I recently had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs, the brilliant co-directors behind Lesbian Space Princess, a film that’s been making waves from its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival to its UK and Irish cinema launch. What struck me most about our conversation was their warmth, humour, and the genuine joy they bring to this project, a film born from friendship, shared passion, and a desire to tell a story that’s fresh, female-driven, and unapologetically queer.
Leela and Emma’s story is as charming as the film itself. They were dating for about a year when they decided to become filmmaking partners. As Emma put it, “It was basically, it was the film that I always wanted to watch and at some point I think we realised that if no one was going to make it, we would have to.” Leela added with a laugh, “Relationships are easy, let’s just throw in another challenge.”
Their creative process is a beautiful fusion of their distinct talents. Leela, with her background in live musical comedy and live-action directing, focused on performances and laughs. Emma, who had experience with experimental animation but not dialogue-heavy work, brought her animation expertise to the table. Emma described their collaboration as a mutual learning experience: “Leela was teaching me how to write dialogue, which was amazing, and I was teaching her how to direct animation.” Together, they formed what Leela called “one whole animation director,” balancing mainstream comedy with alt sensibilities to create something uniquely their own.
One of the most delightful parts of our chat was hearing about the fun, silly elements that pepper the film. Leela’s favorite? The Straight White Maliens, a group of forgotten incels who aren’t even human, they’re just rectangles. She explained, “We didn’t want them to look like people. We didn’t want them to look like humans.” Emma shared how the film’s humor extends even to the background artists who added their own jokes, like a poster of a man resembling Pitbull tucked into a scene. It’s this playful, collaborative spirit that makes the film feel alive and full of heart.
But beyond the laughs, Lesbian Space Princess carries a powerful message of representation. The film centers complex queer women of color, and both directors expressed how meaningful it is to see the film win awards and reach audiences. Leela confessed, “We didn’t actually think this would be an award-winning film… so when it became one, we were just shocked.” Emma emphasised the importance of creative control, saying, “No one could tell us what to do, and so we really had control over centering queer women of colour and femme people of colour.” Their promise to the audience is clear: “For the next 97 minutes, to all the queer people and people of colour in the audience, the galaxy belongs to you.”
For anyone wondering whether to catch this film, Leela’s advice is simple and heartfelt: “The best way to see it is with a group of friends, so you can be bound together. It’s the most fun with the queer community.” Emma echoed this, highlighting the joy of a physical cinema release: “It brings people together in a physical theater, and we don’t take that for granted.”
Lesbian Space Princess is a candy-coloured, campy, and comedic romp through queer outer space, but it’s also a love letter to community, identity, and the joy of storytelling. It’s a film made with heart, humor, and a fierce commitment to representation.
If you want to hear more from Leela and Emma, you can catch the replay of our full interview on Stage & Screen with Harvey Morton. And don’t miss Lesbian Space Princess in cinemas across the UK and Ireland now.
Lesbian Space Princess is in cinemas across the UK and Ireland now.
Listen to the full interview on Stage & Screen with Harvey Morton.