Midsumma Festival Submissions

Midsumma, Melbourne’s premier arts and cultural festival, is now calling for emerging and established artists to be part of next year’s festival, running  from 17 January ­ 7 February, 2010. The festival in partnership with many well-known galleries around the City of Melbourne and the City of Yarra annually present a showcase of queer talent from local, national and international artists, providing queer artists a chance to express  themselves to a new and growing audience, as well as the opportunity to
present their work in a safe and supportive environment.
 
Applications should include a short bio, CV and examples of recent work on
video, DVD or CD-ROM and can be emailed to admin@midsumma.org.au or by post
to: PO Box 223 Abbotsford, VIC 3067

Melbourne Queer Film Festival 18 – 29 March 2009

One of the largest queer film festivals in the world, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), will this year screen more than 150 films over twelve days of fun and frivolity.

Get into the swing of MQFF this year with festival highlights including; Were the World Mine which opens the festival in all its singing and dancing glory; Madonna’s directorial debut Filth and Wisdom starring Richard E Grant; Affinity, a sumptuous period piece, based on Sarah Waters’ 1999 novel. Fashion Victims, a classic German comedy about a travelling salesman who finds his territory challenged by a young rival – who also becomes romantically involved with his secretly-gay son; To Faro, a tangle of alternative identities where a price is paid for living a double life; the French miniseries What Love Means, spans over 20 years and follows the lives, loves, and tragedies of an extended family beginning in the early 1980s; and Ask Not – a powerful glimpse into the US Army’s ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy which forces many American gay and lesbian service-members to deny their sexuality.

MORE INFORMATION: www.mqff.com.au

Boys Life by 30 Japanese Artists

Artist: KENYA SHIMIZU. Born in Fukui Prefecture in Japan, 1976, Kenya is an award winning gay artist, having received the 2nd and 3rd prizes at the Emerging Erotic Artist Contest of Tom of Finland Foundation in 2001.

The exhibition: From manga to erotic, pop to hardcore, each artwork depicts Japanese gay life from the Edo period to the pop culture of the Shinjuku streets. Featuring gay manga illustrators, magazine photographers and ‘Kawaii’ erotic sculptures.

All the exhibiting artists are professional gay artists whose work has been published in Japan and around the world, including Gengoroh Tagame, a well known and widely published gay erotic artist.

Tap Gallery
278 Palmer Street
Darlinghurst, Sydney
February 24 – March 8
12pm – 6pm, open 7 days a week

Opening party
Wednesday, 25th February, 6pm – 8pm
Refreshments provided, all welcome

This event is part of the 2009 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

Japanese Modern & Pop Art – Part of the 2009 Sydney Mardis Gras

Boys Life by 30 Japanese Artists.  Mayumi International is proud to be joining the 2009 Mardis Gras festival in Sydney. We are presenting ‘Boys Life’, an exhibition of gay Japanese artists. From manga to erotic, pop to hardcore, each artwork depicts Japanese gay life from the Edo period to the pop culture of the Shinjuku streets. Featuring gay manga illustrators, magazine photographers and ‘Kawaii’ erotic sculptures.

The exhibition features artists who have never exhibited in Australia before, with each artist presenting new works of art. All the exhibiting artists are professional gay artists whose work has been published in Japan and around the world, including Gengoroh Tagame, a well known and widely published gay erotic artist. This type of group exhibitionrarely, if ever, occurs in Japan, where gay culture is firmly in the
underground.

Get a taste of a Japanese boys life!

Tap Gallery
278 Palmer Street
Darlinghurst, Sydney
February 24 – March 8
12pm – 6pm, open 7 days a week

Featured artists Hideki Kou, PINKMAN, KENYA SHIMIZU and GENGOROH TAGAME