Short Films
The Beauty President
Directed by Whitney Skauge (USA, 2020, 10 min.) Digital.
“If a bad actor can be president, why not a good drag queen?” In 1992, Joan Jett Blakk made a historic bid for the White House as one of the first openly queer write-in candidates. Today, Terence Smith, the man behind the persona, reflects back on his place in gay rights history at the height of the AIDS crisis.
Abigail DeVille: “Light of Freedom”
Directed by Ian Forster (USA, 2021, 6 min.) Digital.
Sculptor and installation artist Abigail DeVille reveals the ideas and inspirations behind the making of her public art commission, “Light of Freedom” (2020). The large sculpture of a scaffolded torch, with flames composed of dozens of blue mannequin arms, was motivated by the Black Lives Matter marches of summer 2020 when waves of demonstrators hooked arm in arm to rally against racial injustice amidst the threat of a global pandemic.
The Heartland
Directed by Marquise Mays (USA, 2020, 24 min.) Digital.
Highlighting both the joys and trials of growing up Black in the Midwest, three Black Milwaukee residents confront and reconcile the unrequited love between them and their city.
The North Star: Finding Black Mecca
Directed by Angel Panag and Torrin Blades (Canada, 2020, 22 min.) Digital.
Once called “The Black Mecca” and “A Colored Man’s Prism,” Chatham-Kent is a region in Canada with a long history of Black settlement. Despite hardships, the community has thrived. The North Star documents the past and the present of people that shaped this country but are often left out of its textbooks.
Wade In the Water: Drowning in Racism 2021
Directed by Cathleen Dean (USA, 2020, 15 min.) Digital.
From seaweed to lost beach balls, sun seekers bump into all sorts of surprises swimming along Florida’s iconic beaches. However, for Black swimmers, there’s a complex history floating off Florida’s blue waters—one of segregation and violence, but also protest and resistance.
Filmmaker Q and A
Register for a Q and A session with the filmmakers on June 23 at 7:25 pm.
Q and A session is live-streamed using Zoom. To participate, you will be required to download Zoom.
The suggested start time for viewing this film is 6 pm in order to sync with the start of the Filmmaker Q and A.
Discount
Rent 3 or more films in one transaction and get a $1 discount on each film.
Film Rental Information
Available to rent through June 23. This film cannot be rented outside the United States and is available to watch only during the period specified. Once rented, the film may be viewed on the Video Content page.