Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2019 – The Queens
The Queens explores the transgender subculture of competitive female impersonation.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Mark Saxenmeyer
Watch The Queens on Vimeo on demand
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
When I first moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1994, to take a job as a television news reporter (a job which I remained at until 2011), a co-worker suggested we head over to a club called The Baton after work and check out a show. I remember responding with something along the lines of “I don’t really like drag shows.” This new friend explained, “Oh, no, this isn’t drag. These are female impersonators, most of whom live their lives as women when they’re not on stage.” I was intrigued, and then I was immediately mesmerized once I watched an entire show at the club. There was an elegance and a mystique about the performers at The Baton that I had never seen anywhere else and, to this today, have still never seen anywhere else.
Over the years I reported and produced a couple of stories about The Baton or some of its performers, but it wasn’t until I left WFLD-TV that I really gave a lot of thought about doing something more in-depth with, and about, The Baton.
At the time, I thought we could create a kind of so-called “sizzle reel” showcasing the talent there and try to sell it like a reality television show. Most of The Baton cast was interested and so we made a mini-pilot, and we pitched it to several networks. There was plenty of interest but no one would actually commission it. Our sizzle reel was a semi-finalist in the New York Television Film Festival as well, but still no takers in terms of coughing up the money it would necessitate to proceed. At the same time, I met with half a dozen Hollywood honchos who would watch the reel and dismissively say things like, “Oh, this one is too fat” or “that one is too old” and “they can’t be in the show.” It was pretty disgusting and made me realize that reality TV isn’t where my heart and soul and future were meant to be.
All my years living and working in Chicago (18 in all), I had never been to a Miss Continental pageant. I’d heard of it, but it just didn’t interest me because, well, the Miss America and Miss Universe pageants didn’t really interest me either. After talking with Jim Flint (who opened The Baton in 1969, and who created Miss Continental in 1980), I realized that it would be insufficient to chronicle The Baton (where many of the regular entertainers were former Miss Continentals) without delving into the spectacle of Miss Continental.
In the spring of 2011, we filmed a Miss Continental Plus pageant (the Continental pageant for competitors who don’t wear a size 2 or 4 or 6, etc.) and I realized I’d truly been missing out on something special. I really had no idea how much time, energy and money these contestants put into winning this title. We later filmed the original Miss Continental pageant and one of our photographers basically said, “You know, THIS should be our focus.”
When people ask me what The Queens is about I initially tell them that it’s a revealing and truly fascinating look at the transgender subculture of competitive female impersonation. It’s much more than that, of course, as it delves into the personal lives of performers at both The Baton and those competing for the Miss Continental crown. I think that it appeals to both the LGBT community as well as straight folks. Each will take something quite different from it but hopefully, all audiences will find it both entertaining and enlightening. One of the ongoing threads in the film is the need to have a goal in life, and always be reaching for it, despite setbacks and disappointments.
Miss Continental is not something most people know about, or have even heard about. But for the entertainers vying for this crown, it is truly the dream of a lifetime. Their stories are both uplifting and, at times, heartbreaking.
Obviously, if not for Jim Flint there would be no Baton or Continental. He sat for several interviews with us and provided us access to the videos of every single Miss Continental pageant. (I watched almost every single second of almost every single pageant and I think I’m kind of a semi-expert now on all things Continental!) Jim provided a kind of oral history about the struggles and setbacks he has experienced keeping The Baton alive, vibrant and relevant, and how trying to bring Miss Continental to mainstream attention has eluded him. He’s a Chicago icon and legend, all by himself.
I should also point out that when we “workshopped” the first edit of The Queens with a group of primarily LGBT filmmakers in March of 2017, I was surprised by some of the reactions the film received from transgender activists. Despite the longevity and prestige of Miss Continental, there are those who think this pageant world is rather regressive and even offensive (just as many straight people think the same thing about Miss America, etc.). Because transgender awareness, understanding and acceptance have come a long way since we started work on this film in 2011, there are some trans activists who believe that The Baton and Miss Continental rules defining what being female is (or isn’t) are archaic and problematic, and that too many of these performers base their self-esteem or self-worth on the need to effectively convince straight America that they’re beautiful illusions of stereotypical female beauty.
We listened to the feedback and made some adjustments but in the end, we still chose to make a film that celebrates this pageant community as it is, as opposed to one that criticizes and condemns it. With that said, The Queens does indeed delve into the darker side of The Baton and Miss Continental’s history. As Mimi Marks (Miss Continental 1993 and a performer at The Baton for close to 25 years) says in the film, “I tell my family about how many people I know, how many people in this community, have died or been killed, and they just can’t believe it.”
People also asked why it’s taken so long to complete the documentary. I think there were some folks who appear in the film who had pretty much given up on The Reporters Inc. ever finishing it. Like many things in life, the answer, unfortunately, boils down to money (or lack thereof). We applied for several production grants but lost out; it’s a pretty competitive field when it comes to nonprofit journalism and independent film these days. This project has been a labor of love, with most crew members working for cheap, for free, or agreeing to be paid on the back end, if we end up being able to sell the film to a distributor or cable channel, for example. Most people don’t get into the nonprofit arena for the “profit” part of the word “nonprofit.” You have to truly love what you’re doing and for me, I truly love reporting, writing and filmmaking.
One interesting final note: if you’re a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’ll probably love The Queens. The film includes several cameo appearances from past "Drag Race" competitors who, prior to gaining national attention on TV, competed in Miss Continental. In addition, one of the performers who we closely follow in her quest for the pageant title is Naysha Lopez, who also appeared on Drag Race a couple of seasons ago. Naysha is one of the few Miss Continental competitors who is not transgender and, in The Queens, she talks about the conflict that sometimes occurs between transgender female impersonators and those who live their lives as men when they’re not performing.
We don’t get into this in the film, but Jim Flint did tell me that prior to creating Drag Race, RuPaul approached Jim and was interested in obtaining the rights to Miss Continental to turn it into a TV series or event. Jim told me that in the end, he had to say no because he simply didn’t want to relinquish control of his “baby.”
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Miss Continental is not something most people know about, or have even heard about. But for the entertainers vying for this crown, it is truly the dream of a lifetime. Their stories are both uplifting and, at times, heartbreaking.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I created the nonprofit journalistic production company (The Reporters Inc.) that produced this film because, during my TV news career, it became exhausting trying to get story ideas and subjects that I deemed to be important (but that were out of the mainstream) approved. The Reporters Inc.'s mission (and conversely, my mission) is to explore subject matter that is either underrepresented, misrepresented, avoided or ignored. We pursue topics that promote social awareness, encourage social justice and champion social change. More about our mission can be found on our website.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We've been accepted into ten film festivals and been written up by numerous media organizations.
My favorite review as by Lavender magazine; it reads, in part: “The art of female impersonation is reported on with gritty vibrancy, showbiz pizzazz, and erotic splendor in a new documentary titled The Queens…As we watch them meticulously prepare to perform and self-display in their dressing rooms, we witness artists in process with a purpose. They glory in the unfolding transformation and sometimes at great sacrifice and expense…This documentary entertains, informs, and ignites the imagination. The lines between male and female are sculpted into new forms.”
Links to all of our media write-ups, as well as info about the film festivals we've been in, or will be in, can be found here on our website.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
As I wrote in my answer to question one, some of the pushback by transgender activists was a bit surprising. (More above!)
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
All publicity is good publicity! We want people to know about the film and see the film! This has been a lonnnng journey and it will all be for naught if people can't see (and enjoy) the film!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are THISCLOSE to signing a contract with a major distributor. So, hopefully, that will pan out. We wanted to sign with a group that could handle both North American and worldwide rights. With that said, we'd love to have the filmed screened in more festivals and we'd definitely love more journalists to write about the film, and help spread the word!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I was inspired by Paris is Burning back in the early 1990s. For those who don't know, it explores the "ball" scene in New York City, in which a primarily LGBT group of people--who have been rejected by family and/or ostracized by society--band together to create their "chosen" families and perform their fantasies during these underground parties/dances/galas. I was in my early 20s at the time and I remember thinking, "Wow, I had no idea that world ever existed! I would love to make a film like this one day!" So, "The Queens" is kind of my version of "Paris." It takes viewers into a fascinating, undiscovered world that, like the balls of "Paris," most of them never knew existed.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
If one identifies as transgender, and is living one's life as a woman, is it still appropriate to perform as a female impersonator?
Would you like to add anything else?
Many of the performers in the film are willing to be interviewed as well. If you'd like me to put you in touch with them, please let me know.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
The Reporters Inc.'s next big project is a limited documentary series about wrongful convictions. All the details can be found on our website.
Interview: May 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The Queens
The Queens explores the transgender subculture of competitive female impersonation.
Length: 1:35:10
Director: Mark Saxenmeyer
Producer: The Reporters Inc.
Writer: Mark Saxenmeyer
About the writer, director and producer:
MARK SAXENMEYER reported and produced for ABC, FOX and CBS affiliates in Madison, Hartford, Sacramento, Minneapolis and, for 17 years, Chicago. In 2005, he created the nonprofit journalist production company, The Reporters Inc., in order to focus on long-form and in-depth reporting. Mark received national Emmy, Scripps Howard and Edward R. Murrow awards for his race-relations documentary. The Experiment in Black and White; the sequel, Experiment: Gay and Straight, was screened in 23 international film festivals. Mark's latest documentary, The Queens is being courted for both North American and worldwide distribution.
THE REPORTERS Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit journalistic production house. We’re dedicated to promoting social awareness, encouraging social change and championing social justice through powerful multimedia storytelling.
Key cast: Naysha Lopez, Tiffny T. Hunter, Sunny Dee-Lite, Jim Flint, Ginger Grant, Maya Douglas, Sheri Payne, Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington, Mimi Marks.
Looking for: sales agents, journalists, buyers, distributors, film festival directors
Facebook: The Queens
Twitter: @TheQueens2018
Hashtags used: #TheQueens
Other: YouTube
Made in association with: The Reporters Inc.
Funders: Self-funded and through individual donations
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Ramsgate (England) International Film & TV Festival June 13-16; Melbourne (Australia) Documentary Film Festival July 19-30, Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival (Los Angeles) June 15-16, 2019.
info@thereporters.org.