Assault on patron was homophobic attack, film festival says

In short: A man was seriously injured in an attack in Adelaide's CBD hours after the screening of a movie about gay pride last weekend, the Adelaide Film Festival says. The festival said the patron was assaulted while waiting for transport home Police said they are working to identify the attackers. An assault in Adelaide's CBD last weekend that left a man in hospital has been described by the Adelaide Film Festival as a "homophobic attack" on one of its patrons. In a post on social media, the festival said the incident had occurred after movie-goers had left the event last Saturday night, following a screening of the film Jim Queen. It said the man was assaulted while waiting for transport home, and that the "reported nature of the abuse indicates the incident appears to be a homophobic attack". Police have confirmed they responded to reports of an assault on a man by a group of people he didn't know about 3:50am last Sunday, around North Terrace and Bank Street in the CBD. They said the man was taken to hospital for treatment and that "investigations to identify those responsible are ongoing". Adelaide Film Festival CEO Mat Kesting told the ABC the incident was disturbing and unacceptable. "It was … reported to us in the days following that someone that had attended that event had been verbally abused with homophobic abuse and attacked on his way home," he said. "My understanding is that it started with verbal abuse and then the attack has proceeded to be physical. "The person concerned then incurred quite serious injuries including broken bones and was hospitalised for a day or more." Mr Kesting said it was his understanding that the man was recovering and had left hospital. In a joint statement with the Feast Festival, the Adelaide Film Festival said it had been left "deeply distressed" and "devastated" by the attack, adding that it "unequivocally" condemned discrimination "in all its forms". SA Attorney-General Kyam Maher commented in response to the festival's post, saying: "There's no place for homophobic abuse in our state and it should be utterly condemned when it occurs." Emergency Services Minister Rhiannon Pearce described the assault as "absolutely appalling". "It's really distressing to hear that that's occurred," she said. "We are a society that is welcoming to all. Everybody has the right to feel safe out in the community and this behaviour is absolutely unacceptable." Mr Kesting said he was limited in what he could say for privacy reasons but said the assault had occurred several hours after the screening of the film. "The Adelaide Film Festival presented the South Australian premiere of a film called Jim Queen and it was an extraordinary celebration of gay pride, the audience had a wonderful time, it was very well received," he said. "A number of patrons then left and went to other venues around the city." Mr Kesting said the festival was committed to "standing with our patron". "The fact that this has occurred in the CBD of Adelaide in 2026 is outrageous," he said. "We stand opposed to any violence in the community, but certainly homophobic attacks like this, so that's why we've made this statement."