DOCUMENTARY 2012
DIRECTOR

Queen of the Desert is a 27 minute documentary made for ABC2 featuring the work of fabulous hairdresser and community development worker Starlady in the Pitjantjatjara community of Areyonga.

Not only has she got pink extensions, painted on eyebrows, glitter stockings and superman hotpants, Starlady’s a youth worker in some of Australia’s most remote and challenging places. Using an unusual set of tools this flamboyant hairdresser spends her time traveling thousands of kilometers across the central desert.

Like a real life Priscilla, Starlady takes us on her own Queen of the Desert journey to Areyonga, an indigenous community in Central Australia. Here she works with some of Australia’s most isolated teenagers using a little bit of bleach and a whole lot of colour in the hope to spread confidence and pride.

There is more than this just hairdressing happening in this makeshift salon as Starlady herself finds acceptance and friendship in what some might see as the most unlikely of places.

Watch Queen of the Desert online at The Age TV

Queen of the Desert on facebook

Screenings:

Cockatoo Island Film Festival Sydney 27th October 2012
Darwin Friday 2nd Nov Fist Full of Films Festival Darwin Entertainment Centre
Olive Pink Botanical Gardens Alice Springs Sunday 18th November 2012
Melbourne Premiere Bella Union, Trades Hall Tuesday 20th 6.30pm
ABC2 TV Premiere Sunday 25th November 9.30pm
ABC2 TV repeat Wednesday 28th November 10.30pm
ABC iview online 26th Nov – 10th Dec
Rainbow Serpent Festival Lexton, Vic Sunday 27th January
** Bloody Hero Film Festival Phoenix, USA February 9th – Winner Best Short Documentary
Bangalore Queer Film Festival, India February 22nd
Mardi Gras Film Festival Sydney February 24th
Melbourne Queer Film Festival March 18th
BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival March 19th and 20th
Sarasota Film Festival, Sarasota USA April 7th and 10th
High Falls Film Festival, Rochester USA April 18-21st
Pink Apple Film Festival Zurich May 1-9th
Boston LGBT Film Festival May 2-12th
** Transcreen Amsterdam 9-10th May – Tied Winner Audience Award
** Translations Film Festival Seattle 10th May – Winner Audience Award
Tel Aviv Queer Film Festival
Two Spirits Film Festival Prince Albert Saskatchewan Canada June 2013
Durban Gay and Lesbian Film Festival June 16th & 28th
Frameline International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival San Fransisco June 29th
** Rio Gay Brazil July Special Jury Mention
Qantas Airways Inflight Entertainment July – December 2013
** Down Under Berlin Film Festival Germany 12-15 Sept – Audience Award
Fresno Reel Pride, Sept. 18-22 USA
MIX Copenhagen Film Festival 12th Oct
Reel Pride Winnipeg 18th Oct
Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 13th Oct
Margaret Mead Film Festival, New York USA 19 Oct
Gender Bender Bologna Italy 27th Oct
Budapest Pride Film Festival Oct 28th
Oxford Queer Pride / Queer Rage October 21st
Spokane, USA Gay / Lesbian Film Festival Nov 1st
Indy GLBT Festival
SOAS London 4th December

Image: Starlady by Josephine Wright