On Oct. 11, the Black Alphabet Film Festival (BAFF) presented the opening night reception for its 11th Annual film festival with a showing of What Somalia Wants, an independent film by deaf writer/director/filmmaker Jade Bryan.
The event took place at the Sisters in Cinema facility at 2310 E. 75th St., and also included a live performance from vocalist Eva Supreme and a buffet style dinner of dishes from the African continent. After the screening, Bryan participated in a question-and-answer session with media personality and The Qube founder and CEO Anna DeShawn.
Since beginning in 2013, the BAFF has worked to showcase independent Black-created short films. This year’s festival, running from Oct. 11-13, included 25 short films, with subsequent screenings taking place at Harper Theater in Hyde Park at 5238 S. Harper Ave.
What Somalia Wants was presented as an episode of a fuller work, and pictured a refreshing look at a few days in the life of a deaf young Black woman in Harlem and the intersection of genders, personalities, and sexualities that make up her friends and family.
After the screening Bryan spoke at length about the difficulty in finding financing and the production of her work which deals with ignored subjects like deaf and hard of hearing Black and LGBTQ+ people. Many Hollywood producers and influencers loved her writing and stories, but none would partner with her to produce it. Still, she has managed to continue writing and filming while also establishing a talent agency for Black and deaf actors.
BAFF started in 2013 as a conversation in response to the lack of representation of films and stories of the Black LGBTQ/SGL+ Community. With the festival also operating in Cincinnati, the organization has worked to encourage storytelling, cultivate new dialogue and educate communities about the cultural and social contributions which Black LGBTQ+ identified people have made upon the world. Since 2019, BAFF has expanded and refocused its mission on advocating for social equity and spreading awareness of issues adversely affecting the Black LGBTQ+ community.
