REV25: VELVET VISION

Velvet Vision is a raw and intimate portrait of James Bidgood, the visionary artist behind the cult classic Pink Narcissus, who’s groundbreaking 1960s homoerotic imagery helped redefine queer aesthetics. 

Originally credited to "Anonymous" upon release, Pink Narcissus became a source of mystery and speculation—its dreamy, decadent visuals falsely attributed to the likes of Kenneth Anger and Andy Warhol. 

Nearly two decades later, Bidgood finally claimed authorship. 

Now, after a forty-year hiatus, Velvet Vision follows Jim’s attempt to return to filmmaking, exploring the tensions between his past glory and present reality.

Through archival footage, bold visual sequences, and deeply personal interviews, the film traces Bidgood’s journey from drag performer and window dresser to underground icon. 

His fantastical art became both refuge and rebellion—a vivid counterpoint to the societal rejection he endured as a queer outsider. 

This is not just a documentary about an artist; it’s about the cost of beauty, the endurance of vision, and the creative madness that sustains it.

Honest, defiant, and deeply human, Velvet Vision doesn’t reinvent the documentary form—but what it captures is powerful: the unfiltered story of a trailblazer whose erotic dreamscapes still pulse with relevance and resonance today.

Documentary Feature | 2025 | USA

This feature is screened alongside the short film Water of the Womb (Baris Arif Ulusoy, Australia, 2023, 9:30)