Following its world premiere as the opening night film of the 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Jennifer M. Kroot’s vibrant and uplifting Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence documentary, Hunky Jesus, recently received its East Coast premiere at the 28th annual Provincetown Film Festival. Next it will return to its spiritual home of San Francisco, the birthplace of the Sisters, for the official Pride Kickoff film of the 50th anniversary Frameline on Friday, June 26th at the city’s iconic Castro Theatre.
Hunky Jesus dynamically captures San Francisco’s legendary eponymous Easter celebration which has been running since 1995 and is staged by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an order of queer and trans nuns who have spent more than four decades blending drag, performance activism and their irreverent wit to fight for social justice and equality. The event, hosted by Sister Roma and Drag Race alum Honey Mahogany, showcases how the Sisters subvert expectations and confront oppressive systems within religious and conservative circles.
Amassing an audience of over 10,000, the annual outdoor festival-style event features a competition crowning the best “Hunky Jesus” and “Foxy Mary” from a line-up of feathery, sparkly and colourful public contestants. Kroot deftly weaves immersive footage of the 2023 Hunky Jesus celebrations with new interviews with the Sisters, including Sister Roma, and rare archive material, presenting the Sisters as cultural trailblazers whose message of radical joy resonates at a moment of renewed global debate around identity, faith and freedom of expression.
Ahead of Frameline, filmmaker Jennifer M. Kroot (The Untold Tales Of Armistead Maupin, To Be Takei, It Came From Kuchar) and “the world’s most photographed nun” Sister Roma speak with The Queer Review’s editor James Kleinmann about how the film came about, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s activism, particularly their early HIV/AIDS work, and capturing the spirit of the Sisters’ annual event.
James Kleinmann, The Queer Review: I was lucky enough to be in London at BFI Flare for the world premiere where you were sainted by the Sisters, Jennifer.
Jennifer M. Kroot: “That was such an incredible surprise and I’m so honored to be Saint Jennifer H. Christ, Sacred Cinematic Scribe of Drag Deities and Sexy Saviors. I can’t imagine being sainted for anything better. Honestly, it is such an honor. I never need any other award. It’s the best.”
Definitely beats an Oscar, right?
Jennifer: “Yeah, I was going to say not even that. Although, I’m certain that they’ll want to give one out for Hunky Jesus!”
Sister Roma: “I already have my outfit picked out, so they’d better!”
Jennifer: “We’ll coordinate.”
Sister Roma, for the uninitiated, would you set the scene for us and give us an idea of who the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are. How you would describe them?
Sister Roma: “The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a human rights activist fundraising organization. We were founded in San Francisco in 1979 and now have orders of Sisters in houses all over the globe that look around their communities and see what kind of work needs to be done. We support everything from women’s rights to saving the planet to sensible gun laws to supporting queer people, trans people, and people of color. We’re here to serve and raise money and do whatever we can to make the world a better place for having been here.”
When did you become ordained and what has being a Sister meant to you in your life?
Sister Roma: “I met the Sisters in San Francisco in 1987 and immediately became enamored with them. I had never seen anything like it in my life. I never thought about doing drag, but when I learned about the early HIV/AIDS education and prevention work that the Sisters had done I was so impressed. Then I saw them in action and their bravery and their determination to fight for what was right really let me know that I had found my calling. I’m now in my 40th year of being a Sister. It’s absolutely changed my life. I can’t imagine not working in this community with these people and living my authentic life as Sister Roma.”
The film covers the HIV/AIDS activism and outreach work of the Sisters and how early that was. The timing of the creation of the Sisters in 1979, just as the crisis was about to emerge, feels divine doesn’t it?
Sister Roma: “It was absolutely because there was so much stigma and fear around HIV and AIDS and there were so many unanswered questions. I just happened to move to the place where people were leading the fight to learn these answers and to save lives and met the Sisters who were at the forefront of that fight. It turned out to be so fortuitous for me and I believe that the Sisters really found our purpose when HIV/AIDS started to ravage the community. We were one of the first groups ever to produce a safer sex pamphlet called Play Fair! in 1982 which we still produce today.”
Jennifer, what was your approach to covering that part of the Sisters’ history in Hunky Jesus?
Jennifer: “It’s such an important history to cover and of course they did it with humor. The archival footage we found is really beautiful around that time. The Sisters would go out and support people personally and physically. They’d go out and give them hugs. They were not afraid to touch them.”
“While the Sisters were doing activist work before—supporting refugees and all sorts of causes—I think HIV/AIDS really united them to be very driven, directed activists that could take on anything. Nobody else was helping or talking about it at that time. They started before the term AIDS was invented, so they were at ground zero ready to help and to bring their warmth and humour to such a terrible situation. They continue to do that. Sister Vish has spoken about being positive for so long and her personal experience with that which I really appreciate her sharing. Thank goodness she’s here with us.”
Sister Roma: “Among the vows that we take—including service to the community, devotion to the Sisters in the order, to promulgate universal joy and to expiate stigmatic guilt—one of my favorites is to never take ourselves so seriously that we forget to have fun. So I’m glad you mentioned the fun because that is key. Joy is at the core of what we do. That is the thing that Jennifer has so beautifully captured in this amazing documentary.”
It’s one of the things that is definitely on full display at the Hunky Jesus event that we see in the film. Jennifer, when was your first contact with the Sisters’ Easter celebrations and what did you make of the event when you experienced it for the first time?
Jennifer: “The Sisters have always had an Easter event, because that was the first day that they ever went out dressed as nuns in 1979 . It was in the mid-90s when they started to include a Hunky Jesus contest in the event. I went in 2000 for the first time and immediately knew it was my kind of event. I’m from the Bay Area and these are my people. It’s why I love San Francisco. There are still tonnes of cool people here, but as time has gone on there are fewer and fewer performance activists and artists. As long as Hunky Jesus continues, there’s a place for me here!”
“The Bay Area has not only always been very queer but also a hub for counterculture and the Sisters obviously embrace that queerdom with a counterculture type of performance activism that I see very little of these days. When I saw it, I thought wouldn’t it be divine to actually capture it on film. It made me feel at home. The Sisters always make me feel safe. These are my heroes. They are civil rights heroes. It doesn’t matter if they’re in crazy drag, that’s who they are.”
What was your reaction, Sister Roma, to Jennifer wanting to make this film?
Sister Roma: “We’ve had a lot of people approach us over the years with different ideas, proposing six-part series or documentaries focusing on the broader picture of the Sisters. But when Jennifer came to me, she was very specific about wanting to capture the Hunky Jesus experience. We had a lovely meeting and I thought she seemed really cool. So we presented the idea to the order and voted on it and the group agreed to dive in with Jennifer. After that, we thought we’d see where this goes, but when she showed up at Easter with a full film crew we knew it was legit! You had about nine cameras set up didn’t you Jennifer?”
Jennifer: “Yeah, we had around nine cameras including the time-lapse. We had a jib too so we got the very high production value needed to capture a big event like this. It attracts 10 to 15,000 people, so we wanted to get expansive audience shots. We wanted it to look as polished and perfect as is possible for a live event.”
Sister Roma: “When all the cameras and the crew turned up with model releases we were wowed and let me tell you, we are so thrilled with this movie. I’m gagged by it. I just love it.”
You really immerse us in the event Jennifer and give us a great sense of what it’s like to be there. Why did you want to take that approach rather than just have people talking about it which another filmmaker might have done?
Jennifer: “There’s a Fellini-esque element to the Hunky Jesus the event, with people in these crazy, beautifully creative outfits, being whoever they want to be, and doing wacky things. I think of it as a marriage between the Maysles brothers and Fellini, which is an unlikely combination, but I like unlikely.The film had to capture the Sisters’ joy and their message. I love the historical parts of the film and all the archival footage. For instance, there’s wonderful archive of the the Sisters’ exorcism of Pope John Paul II—a much-needed exorcism—in San Francisco in 1987.”
“Interweaving the elements together felt really fun to me. Initially, it was going to be a concert-driven film, but now there’s a really fun balance where we can learn about the Sisters’ work with HIV/AIDS and and then we can go back to the joy of the Hunky Jesus contest and see people in present day, underscoring that this isn’t something of the past, it continues.”
“There are a lot of talking head documentaries, and some of them I like very much, but I think this is a surprising style of documentary. I don’t see many films like this. I absolutely love the Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary contest footage which is pretty wild. When we show Hunky Jesus at the Castro Theatre here in San Francisco it’s going to be 25 feet tall, so you’ll really be enveloped in the event. It was a sunny day, it’s a wonderful time and you’re right there in it. At the same time, you’re getting a really fun Sis-tory lesson. You’re getting Sis-tory 101. I always envisioned Hunky Jesus as being a big part of this film because it’s so cinematic. You have to see it to believe it.”
Sister Roma, you co-host the Sisters’ annual Easter celebrations, what’s that experience like from your perspective on stage? You bring a lot of wit and also a lot of love. We hear you say, ‘we love you, San Francisco’ pretty frequently from the stage.
Sister Roma: “Well, I do love San Francisco. I love San Francisco today as much as the day I first stepped foot off the plane and moved here. It’s the most amazing place to live. Not only is it breathtakingly beautiful, but the community is brilliant, creative, smart, artistic, funny, and witty and all of that comes to the stage for Foxy Mary and Hunky Jesus. These people put in weeks and months coming up with their concepts. You could just stand there and be hunky, but you probably won’t win because the San Francisco audience is very smart. We love a concept, we love a message, we like a little politics, we like a little sex. It has to be very clever. Ultimately, the audience is the group that decides the winner, so that’s who you’ve got to appeal to. I love to see what people bring to the stage and to play with them on that day. It is such a joy and so much fun.”
Do each of you have a favorite Hunky Jesus or Foxy Mary from over the years, or one that was most memorable?
Sister Roma: “I always go back to one of my favorite ones—this was many, many years ago—they came out looking like Elvis Presley in a white suit with rhinestones and called themselves Viva Las Jesus. They spread their arms and opened their hands and red glitter stigmata fell out! Then we had a Jesus who came out with a gigantic cross that was actually an electric guitar which was plugged in and played on stage. We’ve had gun control Jesus. We’ve had Puerto Rican Jesus, who came out and pelted the crowd with rolls of paper towels, which was a jab at the antics of our one of our presidents after Puerto Rico was attacked by a hurricane. So those are a few that really stick out in my mind.”
“The winner of Hunky Jesus in this film captured the beauty and the grace of queer and trans existence, bringing some of the essence of the Ballroom scene to the stage. They were stunning and had a full backup team. It was very exciting to witness.”
Jennifer, how about you?
Jennifer: “The year that we captured it which was 2023, the winner of Hunky Jesus brought community with them to the stage which I think represents so much about the event itself. The first Hunky Jesus was junkie Jesus, so he wasn’t so hunky, but more of a slender person who had the stigmata lines drawn in lipstick which I thought was fun. The year before we filmed, there was Black Woman is God Jesus and also Trans Guadalupe Virgin of Mary, which both looked gorgeous and made powerful visual statements, but were also a lot of fun.”
“What were some of the highlights this year, Roma?”
Sister Roma: “This year we had Palestinian Jesus and Cheese-it Christ, who came up with an entire crucifix made of boxes of Cheez-Its, but the winner was Renewable Energy Jesus. I think people loved the concept, but they also loved to look at him because he’s stunning. He’s having so much fun with his title. It’s been incredible to see our Foxy Mary and Hunky Jesus take these titles and run with them. The prior year was Cowboy Carter Jesus who came out on a gigantic silver bison. His name is Westley and he’s also had fun with his title and has tried to do more with it, which is great.”
The words hope, joy, and love come up a lot in the film, things that the church is supposed to stand for, but too often organized religion is used to justify homophobia and transphobia and to oppress people. Sister Roma, how do the Sisters set out to counteract that and Jennifer how did you want to address that in the film?
Jennifer: “I didn’t grow up with any organized religion. From the little I knew, I thought that I hated all of it because of what I see in the media in the United States and the way that the right wing has basically stolen Christianity. So I had a very negative view. I should have known better, but I thought the Sisters maybe would feel more like that, but they have really reclaimed spirituality. There are Jewish Sisters, there are all types of Christian Sisters, there are atheist Sisters, but there is a feeling of spirituality and the work that they do to support people in need, disenfranchised communities is real.”
“We have two clergy members in the film, a Jesuit priest, Father Donal Godfrey, and a Catholic sister, Sister Barbara Battista, who are not 100% behind Hunky Jesus, but they’re both tolerant. I enjoyed meeting them so much and I had a real education myself. It also made me more angry about the people who say that they’re Christians but who have hijacked that word. I’m not saying that I always agree with popes or anything. We have a slightly better one now, but we’ve had a lot of really bad ones. I don’t know that I believe in the whole organized element of religion still, but I am so much more open to people who call themselves religious.”
“In the film, we really express that the Sisters and the Hunky Jesus contest itself is not anti-religious, it is supportive of religious freedom, which is so important in the world. It’s the thing that everybody fights about the most. So seeing the Sisters with their various beliefs all come together is powerful. I really sense spirituality within the organization and it’s part of what they bring to help suffering people, to unite disenfranchised groups, and to bring the joy.”
Sister Roma: “You both touched on some really important facts about the Sisters. First of all, James, you mentioned the way that people hide behind their religion to practice homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, racism, and bigotry and that’s really why the Sisters exist. It is to hold a mirror and reflect back and to shine a light on the fact that people weaponize their religion quite often.”
“Jennifer, you’re right, we don’t sit around plotting against Catholics and Christians, we don’t even think about that very much. We come from a place of love, we come from a place of joy, and I don’t know any Sister who would tell someone that if you believe in something that brings you comfort and hope that you can’t worship that way. Please do. The right to religious freedom is very real and it goes both ways. The Sisters also rely on the First Amendment and the separation of church and state, which are two very important factors of our Constitution. So it’s a very American, spiritual, healthy organization.”
Jennifer, given that the Sisters look so striking and beautiful, did you feel pressure to match some of that beauty in how the film looks? You have a gorgeous setup in the church for some of the interviews, there’s some great animation and some glittery, sparkly embellishments.
Jennifer: “Absolutely, I wanted the film to shine and sparkle like the Sisters. It couldn’t be interview setups in someone’s apartment or in a hotel room or with a blank, screen behind them as we often see in documentaries. There are two different churches in it. There is our big cathedral here in San Francisco, Grace Cathedral, which is also where the Sisters do their beautiful dance in front of and then there is a smaller chapel which I happened to find. I saw it and thought, oh, my gosh, this has to be the location because it’s got beautiful stained glass and I knew that we could do wonderful lighting there. It’s a gorgeous old chapel to highlight and add to the spiritual quality as well as being a beautiful frame for these beautiful creatures. To hold them in the screen properly as they deserve.”
“As far as the sparkles, we had to do that! I love adding quirkiness and the animation work was by our wonderful animator Grant Nelson. He did a fabulous opening to the film which is reminiscent of Terry Gilliam. I wanted it to be a visual feast. People who aren’t documentary fans sometimes think of them as not being theatrical, but I knew that this film needed to be very theatrical.”
Sister Roma, on the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Crystal Methyd did a beautiful tribute to the Sisters with her gay dad makeover look. What did it mean to you to have one of the young Drag Race queens pay an homage to sisters in that way?
Sister Roma: “So beautiful. It brings me so much joy to see. She absolutely nailed it! I was taking notes. The dad she made over, Pull-out Methyd, is a great Sister name. I think she can consider that stolen! Crystal’s very cool and I know she is up on history. Her, Bob the Drag Queen, and Jinkx Monsoon are some people who are very clever and also aware and appreciative of queer history.”
“I am always thrilled when young people, or people of color, or trans people approach the Sisters and express interest in the work we do or possibly joining us because that is the future. It has always been the objective of the Sisters to make sure that when people look at us, they see themselves. The way that we’ve survived for 47 years is that we have evolved, we have attracted more and more people from different communities to join us and then we have extended our work in those communities. That is the secret and it brings me so much joy.”
Hunky Jesus is about to have its hometown premiere at the Castro Theatre during the 50th anniversary Frameline on Pride weekend. You must be looking forward to that evening.
Jennifer: “Yes, I’m so happy about it, it’s the Pride Kickoff film and what could be a better way to start Pride weekend than with the Sisters? An explosion of joy in an epic theater with a 25-foot Hunky Jesus and a 25-foot Roma! I think it’ll really get people in the mood for Pride. I love Frameline. It’s such an honor to be in the festival at all, especially for their 50th anniversary, let alone the Pride kickoff night. It’s a dream come true and it’ll be a very special night. The hottest ticket in San Francisco in 2026, if I can say that!”
Sister Roma: “I was lucky enough to go to London to attend the world premiere at BFI Flare and to Provincetown too. The film has also shown in Toronto. I am surprised at the way that it’s resonating with people outside of the San Francisco community. I know people in San Francisco are going to love this movie when it premieres at Frameline because they are going to see themselves. It’s about the Sisters and it’s about Hunky Jesus, but the real star of this movie is the audience. The fact that it resonates on so many different levels with so many different people is a surprise to me though. My favorite part about the film festival in London was after the film meeting all of these people who were coming up to me talking about how they related to the film because of drag, religious trauma, activism, makeup, or costumery. It talks about so many different things. I can’t wait for San Francisco to see our love letter to the city and to share it with my hometown community.”
Hunky Jesus will receive its West Coast premiere at Frameline’s 50th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival on Friday, June 26th, 2026. For more details and to purchase tickets visit frameline.org. For more on Hunky Jesus head to hunkyjesusfilm.com and follow @hunkyjesusfilm on Instagram. Discover more about the Sisters of Perpetulal Indulgence at thesisters.org.
