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PrideFull x Third World Newsreel present:
Join us for an evening of remembrance, reaffirmation, and solidarity as we commemorate 20 years since Sakia Gunn's tragic death.
This special curated program pairs two documentaries that center Black and Brown queers and delve into the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality. While Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project thoughtfully examines the hate crime that took Sakia Gunn's life, prompting critical reflections on the systemic issues that perpetuated it, I Identify as Me warmly invites us into the self-affirming journeys of Black & Brown Trans, gender-diverse people and masculine-presenting women, leaving a message of hope and resilience.
A live panel discussion will take place virtually, featuring the filmmakers and a special guest from the Newark LGBTQ Center.
Film streaming available in the U.S. from 9/15 (Fri) 12:00 AM EDT - 9/19 (Tue) 11:59 PM EDT. Live panel on 9/18 (Mon) 8:00 PM EDT on Zoom; separate link will be sent to the ticket holders.
This program is co-sponsored by Third World Newsreel.
This program is part of the TWN Organizing and Filmmaking Then and Now series. This program is also part of the 3rd Annual PrideFull Fest, Fearless and Fabulous: QTBIPOC on Screen.
Films
5pm-8pm
DAILY
This documentary tells the little known story of Sakia Gunn, a 15 year old high school student who was fatally stabbed in a gay hate crime in Newark, New Jersey. This story depicts the homophobia behind this brutal murder, while examining Sakia’s short but loving life and family and the world of Aggressives, homosexual women of color who dress in masculine attire but do not necessarily identify as either lesbians or female-to-male transgenders. Learn more.
5pm-8pm
DAILY
I Identify as Me is a character-driven experimental short film that highlights Trans, gender-diverse people and masculine-presenting women who are Black and Brown. Each character’s intersectional experiences connect us with common themes of their gender expressions outside of social norms, self-exploration, and affirming their true selves. Characters shed light on the reality of violence that can be inflicted due to someone’s race, gender, and sexuality. Despite these systematic and social challenges, the characters reaffirm that acceptance and self-love are the paths forward. Learn more.
Panelists
Charles B. Brack (he/him) | Producer, Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project
Chas. Bennett Brack studied documentary arts at Antioch College, graduating with a degree in cultural and interdisciplinary arts. Upon his arrival in New York City, Brack became involved in Men of All Colors Together, NY – an anti-racism organization as the co-chair, national representative and Political Action Committee co-chair. Brack took a position at the New York City Commission on Human Rights in the Lesbian and Gay Discrimination Documentation Project/AIDS Discrimination Unit as Associate Video Producer. During his tenure, he co-founded and performed with Lavender Light Gospel Choir for over 15 years. As a result of his work with Lavender Light and the Black LGBT sacred community, he became a charter member of, and ordained as, a deacon in Unity Fellowship Church, NY. Brack’s professional career continued at The Gay Men’s Health Crisis as producer of their weekly AIDS information television magazine, Living With AIDS. He worked at Third World Newsreel, while distributing and touring with his highly acclaimed directorial debut, Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project.
He is the recipient of the 2012 Black Gay Research Group Founder’s Spirit and Soul Awards for Outstanding Contributions in Service to the Black Gay Community, the 2014 Antioch College Alumni Association’s Walter Anderson Award, and the 2017 Optum SuperHero Award, for outstanding service to customers.
Brack is currently a Peer Support Specialist Supervisor with UnitedHealthcare, in Care and Disease management, specifically mental illness and addiction services.
Tina Colleen (she/they) | Writer/Director, I Identify as Me
Tina Colleen is an emerging director; her first short film, I Identify as Me, has garnered success in the United States, Canada, and soon the UK. It's been featured at some of the largest LGBTQIA+ film festivals: Outfest Fusion, Wicked Queer, and InsideOut in Toronto, to name a few. Tina is currently developing I IDENTIFY AS ME into an episodic that will unpack the false notion believed for centuries–that gender is fixed and binary.
Tina is the CEO/Founder of People of Color Productions, an independent production company that alchemizes art to transform the societal narrative. Tina’s background is in education, activism, and production. Tina has been producing in several different industries for 15 years. Tina’s art promotes love and healing for the global majority (aka BIPOC) by challenging social norms that have harmed everyone regardless of race, sexuality, or gender. The inspiration for Tina’s work has been the exploration of her own gender fluidity and ancestral journey.
Tina holds an MBA in International Business, specializing in management from Fordham University. Tina loves to travel, read science fiction, power-lift, and be outdoors.
Beatrice Simpkins | Executive Director, Newark LGBTQ Community Center
Since 2019, Beatrice Simpkins has served as the Executive Director of the Newark LGBTQ Community Center and has worked in Hudson and Essex Counties, NJ and Charlotte, NC in the field of nonprofit program development and management. She is a former board member of the Freedom Center for Social Justice located in Charlotte, NC and the Newark Community Health Centers located in Newark, NJ. In 2016, Ms. Simpkins became a Rutgers 250 Fellow – receiving a medal at the “A Day of Revolutionary Thinking”, the culminating event of Rutgers’ yearlong 250th birthday celebration. Ms. Simpkins holds a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration. Her pronouns are she/her/hers. She is currently in her doctoral program at Saybrook University seeking a terminal degree in Transformative Social Change. Beatrice is a cisgender African American lesbian, mother of two daughters - Evita and Cicely, and Granny B to Darius, Demetrius, and Vivienne. She also serves her community as a deacon in the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, serving as part of the UFC NewArk congregation.
Moderated by Nabin Park (all pronouns) | Co-Founder & Executive Director, PrideFull
Nabin started PrideFull, a film festival by and for queer and trans people of color, with their strong commitment to making the film world more equitable and accessible. With a background in film nonprofit and queer community events and as a filmmaker themself, Nabin built PrideFull to be a safe space with resources for filmmakers, a community-driven film festival, and fun events for QTBIPOC community. At PrideFull, Nabin co-programs the annual PrideFull Fest and one-off screenings, as well as oversees the organization’s operations, partnerships, and finances. Nabin uses all pronouns interchangeably.
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