Sovereign Festival 2020 [Online]
Screening online
Nov. 13–22
Nov. 13–22
See the full festival with a pass! Pay what you can; $25–50
Festival -
Local Festivals Hosted at NWFF
About
From November 13–22, Earth Pearl Collective presents Sovereign, a queer Black women film festival themed around Life, Love, and Liberation.
Presented in partnership with the Northwest Film Forum, and with support from The Hansberry Project, this year’s festival focuses on queer Black women film artists and directors. We will be showcasing films from Nairobi, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, and from all over the United States.
Seattle-based artists like poet/songstress Jessica Rycheal and dancer/visual artist Takiyah Ward will be premiering new work. Earth Pearl Collective supports the work of women living at the intersections of the African Diaspora who are dedicated to healing their communities through creative collaborations.
Full info, tickets, and festival passes available now!
Film Program:
Program 1: Life
Witness the trials and triumphs of the everyday life events that build resilience in queer Black women, and tune in Nov. 13 at 7pm PST for a panel discussion with Sex Therapist Dr. Katrina Sanford and Spiritual Therapeutic Counselor Chioma Petway.
- Sometimes
A queer love song for folks redefining love, gender and partnership. - #RECOGNIZEmyHUMANITY
A four-part mini-series that provides a glimpse into the complexities of cultural stigma, and the resistance that occurs when individual healing takes place. - The Anxiety Project
A tale of a young queer Black man battling the cycles of anxiety. - Don’t Tell Nobody
A true story about a girl who was a victim of family violence in response to her sexuality. On her 14th birthday, she is now at a crossroads; continue to live in pain, or let it all go forever. - Some of These Bodies Are Not Mine
A mix of spoken word and visual storytelling about grief and rest in relation to Black identity. - Litany Part 1 and 2
Litany uses brown paper and imagination to create new world collage. Litany is an exorcism expelling antiquated notions of Blackness, queer identity, spirituality, grace, rage, and healing. - Dismantling the Lie
Black women are innocent in the crime of self hate. We aren’t born not seeing our greatness; we are taught it doesn’t exist. Then we are taught that we aren’t beautiful, and the men from our own community will grow up to support this. - Unbothered
A music video ode to Black women’s happiness, captured in time, and how making the best of a bad situation is sometimes art imitating life. - Healing Panel (LIVESTREAM: Nov. 13 at 7pm PST)
Join a panel on grief, trauma, and the struggle for self care with Dr. Katrina Sanford & Chioma Petway.
Program 2: Love
From self love to first loves, this series of films will delve into sex, relationships, and intimacy. Featuring a special curated program for audiences 18+, by Washington D.C. based production company The Haux Hive, available Nov. 14 at 8pm PST only.
- Thirst Trap
Music video directed by Be Steadwell - Sex is a God Thing
A drama that chronicles the lives of two Black queer women from the south side of Chicago, as they grapple with the grief of their father’s recent passing, the unraveling of their romantic relationships, and their mounting existential questions on faith. - Simone Pin Productions
In the world of COVID, many erotic performers have had to move into the world of film. Check out the innovations that this has inspired for the adult entertainment industry. - WE BOTH DREAM OF WAVES
An African woman’s short experimental documentary recounting memories of people navigating the world as a non-man and embracing the divine feminine. - Generation Y
Gen-Y follows the life of Elisha Danbrooke, an African American woman whose world is turned upside down when she discovers that she’s contracted an incurable STD. - Fuccboi
Music video directed by Be Steadwell - Haux Hive Presents, Curated by Brooke Jay (LIVESTREAM: Nov. 14 at 8pm PST)
D.C. based adult entertainment company The Haux Hive has compiled a collection of acts to make you blush… and possibly introduce you to a kinkier side of yourself. Join a convo between the curator and featured performers. For 18+ audiences only.
Program 3: Liberation
It is time to reimagine the future of queer Black women. This series will venture into Afrofuturism, social media trends, and hilarious friendships. On Nov. 15 at 2pm PST, join an afternoon panel to hear from featured directors in the program about how seeing Black joy on screen increases Black joy in life.
- Don’t Be Afraid
Music video directed by Be Steadwell - Carmen with a K
This web series follows Carmen with a K, everyone’s favorite Instagram model, as she navigates her newfound “fame” upon the release of her debut single, “The Butterscotch Goddess.” - Jamaica & Tamarindo: Afro Tradition in the Heart of Mexico
The Jamaica flower and tamarind are iconic ingredients in Mexico, but their history comes from a place much further away. In this short documentary, we meet four people to explore African identity in Mexico City, an identity that goes beyond just the color of one’s skin. - MINO: A Diasporic Myth
It is 2079. In the utopic haven of Biamara, a Coven of Black womyn who can conceive without men must consider denouncing one of their own when she chooses to defy the all female code and self-produce a male child. - Uma Fien
A visual poem that centers a queer African couple as they navigate the triumphs and challenges of love, colonization, and freedom. - Toxic
Over the course of three hours, Avery’s aggressively toxic friend convinces her to stalk her girlfriend. - Hi’s and Lo’s
An experimental dance film exploring the emotional rollercoaster of daily living as a queer Black woman. - Cosmic Fire
Cosmic Fire is a song about tapping into your full potential by accessing your true fire. - Directors Speak Out (LIVESTREAM: Nov. 15 at 2pm PST)
Featured directors in this film program will participate in a live discussion about Black joy on film, specifically that of queer Black women.
Presented by:
