Project Overview
This year’s identity, built around the theme Formative Sound and Vision, celebrates the transformative power of queer storytelling through the sensory mediums of music and film. A shimmering, multi-sensory system uses pulsing gradients, iridescent textures and kinetic type to honour the cultural heartbeat of the LGBTQIA+ community. Unified across motion, print, digital and merchandise, the identity captures the emotion, pride and vibrancy of the festival experience.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Dawn Liu Designer
Mel Yeo Senior Designer
Andreas Pranoto Creative Director
Ross Karabelas Director
Amelia Rope Account Director
Matto Lucas Event Photographer
David Martin Harris MQFF CEO
Cerise Howard MQFF Program Director
Nathan Boadle MQFF Marketing Manager
Project Brief
The brief was to translate Formative Sound and Vision into a visual identity that felt both celebratory and meaningful — a campaign that could honour the formative role of film, music and nightlife in queer identity, while appealing to a broad and culturally aware audience. The brand needed to feel inclusive and dynamic, have impact across a wide range of platforms and media, and stand apart from previous years, with a fresh energy that could carry through trailers, merchandise, posters, and digital content.
Project Innovation/Need
The 2024 Melbourne Queer Film Festival campaign re-energised the festival’s identity, connecting deeply with both the LGBTQIA+ community and wider audiences. The brand’s shimmering, kinetic energy was praised for authentically capturing the spirit of Formative Sound and Vision, balancing celebration with cultural resonance. Engagement across digital, social, and physical platforms significantly increased, while feedback highlighted the campaign’s ability to unify diverse audiences under a vibrant, inclusive banner. The project strengthened MQFF’s position as a leader in queer arts and storytelling, leaving a lasting emotional and cultural impact.
Design Challenge
Bringing Formative Sound and Vision to life required more than visual flair — it demanded a design that honoured the formative role of music, nightlife, and film within queer history. The brand needed to capture this emotional depth while remaining celebratory, contemporary, and accessible. With a community known for its rich cultural literacy and high expectations of representation, the challenge lay in crafting a flexible system that would resonate authentically across diverse lived experiences and deliver powerful, adaptable impact across film, merchandise, digital, and event environments.
Effectiveness
Drawing on the disco ball as a symbol of queer resilience, celebration, and culture, the design layers shimmering textures and prism-like reflections to honour the diverse narratives within queer cinema. A pulsing gradient breathes energy into typography and motion, evoking the emotional charge of sound and storytelling. The system was designed to flex seamlessly across film trailers, merchandise, environmental graphics, and digital platforms, ensuring a unified yet vibrant expression that remained authentic to the community’s spirit. The adaptable identity allowed for vibrant expression while maintaining consistency, helping the festival reach new audiences and reaffirm its position as a leading cultural event. Most importantly, the campaign reinforced what the festival is all about: shared stories, diverse voices, and the transformative power of queer cinema.
Film or Video
This award celebrates creative and innovative visual and audio corporate communications that place an emphasis on design values. Consideration given to the technical, conceptual and aesthetic elements, viewer engagement and message delivery.
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