The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Directed by

Stephan Elliott

Genre

buddy film, comedy drama, road movie, LGBTQ-related film, transgender film

Country

Australia

Runtime

1h 44m

Rated

R

Rating

7.3 of 10 from 924 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Two drag queens and a transgender woman drive a bus named Priscilla across the Australian Outback. They meet different people along the way and deal with both funny and serious moments.

campyfunnyheartwarminglightheartedcolorfulupbeatoddball

What happens

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens (played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce) and a transgender woman (Terence Stamp), as they journey across the Australian Outback on a tour bus named Priscilla, along the way encountering various groups and individuals. The film was based upon the lives of three actual drag queens—Cindy Pastel, Strykermeyer, and Lady Bump—who were to play themselves but were later replaced with what the studio considered "bankable" actors. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert premiered at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, in the Un Certain Regard section. Upon its wide release, it became a surprise worldwide hit and its positive portrayal of LGBT individuals helped to introduce queer themes to a mainstream audience. It received predominantly positive reviews and won Best Costume Design at the 67th Academy Awards. The film is one of only three films set in contemporary times to win the award for Best Costume Design. It became a cult classic both in Australia and abroad. The film provided the basis for a musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which opened in 2006 in Sydney. A sequel, Priscilla Queen of the Desert 2, is, as of 2025, in the process of preparing to be filmed. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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