Queerguru loves to focus on some of the very positive developments that have been created out of the wretched COVID 19 Lockdown. Today the world of Queer Cinema had one such bright shining with the formation of NAQFA: the North American Queer Festival Alliance.
The premiere North American LGBTQ film festivals: Frameline (San Francisco), Inside Out (Toronto), NewFest (NYC), and Outfest (Los Angeles), today announced the creation of NAQFA as part of their continuing their commitment to supporting LGBTQ film and filmmakers across their markets
This alliance intends to work collaboratively to produce, present and expand initiatives and programming while offering support to the LGBTQ film festival sector in the US and Canada.
The Alliance’s first collaborative event will be a live Conversation and Celebration with the talent behind DISCLOSURE, a documentary that was acquired by Netflix after its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, that explores the history and visibility of transgender people in films and television. DISCLOSURE will be available worldwide on Netflix beginning June 19, 2020.
On Wednesday, June 24th, 2020 at 6PM PST / 9PM EST, NAQFA will present a live-streamed event with the film’s key talent including Executive Producer Laverne Cox, Director Sam Feder, and featured talent Jen Richards, Brian Michael Smith, Tiq Milan, Candis Cayne, Zackery Drucker and more to be announced.
Trans Filmmaker SAM FEDER packs an awful lot of information into the 100 mins of this excellent new documentary. Somehow he makes it totally compelling and not the least bit stuffy, and we were shocked to discover in fact how as gay men, we really knew so little about our brothers and sisters in the trans community.
We are warned in the documentary that the paradox is that the more that trans people are seen the more they are violated. The more positive representation, the more confidence the community gains often puts them in more danger. The alarming rate of murder to transgender people …. mainly women of color ……bears witness to that
Some articulated so perfectly a very sobering thought that we have to be careful and remember when a few trans people are elevated vast majority are still struggling.
.“Netflix’s acquisition of this vital, beautiful, game-changing documentary – which centered trans people and trans voices in all elements of its creation – is a cause for celebration for us all,” says Andria Wilson, Executive Director, Inside Out. “Our organizations have a shared mission: supporting LGBTQ film and filmmakers. Through the formation of this alliance, and using our collective voice to champion DISCLOSURE, we are entering a new era of collaboration.”
“I’ve seen first-hand the power that industry alliance organizations like NAQFA have had on their member organizations in times of struggle, hardship and uncertainty,” says Damien S. Navarro Executive Director, Outfest. “Launching NAQFA alongside the powerful messaging of DISCLOSURE sends a clear statement to the industry that we are mobilizing to enact real change through our collective amplification of our voices.”
NAQFA are working together to plan additional events in 2020, and will continue to advocate for and support LGBTQ filmmakers through their respective festivals.
.@Disclosure_Doc — from director Sam Feder and producer Laverne Cox — features interviews with MJ Rodriguez, Jamie Clayton, Jen Richards, Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, and more in taking a vital and unprecedented look at the history of trans representation across film and TV pic.twitter.com/yJTNKf765o
— Netflix (@netflix) June 11, 2020
Plus : here is QUEERGURU’s full review of Disclosure :
https:// queerguru.com/disclosure-trans-lives-on-the-screen/
