Wigstock: The Movie

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Wigstock: The Movie
Directed by	Barry Shils
Music by	Robert Reale
Editing by	Tod Scott Brody
Distributed by	Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release date(s)	June 9, 1995
Running time	85 minutes
Country	USA
Language	English
IMDb profile

Wigstock: The Movie is a 1995 documentary film focusing on Wigstock, the annual drag music festival that had been held New York City's East Village through the 1980s and 1990s. The film presents a number of performances from the 1994 festival, including Crystal Waters, Deee-Lite, Jackie Beat, Leigh Bowery, Joey Arias and the Dueling Bankheads. The film also captures a performance by RuPaul at the height of his mainstream fame.

Wigstock: The Movie also goes behind the scenes, examining the rehearsal process of a number of the performers including Lypsinka and the "Wigstock Dancers." Members of the crew assembling the stage and attendees are interviewed about their experiences at the festival and some of the performers give interviews about the importance of drag and transgressive gender expression in their lives. One memorable moment features Wigstock Mistress of Ceremonies Lady Bunny on the telephone with a city representative inquiring about the possibility of placing a wig on the Statue of Liberty.

[edit] DVD release

Wigstock: The Movie was released on Region 1 DVD on June 30, 2003.

[edit] 1987 film

In 1987, filmmaker Tom Rubnitz lensed a 20-minute documentary, also called Wigstock: The Movie. The short played the gay and lesbian film festival circuit in 1998.