by Rob Nixon
Wigstock: The Movie
Brief Synopsis
A behind-the-scenes look at Wigstock, New York's famous annual drag extravaganza and gay pride celebration.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Barry Shils
Director
Jackie Beat
Donna Giles
The Duelling Bankheads
Joey Arias
Coco Peru
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Genre
Documentary
Release Date
1995
Distribution Company
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Location
New York City, New York, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 25m
Synopsis
A behind-the-scenes look at Wigstock, New York's famous annual drag extravaganza and gay pride celebration.
Director
Barry Shils
Director
Cast
Jackie Beat
Donna Giles
The Duelling Bankheads
Joey Arias
Coco Peru
Girlina
Mistress Formika
Crystal Waters
Candis Cayne
Wendy Wild
Leigh Bowery
John Kelly
Kevin Joseph
Alexis Arquette
Crew
Richard Abramowitz
Co-Executive Producer
Michael Barrow
Camera
Todd Scott Brody
Editor
Todd Scott Brody
Line Producer
Linda Del Rosario
Art Director
Peter Fish
Music
Gerry Gershman
Music Supervisor
Marlen Hecht
Producer
Marlen Hecht
Editor
Wolfgang Held
Other
Cheryl Miller Houser
Associate Producer
Rob Marcus
Co-Executive Producer
Richard Paris
Art Director
Tom Parziale
Coproducer
Robert Reale
Music
Susan Rips
Executive Producer
Barry Shils
Executive Producer
Barry Shils
Editor
Dean Silvers
Producer
David Sweeney
Coproducer
Klaus Volkenborn
Executive Producer
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Genre
Documentary
Release Date
1995
Distribution Company
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Location
New York City, New York, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 25m
Articles
Wigstock: The Movie
Described as "joyous, rambunctious" (UCLA Film & Television Archive), this documentary was shot at the 1993 and 1994 editions of the famed drag performance festival held intermittently from 1984 to 2005 in New York City. In the early years, the festival took place in Tomkins Square Park in Manhattan's East Village, the location of the 1993 footage. The following year, it was moved to the Christopher Street Pier in the West Village, which we also see here. Director Barry Shils and crew capture lively drag performances from RuPaul, Lypsinka, Jackie Beat, John Kelly (as Joni Mitchell) and many more, as well as non-drag acts like Deee-Lite and Debbie Harry, emceed by one of the festival founders, Lady Bunny. An earlier record of the festival, a 20-minute documentary of the same name, was filmed in 1987 by Tom Rubnitz (1956-1992). That short played the LGBTQ film festival circuit, and footage from it was cut together for the title sequence of the 1995 film. Produced and distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, the newer feature-length version was exhibited more widely and achieved more mainstream recognition. Nevertheless, reviewer Roger Ebert only gave it two stars, admitting to a bias against lip-synching and wishing the performers were more outrageous, instead of discussing "their lifestyle as if it were the most normal things [sic] in the world." The UCLA Archive, on the other hand, in program notes for the 20th anniversary screening, was able to appreciate the insight behind the "colorful" fun, an articulation of "the importance of transgressive gender expression." The festival inspired later queer performance festivals, including Brooklyn's Bushwig, Atlanta's ACT UP fundraiser Wigwood and Miami's annual queer performance festival, also known as Wigwood.
by Rob Nixon
by Rob Nixon
Wigstock: The Movie
Described as "joyous, rambunctious" (UCLA Film & Television Archive), this documentary was shot at the 1993 and 1994 editions of the famed drag performance festival held intermittently from 1984 to 2005 in New York City. In the early years, the festival took place in Tomkins Square Park in Manhattan's East Village, the location of the 1993 footage. The following year, it was moved to the Christopher Street Pier in the West Village, which we also see here. Director Barry Shils and crew capture lively drag performances from RuPaul, Lypsinka, Jackie Beat, John Kelly (as Joni Mitchell) and many more, as well as non-drag acts like Deee-Lite and Debbie Harry, emceed by one of the festival founders, Lady Bunny. An earlier record of the festival, a 20-minute documentary of the same name, was filmed in 1987 by Tom Rubnitz (1956-1992). That short played the LGBTQ film festival circuit, and footage from it was cut together for the title sequence of the 1995 film. Produced and distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, the newer feature-length version was exhibited more widely and achieved more mainstream recognition. Nevertheless, reviewer Roger Ebert only gave it two stars, admitting to a bias against lip-synching and wishing the performers were more outrageous, instead of discussing "their lifestyle as if it were the most normal things [sic] in the world." The UCLA Archive, on the other hand, in program notes for the 20th anniversary screening, was able to appreciate the insight behind the "colorful" fun, an articulation of "the importance of transgressive gender expression." The festival inspired later queer performance festivals, including Brooklyn's Bushwig, Atlanta's ACT UP fundraiser Wigwood and Miami's annual queer performance festival, also known as Wigwood.
by Rob Nixon
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Expanded Release in United States June 16, 1995
Expanded Release in United States June 23, 1995
Expanded Release in United States June 30, 1995
Released in United States 1996
Released in United States February 1995
Released in United States January 1995
Released in United States June 1995
Released in United States November 1995
Released in United States on Video January 30, 1996
Released in United States September 1995
Released in United States Summer June 9, 1995
Shown at Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival September 1-14, 1995.
Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama) February 9-20, 1995.
Shown at Berlin International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival November 8-15, 1995.
Shown at IMAGE & NATION gaie et lesbienne: festival international de cinema et de video de Montreal November 2-12, 1995.
Shown at London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival March 21- April 4, 1996.
Shown at Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney February 16-26, 1995.
Shown at New York Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (opening night) June 1-11, 1995.
Shown at San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival June 9-18, 1995.
Shown at Verzaubert '95: 5th Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in Munich and Cologne, Germany November 19-29, 1995.
Released in United States 1996 (Shown at London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival March 21- April 4, 1996.)
Released in United States January 1995 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (Premieres) in Park City, Utah January 19-29, 1995.)
Released in United States on Video January 30, 1996
Released in United States February 1995 (Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama) February 9-20, 1995.)
Released in United States February 1995 (Shown at Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney February 16-26, 1995.)
Released in United States June 1995 (Shown at New York Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (opening night) June 1-11, 1995.)
Released in United States June 1995 (Shown at San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival June 9-18, 1995.)
Second film for Barry Shils who marked his feature directorial debut with "Motorama" (USA/1991).
Released in United States Summer June 9, 1995
Expanded Release in United States June 16, 1995
Expanded Release in United States June 23, 1995
Expanded Release in United States June 30, 1995
Released in United States September 1995 (Shown at Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival September 1-14, 1995.)
Released in United States November 1995 (Shown at Berlin International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival November 8-15, 1995.)
Released in United States November 1995 (Shown at IMAGE & NATION gaie et lesbienne: festival international de cinema et de video de Montreal November 2-12, 1995.)
Released in United States November 1995 (Shown at Verzaubert '95: 5th Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in Munich and Cologne, Germany November 19-29, 1995.)
