Latest news with #HouseofXtravaganza
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
I'm Your Venus OTT Release Date: When & where to watch documentary tribute to Venus Xtravaganza
I'm Your Venus OTT Release Date: This new thrilling documentary is dropping on Netflix starting June 23, 2025. It shines a spotlight on Venus Xtravaganza, the transgender star of the landmark film Paris Is Burning . Venus's life was full of raw passion and vibrant ballroom energy, but it ended tragically when she was murdered in 1988. Now, decades later, I'm Your Venus reunites both her biological siblings and her 'chosen family' from the House of Xtravaganza to relive her story, seek justice, and honour her fierce spirit. What's it about? Directed by Kimberly Reed, the film picks up nearly 35 years after Venus's death. It follows her three brothers, John, Joe, and Louie Pellagatti, as they sift through old police records, fight for a posthumous name change, and search for answers. Alongside them are members of the House of Xtravaganza, including House Mother Gisele Alicea and other prominent figures from the ballroom scene. Across home visits, legal meetings, and heartfelt interviews, the two families form a bridge between different worlds, biological and chosen, united by love and loss. The documentary also weaves in archival footage from Paris Is Burning, showing Venus in her own words and moves. Her voguing, her dreams of modelling, her raw interviews, these are revisited, reminding viewers of just how alive and present she was, even before the tragedy struck. Behind the scenes Kimberly Reed isn't new to documentaries; she previously made award-winning films like Prodigal Sons and Dark Money. She produced I'm Your Venus with Jamie Schutz, Steven Cantor, and Mike Stafford, working alongside cinematographers Rose Bush and Joshua Z. Weinstein. The film was edited by Eric Daniel Metzgar, Michael Palmieri, and supervising editor Dava Whisenant, who helped tie together the old and the new into a seamless narrative, 80 to 85 minutes of emotional storytelling. Executive producers Jonovia Chase, Dominique Jackson, David Linde, Jennie Livingston (who directed Paris Is Burning), Henry Schleiff, and Courtney Sexton lend their voices and perspectives to help shape this tribute. Venus's life and legacy Born Venus Pellagatti on May 5, 1965, in Jersey City, New Jersey, she became involved in drag and performance in her teens. By the early 1980s, she'd joined the House of Xtravaganza, one of the most iconic houses in New York's ballroom world. Paris Is Burning immortalised her, and her presence still resonates today. But her life was cut short on December 21, 1988, when she was found strangled in a New York City hotel room. Her case went cold and remained unsolved. In 2022, thanks in part to the efforts sparked by this documentary, her murder was re-examined. The NYPD reopened the case, and her family successfully changed her name legally to Venus Pellagatti Xtravaganza, symbolic acts meant to restore her to history and fight for recognition.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Man arrested in 2012 killing of trans performer in New York City
A New York man was arrested Friday in the cold case killing of a trans performer 15 years after her apartment was set on fire, the Brooklyn District Attorney announced in a news statement. Henry Pacheco, 44, of Brooklyn was arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree murder, arson and other charges for the alleged killing of Lorelise Escalera Ferrer. Ferrer, 25, who went by her stage name Lorena Xtravaganza was found dead in her bed after her apartment in Brooklyn burned down, the statement said. She moved to New York City to pursue her dreams of becoming a performer and lived on the third floor of a building in the neighborhood of Bushwick. She performed with the House of Xtravaganza, which bills itself as one of the most well-known group of performances in New York City's ballroom scene. "She was a powerful force within the House of Xtravaganza, leaving an indelible impact that will be felt forever. Her light continues to shine through all who were touched by her life," House of Xtravaganza said in a statement posted to social media. Investigators said they pieced together what happened Ferrer during the pre-dawn hours of May 12, 2012, using surveillance footage and phone records. Surveillance video footage allegedly showed Pacheco entering Ferrer's building around 2:20 a.m. and leaving the building over an hour later. Minutes after he left, a camera captured what appeared to be smoke coming from the third-floor apartment, the statement said. Ferrer was found dead in her bed, although other residents escaped the fire. The Medical Examiner determined she was killed before the fire started and the fire was set on purpose, according to authorities. Phone records showed Pacheco made numerous calls to the victim before the fire, investigators found. The records show that her phone was answered after the time of death determined by the New York City Medical Examiner, indicating someone else had used the phone. Pacheco is being held without bail, the statement said, until his next appearance. "The horrific murder of Lorena Escalera, a beloved trans performer, devastated her Brooklyn neighbors and chosen LGBTQIA+ family, who continue to face the ongoing threat of hatred and violence," NYPD Commissioner Tisch said in a statement. "Let this indictment send a clear message to those living in fear for who they are: public safety does not discriminate, and every New Yorker deserves to feel safe at home." New York State police charged five people with second-degree murder Friday for allegedly abusing and killing a trans person. President Trump wants to dismantle the Department of Education. Here's what would be impacted. Doctor calls Trump's vaccine order "theater" because no schools have COVID vaccine mandates Saturday Sessions: Aloe Blacc performs "One Good Thing"
CBS News
15-02-2025
- CBS News
New York man arrested in killing of trans performer 15 years after her apartment was set on fire
A New York man was arrested Friday in the cold case killing of a trans performer 15 years after her apartment was set on fire, the Brooklyn District Attorney announced in a news statement. Henry Pacheco, 44, of Brooklyn was arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree murder, arson and other charges for the alleged killing of Lorelise Escalera Ferrer. Ferrer, 25, who went by her stage name Lorena Xtravaganza was found dead in her bed after her apartment in Brooklyn burned down, the statement said. She moved to New York City to pursue her dreams of becoming a performer and lived on the third floor of a building in the neighborhood of Bushwick. She performed with the House of Xtravaganza, which bills itself as one of the most well-known group of performances in New York City's ballroom scene. "She was a powerful force within the House of Xtravaganza, leaving an indelible impact that will be felt forever. Her light continues to shine through all who were touched by her life," House of Xtravaganza said in a statement posted to social media. Investigators said they pieced together what happened Ferrer during the pre-dawn hours of May 12, 2012, using surveillance footage and phone records. Surveillance video footage allegedly showed Pacheco entering Ferrer's building around 2:20 a.m. and leaving the building over an hour later. Minutes after he left, a camera captured what appeared to be smoke coming from the third-floor apartment, the statement said. Ferrer was found dead in her bed, although other residents escaped the fire. The Medical Examiner determined she was killed before the fire started and the fire was set on purpose, according to authorities. Phone records showed Pacheco made numerous calls to the victim before the fire, investigators found. The records show that her phone was answered after the time of death determined by the New York City Medical Examiner, indicating someone else had used the phone. Pacheco is being held without bail, the statement said, until his next appearance. "The horrific murder of Lorena Escalera, a beloved trans performer, devastated her Brooklyn neighbors and chosen LGBTQIA+ family, who continue to face the ongoing threat of hatred and violence," NYPD Commissioner Tisch said in a statement. "Let this indictment send a clear message to those living in fear for who they are: public safety does not discriminate, and every New Yorker deserves to feel safe at home." New York State police charged five people with second-degree murder Friday for allegedly abusing and killing a trans person.
