HUNKY JESUS
For 45 years, the San Francisco-based Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have wielded humor, shock value, and radical joy as tools of resistance. The Sisters’ annual Easter celebration, Hunky Jesus, is as subversive, controversial, and fun as it sounds.
Description
NewFest is committed to making its programming more accessible to our community. This is an accessible screening with Open Captions and ASL Interpretation provided by Front Row Films for the Intro and Q+A portion of this program.
New York City Premiere
Every Easter Sunday, San Francisco’s Hunky Jesus celebration brings together drag, burlesque, and religious parody in a defiant expression of community joy. Hosted by legendary drag and activist group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the wildly popular event turns satire and spectacle into a rallying point for LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
HUNKY JESUS follows the 2023 event while tracing the history of the Sisters, a San Francisco institution for more than four decades. Through event footage and firsthand testimonials from current and former members, as well as Catholic laity and clergy, the documentary takes a close look at how the Sisters use performance and humor to challenge religious and social norms—and what that means at a time of rising anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A.
Part of the 38th Annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Director
Jennifer M. Kroot
Producer
Brian Benson, Jennifer M. Kroot, Gerry Kim, Christine Yoo
Cast
George Takei, Sister Roma, Honey Mahogany
Cinematographer
Frazer Bradshaw, Jason Joseffer
Editing
Alex Albers, Bill Weber
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