The Queen

Friday, June 28 - Thursday, July 25, 2019

Regular engagement begins Fri Jun 28; showtimes will be announced by 6pm on Mon Jun 24.

New 4K restoration from original camera negative! Screening with the short doc QUEENS AT HEART (1967, 22m)!

More than 40 years before RuPaul’s Drag Race, this ground-breaking documentary about the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant introduced audiences to the world of competitive drag. The film takes us backstage to kiki with the contestants as they rehearse, throw shade, and transform into their drag personas in the lead-up to the big event. Organized by LGBTQ icon and activist Flawless Sabrina, the competition boasted a star-studded panel of judges including Andy Warhol, Larry Rivers, and Terry Southern. But perhaps most memorable is an epic diatribe calling out the pageant’s bias delivered by Crystal LaBeija, who would go on to form the influential House of LaBeija, heavily featured in Paris Is Burning (1990). A vibrant piece of queer history, THE QUEEN can now be seen in full resplendence thanks to a new restoration from the original camera negative.

Official selection: Cannes Film Festival (1968)

• Country USA
• Year 1968
• Running Time 88 minutes
• Distributor Kino Lorber
• Director Frank Simon
• Cast Flawless Sabrina, Crystal LaBeija, Rachel Harlow, Marlow La Fantastique, International Chrysis, Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick, Mario Montez

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.