May 1st, 2022ADAHOBIT Day celebrations

Ballarat is set to mark IDAHOBIT Day (May 17th) with a very special Outdoor Cinema event at the Ballarat
Showgrounds – Drive-In Pride. Hosted by Cafs (Child & Family Services, Ballarat) the evening will
showcase locally produced documentaries focused on members of the LGBTIQA+ community ahead of
award winning Australian feature film ‘Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)’ (Rating M).
Local documentaries – Out of the Closets; Into the Streets (Wind and Sky Productions) and Proudly Here
(MDP Photography & Video in collaboration with Speak) – share the stories of lgbtiqa+ people in the
community and aim to increase awareness and encourage understanding and inclusivity.
Winning over audiences at film festivals the world over, Ellie & Abbie (& Abbie’s Dead Aunt) is a heartfelt
and hilarious queer teen rom-com from Sydney-based writer-director Monica Zanetti.
School captain Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw) has a serious crush on her classmate Abbie (Zoe Terakes), and is
angsting over inviting her to the Year 12 formal. When Ellie accidentally spills the beans to her mum
(Marta Dusseldorp) and outs herself in the process, things start to get complicated, and a little bit spooky.
Enter her deceased aunt Tara (Julia Billington), a lesbian activist from the ‘80s who returns from the dead
to act as a kind of fairy godmother to Ellie, guiding her through the trials and tribulations of her first
love.
“At Cafs we celebrate diversity and strive to be inclusive in everything we do”, said Wendy Sturgess, CEO.
“Our ability to deliver Drive-In Pride is thanks largely to collaboration with local businesses and our
project reference group who also value and celebrate diversity in our community.”
Gates will open at 5pm on the evening with screening commencing at 5:45pm.
The Drive-In Pride event has been made possible through the Victorian Government Pride Events and
Festivals Fund 2021-22: Celebrating Diversity and Connection grant program.