E-Moves Festival 2026 Paris is Burning 35th Anniversary Screening & Talk

Harlem Stage invites you to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the groundbreaking documentary Paris is Burning in a special screening. After the film a conversation with Tabytha Gonzalez and Arturo Lyons, hosted by Surface Level podcast, will discuss the film’s enduring influence on ballroom culture, art, identity, and community.

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag ball scene. Made over seven years, Paris Is Burning offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion “houses,” from fierce contests for trophies, to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty.

Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women— including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza—Paris Is Burning brings it, celebrating the joy of movement, the force of eloquence, and the draw of community.