckhand further complicates relationships within the community. Daniel is played by Lorne MacFayden who we had the pleasure of speaking with recently from London for a chat about the film, the importance of telling these late in life coming out stories and more. We also recently featured some of the great LGBTQ films on offer in this years Irish Film Festival which is on now across Australia in cinemas and online. One of the short film highlights is ‘Flirt’ which is written and co-directed by Louis Flanagan which follows a young man’s debs night which is turned on its head when a secret threatens to devastate his relationship and future plans. We caught up with Louie from his home base of Dublin to discus how he got started in filmmaking, his career in TV production and his wonderful film. We rounded out this show by speaking with Louise Lever, the recently appointed Festival Director for the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. With the MQFF program launch held recently, we got to see the fantastic line-up of feature films on offer this November for the 36th edition of the festival so who better to speak about the line-up then the person who helped pull it all together. As a filmmaker and film lover it was great to speak to Louise about her new role, the theme for this years festival and of course some of the many highlights on offer for MQFF 2026. The post Lorne MacFadyen for On The Sea, Louis Flanagan for Flirt and MQFF Festival Director Louise Lever appeared first on Out Takes.

It is fair to say that ‘La Bola Negra’ is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2026 and definitely one of the most keenly awaited queer films in years. Directed by Los Javis and featuring an incredible cast including Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, alongside new Spanish talent including Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Guitarricadelafuente and our special guest for this interview, Milo Quifes. At 25 years of age, Milo is a published author and ‘La Bola Negra’ is his first feature film acting role so he’s off to a great start. We caught up with him online recently as he was promoting the film and we had a great conversation about how he came to be in the film, the experience of working with Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi and the impact of being a part of this story that explores queer Spanish culture on a global scale. ‘La Bola Negra’ is in Australian cinemas now and is a must-see on the big screen. The post Out Takes Extra: Milo Quifes for La Bola Negra appeared first on Out Takes.

For this Out Takes, we finally got to discuss La Bola Negra, one of the most anticipated films of the year and definitely one of the best queer films we’ve seen in years. After sold out sessions at MIFF and the Sydney Film Festival, it is finally coming to cinemas across Australia from October 15 so we took the opportunity to review and discuss the film that the Queer Review gave five stars to and described as “a breathtaking queer epic”. The film features an incredible cast including Penelope Cruz and Glenn Close alongside exciting newcomers like Milo Quifes who plays Carlos in the the film. In real life, this 25 year old is a published author and La Bola Negra is his first feature film acting role so he’s off to a great start. We had the privilege of speaking with him online as he promotes the film around the world and got to find out more about his experience on set, what he learned in the role and how he feels being a part of the bigger discussions around Spanish queer culture and history. Our next review was for Chica Checa, a delightful film that is appearing in this year’s Czech and Slovak Film Festival which is celebrating fourteen years of creating a space where Czech and Slovak stories can be shared with Australian audiences through the universal language of film. Chica Checa tells the story of the recently widowed Zdena who lives a quiet life in a small Czech village. When her beloved son Lukáš returns home from France to say goodbye to his dying grandmother, his determination to make her seemingly impossible wish come true leads him to reveal a secret that challenges the values of the village: his queer life in Paris and his drag queen alter ego, Chica Checa (which translates to Czech Girl). This revelation in turn leads to Zdena re-examining her own beliefs and life and to the broadening of her cultural and physical horizons. We finished up this program by welcoming back Cerise Howard to Out Takes to discuss their involvement in the upcoming event called Queering the Music Video which is on Friday October 16 at the Capitol that will premiere three revolutionary d/Deaf-accessible music videos from The Legend of Queen Kong, followed by a star-studded panel exploring queer music, film and access. To get the full scoop on QTMV, we went straight to the source and spoke to Cerise who is not only the panel moderator for this special event but is also a member of the band. The post La Bola Negra with Milo Quifes, Chica Checa and Queering the Music Video with Cerise Howard appeared first on Out Takes.

Out Takes is the home of queer cinema and television on JOY 94.9 and once again we went around the world for this show, reviewing films from Ireland, Greece and Northern Wales. Never let it be said that when it comes to covering LGBTQ+ cinema that we shy away from going to all the corners of the globe to do so! Our first review was for one of the many great films featured in this year’s Irish Film Festival which is back on in Melbourne from October 22 – 25. ‘Girls & Boys’ tells the story of rugby player Jace who crosses paths with aspiring filmmaker Charlie at a college party. Both attend the same university but their worlds couldn’t be more different; Charlie is trans, her circle full of queer artists and creatives, while Jace sticks with the more strait-laced camaraderie of his rugby teammates. When the party is suddenly shut down by the police, the two find themselves wandering the streets of nighttime Dublin sharing secrets, dreams, and fears about life after college, a surprising revelation from their shared past threatens to upend their fragile connection. This beautiful and engaging story is the feature film debut from Dublin-based writer / director Donncha Gilmore who joined us to discuss the film, the all important casting of the lead two roles and much more. We then returned to the Greek Film Festival for a review of another look at one of the world-class queer titles on offer in this year’s program. ‘Bearcave’ is set in the Greek mountain village of Tirna and follows Argiro, a free spiriti farmer, and her best friend Anneta, the village “it” girl. Once Anneta admits that she’s pregnant and planning to leave town with her lame cop boyfriend. Argiro challenges Anneta to embark on an adventure to find the mystical bear cave. Before Argiro has a chance to confess her love, Anneta leaves for her new life in the city. Argiro is left broken, however, in Anneta’s new home with her clingy mother-in-law, she quickly realises her destiny lies elsewhere. Left behind in their rural hometown, Argiro loses everything so when Anneta returns and tries to win back her first love, the two friends ultimately navigate loss, love and euphoria once more. Our final review for this program took us to the northern coast of Wales for the tender and confronting ‘On The Sea’. The film begins with us meeting Jack – a mussel harvester – who expects his son to continue the family trade. Tensions arise when his son resists this expectation, and the arrival of a new deckhand further complicates relationships within the community. As personal and familial dynamics unfold, the story explores themes of identity, desire and belonging. The post Girls & Boys with special guest Donncha Gilmore, Bearcave and On The Sea appeared first on Out Takes.

For this Out Takes, we went global reviewing films from Greece, Italy and a filmed staged production from the West End in London. We kicked off with the 31st Greek Film Festival which returns from October 13 – 25 in Melbourne, continuing its mission of celebrating the richness, creativity and diversity of Greek cinema while connecting Australian audiences with compelling stories from Greece and the Greek diaspora. Our first review was the powerful and touching ‘Mahi’ which tells the story of an 80-year-old trans woman who was a former military officer who became an acclaimed singer. Half a century later, she returns from Germany to Greece to reconnect with her daughter and rebuild their relationship while confronting their secrets and fears that led them to leaving their former life behind. We followed that with another highlight from the Greek Film Festival called ‘Maya & Samar’, a tense and engaging Greek – Canadian production that tells the story of Samar, a queer Afghani women who lives in Athens, dancing in a strip club for cash, following an escape from the Taliban. After meeting Maya, a Canadian journalist, at a rave, their worlds collide in an affair that exposes their conflicting cultures. As the story unfolds, we see Maya’s professional ambitions collide with her strong feelings for Samar who is caught between two worlds with no clear future ahead of her without some drastic action on her part. We then left Athens and traveled to Rome for the chaotic and highly enjoyable ‘Love Divine’ which is screening in this years St Ali Italian Film Festival. The film chronicles the romantic destinies of eight people across the course of four seasons from varied walks of life who are linked together by love, loss, passion, and betrayals, forming a network of entangled relationships and chaotic emotions. We finished up by heading to the National Theatre in London for the latest staged modern adaptation of ‘The Misanthrope’ from the National Theatre. Award-winning actor Sandra Oh plays Alice, the title role in this razor-sharp reimagining of Molière’s classic dark comedy. Telling the truth isn’t always that simple. Alice, a brilliant novelist, despises the carefully constructed lies of modern society. But the more she challenges those around her, the fiercer the backlash becomes. Soon, she must confront the price of speaking her truth in a world that would rather silence her. This production is exceptional as are the performances plus we are begging for someone to please release a clothing line based on the costumes in this play! The post Greek Film Festival, Love Divine and NT Live: The Misanthrope appeared first on Out Takes.

For this Out Takes, we featured two interviews and a review that highlighted local and international queer content and excellence on on our big and small screens. Our first interview was with the very talented and engaging Jesse Lewis IV, a US based gay black actor who has been working in film and television for over 20 years and is back on our small screens in ‘Route 187’ where he plays Ms Stu, a formidable neighbourhood matriarch who shelters the broken and the hunted. As a male actor portraying a transgender woman, Lewis said he approached the role with an awareness of the responsibility involved and that his goal was to move beyond imitation and build a complete human being whose femininity is only one dimension of her identity. In this two part interview, we discussed his career, his experiences in the industry and more. Our second interview was with a local podcast duo that review local and international LGBTQIA+ cinema and TV shows. Brett and Lee are not only the hosts of Rainbow Popcorn but they are also siblings who are queer which brings a fun and fresh take on the regular film and TV review format. Over the next few months, they are hosting ‘Origins Series’ which are monthly events at Eclipse Cinema with local filmmakers that feature a screening of a local queer short film on the big screen, a live interview and audience Q&A with the filmmaker and a screening of the cult, classic or queer film that inspired their work. They describe it as an an opportunity for audiences to discover exciting local talent while gaining a unique insight into the creative process. And with Celebrate Bisexuality+ Day on September 23, our review for this program was ‘The Bisexual’, a six part series from director, writer and actor Desiree Ahkavan that follows New Yorker Leila who lives in London in a seemingly perfect decade-long lesbian relationship with her girlfriend and business partner Sadie. However, cracks start to appear in their lives and when her personal relationship with Sadie is put on hold, Leila starts to explore the fact that she is actually bisexual and begins to explore her orientation. As she struggles to come out to her friends, Leila makes some major life decisions that lead to quite a few unexpected consequences. This show is ambitious, funny and a much needed piece of Bi-representation on our television screens.     The post ‘Route 187’ with Jesse Lewis IV, Rainbow Popcorn Origin Series and ‘The Bisexual’ appeared first on Out Takes.

For this Out Takes, we dived back into the witchy world of Practical Magic (the original and the recently released sequel) to see if this beloved sisterly tale of curses, loss, love and family stood up after all of these years and whether the sequel was as magic as we hoped. With the reunion of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back on our big screens together after 28 years and the introduction of openly gay actor Lee Pace as a mysterious magical figure and potential love interest, our hopes were high so take a listen to see if it cast a spell on us. We also checked out ‘Dang!’, a new adult animated series that  follows two messy, aimless siblings in New York City whose chaotic lives are turned upside down when their high-achieving older sister crashes their routine after her own life blows up. Created by Andrew Law, the series stars Law alongside Stephanie Hsu and Poppy Liu and is very funny, very silly and super queer. We finished up this show by revisiting our interview with Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson, the delightfully quirky gay duo behind ‘Dicks” The Musical’ which is streaming now and shares a lot of DNA with ‘Dang!’ including the fact that both of them voiced characters in the series. The post Practical Magic 2, Dang! and Dicks The Musical appeared first on Out Takes.

For this Out Takes we went to Italy and then back to Victoria with a pit stop in Adelaide and Barcelona to speak to two of our guests about a brilliant book they’ve collaborated on with a group of academics to explore LGBTQ+ diversity and social change in Aussie film and television. First up we celebrated the return of the St Ali Italian Film Festival across Australia this September by reviewing ‘Armani and the Birth of Italian Fashion‘, a new documentary that traces the rise of Italy’s style empires through the story of the legendary families that have been ruling it for decades and have defined an era: Armani, Versace, Gucci, Valentino, Missoni, Zegna, Ferragamo, Prada and more. Set against Milan’s lavish and exclusive fashion sanctuaries, the film explores creative rivalries, personal stories and the enduring love affair between Hollywood and Italian designers. Next we headed to regional Victoria to look at ‘Constructing Change’, a wonderful short documentary from Alex Riches who joined us to discuss the film, its upcoming screenings this September plus the importance of women and gender-diverse representation in the construction and film industries. We finished up this program featuring a two part interview with media scholars Rob Cover and Stuart Romeo-Richards who are two of the authors behind ‘Australian Queer Screens’, the first book-length study of Australia’s rich history of LGBTQ+ film and television, covering histories, production, screen representation and audience identities. The post Australian Queer Screens, ‘Armani and the Birth of Italian Fashion’ and ‘Constructing Change’ short documentary appeared first on Out Takes.

For this program, we decided to follow the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid!) and feature a selection of reviews and recommendations for TV shows and films that we have recently enjoyed and wanted to make you all aware of too. Up first, ‘On the Road’ is an intense drug, violence and sex-fuelled Mexican thriller directed by David Pablos that introduces us to Veneno, a young hustler who makes ends meet by sleeping with drivers at truck stops in exchange for cash or drugs. He seemingly has no family nor long-term plans; so, when one of his clients stiffs him, he decides to hitch a ride to the other side of the country. Enter Muñeco, a hardened forty-something trucker estranged from his wife and kids, who offers Veneno a seat in his 18-wheeler. As the men drive across northern Mexico, walls come down and feelings develop – but can the pair outrun the demons from Veneno’s past? The film won the Queer Lion at Venice as well as the festival’s Orizzonti Award for Best Film and is a great addition to the line-up of excellent queer films we’ve had hit out big and small screens in 2026. Then we moved on to ‘The Invite’; directed by Olivia Wilde from a screenplay by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, this very funny, intense, and heartbreaking feature is an English-language remake of the 2020 Spanish film ‘The People Upstairs’ and stars Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. Our next pick was ‘Ride or Die’, a new TV series that was created by Tessa Coates and stars Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham, who also serve as executive producers. The story follows two long-time friends who have to go on the run from a mysterious enemy, and it turns out that one of the friends is secretly a highly trained assassin. We finished up by revisiting our interview from March with AP Pobjoy, the writer and creator of ‘Homebodies’, a brilliant local series that came out in March of this year via SBS, that celebrates trans visibility and Australian queer storytelling. ‘Homebodies’ stars Claudia Karvan, Luke Wiltshire, and Jazi Hall, and follows Darcy, a trans man who reluctantly returns to his regional hometown to care for his estranged mother, Nora. But home isn’t as he left it. Nora has been living with a secret housemate: Dee, the teenage ghost of Darcy’s pre-transition self. As old wounds resurface, Darcy must confront the parts of himself he tried to leave behind or risk losing himself entirely. It’s must-see Aussie TV for many reasons including Claudia Karvan’s Silver Logie award winning performance for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama series. The post Out Takes Recommends: On The Road, The Invite, Ride or Die and Homebodies appeared first on Out Takes.

For this Out Takes, we looked at two very different queer films adapted from much loved books, got the scoop on the program of one of our favourite Sydney queer film festivals and revisited our interview with Gregg Araki, whose latest film is in cinemas this week. First up was our review of ‘Here the Whole Time’ from Brazilian writer and translator Vitor Martins whose debut novel won the Best Translated Young Adult Book award from the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative and is published in 9 countries. The story follows a 15 day period during their school break where two young guys are thrown together and come to realise that all of the things on the surface that make them so different is also the ingredients that bring them together. The book was described as the ultimate feel-good YA romance which celebrates body positivity, self-acceptance and standing up to bullying and homophobia and it is now a gorgeous and uplifting feature film available to watch now on Netflix. Next up we took a look at ‘The Chronology of Water’, the directorial debut from Kristen Stewart that is adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch’s autobiographical bestseller. Brought up in an environment torn apart by violence, abuse, alcohol and extreme trauma, the story follows Lidia’s journey to find her own voice in an exploration of how trauma can be transformed into art through re-possessing our own bloody histories, particularly those uniquely experienced by the bodies of women and girls. We then moved on to the 13th Queer Screen Film Festival which is back on in Sydney from September 2 – 8 and on demand from the 9 – 16. This year’s program features 28 films plus the return of the Queer Screen Pitch Off Competition and Emerging Narrative Feature Competition, and, for the first time, Queer Screen Studio — a high-octane day of masterclasses, practical panels, and elite networking, from mastering the perfect investor pitch to navigating global festival circuits and post-production secrets. We caught up with Queer Screen’s CEO Benson Wu and it’s Programming Assistant Celeste Diep to get all of the details on this year’s festival including the special guests and events on offer alongside a great line-up of feature and short films. We finished up by revisiting our interview from June with Gregg Araki, the legendary queer filmmaker noted for his involvement with the New Queer Cinema movement whose latest film ‘I Want Your Sex’ is in select Australian cinemas from August 27. His filmography includes the Teenage Apocalypse film trilogy from the 90’s and his 2010 film ‘Kaboom’ was also the inaugural winner of the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. His latest film stars Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman and Charli XCX in what has been described as an enjoyably outrageous, risqué sex-comedy, set in the Los Angeles contemporary art scene. We jumped at the chance to speak with him earlier this year and in this interview, we discussed his motivation for telling this story, his influence on the lead characters and how he feels now about being labelled one of the pioneers of New Queer Cinema. The post Queer Screen 2026, reviews of ‘Here The Whole Time’ and The Chronology of Water’ plus Gregg Araki appeared first on Out Takes.

Following its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, ‘Corpus’, a genre-bending erotic body horror from rising filmmaker Corrin Evans recently had its Australian premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival. The film follows Sayo, a soulful nightlife photographer and small-time drug dealer in the summer of 1998 in New York City. When he’s invited to a party upstate by Vince, his long-time friend, unrequited love, and a movie star on the rise, they — together with their rowdy friend Ross — drive to a remote, bucolic manor in hopes of some summer debauchery. Upon arrival, they discover that the promise of a party is actually three mysterious women — Billie, Wren, and Cata — whose disturbing agenda draws the boys into a dark web of seduction and terror. We spoke with Australian actor Brodie Townsend and the films co-writer and producer Lily Cowles (who is also one of the leads in the film) while they were in Melbourne to find out more about their roles in this super horny horror film. We also revisited our interview with Academy-Award winner Kevin Macdonald whose documentary ‘High & Low – John Galliano’ is streaming now on DocPlay.  The film delves into the captivating and complex life of the flamboyant and iconoclastic head designer at Dior, John Galliano, who soared to unimaginable heights before experiencing a public downfall that shattered his career. The post ‘Corpus’ with Lily Cowles and Brodie Townsend plus ‘High & Low – John Galliano’ with Kevin Macdonald appeared first on Out Takes.

For this program, we celebrated the upcoming release of ‘STOP! THAT! TRAIN!’, arguably the queerest, campiest, and silliest film you’ll see in cinemas this year that brings together a cast of some of your favourite RuPaul Drag Race queens fighting for their lives on a runaway train with a range of celebrity cameos that will leave you running to the movie theatre to make sure you don’t miss this wild ride. Obviously, we jumped at the chance to review the film and also speak with Drag Race icons Ginger Minj and Jujubee and director Adam Shankman. This hilarious and OTT cinematic tribute to disaster-parody films sees them faced with a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatening to derail their train. With RuPaul as President Gagwell and celebrity cameos by Lisa Rinna, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and many more, ‘STOP! THAT! TRAIN!’ is a camp and crazy cinematic experience not to be missed. In speaking with the two lead queens of the film and its director, we discussed all the behind-the-scenes tea from their time on the film, plus we find out if we can get the ‘STOP! THAT! TRAIN’ sequel (a.k.a. the she-quel) filmed down under. We also continued on with our coverage of this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival, which is on right through August, by looking at some of the great queer films on offer. From a sweeping Spanish melodrama to documentaries about a young North American man’s transition to rodeo riding in the Australian outback, we literally found a selection of features and short films that are guaranteed to keep you engaged and entertained this winter. The post Stop! That! Train! with special guests Jujubee, Ginger Minj and Adam Shankman plus more 2026 MIFF recommendations appeared first on Out Takes.

One of the queerest, campiest and funniest films of 2026 is about to land in Australian cinemas and we jumped at the chance to speak with its director Adam Shankman and two lead stars Jujubee and Ginger Minj in the lead up to its release. From the producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race comes STOP! THAT! TRAIN!, a cinematic experience not to be missed that celebrates the kitsch, glamour and tongue-in-cheek humour of drag queens. Drag Race icons Ginger Minj and Jujubee star as train stewardesses faced with a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatening to derail their train, leading them to join forces with RuPaul as President Gagwell. Celebrity cameos abound in this camp comedy, such as gay icons Lisa Rinna, Sarah Michelle Gellar and many, many more. For this Out Takes Extra, we discussed how they got involved with this project, their favourite cameos in the film, whether the sequel could be made in Australia and much more. STOP! THAT! TRAIN! will be released in Australian cinemas on August 13, 2026. The post Out Takes Extra – STOP! THAT! TRAIN! with Adam Shankman, Jujubee and Ginger Minj appeared first on Out Takes.

For this Out Takes, Out Takes, we featured two films that delve into the world of experimental filmmaking from a queer perspective. First up, ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ has been one of the most anticipated films of 2026 and it is finally coming to Aussie cinemas from August 6. Described as a new kind of horror remake from Jane Schoenbrun starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, the film picks up on the Camp Miasma slasher film franchise after years of slapdash sequels where it has been handed over to an enthusiastic young director for resurrection. But when she visits the original’s star, a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. We confirm if this film lived up to the hype and whether or not it received the Out Takes Recommends seal of approval (spoiler alert – it did!). Then we were joined by Brisbane-based writer / director Adam C. Briggs whose latest film ‘Phillip Philadelphia’ is having it’s world premiere at MIFF on Friday August 7 and an encore screening on Sunday August 9. Briggs has often worked closely with non-professional actors to craft narratives whose blends of fact and fiction are as riotous as they are discomforting; he previously garnered acclaim for his 2024 feature ‘A Grand Mockery’ which took out top honours at SXSW Sydney as well as the Best Director prize at Sitges. With ‘Phillip Philadelphia’, he captures the garish, grubby beauty of the Gold Coast on 16mm while also extending his own distinctively homegrown, eloquently vulgar style. In this discussion, we discussed his career, influences and his thoughts on being a queer filmmaker and what makes a film queer. Finally, we were joined by Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM, the founder and festival director of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) which is the largest annual celebration of Indian cinema outside of India. This year the program has an expansive lineup of over 130 films in 38 languages screening from August 13 – 24 so we went straight to the source to find out more about what they have in store for the 2026 IFFM. The post Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma review, Phillip Philadelphia with Adam C. Briggs and Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2026 appeared first on Out Takes.

In this episode of Out Takes we speak with Kate Jinx, senior programmer at Melbourne International Film Festival about the retrospective of German avant-garde filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger, titled Radical Travels. We hear from Screen Australia COO Grainne Brunsdon about their new innovation the Private Investment Toolkit to encourage more investment in Australian film. We also encore our interview with Bina Battacharya, the writer and director of From All Sides, which is now streaming on SBS On Demand. The post MIFF Ulrike Ottinger retrospective, Screen Australia Private Investment Toolkit, From All Sides writer/director Bina Battacharya appeared first on Out Takes.