The San Diego Black Arts & Culture District Features Queer Films in Women’s History Month Showcase
PHOTO: The cast of The Staycation film
It’s always great to see queer filmmakers be given the floor to shine in broad spaces. On March 22nd, the San Diego Black Arts & Culture District hosted an event centered around Black women in film in honor of Women’s History Month.
The event, appropriately titled Through Her Lens, featured four films. Two of which were created by queer filmmakers and included LGBTQ+ characters.
BABY BLUE BY ROSANNA SANCHEZ
The first queer film featured was Baby Blue, a film written and Directed by Rosanna Sanchez. Rosanna is an indie filmmaker who’s known for blending artistry with emotional resonance. She was also the mastermind behind the film showcase and did an amazing job putting together a meaningful evening for everyone involved.
PHOTO: Actress Kenysha Davis in Baby Blue
SYNOPSIS: Baby Blue is a short film about the subtle complications of being in love with someone you can’t have.
While letting her close friend Aubrey sleep over after taking a break from her relationship, Kai struggles to contain the feelings that she has towards Aubrey and kisses her in the heat of the moment.
Baby Blue was a beautiful, emotional film with lots of subtext and nuance on a topic most queer women can relate to. Unrequited love.
Loving a friend you can’t have because their heart is with someone else is a relatable experience and director Rosanna Sanchez did a great job capturing subtle heartbreak on film.
THE STAYCATION BY ARYKA RANDALL
The second queer film featured in the showcase was The Staycation, a film by TFF MAG creator Aryka Randall. Aryka has written and produced several web series and short films centered around queer women of color, comedy, and drama.
PHOTO: The cast of The Staycation film
SYNOPSIS: Bad vibes, bad friends. The Staycation examines the dynamics between frenemies, social media, and the way people are distracted from being present in the moment. The groups loyalty is tested when a series of unfortunate events takes place at their vacation rental leaving everyone to question what friendship really means.
The Staycation is an independent film written and produced with the dynamics of friendship in mind. In a world where everyone is more interested in social media than interactions with humans in real life, The Staycation sheds light on what it means to be disconnected from the present moment.
Comedic and full of suspense, The Staycation takes viewers on a very unexpected ride. The Staycation will be screening in the following cities this summer:
APRIL: SAN DIEGO (INVITE ONLY)
MAY: LOS ANGELES (INVITE ONLY)
JUNE: SAN DIEGO & LA
AUGUST: HOUSTON
SEPTEMBER: ATLANTA
OCTOBER: LONG BEACH
Stay tuned for dates on when Baby Blue and The Staycation will be available to view online and support independent filmmakers when you can! If we don’t tell our stories, who will?
