New doc follows NYC drag star Marti G. Cummings in quest to become city’s first nonbinary councilmember

NEW YORK — All hail the Queen of New York.

Drag artist Marti Gould Cummings’ historic run to become the first openly nonbinary New York City Council member is the subject of the new documentary “Queen of New York,” whose world premiere is one of the highlights of the 35th annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Emma Fidel, this delightfully inspiring and eye-opening documentary follows the political journey of Cummings, who uses they/them pronouns, in their 2021 quest to represent Manhattan’s seventh district.

If victorious, Cummings would have become the first drag queen elected to office on the East Coast and the second in the country, following the election of Maebe A. Girl to the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles in 2019. Cummings wasn’t — but that’s beside the point.

While their campaign didn’t result in a historic shift at City Hall, it nevertheless inspired New Yorkers to unapologetically embrace who they are, the 33-year-old director told the Daily News.

“I’ve seen how Marti inspires people around them to be their true selves, stand up for others, and get involved in politics — all essential steps for moving our country’s policies and culture forward,” said Fidel, who moved from Brooklyn to Hamilton Heights for six months during filming so she “could immerse [herself] in District 7.”

When shooting began in early 2020, the Connecticut-born filmmaker was often asked what she planned to do if Cummings didn’t win the election.

“‘Is there still a film? Is there still a story,’” she recalls being asked. “And to be honest, for the longest time, I wasn’t sure. Because people like happy endings.”

“‘Is there still a film? Is there still a story,’” she recalls being asked. “And to be honest, for the longest time, I wasn’t sure. Because people like happy endings.”

But it wasn’t long until she realized that a happy ending for the film didn’t necessarily mean a seat on the city council — and that victory could come in many forms.

Before announcing they would seek public office, Cummings was already a veteran public servant and fierce LGBTQ+ rights advocate.

Besides delighting audiences as a hilarious performer who sings “sometimes on key, often not,” the 36-year-old Maryland native also volunteered their time by working to protect LGBTQ+ youth and fighting for progressive causes as one of the founders of the community group Hell’s Kitchen Democrats.

Cummings, who was recently hired as an ambassador for Equality New York, also became the first drag queen to interview a presidential candidate in 2019. They led a TED Talk on the power and joy of drag after they were attacked by conservatives following a viral video in which they sang “Baby Shark” to a toddler, and were even invited to the White House for the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act.

But Cummings’ decision to take their advocacy a step further came in 2015, following the now-infamous scene of a then-reality TV star coming down the escalators of a Midtown Manhattan building to announce he would run for president.

“Like a lot of people, when we saw Trump coming down that escalator — and he spewed a ton of vile, awful, bigoted things — (we thought) ‘Oh, wow, this is a really interesting moment in American politics,’” Cummings said, adding that it was “a real kind of wake-up call” for them.

That watershed moment gave way to Cumming’s history-making political campaign, which is now captured on film.

“Queen of New York” premieres as the New York Centerpiece film of the NY LGBTQ+ Film Festival on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the SVA Theatre in Manhattan. Audiences across the U.S. can watch the film virtually through Oct. 24.

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