Program 2025

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ON TRADITIONAL LANDS OF THE WURUNDJERI WOI WURRUNG PEOPLE OF THE KULIN NATION. WE OFFER OUR RESPECT TO THE ELDERS OF THESE TRADITIONAL LANDS AND, THROUGH THEM, TO ALL ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE. 

WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND OFFER OUR RESPECT TO ALL SISTERGIRLS AND BROTHERBOYS. ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE, ABORIGINAL LAND

3 days of trans-authored cinema

Quick Links - 2025 Program

PLAYED AT EVERY SESSION

Do Something…

Digital Art, 1 mins

Dir. Mohammad Awad (aka 3awadi).

Unclassified (U), 15+

Captioned

 

While the world witnesses terror and tragedy, this is a call to action, to grasp humanity, while we can. From Gadigal, to Gaza and beyond. Do Something.

In Solidarity

So called Australia 

Digital Art

Dir. Flick

The power of the people is much greater than the people in power. Capturing the essence of the pro Palestine rallies in Naarm, these stop motion clips show the endurance and power that people show collectively, especially in times of injustice.

SESSION 1: (FRIDAY)

SAPPHIC FLICKS PRESENTS OPENING NIGHT

Guest Curated by Merryn Trescott & Jamie Connor

OCTOBER 31ST, 6:30PM – 10PM

FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS

In these times, as space for the arts and its communities contracts. We seek to expand our intra-communal space for new work.

From conversation to connection, TILDE 2025 opening night will be the impetus and space community needs to make the future. It will showcase groundbreaking work, both filmic and performative, hold physical space for community and seed ideation for the 2026 commissions program.

We invite artists, filmmakers, creatives, and First Nations voices of TILDE to be the conversation. To take space from within.

Featuring work by Sapphic Flicks and YIRRAMBOI

concept & director Sherene Stewart

producer Sage Wright

cinematography + edits Sapphic Flicks

talent Soju Gang + Jada Narkle

sound LustSickPuppy 

TILDE MICRO-BUDGET COMMISSIONS PROGRAM:  

Two staunch artists have taken on this task. First is the stunning Thea Raveneau, and second, part of the Motherless Collective, the one and only Stone Motherless Cold.

 

SESSION: 2 (SATURDAY)

OUR FUTURE – SECOND EDITION

Screening & filmmaker in-conversation

NOVEMBER 1ST, 1PM – 2:30PM

FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS

FREE EVENT

OUR FUTURE is back for its second edition! Featuring trans-authored shorts from close to home and across the ditch, this year’s selection continues to expand trans narratives. Young filmmakers take us on journeys through the stories they want to tell, with no prescriptions, no ticked boxes.

From the world premiere of Linus Tolliday’s Journey’s End, to a new short by Luka Gracie (More Than This, TILDE 2024), to Mish Keating (HEDGEHOG, TILDE 2024), who this time steps behind the camera, and so much more, TILDE is thrilled to present this year’s visionary cohort.

A filmmaker Q&A will follow the screening of OUR FUTURE.

Journey’s End

So called Australia, Drama, 2023, 15 mins

Dir. Linus Tolliday.

Unclassified (U), 15+

WORLD PREMIERE

In this queer story of connection in the face of alienation, Mia, a writer in Melbourne, drifts between old friends and new faces in a lyrical drama. In a community familiar with being outsiders, the power of subtle gestures, unspoken signals, and implied meanings is more potent than words.

Nest

Aotearoa, 2024, Horror, 10 mins

Dir. Willem Koller.

Unclassified (U), 15+

Captioned

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

A trans body-horror about a reluctant mother-to-be who, struggling to accept a pregnancy she never wanted, undergoes a deeply shocking labor experience. When confronted with her husband’s disgust at what she has given birth to, she is forced to take drastic measures to reconcile with who she has become.

FOUND

So called Australia, Drama, 2022, 14 mins

Dir. Luka Otis Gracie

Unclassified (U), 15+.

Captioned

Apollo, a nervous 21-year-old trans boy, feels stuck and lonely. One night, he discovers Transcendence — a club for trans people — and everything begins to change. Young writer, director, and lead actor Luka Gracie brings a fresh voice to trans and queer filmmaking with their heartfelt and uplifting story about finding chosen family.

Emile is Missing

So called Australia, Drama, 2024, 16 mins

Dir. Sam Carson, Félix Morreo Zisserman.

Unclassified (U), 15+

Captioned

 

Following the disappearance of her girlfriend, a trans filmmaker discovers EmileCam, a 24-hour livestream devoted to spying on her.

Bagua

So called Australia, Horror, 2025, 13 mins

Dir. Mish Keating

Unclassified (U), 15+

A young Chinese woman’s obsession with feng shui spirals out of control as she tries to protect her girlfriend from an evil spirit.

Sperm Donors Wanted!

Aotearoa, Documentary, 2024, 12 mins

Dir. Logan Rea

Unclassified (U), 15+

Captioned

 

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

With limited resources available for trans people seeking biological parenthood, Krishna turns to durational theatre—transforming personal need into public performance. Through candid on-stage interviews with strangers, he searches for the “perfect” donor.

SPERM DONORS WANTED! offers a powerful look at human connection and the complexities of queer family-making, inviting audiences into intimate, often humorous conversations that challenge traditional ideas of family.

SESSION: 3 (SATURDAY)

AFTRS AFTERNOON TEA & TOWN HALL

NOVEMBER 1ST, 3PM – 4:30PM

FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS

TILDE bites back in 2025 with a trans film industry Town Hall – slash – afternoon tea. 

Grab a tea, coffee, and a snack, and come hear from trans industry experts Bayley Turner (Intimacy Coordinator), Harvey Zielinski (Director), and Tinaye Dube-Nyathi (Director), as they discuss the state of filmmaking in Victoria. They’ll pose questions, and we’ll be invited to share.

Supported by AFTRS.

SESSION: 4 (SATURDAY)

International Shorts – A Mask Encouraged Screening 

 

NOVEMBER 1ST, 6PM – 7PM

FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS

Who among us hasn’t, at some point, claimed something was “not for me,” only to find ourselves 100% committed? This year, we turn our focus to North America, presenting stories that explore survival, downfall, and those oddly touching moments when we dream of becoming a puppygirl. This trio of films features a new DIY documentary masterpiece by indie legend Henry Hanson (Dog Movie, TILDE 2024), a stunning 16mm short set in the middle of nowhere by Hazel Katz, and a poetic journey of healing by Vivek Shraya.

We want our immunocompromised and disabled community to feel comfortable attending a TILDE screening. For this screening, we encourage COVID-safe practices, such as testing beforehand and wearing a mask (preferably a P2 or N95). A limited number of masks will be available at the door.

Bodyrebuilding

Canada, Experimental, 2025, 11 mins

Dir. Vivek Shraya

Unclassified (U), 15+

Captioned

Mask Encouraged Screening

How diversity work led to chronic pain and a journey to healing through weightlifting.

Sydney & Kim

USA, 2023, 20 mins 

Dir. Hazel Katz

Unclassified (U), 15+

Captioned

Mask Encouraged Screening

After 25-year-old Sydney undergoes major facial surgery, her best friend Kim cares for her in a motel during recovery. As Kim grows closer to the motel manager, Sydney’s resentment surfaces. Through quiet, intimate moments, the film explores the unspoken expectations between them. Shot on Super 16mm film, Sydney & Kim is about the unraveling of a close friendship, examining how illness and vulnerability reshape what we value most.

Puppygirl

USA, Documentary, 2025, 65 mins 

Dir. Henry Hanson

Unclassified (U), 18+ 

Mask Encouraged Screening

In this gonzo documentary, a semi-delusional trans woman, Milo Talwani, embarks on a shocking, bizarre, and unexpectedly touching personal odyssey to undo years of sexual repression by performing in puppygirl fetish porn. Directed by Henry Hanson — the filmmaker behind last year’s Gay24 Presents, cult hits Bros Before and Dog Movie.

SESSION: 5 (SATURDAY)

GAY24 PRESENTS

Guest Curated by Jini Maxwell & Samantha Eckhardt

NOVEMBER 1ST, 9PM – 11PM

FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS

SPECIAL LATE-NITE SCREENING, ONE NIGHT ONLY. HOT T4T ACTION UNEARTHED FROM THE VAULTS. COME WITNESS THE LOVE MACHINE HERSELF, IN ALL HER GLORY. BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED AND PRESENTED IN ENGLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME.

GAY24 Film Club and TILDE are extremely proud to present the Australian debut Antonio D’Agostino’s 1980 trans softcore triumph EVA-MAN: THE LOVE MACHINE.

Eva has everything a lover could want, irresistible to both sexes and aided by The Love Maker; an incredible new piece of technology that allows her to become ready for anything at the touch of a button. It’s this new technology that attracts the attention of an impotent local gangster, who covets The Love Maker in an attempt to recapture his past glory. It’s up to Eva, alongside her bestie Ajita, to fight off this gang of spiteful heterosexuals and live to love another day.

Co-starring the transfem dream duo of Eva Robbin’s (yes that’s how you spell her name, with the apostrophe and everything; incredible diva shit), and the legendary grindhouse superstar Ajita Wilson (MANCUBA SEXUAL, SADOMANIA), EVA-MAN is a gorgeous artefact of trans desire and desirability, a beautiful reminder that not only have we always been here, we’ve always been this hot.

PLUS! A t4t amuse-bouche in the form of THE BEACH BOYS; the new film from Milo Talwani (star of last year’s GAY24 pick DOG MOVIE), in which two trans bros decide to do for one last surf whilst on their way to suicide bomb Jeff Bezos. Unmissable!

These films contain nudity and adult language. 18+ Event

Eva Man

Spain, Italy, Science Fiction, Comedy, 1980, 75 min

Dir. Antonio D’Agostino

Unclassified (U), 18+

Captioned

English Subtitles

 

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

GAY24 Film Club and TILDE are extremely proud to present the Australian debut Antonio D’Agostino’s 1980 trans softcore triumph EVA-MAN: THE LOVE MACHINE.

Eva has everything a lover could want, irresistible to both sexes and aided by The Love Maker; an incredible new piece of technology that allows her to become ready for anything at the touch of a button. It’s this new technology that attracts the attention of an impotent local gangster, who covets The Love Maker in an attempt to recapture his past glory. It’s up to Eva, alongside her bestie Ajita, to fight off this gang of spiteful heterosexuals and live to love another day.

Co-starring the transfem dream duo of Eva Robbin’s (yes that’s how you spell her name, with the apostrophe and everything; incredible diva shit), and the legendary grindhouse superstar Ajita Wilson (MANCUBA SEXUAL, SADOMANIA), EVA-MAN is a gorgeous artefact of trans desire and desirability, a beautiful reminder that not only have we always been here, we’ve always been this hot.

The Beach Boys

USA, Comedy, 2024, 20 mins

Dir. Milo Talwani.

Unclassified (U), 18+

Two trans surfer bros are on a mission to suicide bomb Jeff Bezos…but not before spending one last, perfect day riding epic waves and smoking dank kush.

SESSION: 6 (SUNDAY)

closing night: PAT DOUBLE FEATURE

NOVEMBER 2nd, 4-8pm

Footscray Drill Hall

For TILDE’s closing night, we’re hosting a massive PAT DOUBLE BILL screening!

In collaboration with Snuff Puppets, TILDE is taking over the Footscray Drill Hall to create our very own cinema hideaway.

We’ll be screening filmmaker Ro Haber’s We Are Pat, which revisits the ’90s film It’s Pat through a 2025 lens — exploring trans visibility and Haber’s own conflicted memories of the controversial SNL character. Expect performances, puppets, fan readings, and music, followed by a screening of the original ’90s feature film It’s Pat.

Infamously bad (with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), It’s Pat is pop-cult-trash at its worst…. and no one should watch it alone! Come watch with filmmaker Rowan Haber in attendance. 

Bring your favourite comfy cushion and blanket — we’ll have free food and soda available, thanks to the incredible Aheda’s Kitchen!

Auslan by Break A Finger. 

We are Pat

USA, Comedy, Documentary, 2025, 92 mins

Dir. Rowan Haber

Unclassified (U), 15+.

Open Captions

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Pat, the evasive, androgynous SNL character played by Julia Sweeney, was a ubiquitous presence in the pop culture ether of the 1990s. As a kid, filmmaker Ro Haber grappled with a strange obsession with Pat — a character whose popularity hinged on them making others wildly uncomfortable with their refusal to adhere to strict gender lines. Both time and their identity moved forward and yet, even as an adult, Haber’s preoccupation remained.

Now, 35 years after the first “It’s Pat” sketch debuted on SNL, Tribeca alum filmmaker Haber and a who’s who of queer and trans comedians and writers (including Sweeney herself) come together to confront the existence of Pat. Through discussions and debate via the lens of 2025 and trans visibility, the group goes on a mission to reframe the character — an unexpected opportunity to not erase Pat but reclaim them in a manner that eliminates ridicule and instills empowerment.

It’s Pat

USA, 1994, 77 mins

Dir.  Adam Bernstein.

PG.

Open Captions

It’s Pat is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Adam Bernstein and starring Julia Sweeney, Dave Foley, Charles Rocket, and Kathy Griffin.
Pat searches for true happiness through a career and a relationship with the equally androgynous Chris.


Based on the character Pat from Saturday Night Live, the film has left many audiences asking: Why was this even made?

TILDE
MELBOURNE TRANS
& GENDER DIVERSE
FILM FESTIVAL

ACN. A0060769Z