Intersectional Film

INTERSECTIONAL FILM

#interfilm #sonevents.

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WELCOME. A conversation on the intersections of Gender, Race, and Identity in the Film Industry is a panel discussion of artists and professionals in the creative industries that maps our understanding of how intersectionality is represented in the film and television industry, the challenges facing filmmakers incorporating intersectionality into their practice, and what we envision for the future of intersectional representation in film.

“Intersectionality is an analytic sensibility, a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power. Originally articulated on behalf of black women, the term brought to light the invisibility of many constituents within groups that claim them as members, but often fail to represent them. Intersectional erasures are not exclusive to black women.

People of color within LGBTQ movements; girls of colour in the fight against the schoolto-prison pipeline; women within immigration movements; trans women within feminist movements; and people with disabilities fighting police abuse — all face vulnerabilities that reflect the intersections of racism, sexism, class oppression, transphobia, able-ism and more. Intersectionality has given many advocates a way to frame their circumstances and to fight for their visibility and inclusion.”—Kimberlé Crenshaw

Our Safe Space Policy.

Shades of Noir is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive space for all attendees at our events. SoN believes all guests should be free from intimidation or harassment, resulting from prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, marital or maternity/paternity status, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, trans status, socio-economic status, or ideology or culture, or any other form of distinction.

Disability Access Needs?

Please do let us know if you have any disability access needs e.g. do you use British sign language, have difficulty using stairs, or need us to allow space for a guide dog? Let us know asap so we can do our best to accommodate you!

Social Media.

Throughout the event, please tweet, instagram, facebook as much or as little as you like.

We will be using the hashtags; #interfilm and #sonevents.

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KEY QUESTIONS. • • • • •

What does intersectionality mean to you?

In what ways is your practice intersectional?

What films, or filmmakers, have been a source of inspiration to you and why?

Do you think that the film industry is supportive of intersectional narratives? If not, how can this be changed?

What are some of the misconceptions you think gatekeepers have around the concept of intersectionality?

KEY DATA. BFI Black Star breakdown of underrepresentation of black actors in the UK: “Of the 1,172 British films released from 2006-16, 476 featured at least one black actor in a lead or supporting role, around 40 per cent of the total.

Many of these actors have been relatively prolific throughout their careers, with 70 of the 897 actors appearing in five or more UK films. However, when you break these figures down to investigate how substantial these roles are, the picture changes considerably.

Of around 45,000 roles credited to actors in the UK in this period, only 218 were lead roles played by British black actors, which means only 0.5 per cent of all the credited roles were black leads. In fact, you would only need to watch 47 films to catch 50 percent of all these performances.

Only 14 actors from the sample have played more than two lead roles in this period, five of whom are women. Furthermore, only four black actors appear in our list of the 100 most prolific actors in UK films over the last decade – Noel Clarke, Nonso Anozie, Jumayn Hunter and Ashley Walters.”

Source: www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/black-actors-british-film-industry-statistics

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WHAT DOES ‘INTERSECTIONAL’ MEAN?

Breaking It Down.

Our Intersectional Film event is about how filmmakers include intersectionality in their practice and what the future of intersectional representation in film may hold. Before any of this can be discussed, however, it’s important that one has a solid understanding of what Intersectionality actually means and how the term came to be.

So, what does Intersectionality actually mean then?

“Intersectionality can be defined as the study or concept of discriminative or oppressive institutions on disenfranchised groups or minorities, and the way these groups are interconnected.”

Source www.redelephantfoundation.org 6 // INTERSECTIONAL FILM.

Put Simply.

The term instersectionality highlights the ways in which inequality is often a crossroads of different types and forms of discrimination, such as class, gender, race and religion.

Where it all began?

Although the issues intersectionality addresses have been around since the nineteenth century, the term was officially coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in her 1989 essay ‘Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Anti Discrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics’. She wanted to voice the problems that immigrant women of colour were facing and how they felt isolated from the feminist movement that was in place at the time, as white feminism was the mainstream.

The phrase was adopted openly because it was able to include the shared experience of oppression that black women had faced, in the variety of forms that oppression may have come in. Kimberle Crenshaw’s term distilled the overlapping forms of oppression that black women had been experiencing for hundreds of years.

Obstacles to Intersectionality.

‘White Feminism’. What is it you may be thinking? With the term being so ambiguous, it’s normal for one to think the term simply means feminists that are white, which arguably is true. However, rather than being a certain type of feminist in regards to their skin, it’s really just a more specific type of feminism; a subtype which alienates any other kind of feminism. White Feminism is the opposite of intersectional feminism; it’s feminism that comes along with privilege and fails to represent the needs and concerns of women of colour. White feminism is the feminism we are used to seeing in the media mainly through figures who are white, educated and from a middle class background.

Social Justice.

Intersectionality is also an approach to social justice that recognises different experiences and identities, and works towards greater inclusivity. And because intersectionality often pushes for greater inclusion within social movements, it is characterised by its critics as being “divisive” or promoting “infighting”. But in reality, intersectionality aims to do just the opposite. For example, highlighting forms of racism within the feminist movement is not aiming to derail or splinter feminism. Acknowledging the intersection of racism and sexism allows for a feminist movement that accurately represents the experience of many femme-identifying folk. Additionally, classism, misogyny, racism, transphobia, xenophobia, and able-ism are all examples of systematic oppression that often overlap. Acknowledging the necessity of intersectional feminism is a first step. Trying to change the interlocking systems of oppression is why an intersectional approach to social justice is essential.

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Here are a few quotes on intersectionality.

“In short, intersectionality is a framework that must be applied to all social justice work, a frame that recognizes the multiple aspects of identity that enrich our lives and experiences and that compound and complicate oppressions and marginalizations.

We cannot separate multiple oppressions, for they are experienced and enacted intersectionally.”

Jarune Uwujaren and Jamie Utt, Every Day Feminism

“Intersectionality simply means that there are lots of different parts to our womanhood.

And those parts — race, gender, sexuality, and religion, and ability — are not incidental or auxiliary. They matter politically.”

Brittney Cooper, assistant professor of women’s and gender studies and Africana studies Rutgers University

“Intersectionality states that different forms of oppression do not act independently of one another, but rather they interact synergistically. Unlike queer theory and lesbianfeminism, intersectionality focuses primarily on the ways in which people are institutionally marginalized, rather than fixating on whether any given individual’s identity or behaviors “reinforce” or “subvert” the gender system. According to this view, trans women lie at the intersection of (at least) two types of sexism [cissexism and trans-misogyny].”

Julia Serano, AlterNet

“Intersectional feminism is a form of feminism that stands for the rights and empowerment of all women, taking seriously the fact of differences among women, including different identities based on radicalization, sexuality, economic status, nationality, religion, and language. Intersectional feminism attends to the ways in which claims made in the name of women as a class can function to silence or marginalize some women by universalizing the claims of relatively privileged women.”

Nancy J. Hirschmann, director of the Alice Paul Center for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality at the University of Pennsylvania

“My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bull***t!”

—Flavia Dzodan, activist

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In the words of Sojourner Truth.

“Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that ‘twixt the Negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what’s all this here talking about? That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me!

And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what’s this they call it? [Member of audience whispers, “intellect”] That’s it, honey. What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negroes’ rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ‘cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain’t got nothing more to say. “ Sojourner Truth (1797-1883): Ain’t I A Woman?

Delivered 1851 Women’s Convention, Akron, Ohio

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OUR PANELISTS.

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Grace Barber-Plentie.

Grace Barber-Plentie is a writer and one third of Reel Good Film Club, a film club that promotes diversity in film through non-profit and accessible screenings and events.

She’s written for publications including BFI, Media Diversified and gal-dem, and spends her spare time informing people about how Ryan Gosling’s character in La La Land is THE WORST and watching trashy rom-coms.

Joseph A Adesunloye.

Joseph a. Adesunloye is a BritishNigerian filmmaker. At the 60th BFI London Film Festival 2016, Joseph was nominated for the BFI IWC Schaffhausen Filmmakers Bursary Award for his feature directorial debut White Colour Black.

Joseph graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a Masters of Arts English Literature & Film Studies. He later attended the London Film Academy where he completed a filmmaking diploma, focusing on directing and screenwriting. After graduating in 2008 he started freelancing in film and set up his own film production company, DreamCoat Productions.

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Laura Kirwan-Ashman.

Laura Kirwan-Ashman is a screenwriter and co-founder of female film collective Sorta Kinda Maybe Yeah. She wrote and appears in the collective’s first project, a web series by the same name.

The collective has been featured in Dazed, i-D, ASOS Likes, and ASOS print magazine amongst others, and they were ambassadors for Monki’s 10 Year #Monkifesto campaign. The web series has been screened at Brainchild Festival, The Floating Cinema, Hackney Attic Film Festival, and Underwire Festival.

Laura was recently chosen to take part in the Betty Box and Peter Rogers Comedy Writing Programme. Run by LOCO, the CTBF, and in association with Big Talk, Laura will be funded to develop her TV comedy pilot script.

Rubika Shah.

Rubika Shah is a director, writer, and journalist. She has directed a number of documentary shorts for the BBC which explore the works of Spike Lee, Gore Vidal, and others. Her documentary short about David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” music video and MTV’s birth screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Hot Docs, and BFI London Film Festival.

“White Riot: London” premiered at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.

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Charisse Chikwiri. (Chair) I am a writer and music enthusiast, currently studying Journalism at the London College of Communication. I am passionate about digital communication, sparking revolutionary conversation, story-telling and documenting the experiences of marginalised social groups; more specifically women and black people. I strive to give them a voice, in circumstances where their voices would otherwise be thwarted.

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WOMEN, WE MATTER.

Artwork & words by Charisse Chikwiri.

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Pink Matter.

Delicate Matter.

Strong Matter.

Great Matter.

We Matter.

You Matter.

Knowledge of self is understanding how both the mind and body function.

Ask yourself; what do I need, when do I need it and how do I need it? – become familiar with the answers to these questions, they should be second nature.

Our intimate experiences as women are important, every aspect of our being matters, and we should not be expected to be discreet or silent about them.

What kind of growth can happen where there is no conversation?

Be bold and speak your truth.

#interfilm #sonevents.

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NICOLE MUSKETT:

The Intersectional Artist Tackling Sexism and Racism in Sports.

Words by Bee Tadjudeen

Nicole Muskett Skateboard Series. Image Credits: Bee Tadjudeen

I remember when Black Blossoms received Nicole’s art submission for the Black Blossoms Exhibition. We screamed (with joy) when we saw Rosa Parks on a Skateboard. Yes, Rosa Parks, the black women who refused to give up her seat on the bus because she was probably tired from her day job where she fought for the rights of black women.

What Rosa Parks did that day was so courageous, it started the Montgomery bus boycott and her actions helped put an end to the racial segregation laws in America. It was only right to give an intersectional feminist the opportunity to showcase her work at the Black Blossoms exhibition.

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Tell us why you applied to be part of the Black Blossoms Exhibition?

I received an email asking for submissions for an exhibition focusing on black women and I had just completed the Empowering Women Series. I knew I had the Rosa Parks skateboard that would fit the criteria.

I never expected to be selected, let alone be asked to create more skateboards for the exhibition and I feel very humbled that Black Blossoms felt that my work reflected their ethos.

Why did you decide to do a skateboard series?

Designing skateboards are something I have done in the past and really enjoyed but it was actually my thesis that was

written on subversive skateboard graphics. This led me to create my Empowering Women Series. I had never really realised just how badly women were portrayed in skateboarding and the graphics, so I wanted to create a series of decks that undermined this.

Why do you think the empowerment of women in art and sport is important?

I think it is so important. Growing up I was really into sport especially football and skateboarding but I never felt included.

I used to be embarrassed to go out on my skateboard as I was always getting heckled or told I couldn’t skate because I was a girl. I think it’s a terrible thing for someone to tell somebody they can’t do something because of their gender and I hope this can change soon. In the future, I hope we see many more women like Tracy Emin and Serena Williams coming through in art and sport.

Did your degree prepare you to do a body of work around intersectionality, diversity, and inclusion?

I wouldn’t say my degree helped me to do it but I would say my peers at University helped me too. I was for the first time in my life surrounded by such a diverse range of people of different races, religions, cultures, nationalities which opened my mind and inspired me to create more intersectional work and think about inclusion much more.

What does equality look like in the arts?

I feel unfortunately there isn’t equality within the arts and platforms are only given to a select few, if you don’t meet the criteria it is much harder to get yourself known. That’s why Black Blossoms is so important as it gives those who are not fairly represented #interfilm #sonevents.

a voice and portrays a message of we shall not be hidden or silenced, we are here!

What is your understanding of intersectional feminism?

My understanding of intersectional feminism is that a women can face more than the one struggle of being a women.

A women can also be gay, or of colour or of a certain religion, all things that aren’t socially accepted around the world. I think intersectional feminism is women being proud and fighting for all of us to be included and represented regardless of race, religion, nationality, disability and sexual orientation.

If you could choose two more women to put on a skateboard who would they be and why?

I am actually working on a skateboard of Serena Williams now, so her and I think Laverne Cox. Obviously, Serena because of everything she has achieved and how much she has done for women in sport and yet is still regularly criticised, being told she only wins because her body is like that of a man. I would also like to do Laverne Cox as she was the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy and the first trans person to appear on the front cover of Time magazine. She is also an LGBT advocate and an inspiration to anyone who is struggling with their identity so she is the perfect woman to include in my Empowering Women Series.

This interview is part of the #BlackBlossomsExhibit series.

Black Blossoms highlights the voices of Black Women in Higher Education and creative industries.

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KEY TERMS. AFAB

Assigned female at birth

AMAB

Assigned male at birth

Ally

A person of one social identity group who stands up in support of members of another group; typically a member of a dominant group standing beside member(s) of a group being discriminated against or treated unjustly Cisgender Denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity conforms with the gender that corresponds to their biological sex; not transgender.

Colonial Masculinity On one hand it’s the scripts given to White, European, Colonising men. A masculinity defined against the behaviours of colonial subjects who could be considered men. At the same time, it’s the scripts beaten, disciplined into colonial subjects of what a colonised male subject should be, do, aspire to.

Critical Race Theory A theoretical framework in the social sciences focused upon the application of critical theory, a critical examination of society and culture, to the intersection of race, law, and power.

CRT proposes that white supremacy and racial power are maintained over time, and that the law may play a role in this process and investigated the possibility of transforming the relationship between law and racial power.

Cultural Appropriation This almost always involves members of the dominant culture (or those who identify with it) “borrowing” from the cultures of minority groups.

Diaspora Scattered populations whose origins lie within a smaller geographic locale. Diaspora can also refer to the movement of the population from its original homeland.

Black A member of a dark-skinned people, especially one of African, Australian and Caribbean Aboriginal ancestry. A term used in certain countries, often in socially based systems of racial classification or of ethnicity.

Black Masculinity ‘‘Black masculinity is defined in three over arching categories: perception, expectation, and representation. It is impossible to define Black masculinity without addressing the stereotypes that are attributed to the portrayals of Black men in our society’’.

- Audre Lorde.

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Black Feminism

Brown

Desi

LGBTQIA Equality

Fascism

Female

Female Masculinity Feminism Femininity

Gender

#interfilm #sonevents.

The belief that sexism, class oppression, gender identity and racism are impossible to separate. These concepts relate to each other through intersectionality Brown or brown people is a racial and ethnic classification. Like black people and white people, it is a metaphor for race based on human skin color. ... In Brazil, brown people is a cognate term for pardo A term referring to something or someone who is from the Indian subcontinent. The Indian subcontinent is comprised of the following major countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Asexual A state in which all individuals or social groups are treated fairly, equally and no less favourably; be it by virtue of their race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age.

Equality stands for inclusion and is against discrimination.

A form of radical authoritarian nationalism that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe, influenced by national syndicalism. Fascism originated in Italy during World War I and spread to other European countries.

The biological term for the sex of an organism, referring to animals and humans or plants. The sex of most mammals, including humans, is genetically determined by XX for females.

A new understanding of masculine behaviors and identities which go against the societal norm of embodying masculinity.

Fight for equality of all genders.

A set of behaviours, presentations and roles which are culturally associated with being a woman and/or possessing female sex characteristics. People of any gender identity or sexual orientation can be feminine, but those who are assigned female at birth often experience societal pressure to be so.

Gender refers to a person's experience of their identity relative to the categories of masculinity and femininity and any other genders recognised by their society. Every person's gender is a complex and unique experience, and it can be difficult to express this gender to others.

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Gender Fluid

A gender identity which refers to a gender which varies over time. A gender fluid person may at any time identify as male, female, neutrois, or any other non-binary identity, or some combination of identities.

Gender Queer Gender queer is an umbrella term with a similar meaning to nonbinary. It can be used to describe any gender identities other than man and woman, thus outside of the gender binary.

Hypermasculinity Term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behavior, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, and sexuality. Â Heteronormative The belief that people can only fall into distinct and complementary genders (man and woman) with fixed traditional gender roles. It assumes that heterosexuality is the only sexual orientation or the only norm.

Hegemonic Is defined as the current configuration of practice that legitimizes masculinity men's dominant position in society and which justifies the subordination of women, and other marginalized ways of being a man. AKA Toxic Masculinity Homohysteria Is the fear of being thought queer because of behavior that is typically considered gender atypical.

Intersectional Is a concept often used in critical theories to describe the ways in which oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, etc.) are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another. The concept first came from legal scholar KimberlĂŠ Crenshaw in 1989 and is largely used in critical theories, especially Feminist theory, when discussing systematic oppression. When possible, credit KimberlĂŠ Crenshaw for coining the term "intersectionality" and bringing the concept to wider attention Intersectional A perspective within feminism that doesn't exclude people from Feminism the movement based on their Gender, Race and Class.

Intersex An intersex person has sex characteristics e.g. sexual anatomy, reproductive organs, and/or chromosome patterns that do not fit the typical definition of male or female. This may be apparent at birth or become so later in life.

Inclusive Masculinity Men becoming more inclusive within their gender.

Islamophobia

The prejudice, hatred, or bigotry directed towards Islam or Muslims.

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Racism

Male

Male Gaze Man

Masculinity

Manhood

Marginalise

Masculinity

Masculinity Bias Matriarchy

#interfilm #sonevents.

The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race/s.

The biological term for a sex of an organism, referring to animals and humans or plants. The sex of most mammals, including humans, is genetically determined by XY for males.

Showing or watching events or looking at women from a man's point of view Is a gender identity which is part of the gender binary. Man is a term used for adults, and corresponds to the terms boy (for children), male (adjective) and masculinity.

Is a set of behaviours, presentations and roles which are culturally associated with being a man and/or possessing male sex characteristics. People of any gender identity or sexual orientation can be masculine, but those who are assigned male at birth often experience societal pressure to be so.

Transgender people who are masculine may be described as transmasculine.

The notion of manhood is exclusively concerned with the concept of being the ‘breadwinner’, which agitates hierarchical structures, provoking one to be ‘tough’ and stimulates phrases such as “act like a man”, which is, by far, more complex than just an ‘act’.

To relegate to the fringes, out of the mainstream; make seem unimportant: to place in a position of marginal importance, influence, or power.

A set of behaviours, presentations, and roles which are culturally associated with being a man and/or possessing male sex characteristics. People of any gender identity or sexual orientation can be masculine, but those who are assigned male at birth often experience societal pressure to be so.

Bias toward the observation of/interviews with males in a culture.

A form of social organization in which the mother or oldest female is the head of the family, and descent and relationship are reckoned through the female line; government or rule by a woman or women

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Misogyny

Muslim

Hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls.

Misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including social exclusion, sex discrimination, hostility, androcentrism, patriarchy, male privilege, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification.

A term referring to misogyny directed towards Black women, where race and gender both play roles in bias.

A person that descends of two or more different races; also known as mixed, biracial or multiracial.

A follower of the religion of Islam.

Non -Binary

A form of gender identity which reject the gender binary.

Misogynoir Mixedraceness

Oppression

When a person or a group of people are subjected to unfair treatment by those in positions of power.

Patriarchy A social system in which Males hold primary power, predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property at the specific exclusion of men, at least to a large degree.

Pedagogies Of Social The art of teaching through the lenses of Social Justice. This Justice includes utilising an intersectional approach to race, gender, faith, disability, class...

POC People of Colour Political Blackness Privilege Prejudice

Pro Black QTIPOC Queer Resistant femininity

Political blackness is the idea that all non-white people can define themselves under one term: black.

A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.

Hatred towards someone based on their identity. Example: An oppressed person of colour can be prejudice against privileged races but cannot be racist.

Definition of PRO: For; in respect of; on account of; in behalf of.

Thus, to be pro-Black doesn't mean to be anti-white.

Queer Trans and Intersex People of Colour An umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities that are not heterosexual and/or cisgender.

Women embodying resistant femininity reject the conventional norms of femininity in society and adopt liberated lifestyles and identities.

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Representation

Social Justice Stereotyping Trans-Man

Trans-Masculine

White Feminism

White Privilege

White supremacy

White Washing

Xenophobia

#interfilm #sonevents.

Refers to equality in opportunity and visibility. For example, representative media is media that is reflective of the variety of races, cultures, genders or religions that its entire readership belongs to.

Social justice is the fair and just relation between the individual and society.

When you judge a group of people who are different from you based on your own and/or others opinions and/or encounters.

Someone who is both a man and transgender/transsexual.

Trans men were assigned female at birth but their gender identity is male.

A term used to describe transgender people who were assigned female at birth, but identify with masculinity to a greater extent than with femininity.

“White feminism is a set of beliefs that allows for the exclusion of issues that specifically affect women of color. It is ‘one sizefits all’ feminism, where middle class White women are the mold that others must fit. It is a method of practicing feminism, not an indictment of every individual White feminist, everywhere, always.” Cate BattyMamzelle "An invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ""meant"" to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks.”” Peggy McIntosh” An ideology centered upon the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior. It is argued by critical race theorist that all white people have a level of white supremacy values because of the media, education and politics have embedded whiteness as superior in society.

A term used to describe white actors or actress playing nonfictional and historical non-white character roles. Therefore writing and disconnecting historical events and achievements to the non-white community Fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign.

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INTERSECTIONAL SAFETY IN THE CLASSROOM.

Words by an Katayoun Jalili.

The importance of safety goes underestimated in the art class where being radical is encouraged.

In university, especially in a place like CSM, we are encouraged to challenge our thought processes, but not so much that the institution feels challenged and under attack.

There have been several incidences that I have personally experienced in the classroom where I felt unsafe, and I would call this nothing but intersectional failure.

Intersectional failure means when systematic oppression fails a person who is a part of several marginalised groups including sex, gender, class and race. For example, I am a woman, I identify as queer, I am working class and brown. And the system in which we live in (heteropatriarchal white supremacy and capitalist) is not in my favour because of the marginalised groups I am a part of.

But how can a classroom setting be set up as a safe space of learning for people of intersections?

This past two years at university, I have had several experiences that proved to me this failure exists. Incidences where I felt unsafe in terms of my gender, sexuality, race and even class. In these incidences, none of my peers stood up for me, neither did the tutors.

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I had to defend myself and my community, which is not a situation I should have been in as a student. I am here to study, not to educate.

I have felt that there’s a failure on the part of tutors/lecturers to create a safe space. Certain discussions can trigger deep emotions for some students and tutors sometimes fail to acknowledge this fact and encourage these discussions.

For example recently, we had a discussion in class that led to discussing sexual abuse, which for me personally is a triggering subject. I felt unsafe and attacked by several peers, which led me to think that it was the tutor’s responsibility to create a safe space.

But when these safe spaces don’t exist, how does it affect our education as folk who experience intersections.

Racism has a been a big part of my experience at university this past year. It has been brought up in class discussions which again were not handled well by the tutors, but also there have been incidences where a racist comment was made and no one stood up for people of colour, and again it was my responsibility to stand up for myself and my community, which I can argue is not my responsibility. It is an experienced fact that white folk take criticism about political incorrectness from fellow white folk and not people of colour. Because if we stand up for ourselves it looks like : “ an over reaction” and we “need to calm down”.

I am not suggesting we shouldn’t defend ourselves and communities, but what I’m trying to explain is that when in a learning environment, especially a creative learning environment which can leave many feeling vulnerable, it is more difficult to defend your rights when no one else is standing up for you.

The perception might be that art schools are queer friendly. However, in reality, it only seems to be the “mainstream gay culture” that is praised. Queer politics and trans rights are ignored most of the time as they are about real people’s day to day life, and not just glamorous fashionable lifestyles advertised in the mainstream gay culture.

In art University, there sometimes feels like there’s a separation between the art University and outside world politics. However, this is not true, the political failures that exist outside of a University, very much exist inside the classrooms. These failures are not to be discussed as if they only exist outside, which is what tends to happen. These failures are failing us every day when they are being treated as myths.

Where intersectional failures have not been addressed, it has created feelings of frustration and hopelessness for many students, which in turn, leads to them leaving university or leaving the course in general.

We easily talk about the lack of diversity on the teaching level, but if the institution is failing to take care of students who are in the minority, the institution will become even more exclusive, and only a place for those who can survive in a society that works in their favour. #interfilm #sonevents.

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THE INSTITUTE: NINA’S STORY.

Words by an Michael Ukaegbu.

An anonymous retelling of a real student’s experience at university where they feel they have experienced cultural or racial ignorance whilst studying. Written in an effort to raise awareness of this recurring issues that students are facing. Told in the format of a short story with fictional characters and locations.

Character: Nina Location: Fictional Art College called ‘The Institute’ Freedom: “The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants”. This had always been a factor in Nina’s life. At the age of 18 when University was on the horizon, all she really wanted was a place where she felt she could be free. From a young age, Nina had been a very vocal wordsmith. People often referenced Edward Bulwer-Lyttons famous quote “The pen is mightier than the sword” when Nina would voice her passionate opinions, however, she felt she had yet to find her true vocation. As humans we naturally try to better ourselves, others found her writing spectacular but she herself found it inept and in need of refinement. The Institute advertised a solution to both of these factors in their Journalism course, so naturally, Nina applied.

Fast forward two years, Nina is now in her second year. Her first year at The institute was mainly made up of going through the basics. The second year arguably was the year in 26 // INTERSECTIONAL FILM.

which she finally had a chance to really write, and so write she did. The first proper task they were given gave Nina exactly what she wanted; freedom. Her lecturers simply told her to choose an idea, choose her audience, pitch that idea and then write it. It sounded easy enough to her. After a week or so of thinking, she finally came up with a pitch. As a young black woman who grew up as a fan of hip hop culture, she decided that her piece would focus on the nuances of community. She drew up her pitch and submitted it, awaiting feedback in the following week.

A week passed quickly, and her pitch feedback had arrived. She knew her lecturer wasn’t a part of the demographic she was writing for, so she expected him to give her the all clear immediately and let her start writing away. However, upon opening her response, she was made aware that that would not be her reality. His lack of knowledge of the culture led him to disregard her piece, simply labelling it as incorrect due to his ignorance of the community. Labelling a lot of topics and even album names in the culture i.e. ‘Yeezus’ as jargon that the reader wouldn’t understand, simply because he didn’t understand.

Whenever he would encounter a word or a phrase he didn’t quite identify with he would label it as incorrect instead of taking the time to research and find out its meaning for himself. Most of what Nina was saying in her pitch was lost in translation, it was simply marked as incorrect and she was told to think up something new.

Reading his response, Nina was frustrated and confused. As a student, work is meant to be produced and the lecturer is meant to take their time in giving feedback; especially in a case like this where the student has the option to choose whom their target audience is. She felt her skills were discredited and her voice was being ignored. She was flat out rejected instead of being given back something she felt she could build on. Being quite a prideful person Nina went on to write her piece regardless of what was said, however, the road became a lot more stressful, difficult and lonely for her, as she felt she didn’t have any academic support along the way.

End. Nina’s opinions on how this should be dealt with: “The staff that are hired to teach and to assist students need to be more diverse. People from different cultural backgrounds that can understand what others wouldn’t. People who have been through different walks of life and in this case write about different genres; this way our work wouldn’t all be one dimensional and we are able to cultivate our own individual writing styles. Having lecturers who are all similar isn’t progressive in regards to the arts; art is meant to constantly move forward and evolve.”

#interfilm #sonevents.

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#NONETFLIX: THE PROBLEM WITH ‘DEAR WHITE PEOPLE’.

Words by an Tiff Webster

[Spoiler Alert of original film 2014] So in recent media News.. Netflix have a new soon to be released series: ‘Dear White People’; available to stream from April 28th. This series is a remake of the Netflix (2014) ‘Dear White People’ movie by filmmaker Justin Simien. This past week the announcement of the new series to be released on Netflix has caused a stir and has been trending on social media. There has been an outpour of shock, horror and rage from the alt-right white supremacists identifying people, also just random white Netflix users have been closing or cancelling their Netflix accounts in protest of this series with hashtags #NoNetflix and encouraging other users to follow suit. As it’s believed to promote ‘anti-whiteness’, ‘white genocide’, ‘racism’, etc … Pause. Cue eye roll.

To give a bit of context, The film ‘ Dear White People’ basically follows black mixedrace college student Sam White, who hosts a radio show about being a minority while attending a largely white university. The show’s trailer teases White’s broadcast about acceptable Halloween costumes which include the inexcusable dressing up in black face. The film consists of a group of individuals from the black community all on their own 28 // INTERSECTIONAL FILM.

journey like the main character and we follow them all through their individual navigations of a mostly white and fictitious college attempting to tackle stereotypes and institutional racism, it also apparently won several awards..

The first time I watched the movie in 2014, I just didn’t get it. I was confused and bored.

I also thought maybe I just don’t get it? Maybe I don’t know enough, but also it was unsettling in a way I had yet the words to describe. The second time round I gave it a go last year and I understood a lot more this time round and could analyse and reflect more in depth. It was another wasted opportunity, basically.

It’s important at this stage to say I’m speaking from a black mixed-race British perspective, as I know the black American experience is different and is reflected within the film,but there are many things the whole black diaspora could supposedly identify within this film.

Dear White People had potential, it had potential to touch on complex and multi-layered issues; not to say the movie didn’t bring them to light, such as the racist sorority parties, the consistent micro-aggressions, the institution, which it did at least! Here in the UK we deal with many of these complexities on a daily basis too and they manifest in many shapes and forms.

Here is the problem: having a black mixed-race protagonist of this movie is the first big problem. Especially an identifying women having an identity crisis. This is tiring, I’m already tired knowing that again for the series they will be using a light skinned main character again. Again, perpetuating this narrative of all mixed-race identities never feeling enough, sad and ‘woes me the poor mixed-race person’ the ‘tragic Mulatta’ trope. Sigh.

Not saying that casting light skinned or mixed race identities is a problem, but it is when they are ALWAYS the main character and on top of that, basic, with a sense of not belonging and having to be someone they are not to fit in.

Ok, so it may be reflecting the filmmakers experience, but why a woman? Why not a male having this experience as I see so few of the portrayal of mixed race men experiencing this, I think also this may be because they actually don’t experience this and predominantly identify as black or not? It seems also that (circulated by the media) that it’s just a women’s problem, perhaps it’s because I see it or hear this more from women, but it’s there, it’s present. Why not touch on this topic instead of continue the same old dead narrative centered around whiteness?

Which is what I believe the movie is, centered around whiteness, which is what conversation on mixed race folk are almost all of the time. Which is funny to me, as the title is ‘Dear White People’ whilst centering them throughout…But it’s not just the main character, all characters evolve around the narrative and their relationship with whiteness. Like this is actually needed to make sense, or I guess for it to be accessible to those ‘white people’ it’s intended for. I guess that makes me think that, to actually make #interfilm #sonevents.

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the movies that address so many problematic issues the script must centre whiteness for it to even be accessible… not to forget the portrayal of the other pro-black characters seen as hyper militant and always angry and constantly on standby, leaning on the main character’s ‘leadership’ for guidance.

All portrayals are stereotypical, I just remember thinking ‘Am I actually learning anything here?’ or ‘wow, that’s sick that they touch on this topic that’s never talked about…’ It just seemed to revolve around the main character’s relationship with the white guy in her class and her choosing to conceal her feelings for him and then eventually accepting herself by saying “I don’t want to be everyone’s angry black woman anymore”, I guess it highlights the privileges that mixed women have by actually being able to say such a thing and also just deciding to put her blackness to the side. The reality is, for dark skinned black women this is not a possibility, they can’t do such a thing; letting her hair down in its natural state, accepting her feelings for the white guy and no-longer being the activist leader or voice for the pro-black group…is that it?

Whilst I myself may have identified at some point with many of the narratives in this movies, hell, even the main storyline, this cannot be an ends in itself... and also the portrayal of darker skinned black women as just wanting to get closer the whiteness is just..

To sum up, I truly hope that maybe with the series the filmmaker may have the space to flesh out these complex identities and navigations more, but when I saw the main protagonist again of a lighter complexion, I flinched. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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CORRINA ANTROBUS.

Founder, The Bechdel Test Fest.

Corrina Antrobus is the founder and director of The Bechdel Test Fest. What started as a one-year celebration to hail the 30th anniversary of the Bechdel Test, is now an ongoing celebration of positive female representation in film with frequent talks and screenings all around London. With a background in movie marketing, Corrina also writes for The F Word, Huffington Post, Sight & Sound and Virgin Movies amongst others.

‘The Bechdel Test’ was inspired by cartoonist Alison Bechdel‘s 1985 tongue-in-cheek comic strip ‘The Rule’ which became a basic measure to see if women are fairly represented in a film.

1. It must have at least two female characters 2. They must both have names 3. They must talk to each other about something other than a man “Of the 25 top grossing movies of 2016, a measly half passed the test. Considering the ridiculously low bar in order for the film to pass – that’s pretty poor. Also, research conducted by The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film discovered that of the 4,370 speaking named characters from the top-grossing films in 2015, only 31.4% were women and 26.3% were underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.”

What does intersectionality mean to you?

Appreciating that people are not one dimensional and our experiences are multifaceted.

We are blessed with a plethora of cultures, abilities, sexualities, ages and faiths and all should be considered, listened to, appreciated and respected.

In what ways is your practice intersectional?

When I first had the idea of celebrating female-led cinema I soon realized that a flighty, concentrated event over the course of a few days couldn’t possibly do justice to the many stories and themes I wanted to hail. I wanted to go beyond screening ‘strong female roles’ or female-directed films and look at the complexities of womanhood and those who identify with it. It soon became apparent that an ongoing celebration would be the best way to explore the endless ways women are represented, and want to be represented, on film. We screen fiction, docs, shorts, animation, new and old releases. As long as it’s female-led (on screen or behind), and has a story that can illuminate, enthrall and bring audiences together to enjoy and discuss cinema, we’re all for it.

What films, or filmmakers, have been a source of inspiration to you?

Ava Duvernay is doing incredible work, not only enlighten audiences of the complexities of black and female narratives, but also working tool and hammer under the bonnet #interfilm #sonevents.

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‘The Bechdel Test’ was inspired by cartoonist Alison Bechdel‘s 1985 tongue-in-cheek comic strip ‘The Rule’ which became a basic measure to see if women are fairly represented in a film.

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of the film industry to ensuring her work reaches audiences. Her distribution company ARRAY finds, creates and markets stories concerning black and brown people and makes them accessible to all. It’s inspiring.

Can you describe some of the films you’ve worked on that you consider intersectional?

Beyond The Lights was one of our biggest events in our first year and we screened it to not only to enjoy a good, crowd-pleasing movie which happened to be directed by a woman of colour (Gina Prince-Bythewood), but also to challenge how few on-screen romances have black and brown people at the helm. Interracial relationships and how they are represented and marketed are a personal concern to me as I want my own narrative handled with authenticity; screening Amma Asante’s A United Kingdom last year, was an honor and our post-screening discussion with a full and engrossed audience was a reminder of why we do what we do.

Do you think that the film industry is supportive of intersectional film? If not, why?

I often witness when films that don’t slot neatly into a genre or have an obvious sell (i.e a big star or a bunch of awards attached to it), baffle the average marketer or distribution company. This means distribution companies simply don’t pick them up as they don’t know what to do with it, or marketers fail to find an audience resulting in the film’s commercial failure. bechdeltestfest.com/about/ #interfilm #sonevents.

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DAMON DAVIS & SABAAH FOLAYAN. What does intersectionality mean to you?

D: When I hear intersectionality, I see a venn diagram, or like the mastercard logo. I think of categories and things, people, ideas, that fall into multiple categories, and are even at times, unclassifiable. In terms of human beings, I think of a space where every aspect of a person’s experience, personality and identity, is seen and respected, not just the easily definable parts.

S: Intersectionality means holding multiple, sometimes conflicting truths at once. It means knowing that a person can be both privileged and oppressed, centered and marginalized depending on the context.

What films, or filmmakers, have been a source of inspiration to you?

The Square (Jehane Noujaim), Trouble the Water ( Carl Deal , Tia Lessin), and The Great Beauty (Paulo Sorrentino) are three films which exemplify what I love most about filmmaking. The Square contemplates the character of an entire nation while allowing audiences to fall in love with a single young revolutionary. Trouble the Water moves deftly through time in the aftermath of Katrina, raising questions about chronology, cause and effect, and the inevitability of change. Finally Sorrentino’s work is visually stunning, with striking scenes that constantly keep you on your toes as a viewer. I love the range of films that can be made and I like to pull inspiration from a variety of unexpected places.

In what ways is your practice intersectional?

D:I constantly have to check the privileges I have at the same time fight for my own right to intersectionality and full personhood. I mainly try to learn and listen to people and their experience, and make conscious efforts to correct my behavior with people that are not like me and know that people are not easily categorized. I work hard not to assume things and buy into stereotypes that I have heard.

S: I practice intersectionality by trying to maintain awareness of myself and those around me. This means knowing when I need to advocate for myself to push boundaries as a woman of color, and when I need to step back and make room for others who may be marginalized in a different way.

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#interfilm #sonevents.

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Can you describe some of the films you’ve worked on that you consider intersectional?

D: Whose Streets, which is my first feature that I was co-director, is a prime example of what I view to be a tale of intersectionality. I think our main protagonist, Brittany, is a great example. Brittany is a Black, Queer, Woman and mother. All of these groups face different obstacles in life, but people like Brittany that fall in all the groups, get all of the problems.

That is intersectionality (in a negative way, but intersectionality nonetheless).

S: Whose Streets? Is an intentionally intersectional documentary. We chose characters who had different genders, economic backgrounds, education levels, and sexual orientations -so that we could demonstrate that Black Americans are not a monolith and honor our intersectional struggles. We looked into many aspects of their lives, not just the activism, so that we could show that social movements like Black Lives Matter don’t happen in a vacuum. They require everyday people to unapologetically live at the intersections of Black and queer, parent and activist, professional and revolutionary.

What are some of the misconceptions you think gatekeepers have around the concept of intersectionality?

D: I just think the concept itself is often neglected or out right ignored. I think we are trained to think people are just one thing and I think that is how people’s identities are stifled.

S: I think that gatekeepers believe that intersectionality is more of a risk than it actually is.

Intersectionality is the reality we all live, whether we know it or not. Intersectional filmmaking has an ability to appeal ability to appeal to audiences, because it will allow for more authentic storytelling. What is seen by some as “political correctness” or “diversity” is actually an attempt to make elite institutions more reflective of the world they inhabit.

When this happens I think that gatekeepers will be surprised at how well the films that follow resonate with audiences.

Do you think that the film industry is supportive of intersectional film? If not, why?

D: No, because they are simply harder to market. I think people want nice neat packages and genre, we must challenge each other to think and to see things a little more broadly to include other experiences that aren’t easily definable.

S: I think the industry is becoming more supportive as the idea of intersectionality spreads.

It is challenging to drastically change the way we approach our social realities. It means deep re-examination of ourselves and our organizations. It takes time and resources.

But ultimately intersectionality allows for a larger variety of unique stories to be told.

#interfilm #sonevents.

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AMBER HSU. Amber Hsu (徐碧莉//xúbìlì) is a Chinese-born, US-raised, UK-based writer, poet, filmmaker, visual artist, and small press publisher. She has written for and with the Royal Court Theatre, the BBC, Islington Youth Theatre, Orange Tree Theatre, and National Theatre Studios amongst others. She is currently under commission with the Royal Shakespeare Company to adapt a series of Ovid’s tales for young audiences and works from Chinese Classics.In 2014, she was also awarded a Film London London Calling Award and commissioned to make her first short film: Next Time. In 2013, she conceived of and created Tiny Pencil — an independent, artist-led, anthology artzine and press dedicated to the lead arts. She is also the creator of #OnePoundPoems — a live, verse-making endeavour involving a 1936 Remington Portable typewriter, a handful of willing poets, and the goodwill of strangers. Once, she also worked in a morgue.

What does intersectionality mean to you and your practice?

Intersectionality is very useful as a term for communicating the frustrations and complications that artists might feel from particularities of race, class, ability, etc.

A question that often comes up with myself and other artists I know from ethnic backgrounds, is how to navigate the obligation of an artist to his or her specific community in terms of representation. For example, when writing East Asian male characters, I am very conscious of the way ethnic feminist narratives have been used to feed certain racial biases (i.e. the liberation of the ethnic female from the oppressive patriarchy of her racial origin). As an artist you are always concerned with authenticity.

But what do you do when authenticity is used for other misguided cultural/political agendas? It’s a problem that has plagued “minority ethnic” storytelling for some time.

Because traditionally there were so few opportunities for minority ethnic stories, the landscape would become distorted by mainstream culture, which often selects stories based on pre-existing and persistent biases and desires. That’s changing (one hopes).

But it’s always a battle - which is why we need these discussions on all the intersections of culture, however complicated - so that we might better understand the choices we make both as consumers of stories and tellers of them. amberhsu.com

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#interfilm #sonevents.

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CASSIE QUARLESS AND USAYD YOUNIS. “Generation Revolution brings to screen the powerful story of a new generation of black and brown activists who are changing the social and political landscape in the capital and beyond. This feature-length documentary film follows an exciting new breed of organisations as well as the young Londoners that are part of them.

The film vividly chronicles the evolution of our characters as they experience personal and political awakenings, breakthroughs and, at times, disillusionment. Generation Revolution offers a unique and original glimpse into the rewarding but difficult path that must be trodden in the struggle for personal, social and political liberation.” https://genrevfilm.com/about-us/ Cassie Quarless is a producer/director with a background in comedy and documentary shorts. He has studied Digital Anthropology at UCL and has a strong interest in the imagining of and potential for radical futures.

Usayd Younis is a radical filmmaker and digital editor for Ceasefire Magazine. His first documentary ‘The Two Worlds’ addresses the topic of inequality in post-apartheid South Africa. Usayd has facilitated workshops on Arts & Activism for Platform / Shake! and has a passion for social justice. *These answers are excerpts from a telephone conversation with Cassie and Usayd* What does Intersectionality mean to you and your practice?

Intersectionality was a really important concept in the making of Generation Revolution because it was pivotal to the organisers we were following (the London Black Revolutionaries and R Movement) who fight not only along the lines of race--but race, class and gender in their approach. But also because it’s important to think about how people were being affected in different ways, which for us, meant giving space to the complexity of these activists’ thoughts. For example in the film, young black men are talking about feminism and what it means to them. Race is not the only factor that affects their lives.

What films or filmmakers have been a source of inspiration to you?

The Hard Stop. I think what’s really powerful about that story, and it’s very much in the same vein of what we are trying to do, is the way it depicts the real life of young black people in London. And how complex, how nuanced, and how diverse those lives are.

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#interfilm #sonevents.

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How the institutionalised violence of the state can really rupture a life. The filmmakers were clearly very sensitive to these issues.

We have to acknowledge our own positions as men, and our positions in terms of our class, by taking inspiration from other filmmakers who do that really well. And who aren’t claiming to speak for anyone.

At the end of the day we see our position as black and brown filmmakers as an important one, and how it relates to the people we are working with. We know where we stand with our own objectivity and this is crucial for a film like Generation Revolution which is about young activists of colour--its very much about people like us who are trying to affect change around the issues they experience. So it’s easy for us to get caught up and say these are people we can speak for. Which means we have to be constantly checking ourselves, saying: we are here, we sympathise with what you are trying to achieve but we are not part of this movement. We are trying to document these stories and that is our activism. Because looking at this story as a whole is crucial.

What are some of the misconceptions you think gatekeepers have around the concept of intersectionality?

I think that intersectionality is still not very well understood, so the misconceptions are fundamental. But I think the great thing is that we have a new generation of young people where it is the way they see the world. We can’t see the world in isolated terms. In the film we are focusing on all black lives: trans black lives, men and women, gay, non-binary--it’s at the core of their resistance and their way of articulating the movement.

Talking to older generations, or gatekeepers, is one thing--but seeing it in action is even better. So seeing young people of colour doing intersectional activism is a great way of exemplifying what we are pushing for.

Older generations who we’ve shown the film to have had a sense of what we are trying to achieve, and an understanding that not everyone is successful at it. There needs to be a recognition that it is okay to give space for younger people to try things in a different way--in this case: new ways of organising that are more all-encompassing.

Do you think that the film industry is supportive of intersectional film? If not, why?

I don’t even know if they understand it. I’m not sure people in the industry are having the conversations around what intersectional film means. Filmmakers who are thinking that way have more ways than ever for getting their films directly to their audience. And it’s not particularly productive to rely on an industry for something that is radical in its message.

#interfilm #sonevents.

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LIBERTY ANTONIA SADLER.

Artist, Illustrator & Filmmaker. Alumnus of CSM & Chelsea.

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Liberty Antonia Sadler is an artist & filmmaker based in London. Her work has been featured at Whitechapel Gallery, London, HOME, Manchester, CCA, Glasgow, OXO Gallery, London and in Nylon, Polyester, Metro, Grazia & Sukeban Magazines. Her film ‘Private Theatre’ was part of Videoclub’s Selected Six Programme and Tour, 2016.

Liberty Antonia works with mediums of drawing, text and moving image to explore issues of 21st century body politics, with a focus on the experience of living in a female body in a ‘photo-shopped’ world; the new visual rhetoric of perfection through digital manipulation.

Working within a socio-political context, her work uses character and playfulness to discuss themes of food, ‘femininity’ and sexuality.

Liberty Antonia’s work aims to open discussion about vulnerability, imperfection and inequality, with characters’ bordering between a ‘parody of’ and ‘pride in’ being a woman [exploring Gender Performativity and female stereotypes]. The use of humour as a technique of critique is the basis of Liberty Antonia’s practice, aiming to use it as a device to answer the unspoken dogma of one’s body being one’s collateral. In homage to the traditions of political satire, often included within her pen & digital colour drawings and performance video pieces, are slogans & text, to combine word & image in the creation of ‘Fine Art comedy’.

Within her moving image practice, Liberty Antonia creates a world of character through an immersive combination of herself as performer of her own words and purgatorial studio & sound environments. Her practice includes both directing and first person performance, with works exploring, at times, controversial issues such as eating disorders, fetish & body dysmorphia. Her multidisciplinary practice also takes form in published works, focusing on the intimacy of the ‘artist talking to audience’ through the one-on- one printed experience.

Please explain the artwork you have submitted.

Cage of Curves (2016), is a body positive poem, delving into the power of the soft femme figure, and rejecting dogmas of aesthestic hierarchies in the embrace of personal physicality. Featuring drawings from ‘Intimate’ (life drawing series), and an isolated singular voiceover, the audience is allowed into a stripped bare emotional landscape.

What does intersectionality mean to you?

I see intersectionality as an essential component being socio-politically motivated: the act of listening, exchanging, and celebrating differences as a strength. To rejoice in our personal narratives, to hear other people’s stories, and being part of a movement to claim space in the artistic, academic and societal forum that has been dominated by cis, white patriarchal voices for too long.

In what ways is your practice intersectional?

My intersectional voice is through my body & sex positivity, with a focus on larger bodies #interfilm #sonevents.

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taking up visual space in a positive context which is very important to me, both personally and politically. My practice aims to challenge the internalized hierarchies of worth, particularly aesthetics in relation to weight in contemporary society; gender, sexuality and ‘body privilege’. I want to see more diverse bodies, orientations and stories on screen, so I enjoy satirizing the archetypes and stock characters endlessly regurgitated in mainstream media, using myself as a medium.

What films, or filmmakers, have been a source of inspiration to you and why?

Films such as Jane Arden’s mental health odyssey ‘The Otherside of The Underneath’ (1972), and Derek Jarman’s ‘Blue’, 1990 (about his experiences while dying of AIDS), inspire me because of their use of personal experience combined with poetry. My BA tutor Andrea Luka Zimmerman helped me so much in claiming my own voice on screen, she’s always encouraged me to speak in my own visual and emotional language, even when I’ve hesitated due to the anxiety of being visible. Through Andrea, I was introduced to the essay collection ‘The Cinema of Me: The Self & Subjectivity in First Person Documentary’, in which Alisa Lebow (editor) describes first person films as having the potential to be “poetic, political, prophetic or absurd…(to)’speak’ from the articulated point of view of the filmmaker who readily acknowledges her subjective position”, and this has helped me override the understandable hesitations many personal-political artists have: the fear of being vulnerable.

Do you think that the film industry is supportive of intersectional narratives? If not, how can this be changed?

Mainstream film has been feeding itself the lie that non-heteronormative, non-white, nonmale protagonists do not get people into cinemas, but finally, plain facts are evidencing to film studios that that is pure patriarchy(1). The success of films such as ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Hidden Figures’(2) are proof that mainstream film is becoming more progressive in terms of intersectional stories, however this progress is still a glimmer of how it should be.

Larger bodies, queer stories, PoC characters that aren’t stereotyped into caricatures still sit on the script backbench the vast majority of the time, while funding goes to remakes & reboots(3).

1.

www.indiewire.com/2014/03/suck-it-haters-female-led-films-make-moremoney-240714/ 2. www.seattlemedium.com/black-girl-magic-hidden-figures-outshines-la-la-land-us-box-office/ 3. www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-carpowich/the-movieremake-craze-howhollywood-empty-ideas-are-filling-theaters_b_7490992.html

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MOLLY CRABAPPLE.

“Women to Celebrate�

Molly Crabapple is an artist, journalist, and author of the memoir, Drawing Blood. Called "An emblem of the way art can break out of the gilded gallery" by the New Republic, she has drawn in and reported from Guantanamo Bay, Abu Dhabi's migrant labor camps, and in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and Iraqi Kurdistan. Crabapple is a contributing editor for VICE, and has written for publications including The New York Times, Paris Review, and Vanity Fair. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

#interfilm #sonevents.

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RED LIGHTER FILMS.

Red Lighter Films is an LA based production company with a purpose, founded by partners Chloe Feller and Hobbes Ginsberg

Marrying intersectional feminism with film, we seek to create and produce works with dynamic, complex media representation for the marginalized groups who don’t get it often enough. We believe collaborative efforts yield the best products, and we stress the importance of community in filmmaking. Most importantly, we’re a team of passionate individuals determined to dismantle the institutions within the entertainment industry that exclude women, people of color, trans people, queer people, and other oppressed groups from excelling in the field of cinema.

What does intersectionality mean to you?

It’s important first and foremost to acknowledge where the word intersectionality comes from - it was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to discuss the way in which identities that exist on intersecting axes of oppression (e.g. gender, race, sexuality, etc) experience those oppressions not only in their component parts but also as a whole that is greater than those parts. This was especially in reference to the experiences of black women and other women of color who face problems unique and specific to their identities outside of misogyny or racism in their own right. It’s important as white filmmakers to acknowledge those roots and commit to combating our racism and misogynoir constantly before even beginning to refer to ourselves as intersectional.

The idea of intersecting identities and the unique struggles that come with that are very integral to our being though, hobbes is a trans woman and we’re both out as queer people struggling with mental illness and navigating those intersections with care and nuance as well as uplifting people with experiences other than ours in the ways in which they need support is extremely important to us as we move forward.

What films, or filmmakers, have been a source of inspiration to you?

Moonlight obviously is an amazing recent example. Birdman is another more recent movie we both thought was pretty much perfect. I think we’re really interested in movies that tell stories that are authentic to a lived experience and that handle character with nuance and empathy. Both of these movies also do an amazing job at pushing the craft forward and doing something interesting and stylistic visually, that also helps enhance the story, which is something we really value.

Another thing we’re excited about right now is the production company a24 (the producers of moonlight). We really appreciate that they’ve been the ones putting out the most interesting and original stories and making movies that are character driven and showing stories that not a lot of other people are putting out. They also make a point to give filmmakers a lot of agency over their work and not force films to be watered 48 // INTERSECTIONAL FILM.

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down for commercial success, while maintaining a very hands-on approach in terms of supporting them and making sure the films needs are met, which is something we really strive to emulate with Red Lighter.

What are some of the misconceptions you think gatekeepers have around the concept of intersectionality?

One of the biggest misconceptions is like mentioned before, there’s a misunderstanding about the difference between intersectionality and diversity. The film industry is so far behind with even just basic representation of people with marginalized identities, the people in charge haven’t even begun to consider creating positive, intersectional portrayals.

Do you think that the film industry is supportive of intersectional film? If not, why?

The movie industry as a whole is consumed with a desire for profit, and there’s this notion amongst producers and studio heads that anything outside of cis, straight, white, male narratives are niche and therefore a financial risk, and so those kinds of stories haven’t been given the access they deserve. Moreover, a lot of this recent push for more diverse and inclusive stories is because studios are starting to see a financial incentive to make these movies, but because it’s driven by capitalism, it makes the creation of intersectional films dependent on it’s ability to generate profit. This puts undue pressure of the few films that do get made to be huge success in order to ensure the viability of future films, because should they fail studios are quick to say it was because of it’s “niche” story.

Moonlight (2016)

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FILM RECOMMENDATIONS. Sins Invalid: An Unashamed Claim to Beauty Directed By Patricia Berne and Leroy F. Moore Jr Salt of the Sea (2008) Directed By Annemarie Jacir Where Do We Go Now (2011) Directed By Nadine Labaki Circumstance (2011) Directed By Maryam Keshavarz A Jihad for Love (2007) Directed By Parvez Sharma City of Borders (2009) Directed By Yun Suh Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw (2015) Directed By Rick Goldsmith

A Girl Like Me (2005) Directed By Kiri Davis I am (2010) Directed By Onir Skin (2008) Directed By Anthony Fabian The Catch and Death by Hanging (1968) Directed By Nagisa Oshima Imitation of Life (1959) Directed By Douglas Sirk When I Came Home (2006) Directed By Dan Lohaus A Patch of Blue (1965) Director: Guy Green Hidden Figures (2016) Directed By Theodore Melfi

Dear White People (2014) Directed By Justin Simien

Whale Rider (2002) Directed By Niki Caro

Belle (2013) Directed By Amma Asante

Storme: Lady of the Jewel Box (1987) Directed By Michelle Parkerson

Our Homeland (2012) Directed By Yang Yong Hi

Baadasssss Cinema (2002) Directed By Isaac Julien

Tokyo Story (1953) Directed By Yasujiro Ozu

The Body Beautiful (1990) Directed By Ngozi Onwurah

Tangerine (2015) Directed By Sean S Baker

13th (2016) Directed By Ava DuVernay

#interfilm #sonevents.

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Farewell China (1990) Directed By Clara Law Princess and the Frog (2009) Directed By Ron Clements and John Musker In the Time of Butterflies (2001) Directed By Mariano Barroso Persepolis (2007) Directed By Marjane Satrapi

Podcast Recommendations. .femm “Conversations about art, design, technology, queer things, and feminism between Hannah Patellis (@ hannahpatellis) and Dany Gonzalez (@ ohlookitsdany). The .femm podcast is a feminist cyberqueer nerd palooza where design, technology, and intersectional feminism collide.”

Cecile Emeke’s wonderful Web series “ackee & saltfish” (2012): https://www.youtube.com watch?v=xw6rGcFCBmA

http://www.podbean.com/podcastdetail/6kn4e-3cf30/.femm

Online Videos:

“Imrie and Satia are Black Women from London. As Melanin Millennials the ladies discuss everything topical from pop culture, millennial struggles to Black Twitter with a distinct British point of view.“

Intersectionality 101: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=w6dnj2IyYjE Kimberle Crewnshaw on Intersectionality: Ted talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/ kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_ intersectionality Women of the World (WOW): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW4HLgYPlA Akala on “Every Day Racism” https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uZUvjAJGFkM Mona Chalabi “Is Britain Racist?” https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=rP1o0qDIiec

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Melanin Millennials

https://soundcloud.com/ melaninmillennials Another Round With Heben And Tracy A buzzfeed podcast discussing anything and everything an intersectional feminist would want: “from race, gender and pop culture to squirrels, mangoes, and bad jokes, all in one boozy show.” https://soundcloud.com/ anotherroundwithhebenandtracy

FURTHER READING. Books.

Bell, D. (1973). Race, racism, and American law. 1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown.

Davis, A.Y. (1982) Women, race and class. London: The Women’s Press.

Crenshaw, K. (1995). Critical race theory. 1st ed. New York: New Press.

Gaines, J. (1986). White Privilege and Looking Relations: Race and Gender in Feminist Film Theory. Cultural Critique, (4), p.59.

Hill Collins, P. (2000). Black feminist thought. 1st ed. New York: Routledge. hooks, b. (1992) Black looks: Race and representation. Boston, MA: South End Press. hooks, b. (1981) Ain’t I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism. Boston, MA: South End Press. hooks, b. (2000) Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. Boston, MA: South End Press.

Lorde, A. (1982). Zami, a new spelling of my name. 1st ed. Trumansburg, N.Y.: Crossing Press.

Lorde, A. (1984) Sister Outsider. Trumansburg, N.Y.: Crossing Press.

Tadiar, N. and Davis, A. (2005). Beyond the frame. 1st ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

ESSAYS & JOURNALS Butler, J. (1988). Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory. Theatre Journal, 40(4), p.519.

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black #interfilm #sonevents.

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Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, (1).

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), p.1241.

McIntosh, P. (1990). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Independent School, Vol. 49(2), pp.31-15.

ONLINE ARTICLES British Film Institute. (2017). BFI launches Black Star, the UK’s biggest ever celebration of black screen actors. [online] Available at: http://www.bfi.org.uk/ news-opinion/news-bfi/announcements/bfi-launches-black-star [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Coates, T. (2011). The Great Schism. The Atlantic Monthly. [online] Available at: http:// www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/10/the-great-schism/246640/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Desmond-Harris, J. (2017). To understand the Women’s March on Washington, you need to understand intersectional feminism. [online] Vox. Available at: http:// www.vox.com/identities/2017/1/17/14267766/womens-march-on-washingtoninauguration-trump-feminism-intersectionaltiy-race-class [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Dzodan, F. (2011). Tiger Beatdown › MY FEMINISM WILL BE INTERSECTIONAL OR IT WILL BE BULLSHIT!. [online] Tigerbeatdown.com. Available at: http:// tigerbeatdown.com/2011/10/10/my-feminism-will-be-intersectional-or-it-will-bebullshit/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Gay, R. (2014). Roxane Gay: the bad feminist manifesto. the Guardian. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/02/bad-feministroxane-gay-extract [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

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Heideman, P. and Birch, J. (2016). The Trouble With Anti-Antiracism. Jacobin Magazine. [online] Available at: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/10/adolphreed-blm-racism-capitalism-labor/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Helmore, E. (2016). Lack of diversity in film industry costs Hollywood big money, report finds. the Guardian. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/ film/2016/feb/18/hollywood-diversity-box-office-money [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Jalili, K. (2017). Intersectionality and police brutality against black women. [online] Shades Of Noir. Available at: http://shadesofnoir.org.uk/intersectionality-andpolice-brutality-against-black-women/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

John, A. (2017). The Year in #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen and Twitter Feminism. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/ archive/2013/12/year-solidarityisforwhitewomen-and-twitter-feminism/356583/ [Accessed 7 Feb. 2017].

Kaufman, A. (2017). How Diversity Initiatives Are Changing the Film Industry.

IndieWire. [online] Available at: http://www.indiewire.com/2016/07/diversity-filmindustry-initiatives-1201703197/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Santhanam, L. and Crigger, M. (2015). Out of 30,000 Hollywood film characters, here’s how many weren’t white. [online] PBS NewsHour. Available at: http://www. pbs.org/newshour/rundown/30000-hollywood-film-characters-heres-manywerent-white/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Smith, S. (2006). International Socialist Review. [online] Isreview.org. Available at: http://www.isreview.org/issues/46/whiteness.shtml [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Stewart, E. (2012). Broadening Feminism[s]: Intersectionality 101 | Opinion | Lip Magazine. [online] lip magazine. Available at: http://lipmag.com/opinion/ broadening-feminisms-intersectionality-101/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

The Huffington Post. (2017). 21 Hashtags That Changed The Way We Talk About Feminism. [online] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost. com/entry/21-hashtags-that-changed-the-way-we-talk-about-feminism_ us_56ec0978e4b084c6722000d1 [Accessed 7 Feb. 2017]. #interfilm #sonevents.

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Tolerance.org. (2017). Teaching at the Intersections | Teaching Tolerance Diversity, Equity and Justice. [online] Available at: http://www.tolerance.org/ magazine/number-53-summer-2016/feature/teaching-intersections [Accessed 7 Feb. 2017].

Uwujaren, J. and Utt, J. (2015). Why Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional (And 3 Ways to Practice It) - Everyday Feminism. [online] Everyday Feminism.

Available at: http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/01/why-our-feminism-must-beintersectional/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Vedantam, S. (2008). Department of Human Behaviour: When Disadvantages Collide. The Washington Post. [online] Available at: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ news/clips/2008/06/02/WhenTWPOST.pdf [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Wiseman, A. (2016). Can the UK film industry meet the diversity challenge?. [online] Screendaily.com. Available at: http://www.screendaily.com/features/can-the-ukfilm-industry-meet-the-diversity-challenge/5099500.article [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

Serano, J. (2008). Rethinking Sexism: How Trans Women Challenge Feminism. [online] Alternet. Available at: http://www.alternet.org/story/93826/rethinking_ sexism%3A_how_trans_women_challenge_feminism [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

USA TODAY. (2017). What is intersectional feminism? A look at the term you may be hearing a lot. [online] Available at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/ news/2017/01/19/feminism-intersectionality-racism-sexism-class/96633750/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2017].

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HELPFUL ORGANISATIONS. AAPF

The African American Policy Forum (AAPF) is an innovative think tank that connects academics, activists and policy-makers to promote efforts to dismantle structural inequality. We utilize new ideas and innovative perspectives to transform public discourse and policy. We promote frameworks and strategies that address a vision of racial justice that embraces the intersections of race, gender, class, and the array of barriers that disempower those who are marginalized in society. AAPF is dedicated to advancing and expanding racial justice, gender equality, and the indivisibility of all human rights, both in the U.S. and internationally. www.aapf.org

Black Blossoms

Black Blossoms highlights the voices of Black Women by hosting regular events which Black Women are the centre of the conversation. blackblossoms.org // @BlackBlossomss

Black British Academics

Black British Academics are an independent organisation working proactively to enhance race equality across the higher education sector. www.blackbritishacademics.co.uk // @BLACKBAcademics

Consented

Consented is a multi-media platform for those who aren’t accurately represented by the mainstream. Consented was founded in 2015 as an independent project looking to add more diversity to the status quo through our website and our Youtube channel. Based in London with contributors from around the world, Consented welcomes the ideas of any who want to break the mantra of the norm. If you have any questions, requests, media inquiries, contributions, comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us here. Consented accept comments, criticisms and contribution. Keep up to date with all our work here by signing up to our newsletter. www.consented.co.uk

www.colorlines.com

A News and Current Events website run by Race Forward.

#interfilm #sonevents.

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For Harriet

For Harriet is an online community for women of African ancestry. We encourage women, through storytelling and journalism, to engage in candid, revelatory dialogue about the beauty and complexity of Black womanhood. We aspire to educate, inspire, and entertain. www.forharriet.com // @ForHarriet

Huffington Post: Black Voices

A voice for black people in the news. www.huffingtonpost.com/section/black-voices

JawaabUK

Building a grassroots youth movement against hate, racism, and Islamophobia. jawaab.org.uk // @JawaabUK

Media Diversified

Media Diversified is a young and growing non-profit organisation which seeks to cultivate and promote skilled writers of colour by providing advice and contacts and by promoting content online through its own platform. Live since July 2013, the initiative is already diversifying the UK’s media landscape, providing important, challenging and original content which contributes to ongoing global discussions on issues of social justice, equality, gender, politics, economics and pop culture. www.patreon.com/MediaDiversified // @WritersofColour

Media Justice

Media Justice is a long-term vision to democratize the economy, government, and society through policies and practices that ensure: democratic media ownership, fundamental communication rights; universal media and technology access, and meaningful, accurate representation within news and popular culture for everyone.

Media Justice has been achieved when the media and cultural environment results in connected communities, fair economies, racial justice and human rights for all people, and lifts up the voices of communities of color, low-income families, low-wage workers, LGBT communities, women, and all those whose voices are raised, but remain unheard. centerformediajustice.org

www.truth-out.org

People of color, women and trans people are encouraged to submit.

www.voice-online.co.uk

“Keep up to date with news stories, unique features, sports, entertainment, events in your area, exclusive interviews, special offers and much more from Britain’s leading black newspaper.”

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Son of Baldwin

Winner of the 2014 Black Weblog Award for Best LGBT Blog Inspired by the incomparable work of authors James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Marlon Riggs, Audre Lorde, Joseph Beam and other progressive thinkers and literary figures, Son of Baldwin is the literary, sociopolitical, psychosexual, popcultural blog exploring, critically, issues that matter to queer people of color and their allies.

We discuss matters of race, sexuality, gender, gender-identity, disability, class, and the intersections thereof.

FB & Tw: sonofbaldwinfb

Sisters Uncut

“Sisters Uncut is a feminist direct-action collective. This means we do not share one “type” of feminism, but are united by a desire to campaign for better domestic violence services.” www.sistersuncut.org

Vox

Vox explains the news and the world around you. Making complex topics easier to understand, Vox candidly shepherds audiences through politics and policy, business and pop culture, food, science and everything else that matters. At its 2014 launch, the site amassed more than 5MM unique visitors in just over one month. Today it reaches more than ten times that audience through Vox.com, its award-winning videos, and on its top-ranked podcasts. www.vox.com

United Families & Friends Campaign

“The United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC), is a coalition of those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody, supports others in similar situations.

Established in 1997 initially as a network of Black families, over recent years the group has expanded and now includes the families and friends of people from varied ethnicities who have also died in custody.” uffcampaign.org

Twitter users to follow. @UnmaskedWoman @blackqueenCol @AIAWC @bglhonline @ShequalityMatte @BlackGirlNerds @galdemzine @AllBlackWomen @BlackFems #interfilm #sonevents.

@spelmanmuseum @projectfem4all @WomenEnabled @BlackTransMedia @BlackTransWomen @GNBlackPride @centerblacklgbt @bellhooks @ForHarriet INTERSECTIONAL FILM.. // 59

HASHTAGS TO FOLLOW.

#WhyWeCantWait and #BlackGirlsMatter

Are both hashtags utilised by Kimberle Cranshaw to raise awareness around the unequal treatment of black women, more specifically the abuse of black girls in public schools.

The hugely disproportionate mistreatment of black girls highlights the intersection of both gendered and racial violence. The hashtag are aimed ultimately at elevating the life experiences of women and girls of colour and pushing for the incorporation of gender in our definition of racial justice. And for raising awareness of the fact that girls of colour face much harsher school discipline than their white peers but are excluded from current efforts to address the school-to-prison pipeline.

#BlackLivesMatter

An activist movement created in the United States that began in the wake of the July 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Florida shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin. The Black Lives Matter movement campaigns against police brutality in the United States against African-Americans and has presented a form of solidarity globally to the black experience with spin off hashtags worldwide.

#BlackGirlMagic

“We’re using it to celebrate ourselves because historically black women haven’t had the type of support that other groups have... Black Girl Magic tries to counteract the negativity that we sometimes hold within ourselves and is sometimes placed on us by the outside world.” Cashawn Thompson Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-35263240

#BlackTransEverything

@BlackTransMedia reframes the value and worth of black trans people by building community/media/education for racial and gender justice

#Oscarssowhite

At the 2016 Oscars, only white actors and actresses were nominated for the 20 Academy Awards in the top four categories. For the second year in a row. Reports showed that in 2014, only 2% of Academy voters were black while 94% were white.

Beyond the Academy, the hashtag focused attention on the lack of diversity in the film industry at large. Over the last 100 years, for example, only 15% of ‘top film roles’ have been given to minority actors.

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#SandraBland

A vigil in the memory of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on July 13, 2015. Her death was classified as a suicide by the county coroner and was followed by protests against her arrest disputing the cause of death and alleging racial violence against her.

#SAYHERNAME

A Vigil in Memory of Black Women and Girls Killed by the Police

#GirlsLikeUs

“A space created by and for trans* women with the purpose of connecting, upLIFTing one another, and sharing resources and stories. It reaches across generations and color, location and socioeconomic standing, established by @janetmock in March 2012 to empower trans women to live visibly and connect in sisterhood and solidarity.” --Janet Mock

#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen

Sparked in 2013 by Hood Feminism blogger Mikki Kendall after Hugo Schwyzer, a gender studies professor and blogger based at Pasadena City College, admitted to having affairs with his students and silencing women of color bloggers on Twitter.

Kendall argued that sites like Geministing and Jezebel had been complicit in Schwyzer’s treatment of women of colour, telling the Guardian: ““When I launched the hashtag #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen, I thought it would largely be a discussion between people impacted by the latest bout of problematic behavior from mainstream white feminists.”

#YesAllWomen

After the mass shooting in 2014 on the University of California Santa Barbara campus, where Elliot Rodger murdered six people with explicitly misogynous intent, Twitter user @Gildedspine started the hashtag for women to share their experiences with misogyny and violence. The hashtag was a play on the #NotAllMen hashtag, and subsequently inspired the #AllMenCan hashtag (which outlines ways men can be allies within feminist movements).

#RaceAnd

“#RaceAnd” is a special eight-part video series that explores the many ways that race compounds and intersects with all the other issues that impact people of color. Each video features an artist, activist or thinker sharing how their mix impacts their lives both personally and systemically. As featured subject Kay Ulanday Barrett puts it, we can’t truly work toward racial justice if we “see race in a vacuum.” www.colorlines.com/articles/our-new-video-series-raceand-captures-essenceintersectionality

#interfilm #sonevents.

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UPCOMING EVENTS. London Indian Film Festival Europe’s largest South Asian film festival returns for its 8th edition in ten great cinemas across London from 22 - 29 June, we’re also screening synchronously in cinemas in Birmingham from 23 June - 02 July. We aim to bring you a carefully curated selection of the very best new Indian and South Asian independent cinema, which includes feature films, documentaries and short films by both acclaimed and new filmmakers. londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk Artist’s Talk: Sonia Boyce 12 Apr 2017 // 6:30 pm // Cinema 1 // £7.00 to £8.00 ICA exhibiting artist Sonia Boyce is in conversation with art historian Sophie Orlando discussing her work on the occasion of the exhibition Sonia Boyce: We move in her way.

A new body of work created especially for the ICA, We move in her way involves the exploratory vocal and movement performances of Elaine Mitchener, Barbara Gamper and her dancers Eve Stainton, Ria Uttridge and Be van Vark, with an invited audience.

The title of the work suggests two possible readings: that ‘she’ dictates our movements, or that we obstruct ‘hers’, with both interpretations suggesting power is at play. Here, Boyce and Orlando discuss the artist’s participatory practice and this new work in which Boyce has invited others to engage performatively with improvisation.

Art and Identity with gal-dem 12 Mar 2017 // Archive Studio, Level 2, Blue side, Royal Festival Hall Part of WOW – Women of the World Create your own feminist artwork with two of gal-dem’s editors, Heather Barrett and Suyin Haynes, who share the story of their collective and inspire you to explore the different forms of female identity. www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/120679-art-and-identity-galdem-2017 Edinburgh Asian Film Festival (EAFeiff2017F) 24th-26th March 2017 Since its conception Tongues on Fire (TOF) has devoted its life to showcasing South Asia through arts and independent film. With an 18-year history of producing the London Asian Film Festival, Tongues On Fire is about to embark on a new step in its evolution as a festival. TOF is delighted to announce that we are expanding the festival’s reach to other cities throughout the UK. With audiences spanning across the country, TOF is excited to be bringing the finest selected independent Indian cinema to more doorsteps. www.tonguesonfire.com

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WITH THANKS TO. OUR PANELISTS & CONTRIBUTORS. Phase 4 Shades of Noir Team Panelists & Chair: Grace Barber-Plentie.

Joseph A Adesunloye.

Laura Kirwan-Ashman.

Rubika Shah.

Charisse Chikwiri.

Contributors: Bee Tadjudeen Amber Hsu Damon Davis & Sabaah Folayan Corrina Antrobus Cassie Quarless and Usayd Younis Liberty Antonia Sadler Red Light Films

OUR SUPPORTER.

#interfilm #sonevents.

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W: shadesofnoir.org.uk E: info@shadesofnoir.org.uk Tw: @shadesofnoir • Fb: shadesofnoir

WE SALUTE YOU!

Intersectional Film © Shades of Noir 2017