An evening of remembrance, reaffirmation, and solidarity as we commemorate 20 years since Sakia Gunn’s tragic death.
This special curated program paired 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.
The films were streamed freely as part of the Pridefull Festival. Third World Newsreel is both a coproducer and distributor of the film DREAMS DEFERRED. The panel took place September 18th, 2023 on zoom and was sponsored by the 3rd Annual Pridefull Festival, the QTBIPOC film festival and was co-sponsored by Third World Newsreel.
Panelists
Charles B. Brack, 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. in NY, Brack became involved in Men of All Colors Together, NY – an anti-racism organization, where at various time he was 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. 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.
Tina Colleen, 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.
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, 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.
