Celebrated for its moving storytelling and significant representation of queer narratives, Queen Tut is a heartwarming and inspirational new film by director Reem Morsi, released by Cinephobia Releasing.
Starring Ryan Ali as Egyptian teenager Nabil, he leaves Cairo to live with his father in Toronto after the death of his mother. Parachuting himself into the city’s underground queer nightlife, Nabil confronts his mother’s passing by pursuing drag and becoming Queen T, all under the guidance of his drag mother, Malibu, played by multi-award winning actress and trans icon Alexandra Billings.
The film also features a colorful ensemble cast including Kiriana Stanton, Selena Vyle, and Thom Allison.
Shot in the heart of Toronto’s Gay Village, Queen Tut held its world premiere at Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, then went on to screen at several other film festivals like Miami’s OUTshine, Atlanta’s Out on Film, and the Desperado LGBTQ+ Film Festival. It was most recently nominated for multiple awards at the prestigious Canadian Screen Awards including “Best Performance in a Leading Role” and “Comedy and Achievement in Music for Original Song.”
Queen Tut is now available on DVD and VOD, and Instinct had the opportunity to talk more about the film with Ali. In addition to discussing why this project resonated with him and how it felt to make his debut lead role in a feature film, he also touches on performing in drag, working alongside Billings, and bringing his Middle Eastern culture and influence to the screen.
Check out the full video interview below.
Ryan Ali…
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