About: Queen Tut follows Egyptian teenager Nabal (Ryan Ali), who, after losing his mother, leaves Cairo to live with his father in Toronto. Parachuted into the underground queer nightlife, he confronts his mother’s death by taking up the ways of drag and becoming Queen Tut under the guidance of his trans drag mother Malibu (Alexandra Billings, “Transparent” Amazon series).
I am pleasantly surprised by this film, which could have been weighed down by family drama and immigration issues. It is not. Nabal arrives in Toronto and appears ready to explore the city and residents other than his father’s corporate world and church. He does reminisce about his mother and her dreams of fashion design after leaving her husband when he was a young boy. He lovingly reviews the pages of a book of memories and has flashbacks to his childhood, loving the fabrics and her creativity. When Nabal meets Malibu on the street as she campaigns to save her place from gentrification and demolition, they build a friendship that helps lead him on a journey he may not have known he would/could pursue. The script is very good, and the cast performances are great, especially from Ryan Ali (“SkyMed” Paramount+/CBC, The Hummingbird Project). His role as Nabal appears very natural and authentic. All his scenes with the other cast members were good (Billings), and Dani Jazzar (“What We Do in the Shadows” TV series) as his father, Iskander.
Directed by Reem Morsi from a script written by Abdul Malik, Bryan Mark, and Kaveh Mohebbi, Queen Tut stars trans icon Alexandra Billings, Ryan Ali, Kiriana Stanton, Selena Vyle, Thom Allison
Edited by Ben Lee Allan; cinematography by Issa Shah (excellently captures the emotional and humorous exchanges between the characters, the glamorous costumes, and the artistry of sewing).
Music by Saud Bushnaq, a multi-award-winning film and concert music composer, provided fabulous music for many scenes and is deserving of the Canadian Screen Award for the Original Score.
LGBTQIA+ feature Queen Tut held its World Premiere at Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival went on to screen at OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Miami, Out on Film Atlanta, the Way Out West Film Festival, and the Desperado LGBTQ+ Film Festival. It was nominated for multiple awards at the prestigious Canadian Screen Awards, including Performance in a Leading Role, Comedy, and Achievement in Music for Original Song. Shot in the heart of Toronto’s Gay Village, this is the North American release. Canada I 91 minutes.
Lindsay Blair Goeldner and Shant Joshi produce the film. Alexandra Billings is an executive producer alongside Sonya Di Rienzo, Aeschylus Poulos, and Ingrid Veninger. Abdul Malik and Lauren Saarimaki are co-producers.
Source: Cinephobia Releasing