I loved the film...

I am so very happy to write to you, and to above all thank you, for a job Well Done with “Audience with the Queens”.

I was thrilled with the film!  You see I am already an avid fan of the 801 Girls… walking a thin line between #1 Fan and Stalker according to Gassy.  LOL

I have tried to spend time with them off stage, but they are very popular and busy as you know.  I love them all and it was just wonderful to see that you took the time to give everyone a glimpse into their lives as “people” not just drag queens.  And they are simply WONDERFUL!

Sushi is simply fabulous on stage but your film showed the side of her that most people have no clue about… the relatively quiet one who cares so deeply for others and adores her mother.  The one who will take friends “under her wing” and who works so hard to bring us all such wonderful entertainment and laughter.
And Sam!  I just love her!  Sam is completely genuine inside and out.  What you see is what you get.  She is a joy and her nervousness in the film showed us just how real she is.

Gugi, my Latina Loca and RV, Gassy and all the rest… are just wonderful people in an ugly world trying their best to make it beautiful, if only just for a little while at a time.

I was sad when it ended.  I felt like I was in a room with them and wanted it to go on and on.  I applaud your work!  Kudos!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Much love,

Marie Brilz

A very happy Viewer...Thanks !

Audience with the Queens, the film about the Drag Queens of Key West was one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. It was real, raw and took the viewers to a place where real life happens. I absolutely loved it! It made me want more, I now wanted to become a part of their journey. Hopefully there will be more from this amazing director Robbie Hopcraft. It was an amazing blend of emotions throughout and it shows just absolute true talent!

Cathleen E. Mann
Discovery Bay, CA

Drag Queen Film Accepted

http://www.examiner.com/x-12519-Florida-Keys-Travel-Examiner~y2010m5d18-Key-West-filmmaker-to-show-film-at-DocMiami-Film-Festival-May-29

                              “Audience with the Queens “

 An exciting and provocative film about the lives of Drag Queen Performers

 Key West, Florida–The documentary film, “Audience with the Queens,” features a diverse group of drag queens who perform at the 801 Cabaret Club on Duval St. in Key West, Florida. And when a straight guy like Robbie Hopcraft takes a look at the lives and experiences of drag queens, onstage and off, he comes up with an eye-opener that’s both informative and entertaining.                                                                                 

  This is Robbie Hopcraft’s first-ever entry into professional filmmaking. The film has recently been accepted into the Doc, Miami International Film Festival being held at the beautiful Doral Resort & Spa located at 4400 N.W. 87 Ave. Miami, Fl. The film festival runs from May 27-30 and the Drag Queen film, “Audience with the Queens”, screens on Sat. May 29^th at the Cypress Theatre.  All the film festival theatres are all located within the resort property..

   Hopcraft produced, directed, and did all the cinematography on the film. After spending hours in the editing room working to come up with the best scenes from many hours of film….he said: “I sat with my editor through every minute of every scene we put into the film and it’s very tedious work on a project where the story line developed as I filmed and became more familiar with the Drag Queens that are profiled in the film.  My editor didn’t know the final product I wanted, but by working side by side together over many long hours, he did a great job helping me put together the storyline.”

 Hopcraft says “Although I’ve lived in Key West for over 16 years, until I began filming on this project I didn’t really have much of an idea what Drag Queens were all about, but I sure do now,” he said. “I hope the film will give the audience a greater understanding and acceptance of what this fascinating genre is all about and what it’s like to be labeled ‘different’ by our society.”

Once he began filming he developed a relationship with the Drag Queens and then began to gain their trust, only then was Hopcraft allowed into the inner sanctum—the back-stage dressing room—where everyone is transformed into each Drag Queen’s unique personae.

“I was very careful at first because I didn’t know  where my limits were on the questions I wanted to ask, so I took things slowly and got to know them as individuals”. “The more I found out about them and what they were all about, the more I grew to like them and that’s when I became convinced that this story needed to be told. I met a few of their moms as well, and interviewed them too. It’s been a great  experience for me and we just seemed to get along well right from the start” Hopcraft said.

 Hopcraft’s film production company, Key West Unplugged, www.keywestunplugged.com is based in Key West, Florida.

 For more information on the Drag Queen film go to www.audiencewiththequeens.com or www.keywestdragqueens.com

Three Days of Film and Hope

 And to learn more about the upcoming Doc Miami Film Festival and schedule, go to the festival website at: http://www.docmiami.org

By Margaret Eby

If GLAAD has anything to do with it, you’re not going to see Israel Luna’s horror flick “Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives” at the Tribeca Film Festival this year. The LGBT advocacy organization issued a call to action today, demanding that the movie be pulled from the festival’s lineup. The reason for the hullabaloo? Well, the film, intended as a campy send-up of 1970s B-movies, shows a squadron of transgender women gruesomely attacked by a group of men. The survivors of the beating then vow revenge, going after their would-be murderers with baseball bats and, one assumes, knives. In its call to arms, GLADD accuses ”Ticked-Off Trannies” of conflating transgender women with drag queens and using “exploitative depictions of violence against transgender women in ways that make light of the horrific brutality they all too often face.” 

Lest anyone assume otherwise, violence against transgender folks is a serious issue. Clearly, no one should encourage the kind of senseless brutality that transgender people face every day. In real life, that stuff is far from funny. Luna’s film, however, operates far from the realm of real life. In an interview with Queerty, Luna, a gay director himself, explained that the movie is essentially an elaborate revenge fantasy, a way of fighting back against the victimization of the LGBT community. “Whenever I hear people saying ‘Fight hate with love’ and ‘Love the bashers’ I’m like ‘No, fuck that. Let’s go get the bats and bash them back,” Luna said. It’s a controversial point of view, and “Ticked-off Trannies” is the director’s Tarantino-esque enactment of it, a world where transgender women aren’t prey to homophobic slashers so much as badass vigilantes. It’s no more real than the idea of a “good” serial killer or a roving band of Nazi-killers.

Which isn’t to say that makes this world compelling — unlike the GLAAD representatives, I haven’t seen more than the trailer (posted below), which didn’t exactly make “Ticked-Off Trannies” look like Fellini. Still, it seems like much of GLAAD’s protest stems from their judgment that they just didn’t think the movie was that good: “Humour can be used to challenge and subvert, but this movie fails on both counts.” I’m not sure that there are many good reasons for banning a film, but I can tell you this: not finding it funny isn’t one.  

 Here in Key West, Florida some of the local drag queens have had hate spewed at them before. RV Beaumont had a man chase her with a knife. Destiny was in a street with some teens that harassed her and called her vile names…It happens, It’s sad, but it happens. One of the issues the film about drag queens, “Audience with the Queens” , is trying to bring out in the open is that drag queens are like other humans in society, they hurt, they cry, they bleed, the laugh, oh do they laugh, and they love.  Yes, they are a bit different on the outside but on the inside there just like the rest of us… The film’s portrayal of them gives more understanding to a genre of society that has been very much misunderstood and discriminated against by most of society. Get the film and see for yourself….it’s really entertaining !!

RuPaul ...role model ...not !

Ru Paul a Questionable Black Role Model?
By Advocate.com Editors

The principal of a South Los Angeles elementary school is apologizing to parents for allowing students to carry photos of RuPaul, O.J. Simpson and Dennis Rodman in a parade celebrating Black History Month.

“Unfortunately, questionable decisions were made in the selection of noteworthy African-American role models,” Lorraine Abner wrote Thursday in a letter sent to parents of students at Wadsworth Avenue Elementary School. “As the principal, I offer my apology for these errors in judgment.”

The photos of RuPaul, Simpson and Rodman were mixed in and among pictures if more traditional role models including President Barack Obama and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
 
Three teachers were suspended for three days without pay and are now on paid administrative leave while the Los Angeles Unified School District investigates the incident, district spokeswoman Gayle Pollard-Terry told The Los Angeles Times. The teachers, all men, have first, second and fourth grade classes

Simpson is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence for robbery and kidnapping in Nevada. In 1995, he was acquitted of killing his ex-wife and her friend. RuPaul is a drag queen and host of RuPaul’s Drag Race while Rodman has gained notoriety for his bad boy behavior.
 
The district is investigating “why the teachers believed these were appropriate instructional choices for first-, second- and fourth-graders,” Pollard-Terry said, She said the principal did not approve the list and is trying to figure out who did.

          ………………………………….

Comments by Robbie Hopcraft

I just couldn’t pass this one up. You have got to be kidding me!!  What is wrong with these teachers? Are they smoking crack or something else?  These three are definitely part of black history, but if the lesson was on role models, well, someone really blew it here!! I mean drag queens are not the best of role models to be using as examples for our kids. I think Ru Paul is great as a drag queen and she or he may be a wonderful person, but I just can’t see the logic in holding up a drag queen as a role model.  whoaaaa is me !!

Gassy, Sushi, Samantha and Robbie (the director)

Come see an eye opening, fun and entertaining film about the lives and experiences of a very diverse group of Drag Queen performers in Key West, Florida.

This documentary film goes into the world of drag queens and brings to the audience insight into what drag queens are all about.  The film gives real perspective into the personalities behind the drag queen persona.

The drama behind their stories will draw the audience in and make them want to know these talented and creative men who men who dress up in woman’s clothing and perform.  The film makes the viewer aware of different lifestyles that make up our society and allows for a greater sense of understanding, compassion and acceptance of others who are quite different that most of us.

not just for drag queens anymore

Androgynous, edgy and sometimes masculine women’s footwear by Balenciaga, Rodarte and Alexander Wang is most popular among drag queen and male fashionistos. Montreal fashion editor Cary Tauben attended Jeremy Laing’s New York presentation in a pair of heels from Topshop and has considered buying a pair of thigh-high Rodarte boots. (The only time he lowers himself to wear flats is on airplanes.)

Many men, drag queens  and otherwise,  wear heels because they make him feel taller, fiercer, and all men including drag queens love to stand out “above” the crowd, plus it goes with giving the “look up to me”  attitude –  I can go out and look tall so I will get noticed.

Stores like Fluevog and Chasse Gardée, both in Toronto on Queen Street West, routinely sell (and sell out of) heels for men. Canadian designer Rad Hourani trotted male models down the runway in an open-toe boot with socks in his fall show.

While we don’t expect to see the look on Bay Streeters (many of whom have only recently discovered that pleated pants are out) any time soon, the Toronto fashion week pack may be a whole lot taller this season.

I received my copy of “Audience with the Queens” yesterday and
immediately put it in my DVR. I’ve been so excited to see the movie
since I read about it online. You see, I’ve seen the 801 girls at
least a dozen times and have always wondered about who they were
behind the make-up, wigs and stilettos.

Sushi and the Girls making their gran entry at the Film Premiere

I have a group of friends that gather in Key West every year for a
“girls only” week of silly, lazy, drunk fun. The usual Key West
debauchery. We go at the beginning of October when crowds are at a
minimum, but the weather is still warm enough to enjoy an afternoon
lounging on the beach. Our first year we literally stumbled into The
801 for the 11:00 Saturday Sex Show. After I ended up lying on my
back onstage with my feet in the air, we were hooked. Devoted fans!
We’ve been back to see a show every year since and the girls are
always entertaining, hilarious and a true highlight of our trip!

When I discovered that you were doing a documentary about Sushi and
the girls, I called all my “October Girls” and we started watching the
clips on your web site. Then we saw it….the most amazing thing!
We’re all in your film as audience members!! In the scene where
Sushi is singing “Falling in Love” we are in the audience sitting
stage right. We’ll collect our royalty checks in October when we
visit again!

Your documentary was fun, entertaining and really provided a great
peek into the life of some very talented, interesting and intelligent
performers. Since my first 801 show, it’s been on my “bucket list” to
see the girls get ready backstage before a performance. You provided
me a little glimpse of that dream and I thank you! Of course it goes
without saying that if you ever need audience members for upcoming
films of the girls, you can count on us to be there each and every
October!

The “October Girls” are planning a movie premiere of our own and will
screen “Audience with the Queens” to all of our suburban,
heterosexual, soccer mom friends in our small Texas town very soon.
We figure everyone needs a little Sushi in their life!

Best of luck as you move forward with your film screenings. You
deserve many accolades for making this film, and for taking the
mystery out of the make up.

Best regards,
Jennifer Cox
Trophy Club, TX

Ready for the Tropic Cinema Premiere

guys/girls. Your film is enlightening, fun, sad entertaining and heart felt…..would love to see and learn more about the 801 Girls! Wishing all of you great success!”

Denise Black
Bristol, R.I.