BLACK IS BLUE: Film Screening + Community Brainstorm w/Cheryl Dunye

Gender, Race, and Queer Identities meet Artificial Intelligence in Queer Narrative Filmmaking

After 35+ film festival screenings and 5 top awards, writer/director Cheryl Dunye's short film -- BLACK IS BLUE -- is now slated for a significant re-boot and expansion as her next narrative feature. Poised to enter production in coming months, the story is now a Queer/Trans erotic thriller, set against the backdrop of the Bay Area's current tech boom. Written and executed with a decidedly naturalistic Sci-Fi twist, the log-line reads, "Inspired by the 2013 murder-suicide of a transwoman who shot and killed a transman before turning the gun on herself, BLACK IS BLUE is the chilling, dramatic tale of a homeless Black transman, the wealthy Black transwoman who tries to save him, and her unusually complex “friend-bot” whose worlds collide inside a fulcrum of romance, betrayal and hope in present day Oakland, California." With the introduction of an A.I. inspired and fully realized "friend-bot" character, Dunye's next film is poised to be one of the first Queer/Trans narratives to unpack the complexities of gender and race as it relates to artificial intelligence. Please join us for this community brainstorm and conversation with Dunye and her lead actor Kingston Farady as they discuss the new script and seek input from you on its uniquely Sci-Fi direction. This event will include the first-ever official Oakland screening of the 17-minute short. Other panelists TBA.

About The Sweetwater Sessions
This multi-sensory, multi-media series of creative arts practice engagements gives voice to the dramatic collaborative process between Artist, Spirit, tradition and community in the design of freedom narratives for contemporary culture. With an aim to intersect and possibly disrupt social constructs, “The Sweetwater Sessions” allow for a deeper exploration of femininity and liquidity in the creation of a lush identity celebrating Black people and Blackness. Curated and hosted by Ashara Ekundayo.

Doors 630 PM
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Omi Gallery at Impact Hub Oakland
2323 Broadway Oakland, California