The 40th edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival (18–29 March 2026) will open with the World Premiere. The opening film is Jennifer Kroot’s riotous documentary HUNKY JESUS. This event will take place on Wednesday 18 March at BFI Southbank. The feature-length film dives into San Francisco’s infamous Easter Sunday tradition “Hunky Jesus.” It brings its blend of irreverence, community, and radical joy to London as the festival’s curtain-raiser.
A legendary queer Easter: what is Hunky Jesus?
HUNKY JESUS explores a wildly popular annual event. This event is hosted in San Francisco by the iconic drag and activist collective The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The Easter Sunday celebration is a defiant act of visibility and play. In this event, community, performance, and satire collide in the face of exclusion and repression. Hosted by SPI legend Sister Roma and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Honey Mahogany, the film showcases burlesque and drag performances. It features themed contests and outrageous looks. These elements mix parody, celebration, and sharp social commentary. They champion LGBTQ+ visibility, inclusivity, and religious send-up.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence: activism in drag
For over forty years, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have been a San Francisco institution. They use performance, spectacle, and humour as tools of resistance. They also focus on providing care. Their distinctive presence includes non-traditional nun’s habits and elaborate mask-like makeup. They present boldly individual personas. This challenges norms around gender, sexuality, and respectability. More than an aesthetic, their work is rooted in social justice. They confront oppressive systems. This is especially true in religious and conservative contexts. They advocate for those pushed to the margins.
Saints, satire and social justice
Beyond their stage, the Sisters have spent years honouring people who serve the community. They do this by “ordaining” them as saints. Among these individuals are Harvey Milk, Derek Jarman, George Takei and Rosie O’Donnell. Through these symbolic gestures and their ongoing activism, they question entrenched power structures and invite audiences to re-examine long-held prejudices. HUNKY JESUS captures this layered legacy. It shows how a seemingly playful Easter pageant becomes a powerful lens on faith. It also explores shame, pride, and the politics of joy.
Credits and festival team
HUNKY JESUS is produced by Jennifer Kroot, Brian Benson, Gerry Kim and Robert Holgate. The 2026 BFI Flare programming team includes Grace Barber-Plentie, Diana Cipriano, Zorian Clayton, Jaye Hudson, Darren Jones and Wema Mumma. They bring together this year’s selection of queer cinema and events.
Voices from BFI Flare
The BFI Flare Programmers said:
“We are delighted to open the 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival with the world premiere of HUNKY JESUS by Jennifer Kroot, a dazzling exploration of the legacy of the San Francisco chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and their legendary annual Easter pageant, the Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary Contest. With humour, joy, and irreverence, the Sisters challenge guilt, shame and exclusion while serving their communities and remind us all that spirituality can be fierce, fabulous, and fun.”
Jennifer Kroot on premiering in London
Director Jennifer Kroot said:
“I’m thrilled to premiere HUNKY JESUS as the opening night film of the 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival! I can’t wait to introduce Londoners to San Francisco’s legendary Easter Sunday tradition, hosted by the iconic Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. What a delight to export a little irreverence (and A LOT OF JOY) from the U.S., tariff free!”
BFI Flare at 40: a landmark queer film festival
BFI Flare is the UK’s largest queer film event, showcasing the best of contemporary LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the world alongside archive titles, talks and special events. One of the longest-running LGBTQIA+ film festivals globally, it celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026. Over the years, its Opening Night selections have included Andrew Ahn’s THE WEDDING BANQUET, Amrou Al-Kadhi’s LAYLA, Derek Jarman’s WITTGENSTEIN, Patrik-Ian Polk’s PUNKS, Alek Keshishian’s LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS and Justin Kelly’s JT LEROY, cementing its reputation as a key platform for queer storytelling.
Dates and programme announcement
The full programme for BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival will be revealed on Tuesday 17 February at 11am. It will detail this year’s line-up of features, shorts, talks, and special events. The 40th edition of BFI Flare runs from 18–29 March 2026 at BFI Southbank, turning London’s South Bank into a hub for queer cinema, community and celebration.
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