DEAR DORIS tells the outlandish behind-the-scenes tale of queer cult classic Vegas in Space while framing the timely tour de force that was Doris Fish’s life. An unsung innovator, drag icon, and sex worker – her story has too often been lost in more monolithic representations of the gay arts scene and AIDS-era San Francisco. Decades after his death, his colorful friends, campy Vegas In Space collaborators, and troves of rare archival films finally come together with stunning animation for Doris to reclaim centerstage where she ruled until her untimely death in 1991.

A rollercoaster of camp, explosive creativity, and Doris’s work as an activist in a time when drag queens occupied the lowest caste in LGBTQ society. Beginning in 1975 when Doris jets from her suburban hometown of Manly Vale, Australia to San Francisco on holiday and instantly falls for the free love and over the top American culture. This ode to Doris culminates at 2023 Pride in Sydney where Doris's siblings and community gather and a recreation of Doris's unforgettable Pink Cadillac rolls through the Mardi Gras parade in a final coup de grâce for a forever queen.

Collectively, the film weaves an unapologetic, intergenerational conversation that celebrates the power of drag and creates a safe and affirming space for the queer community, sex workers, and their allies.

Despite undeniable victories for LGBTQia+ rights since Doris’s life was cut short by HIV/AIDS, anti-LGBTQ bills are being enshrined into law at alarming rates, making this entry into the queer archives more critical than ever before.

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