Sparkly gowns, frightening amounts of make-up, dancing, drama and sweetly enthusiastic contestants. It’s the stuff of dreams! It’s the Miss Gay America Pageant!

With charm and endearing exuberance, Pageant follows five male contestants from different areas and backgrounds competing in the Miss Gay America female impersonation contest – a seriously competitive business which demands innovative stage routines, flawless hair and make up and nerves of steel. Travelling from every state – where each of them must first win their heat – the contestants come supported by family and friends. And their experiences prove very touching: witness a particularly sweet moment when one contestant’s very young brother pledges his love and loyalty, despite failing to fully grasp his sibling’s enthusiasm for the crown. However, Ron Davis and Stewart Halpern’s film isn’t just about the pageant itself; in scenes which are both engaging and warmly humorous, it spends plenty of time with the participants as they prepare for the final showdown.

And what a showdown it is: from outfits to amazingly complex dance routines (and even one bizarre ventriloquist’s dummy act!) the film offers intriguing insights into the motivations of the performers. Some contestants are startlingly convincing: even the most masculine-looking man, it seems, can become the most dainty and feminine woman. No, really, them’s the rules: no hormonal help, and no surgical enhancements below the neck permitted. These men are truly dedicated to the art of illusion.