Musclefest

Muscle Distribution and the Roxy Cinema present MUSCLEFEST, a four-night showcase featuring sneak previews and premieres with filmmaker guests running September 3 to September 6.

Launched in March 2025 by film historian and programmer Elizabeth Purchell, Muscle Distribution has quickly developed a reputation for championing some of the most exciting and cutting-edge films from the current wave of underground trans and queer cinema and unearthing and re-releasing should-be-canonical deep cuts and obscurities. MUSCLEFEST is bookended by the New York premieres of Castration Movie Chapter iii. Junior Ghosts—Premorphic Drift; a fragmentary passage, a 2-hour standalone third entry in Louise Weard’s underground cult series of boundary-pushing trans cinema epics—executive produced by Lilly Wachowski—showing on opening night, and Avalon Fast and Jillian Frank’s lo-fi hangout film for the fuck-ups Drinking and Driving closing out the weekend.

The mini-festival will also feature the NY Premieres of Chicago underground filmmaker Henry Hanson’s gonzo documentary Puppygirl—showing as part of a double bill with his 2024 feature debut Dog Movie—and director Zach Clark’s restoration of legendary Sexploitation filmmaker Doris Wishman’s last-completed film Dildo Heaven, plus a program of short works by the Chicago-based trans filmmaking and cruising group alterotics, an encore of the recent Roxy breakout hyperactive Gen-Z comedy Crocodile Dose, and a secret screening of a new restoration of a lost late ‘90s film loosely inspired by the true story behind a Broadway hit of today.

Muscle Distribution launches MUSCLEFEST hot on the heels of a successful crowdfunding campaign to finance future restoration projects, a buzzy international festival tour for Castration Movie Chapter iii., and a 50th-anniversary rerelease of Elaine May’s Mikey and Nicky. More details on the films and guests can be found below.

Follow @muscledistribution and visit www.roxycinemanewyork.com for more updates and details.

Thursday, September 3
7pm: Castration Movie Chapter iii. Junior Ghosts—Premorphic Drift; a fragmentary passage (Louise Weard and Avalon Fast, moderated by xxx)

10pm: Crocodile Dose (Graham Cox and Chase Mackay, moderated by Louise Weard)

Friday, September 4

7pm: Dildo Heaven (Mark Boswell and Zach Clark, moderated by Todd Rohal)

9pm: a night with alterotics (Anaïs Alias and Avery Jaye, moderated by Nea Ching)

Saturday, September 5

7pm: Secret Screening 

Sunday, September 6
5pm: Dog Movie + Puppygirl (Cast and Crew, moderated by Jessica Dunn Rovinelli)

7pm: Drinking and Driving (Avalon Fast and Jillian Frank, moderated by Jack Haven)