The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 30 years on

Big Ideas

Back in 1994, it was a pretty wild pitch for a movie: a troupe of drag queens road tripping across the Australian outback, in a lavender bus named Priscilla. But The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, put the Australian film industry on the global map, and these days it's become an icon of Australian cinema.

This event was recorded on 11 September, 2024, at the Capitol Theatre, RMIT University, as part of Social Sciences Week.

Speakers

Rebel Penfold-Russell Executive Producer, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Tim Chappel Costume designer, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Academy Award for best costume along with Lizzy Gardiner)

Cerise Howard Program Director, Melbourne Queer Film Festival

Kristy Kokegei History Trust of South Australia

Stephen Gaunson (host) Senior lecturer in Cinema Studies at RMIT University

Further information

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at 30: more important, enjoyable and vital than ever - by Stephen Gaunson, The Conversation, 5 September 2024

Donate to the Save the Queen campaign - History Trust of South Australia