Lesbian Space Princess awarded $10k in completion funds by Queer Screen

Lesbian Space Princess wins $10k from Queer Screen ahead of its world premiere in Berlin.
Still from Lesbian Space Princess. Image: We Made a Thing Studios

Queer Screen has awarded the full $10,000 from this year’s Completion Fund to the animated feature film Lesbian Space Princess. The announcement was made at the program launch for Queer Screen’s 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival, held at the State Library of NSW.

The low-budget film, which follows an introverted space princess on an intergalactic mission to save her ex-girlfriend from the Straight White Maliens, was the unanimous choice of the three-person jury. The grant will support the final stages of the film’s completion ahead of its world premiere at the 75th Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) next month.

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Jury spokesperson Sarah L. Walker, writer and director of The Twelve and The Secrets She Keeps, described Lesbian Space Princess as a standout project.

‘I see Lesbian Space Princess as a perfectly timed and beautifully executed adventure into contemporary romance,’ she said. ‘It’s funny, clever and broadly relatable: even the villains were drawn with humour and compassion.’

Co-writer, co-director, and co-producer Leela Varghese accepted the grant, expressing gratitude for the support. ‘Thank you so, so much, Queer Screen, for helping us get our project out into the world,’ she said. ‘Queer Screen is so important to the LGBTQIA+ screen community, and we’re truly over the moon to have their support for Lesbian Space Princess.’

The belief in our project means so much to us, and we are so grateful to have an organisation that helps amplify queer voices.’

Leela Varghese With Her Winning Cheque At The Mgff25 Program Launch - Media Wall Image Supplied.
Leela Varghese with her winning cheque at the MGFF25 Program Launch – Media Wall image supplied.

Lesbian Space Princess was developed by Varghese, alongside co-writer, co-director, and co-producer Emma Hough Hobbs and producer Tom Phillips, as part of the South Australian Film Corporation’s Film Lab: New Voices initiative.

The film features a cast including Shabana Azeez (The Pitt), Bernie Van-Tiel (Class of ‘07), Gemma Chua-Tran (Heartbreak High), Richard Roxburgh (Rake), Kween Kong (RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under), Madeleine Sami (Deadloch), and comedians Jordan Raskopolous, Demi Lardner, Reuben Kaye, and Aunty Donna (Mark Bonanno, Broden Kelly, and Zachary Ruane).

The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) showcased Lesbian Space Princess at the 2024 Cannes Marché du Film and screened work-in-progress previews during the festival, where it won the AFF Feature Film Audience Award. At Berlinale, the film will compete for the Panorama Audience Award for international selections and the Teddy Award for LGBTQIA+ films.

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The Completion Fund jury, which also included producer and Bonsai Films owner Jonathan Page (Of an AgeHe Ain’t Heavy) and producer Sophia Zachariou (The Office AustraliaLadies in Black), wished the Lesbian Space Princess team success at its world premiere.

For more information on Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival and supported projects, visit queerscreen.org.au.

Silvi Vann-Wall is a journalist, podcaster, and filmmaker. They joined ScreenHub as Film Content Lead in 2022. Twitter: @SilviReports