Hail to the Queens, a new film that documents the lives of six Mardi Gras Indian Queens, will be previewed at the Ace Hotel New Orleans’ Three Keys venue on Tuesday, August 9.
The documentary was directed by Big Chief Brian Harrison-Nelson of the Guardians of the Flame, and was produced in conjunction with the New Orleans Film Society’s Emerging Voices program and the Guardians of the Flame Institute.
Harrison-Nelson is the grandson of the late Big Chief Donald Harrison, Sr., who conferred the title of Big Chief on him when he was just 16. A graduate of the M.F.A program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Harrison-Nelson has directed a number of films that focus on New Orleans’ cultural traditions.
Tuesday’s event will include a screening of the forthcoming film’s trailer, as well as a short from Harrison-Nelson’s previous project, Keeper of the Flame. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A and live performance from Chief Brian, his mother Queen Reesie, and members of the Guardians of the Flame tribe.
The synopsis for Hail to the Queens reads: “Six Black Indian Queens of New Orleans must heal their communities of violence, drugs, and emotional pain while protecting the legacy of an age-old tradition as leading women within a male-dominated society.”
Tickets for the preview are now on sale for $10. All proceeds from the show will benefit the film’s productions via the New Orleans Film Society’s Emerging Voices programs.