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‘Lesbian Space Princess: A Cosmically, Joyfully Queer Adventure in Space’ is the feature story from the March print edition of Star Observer. To read the March issue, you can pick up up a copy on the street now, or read it digitally on our Latest Issues page.听

Somewhere in the swirling depths of a gay-laxy far far away, far beyond the reach of heteronormative expectations, a space princess is on a mission.

Armed with courage, heart, and an undeniable queer energy, she embarks on a dazzling journey to rescue her ex-girlfriend from the clutches of the dastardly 鈥楽traight White Maliens鈥�.听

This is 鈥渜ueer as fuck鈥� animated film Lesbian Space Princess (LSP)鈥攁 bold and unapologetic cartoon odyssey.

Behind this intergalactic romp are filmmakers Leela Varghese, Emma Hough Hobbs and producer Tom Phillips, a powerhouse Adelaidean trio whose creative vision has taken Lesbian Space Princess from a quirky idea to a festival circuit sensation.听

It all started with a question: What if queer stories had the same big, bombastic playgrounds as mainstream sci-fi epics?听

That spark led Varghese and Hobbs to dream up a queer-dominated world where space isn鈥檛 the final frontier鈥攊t鈥檚 a backdrop for love and self-discovery.

Speaking to Star Observer, Varghese and Phillips reel off a variety of sources that inspired them: adult cartoons like Adventure Time and Invader Zim, comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Legally Blonde, the editing rhythms of filmmaker Edgar Wright, 鈥渆very anime ever鈥�, and, of course, the creators鈥� own lived experiences. Armed with all this, the trio crafted a cinematic universe that鈥檚 as high-spirited and hopeful as it is profound.

鈥淭o be honest it was a bit of a gamble, because no one had taken the approach that we’d taken to getting a low budget animated feature film made,鈥� explains Varghese.

And it paid off 鈥� LSP, a testament to its uniqueness, depth, and undeniable charm.

But more than that, this film is a love letter to queer storytelling, proving that LGBTQIA+ narratives belong not just in arthouse dramas but also in vibrant, joyous, and utterly silly animated adventures.

LSP was created as part of the South Australian Film Corporation鈥檚 Film Lab: New Voices initiative, showcasing the talents of a small yet passionate team committed to telling queer stories.

The film was awarded a $10,000 funding boost from Queer Screen鈥檚 Completion Fund, which was awarded during the Mardi Gras Film Festival.

During the award ceremony, Varghese shared the personal nature of the film, highlighting its roots in their own experiences.

鈥淓mma and I are dating, and we decided that together we make one confident person to direct a feature film,鈥� she joked, adding, 鈥淲e put so much of ourselves into the film and it鈥檚 a beautiful combination of us, our anxieties, insecurities and struggles with getting girls.鈥�

Lesbian Space Princess is about messy, passionate love, and the courage it takes to fight for who you are. It鈥檚 a film that embraces camp and comedy while delivering nuanced emotions. And most importantly, it鈥檚 a film that doesn鈥檛 ask for permission to exist 鈥� it鈥檚 a story that LGBTQIA+ youth need.

鈥淨ueer people have told us, 鈥業 wish I’d had [LSP] to watch when I was younger鈥� because of the themes of self-love and self acceptance,鈥� says Varghese. 鈥淚 hope the film can be a tiny part of someone’s journey. I want people to feel seen.鈥�

Varghese and Phillips explain that Lesbian Space Princess exudes hope for a universe that chooses unity over division. Phillips explains that the 鈥楽traight White Maliens鈥� are written with heart and positivity 鈥� and people who go in with assumptions might find they鈥檙e surprised by the characters.

鈥淪peaking as a straight white male,鈥� laughs Phillips, 鈥淚 just think the comedy is never mean-spirited. It was always joyful; always a lot of heart and thought put into all of the characters.鈥�

The cast is a diverse group, including Richard Roxburgh (Rake), Kween Kong (Drag Race Down Under), Madeleine Sami (Deadloch), comedians Jordan Raskopolous, Reuben Kaye, Aunty Donna and more.

鈥淭his film is a celebration of what can happen when [different people] come together to tell a story. LSP is a smorgasbord of different people being involved not just in the story, but also in the project itself. It’s heavily led by lesbians and queer people, but the project celebrates togetherness.鈥�

鈥淚 just think that when the world’s a little bleak, like it is at the moment, a film [like LSP] is refreshing,鈥� says Phillips.

Lesbian Space Princess flips the script of what people expect from queer filmmaking. While LGBTQIA+ representation in film has evolved in recent years, there鈥檚 still plenty of ceilings to break.听

鈥淭hat would be the greatest outcome: that it actually opens the door for more people, more queer stories, whether it’s in the animation space or outside,鈥� says Varghese.

As Lesbian Space Princess continues to reel in accolades, it stands as a beacon of what鈥檚 possible for queer creatives. With its blend of humor, heart, and cosmic absurdity, it reminds us that sometimes, the best way to fight oppression is with a whole lot of love and unity in mind 鈥� plus, of course, a spaceship.