MGFF23: Stephen Cummins Retrospective + Q&A

Stephen Cummins (1960-1994) was an Australian filmmaker, curator, artist and co-founder of Queer Screen who left an indelible mark on queer cinema.

Celebrate Stephen Cummins’ influential career with a retrospective of his complete works, presented in partnership with the NFSA and Simon Hunt, Stephen’s collaborator (Simon is pictured above left with Stephen).

This program features all nine short films that have been digitised, restored and remastered by the NFSA and Simon, including the award-winning Resonance (1991), Elevation (1989) and Le Corps Image (1987).

Read Simon Hunt's article about Stephen's life, films and impact on queer cinema.

Stephen died of HIV-related lymphoma in 1994, but his legacy continues to be felt to this day, not least through the support of the Stephen Cummins Film Trust.

Content warning: contains depictions of homophobic violence

Films screening are: Blue Movie (4 mins), Body Corporate (9 mins), Breathbeat (6 mins), Deadpan (5 mins), Elevation (11 mins), Le Corps Image (12 mins), Resonance (12 mins), Taste the Difference (1 min) and The HIV Gameshow (1 min).

These films are held in the NFSA collection.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Cummins’ key creatives and collaborators Simon Hunt and Mathew Bergan, moderated by NFSA Curator Nick Henderson.

View all Mardi Gras Film Festival 2023 sessions.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Bookings are essential for all ticketed events. Learn about measures we have in place to keep you COVID-safe here. See the ACT Government COVID-19 website for more information.

CLUB NFSA

Be rewarded for every paid screening, event or exhibition at the NFSA every time you visit. Your seventh visit is free. More details on Club NFSA at our Ticketing page.