The Queens

The Reporters Inc.'s New Documentary Accepted Into Chicago, Atlanta & Palm Springs Film Festivals

September 2018

The Reporters Inc. is pleased to announce that our new documentary,?The Queens, has been officially selected for screenings in three upcoming film festivals!

They are:

*Cinema Diverse: The 11th Annual Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival (September 20-23)

The Queens will be screened Thursday September 21st at 12:45pm at the Camelot Theater/2300 East Baristo Road. All the festival details can be found at http://cinemadiverse.org

*Reeling: The 36th Annual Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival (September 20-30)

The Queens has been selected as the festival?s ?Documentary Centerpiece!? The film will be in competition for both jury and audience awards. The Queens will be screened at 9pm on Monday September 24th at Landmark?s Century Centre Cinema/2828 North Clark Street. All festival details can be found at http://reelingfilmfestival.org/2018/

*Out on Film: The 31st Annual Atlanta LGBT Film Festival (September 27-October 7)

The Queens?will be screened on Saturday October 6th at 5pm at Outfront Theater Company/999 Brady Avenue Northwest. All festival details can be found at http://outonfilm.org

Additionally, The Queens will be screened at this free campus event:

*Lubbock, Texas on Thursday October 11th at the Texas Tech University Student Union Building

Part?Paris is Burning and Pose, part?RuPaul?s Drag Race?and part Miss America, The Queens is a feature-length documentary that explores?the transgender subculture of competitive female impersonation. When the lights dim and the curtains part, gasps can be heard in the audience because the queens in The Queens never fail to mesmerize.

They?re gorgeous, mysterious, complicated, and infinitely entertaining. But the secrets and the scandals inside the longest-running female impersonation club in the nation, and behind the scenes of the most prestigious transgender-centric beauty pageant in the nation, are equally fascinating.?The entertainers immersed in this community share the highs and lows of their lives as they compete for the coveted crown, in?The Queens.

For ticket info, additional film details, and more trailers:?thereporters.org/project/the-queens/

The first reviews are in:

?The Queens?is a joy ride, presented with gritty vibrancy, showbiz pizzazz and erotic splendor…this documentary entertains, informs, and ignites the imagination. The lines between male and female are sculpted into new forms…we witness?artists in process with purpose.?They glory in the unfolding transformation, sometimes at great sacrifice and expense.” ?–John Townsend/Lavender?

“Some people see these performers all dressed up and might dismiss them as frivolous but?The Queens?also brings fabulous historical context to subjects like violence against trans women, addiction, sex work and HIV/AIDS.??–Scott Duff/Co-Host of “Out Chicago” on WCPT 820 AM

Alexis Gabrielle “Gabby” Sherrington, seen here backstage after performing in the talent competition of the Miss Continental pageant, is one of the performers profiled in The Queens.

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