An award-winning Australian lesbian-themed animated comedy will hit cinemas in September, giving local audiences their first taste of an inter-gay-lactic adventure.
Lesbian Space Princess features an all-star voice cast, with Shabana Azeez (The Pitt, Birdeater) as introverted Princess Saira and Bernie Van Tiel (Class of ’07) as her ex-girlfriend Kiki.
What is the movie Lesbian Space Princess about?
The story follows Saira as she's thrust into a wild mission across the galaxy to rescue Kiki from a group of deluded incels – the Straight White Maliens.
Joining the cast are Gemma Chua-Tran (Heartbreak High, Ladies in Black) as Willow and Richard Roxburgh (Prosper, Rake) as King X.
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A screengrab featuring Princess Saira and Willow in Lesbian Space Princess’ trailer. -
A screengrab of Princess Saira and her ex-girlfriend Kiki from Lesbian Space Princess’ trailer. -
A screengrab of Princess Saira and her ex-girlfriend Kiki from Lesbian Space Princess’ trailer. -
Comedy trio Aunty Donna (Aunty Donna’s Coffee Cafe) as the Straight White Maliens.
Also lending their voices are Kween Kong (RuPaul’s Drag Race Australia) as Blade, Madeleine Sami (Deadloch, The Breaker Upperers) as Queen Anne, Jordan Raskopoulos (of comedy rock group Axis of Awesome) as Queen Leanne, and comedy trio Aunty Donna (Aunty Donna’s Coffee Cafe) as the Straight White Maliens, among others.
The film was created by first-time filmmakers Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese and was green-lit in 2021 as part of an Adelaide Film Festival initiative.
It debuted in 2024 as one of five local projects showcased at the Cannes Marché du Film – the industry market held alongside the prestigious Cannes Film Festival where films are pitched and promoted to global distributors.
Producer Tom Phillips said bringing the film to life had been a thrill, with audience reception nothing short of amazing.
"It's wacky, wild, incredibly funny but always kept a wonderful sense of heart," he said. "Now to see it landing with audiences around the world means so much and [I'm] just so incredibly proud of the entire team that helped make it all happen."
Since its debut, Lesbian Space Princess has screened at film festivals worldwide and in Australia, winning the Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Lesbian Space Princess release date
Local audiences will be able to see it when it opens on September 11 in more than 30 cinemas nationally (except in the NT) via Umbrella Entertainment, an Australian-owned and operated distributor of filmed entertainment
"We are proud to support a film that gives emerging Australian animation talent room to shine," said Ari Harrison, Umbrella Entertainment's general manager of Australia and New Zealand distribution.
"We never imagined the response from international audiences would be so warm, and we can't wait to share that excitement with cinema-goers in Australia and New Zealand."
In NSW, screenings will be held at Dendy Newtown, Event George Street, Event Bondi Junction, Event Macquarie in North Ryde, Ritz Cinemas in Randwick and the Golden Age Cinema & Bar in Surry Hills.
For the directors, Emma and Leela, the homecoming means sharing the work with the audience that matters most to them.
"This film is an all-Australian, proudly queer home-grown production with an amazing local team and cast," they said. "We hope Australians enjoy the hard work of everyone and have fun with it."
Where to watch Lesbian Space Princess in Australia
| Cameo Cinemas Belgrave | Belgrave | VIC |
| Cinema Nova | Carlton | VIC |
| Dendy Canberra | Canberra | ACT |
| Dendy Coorparoo | Coorparoo | QLD |
| Dendy Newtown | Newtown | NSW |
| Event Bondi Junction | Bondi Junction | NSW |
| Event Chermside Megaplex | Chermside | QLD |
| Event George Street Cinemas | Sydney | NSW |
| Event Macquarie | North Ryde | NSW |
| Event Marion | Morphetville | SA |
| Event Mt Gravatt Garden City | Mount Gravatt | QLD |
| FOMO Cinemas | East Brunswick | VIC |
| Golden Age Cinema & Bar | Surry Hills | NSW |
| Lido Cinemas | Hawthorn | VIC |
| Luna Cinemas Leederville | Leederville | WA |
| Ritz Cinema | Randwick | NSW |
| Village Airport West | Airport West | VIC |
| Village Bendigo | Bendigo | VIC |
| Village Eastlands | Rosny Park | TAS |
| Village Geelong | Geelong | VIC |
| Village Knox | Wantirna South | VIC |
| Village M-City | Clayton | VIC |
| Village Morwell | Morwell | VIC |
| Village Southland | Cheltenham | VIC |
| Village Sunshine Megaplex | Sunshine | VIC |
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: [email protected]
