Northwest Film Forum

Bootylicious or Bordo-suspicious? 
Bottom bitch or exemplar feminist?
Too raunchy for words or role model mom?

If possible, Beyoncé’s name and music are more firmly planted in the minds and ears of the nation than ever before. She shook the very foundations of the music biz by dropping her unannounced visual album in December 2013: with that move, Bee’s status as Queen is now officially ensconced in academic curriculum. The newest release by Sasha Fierce is heralded by some as her most feminist to date, dismissed by others as mere misogyny. 

Taking the debate to the cinema, we invite the community to come revel in some of the diva’s latest audiovisual work. After the screening, an all star lady panel of artists, writers, and curators will bring their expertise to the Bey-hive in a discussion about feminism, race, and pop music. Tonya Mosley, Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Christa Bell, Danielle Henderson, and Amy O’Neal dive into the nitty gritty of this timely conversation, and may just once and for all determine whether Bee is singing  “anime,” “Annie Mae,” or “Anna Mae."

THIS FREE COMMUNITY EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT - PLEASE JOIN US FOR A HAPPY HOUR DRINK AT THE FILM FORUM AT 6:30PM ON FEBRUARY 26 AND JOIN THE WAITLIST IN PERSON - WE'LL TRY TO GET YOU IN!

Panelist Bios

Christa Bell is an award-winning spoken word poet, performance artist and feminist culture creator from Seattle,Washington. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion and her work has been featured on National Public Radio, as a TEDx Talk, and on afterellen.com. She has performed, by invitation, at over 100 universities, colleges, festivals and performance venues internationally. Her performance work is primarily concerned with feminist imaginings of the divine as well as how women’s spiritual self-esteem impacts their participation in the political processes that govern their lives.

Danielle Henderson is a writer. Her writing is focused on narrative non-fiction, satire, and humor, and her first book, Tales From Fish Camp, was published in 2004. Danielle's work has been featured in several magazines, online publications and anthologies including Kitchen Sink, Rivet, and  Cringe: Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems and Abandoned Rock Operas, released by Crown Publishing and edited by Sarah Brown. She is a former editor and current staff writer at Rookie, does TV recaps for Vulture.com, and is a staff writer atThe Stranger. A book based on her popular blog Feminist Ryan Gosling  was released by Running Press in August 2012. 

Sandra D. Jackson-Dumont plays dual roles at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM).  She is the Deputy Director for Education + Public Programs/ Adjunct Curator, Modern & Contemporary Art Department. Known for her ability to blur the lines between academia, popular culture and non-traditional art-going communities, Jackson-Dumont is invested in curating experiences that foster dynamic exchanges between art/artists, past/present, public/private and people/places. A recipient of the Creative Leadership Award from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, she is also an independent curator/writer and organizational change consultant working across communities, disciplines and sectors.

Tonya Mosley is an award winning journalist, producer and media coach. She has more than 15 years in front of and behind the camera producing compelling content that uncovers, inspires, enlightens and educates. Philanthropy, community engagement and living well are her greatest passions. Tonya’s work is currently featured on: Al Jazeera America, Seattle Channel, Huffington Post, KUOW Radio (NPR), Seattle Magazine, GoodEnoughMother.com, TheGrio.com

Amy O’Neal is a freelance Contemporary/Hip Hop dancer, performer, choreographer, and dance educator.   She has been based in Seattle WA USA and making dance centered work for stages, screens, galleries, rock shows, and the street since 1996.  She is known for mixing and and sampling in her movement vocabulary to create a unique and true language of her own. Amy teaches Contemporary dance technique, Hip Hop techniques, improvisation,and choreography regularly at Velocity Dance Center,Massive Monkees Studio: The Beacon, and with the Dance This program in Seattle. She has also taught her wildly popular Bottom Heavy Funk (Hip Hop/Club/Street based class) at Velocity for over a decade.