While attending the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend for the world premiere of his documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, the 24-year-old singer and rapper expressed interest in directing next. However, per Variety, the screening was delayed because of a bomb threat from a homophobic caller. Despite that scare, as the documentary finally began to play, the audience’s energy was reportedly joyful.
During a brief Q&A following the September 9 premiere, Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, admitted he was a reluctant documentary subject. “I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this at all. This is a terrible idea.’ But then I was like, ‘F— it, let’s do it anyway.’ I hate people knowing about my life because I can’t keep my funny persona. Now people know I’m all serious.” In the end, he came around to the idea. “I’m happy I did,” he said. The Georgia native then hinted at his desire to direct a feature film. He told Variety, “Oh, there’s gonna be something that happens.” The award-winning artist then teased that he’s working on “good, fire a– music” and expressed a desire to experiment with different genres, listing folk and Brazilian funk as examples.
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Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel directed Long Live Montero, documenting the artist’s first global tour. Prior to the film’s premiere, Nas told Variety he hopes the documentary represents him doing his best “to make the ceiling unreachable to where we can go as Black queer people.” He adds that he isn’t concerned about the reception for the doc and would rather be “real and raw” in a non-stereotypical way. “This is one of the only times in my life where I am releasing something, and I have absolutely zero expectations for it.” At the film festival, Nas listed 1989’s Back to the Future Part II as his favorite movie, but he likes to watch “anything to do with time travel. I’m obsessed with time. You can’t get that back.” He turned to the audience and said: “Guys, that’s deep. You have to clap!”
First poster for Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel’s ‘LIL NAS X: LONG LIVE MONTERO’.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 18, 2023
The film follows Lil Nas X on an emotional odyssey through the creation & performance of his “Long Live Montero” show. pic.twitter.com/UURJ2q46RU
