Golden Plains Shire Council has announced a brand new film festival celebrating diversity and inclusion.
The Golden Rainbows Film Festival, a series of free, fully supervised all-ages events throughout September, will be presented by the Golden Plains Youth Council.
The festival will feature four film screenings from September 5 to 23 at locations in Bannockburn, Linton and Smythesdale.
The featured films include teen coming out flick Love, Simon (2018), iconic Aussie queer film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), British comedy drama Kinky Boots (2005) and the heartfelt A Nice Indian Boy (2025).
The council will also showcase the talents of LGBTQIA+ young people and their allies through a touring exhibition of artwork and written works as part of the festival.
Golden Plains Shire mayor Owen Sharkey encouraged community members to attend the events.
“This exciting initiative is brought to you by our fantastic Youth Council, who are always providing opportunities for social connection and fun,” Cr Sharkey said.
“These events are a safe space to amplify the voices of LGBTQIA+ young people and their allies, fostering inclusion within the community by bringing people together.”
The Golden Rainbows Film Fest is supported by the state government through Youth Fest 2025, which showcases and celebrates the achievements, talents and contributions of young Victorians throughout September.
Visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au to register your interest in taking part in the touring exhibition or goldenplains.vic.gov.au/events to book a seat at the film festival.For further information, contact Council’s Youth Development team at youth@gplains.vic.gov.au or call 5220 7111.
