World premiere of Hunky Jesus to open 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival

The 40th edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival (18 to 29 March) today announces Jennifer Kroot’s riotous documentary Hunky Jesus as its Opening Night film. The world premiere takes place on Wednesday 18 March at BFI Southbank.

Hunky Jesus is a feature-length documentary that tells the story of the wildly popular, annual Easter Sunday tradition in San Francisco known as Hunky Jesus. Hosted by the legendary drag and activist group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the event is a defiant expression of community, performance, and radical joy in the face of exclusion and repression. Hosted by SPI icon Sister Roma and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Honey Mahogany, Hunky Jesus showcases a series of burlesque and drag performances as well as themed contests that are a mix of satire, celebration, and social commentary, promoting LGBTQ+ visibility, inclusivity, and religious parody.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have been a San Francisco institution for more than four decades, leaving an indelible mark on the community through their presence and performance activism. By promoting tolerance and advocating for the marginalised, they challenge societal norms with their distinctive style: donning non-traditional nun’s habits and painting their faces with elaborate, mask-like makeup. Through their unique flair and individuality, they subvert expectations and push the boundaries of gender and sexuality.

Beyond their striking aesthetic, the Sisters have been at the forefront of social justice activism, confronting oppressive systems and ideologies that perpetuate discrimination, particularly within religious and conservative circles. Over the years, the Sisters have ordained hundreds of people as saints who have served the greater community including Harvey Milk, Derek Jarman, George Takei and Rosie O’Donnell. By questioning societal norms and critiquing entrenched power structures, they have sparked dialogue and prompted a critical reexamination of long-held beliefs and prejudices.

Hunky Jesus is produced by Jennifer Kroot, Brian Benson, Gerry Kim and Robert Holgate.

The BFI Flare 2025 Programming team are Grace Barber-Plentie, Diana Cipriano, Zorian Clayton, Jaye Hudson, Darren Jones and Wema Mumma.

BFI Flare programmers said: “We are delighted to open the 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival with the world premiere of Hunky Jesus by Jennifer Kroots, a dazzling exploration of the legacy of the San Francisco chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and their legendary annual Easter pageant, the Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary Contest. With humour, joy, and irreverence, the Sisters challenge guilt, shame and exclusion while serving their communities and remind us all that spirituality can be fierce, fabulous, and fun.”

Jennifer Kroot, the Hunky Jesus director, said: “I’m thrilled to premiere Hunky Jesus as the opening night film of the 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival! I can’t wait to introduce Londoners to San Francisco’s legendary Easter Sunday tradition, hosted by the iconic Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. What a delight to export a little irreverence (and A LOT OF JOY) from the US, tariff free!”

BFI Flare is the UK’s largest queer film event, screening the best in contemporary LGBTQIA+ cinema from across the globe, in addition to a rich selection of events and archive titles. One of the longest running LGBTQIA+ film festivals in the world, BFI Flare is delighted to celebrate its 40th Anniversary this year. Opening Night titles of previous festival editions include Andrew Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet, Amrou Al-Kadhi‘s Layla, Derek Jarman’s Wittgenstein, Patrik-Ian Polk’s Punks, Alek Keshishian’s Love and Other Disasters and Justin Kelly’s JT Leroy.

The full programme for BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival will be revealed on Tuesday 17 February at 11am.

The 40th edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival runs from 18 to 29 March 2026 at BFI Southbank.