I’M YOUR VENUS — A Legacy Reclaimed. A Family Reunited. A Mystery Reopened.

Venus Xtravaganza was radiant, defiant, unforgettable - a trans trailblazer immortalized in the iconic 1991 documentary Paris Is Burning. But before the film’s release made her a global symbol of trans beauty and resilience, Venus was murdered in a New York hotel room at just 23. Her killer was never found.

Decades later, her story isn’t over.

In I’M YOUR VENUS, director Kimberly Reed picks up a long-cold trail, weaving together two families - Venus’ estranged biological relatives and her chosen Ballroom family, the legendary House of Xtravaganza - on a shared journey for truth, reconciliation, and justice.

As the Pellagatti family pressures police to reopen the case, they come face-to-face with the world Venus inhabited after leaving home: one of pageantry, power, survival, and fierce queer love. Guided by House Mother Gisele Xtravaganza and Executive Producer Dominique Jackson (POSE), the film honours Venus not just as a tragic icon, but as a daughter, sister, aunt, and muse whose life and dreams still ripple across generations.

Featuring rare archival footage, vérité family moments, and intimate reflections from those who loved her, I’M YOUR VENUS is a stirring portrait of legacy, loss, and what it means to be truly seen — then and now.

“I want a car. I want to be with the man I love . . .
I want a nice home away from New York..
I want to get married in church in white . . .
I want to be a professional model behind cameras.
I want this. This is what I want and I’m going to go for it.”
-- Venus Xtravaganza, from Paris Is Burning

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I'm Your Venus, 2024, 85min, documentary
Unclassified 15+

About: Venus Xtravaganza emerged as a global trans icon after being featured as a glamorous “ball walker” in the groundbreaking 1991 documentary Paris Is Burning. Venus was murdered before that film’s release, and now, decades later, I’M YOUR VENUS picks up a trail gone cold as her two families - biological and ballroom - come together to honour her legacy, seek answers about her killing, and in the process find unexpected common ground

Director Kimberly Reed

Cast Gisele Alicea, Daniella Carter, Gia Marie Love

Producers Steven Cantor, Jamie Schutz, Mike Stafford

Full characters and production

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Event Details:

Event: I'm Your Venus screening
Date: Thursday 29 May, 2025
Time: 7.30pm
Location: Seventh Gallery, indoor screening.

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Content warnings:

I’M YOUR VENUS contains sensitive material that may be distressing to some viewers. The film includes discussion of transphobia, hate crimes, family estrangement, murder, and unresolved trauma, as well as archival footage referencing violence against transgender people. It also explores the historical and ongoing marginalization of LGBTQIA+ communities, particularly trans women of colour. Viewer discretion is advised.

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SHIFT: A Queer Symposia

This project is the final event of SHIFT: A Queer Symposia, a series of events at Seventh Gallery to create a space for discourse, exchange, & solidarity within the LGBTIQA+ community.

At a time when transgender rights - and the broader LGBTQIA+ community - are facing mounting threats, particularly amid the alarming rollback of trans rights in the United States. We have chosen to screen I’M YOUR VENUS because it honours the life and legacy of Venus Xtravaganza and confronts the ongoing realities of transphobia, violence, and erasure.

By showing this film, we affirm our commitment to amplifying trans voices, resisting marginalisation, and fostering a future where all queer people can live safely, visibly, and with dignity.

SHIFT is supported by the Victorian Government.