This Queer Spectrum special event is in collaboration with aGLIFF’s Queer Black Voices Fund and will feature a live Q&A with “Becoming BeBe” director Emily Branham at the Galaxy Theatre on February 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Being BeBe intimately charts 15 years for drag performer Marshall Ngwa (aka BeBe Zahara Benet): An immigrant to America from homophobic Cameroon, first champion on now-iconic LGBTQ+ reality show phenomenon RuPaul's Drag Race, and a leading artist celebrating Black Queer Excellence today.
aGLIFF members and guests for free; individual tickets are available for $12.00 each + applicable service fees.
Being BeBe | USA/Cameroon | 2021 | 93 minutes | English
Director, Producer and Editor: Emily Branham | Starring: BeBe Zahara Benet
The Galaxy Theatre | 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd. | Austin 78752
7:00 p.m. Screening and Q&A with director Emily Branham and moderated by aGLIFF Queer Black Voices Chair, Jeremey Teel
Marshall Ngwa (a.k.a. renowned drag performer BeBe Zahara Benet) came to the United States from homophobic Cameroon with dreams of a better life, and became the first winner of the now-iconic reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009.
Being BeBe follows Marshall’s remarkable immigrant journey from the earliest days of his amateur drag performance career in Minneapolis, circa 2006, to his emergence as one of the leading artists in the movement to celebrate and advance Queer Black Excellence during the 2020s.
With 15 years of intimate access to Marshall’s story, the film presents his unique love affair with performance alongside his unstoppable sense of persistence and purpose, offering an unprecedented portrait of an artist who chooses to live a creative life against all odds.
Community Partners: _OFCOLOR and Austin Black Pride
QUEER BLACK VOICES FUND
The Queer Black Voices Fund was created in response to the events of 2020 surrounding the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Javier Ambler, among other incidents between police officers and African Americans. The fund has been set up to ensure that queer Black filmmakers, directors, writers, and actors are represented as part of aGLIFF programming every year. The organization began awarding grants last year to cover costs associated with submitting and showing qualified films as part of PRISM 34 and aGLIFF’s year-round programming. The fund also will be used to cover travel expenses to bring filmmakers to Austin for special events surrounding the festival when possible.
aGLIFF board member, Lenore Shefman of Shefman Law gave the fund a jump start by pledging to match donations made to the Queer Black Voices Fund up to $5,000, which was matched during the 2020 festival. The fund has raised nearly $12,0000 to date and aGLIFF continues to fundraise as part of its ongoing commitment to future Queer Black filmmakers.
aGLIFF MEMBERSHIP: Memberships get the best access, support aGLIFF’s year-round programming, and include festival badges and an array of other perks depending on the level. Memberships start for as low as $25 a month and are available for purchase now at agliff.org/members.
PRESS: aGLIFF logo and assets, including film stills can be found HERE.
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SPONSORS: aGLIFF is made possible by the generous support of our annual partners Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, The Moody Foundation, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Kind Clinic, and EDGE Media Network.
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