COMMUNITY-BUILDING SCREENINGS + EXPERIENCES
GEORGETOWN LAW'S HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTE:
STORYTELLING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Georgetown Law’s Human Rights Institute presented BEING BEBE as part of their Storytelling for Social Change Series in January 2025.
In a moment of tremendous upheaval and uncertainty, it was more powerful than ever to use our screening as a tool for gathering.
Friends, film family and stakeholders in the International LGBTQI+ Human Rights sphere all came together in Washington D.C. for an evening of conversation, connection, and solidarity.
Galvanizing opening remarks were presented by President Biden’s Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Persons, Jessica Stern.
Stern shares a professional connection to one of the participants in our film, Marc Lambert Lamba. In 2006, Lambert was unlawfully held in terrible conditions at Kondengui Prison under the presumption of being gay, as one of the “Yaounde 11.” Stern, in her role at Human Rights Watch, led a letter-writing campaign that successfully applied pressure on the Cameroonian government to release Lambert and his peers.
Our friends Kendra Frith from Rainbow Railroad, and Kenya Hutton from DC Black Pride & Center for Black Equity joined BeBe and I for a panel discussion after the film. Led by HRI’s Melody Vidmar, we discussed the importance of communities of care, safety, and allyship.
We also looked to heroes like Cameroon’s 80-year-old treasure, the Honorable Alice Nkom for inspiration with using the tools of law to fight oppression and abuses of power.
PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL // BAI + BAJI + gilead sciences
We were honored to screen BEING BEBE at the historic Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles in partnership with the Black AIDS Institute, BAJI (Black Alliance for Just Immigration), and Gilead Sciences. Our conversation after the screening was thoughtfully moderated by local journalist Jasmyne Cannick. Legends from the NBA, Hollywood, and HIV Activist communities were in the audience and contributed to a night of conversation and community we’ll never forget.
BRAVE SPACE ALLIANCE: TRANS WEEKEND OF RESILIENCE
BEING BEBE kicked off a full weekend of important programming in Chicago: reframing Trans Day of Remembrance as Trans Weekend of Resilience.
The legendary Lucy Stoole emceed the drag show and post-film-Q&A, with Marshall Ngwa (aka BeBe Zahara Benet), director Emily Branham, and Brave Space Alliance’s Interim Executive Director, Jae Rice.
Shout out to Brave Space Alliance’s sponsors for Trans Weekend of Resilience: Howard Brown Health, Human Rights Campaign, Affinity, Southsiders Organized for Unity & Liberation, Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus, ViiV Healthcare, Equality Illinois, Lighthouse Foundation, and Chicago Dept of Public Health.
It was an honor to connect with so many gorgeous & warm souls on a chilly November night in Chicago! Thank you for having us.
Photos by Tori the Creator
SAN FRANCISCO PREMIERE: ROXIE CINEMA + OASIS
Then on night #2, BeBe performed live with her incredible band (led by music director Taylor Hamilton) at legendary San Francisco drag institution, Oasis. The fabulous Cameroonian contingent from the night before once again drove 75 miles to be there, bringing friends and signs they’d made themselves with Cameroonian flags, hearts, and lyrics to BeBe’s songs. It was pure collective effervescence (that’s an Émile Durkheim concept I learned from a Brené Brown podcast – isn’t it great?). BeBe & her band gave us the BEST show, the energy from the crowd – which hailed from all sorts of backgrounds – was amazing, and after two years of relative isolation and so much pent up EVERYTHING, it was just so much FUN.
I had a realization: THIS IS IMPACT. Representation, empowerment, inspiration and community-building at its most joyous.
Photos above by Rachel Mouton
CONFERENCES & FORUMS
Johnson & Johnson // Open & out CONFERENCE
In partnership with the brilliant Neela Ghoshal from Outright International – who was on a break from their sessions at the United Nations – BeBe and I joined a panel conversation to kick off Johnson & Johnson’s global, multi-day Open & Out Conference.
Organized by J&J’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group and our friends at Target-10, the conference provided an uplifting and educational gathering of support, education, sharing, and allyship across the organization.
OUTRIGHT ACTION INTERNATIONAL: OUTSUMMIT
We were honored to participate in Outsummit, a conference for international LGBTQ+ human rights advocates and activists worldwide, hosted by OutRight Action International.
BeBe and director Emily Branham engaged in Q&A sessions moderated by Rikki Nathanson and Micheal Ighodaro, and presented BEING BEBE via virtual screening to conference attendees and presenting partners.
FULBRIGHT FORUM
The Fulbright Association welcomed members of the filmmaking team, Kimahli Powell, Executive Director of Rainbow Railroad, and representatives from Fulbright Noir and Fulbright Prism to discuss themes from BEING BEBE: challenging stereotypes, empowering diverse gender expression, celebrating creativity, family acceptance, faith, love, and LGBTQI+ human rights.
BEING BEBE has multiple ties to Fulbright: BeBe’s father Dr. Collins Ngwa – an esteemed Professor of International Relations in Yaounde who appears throughout the film – was a Fulbrighter from Cameroon (1986). Producer Jonathan Goodman Levitt and Advisory Board Member Natasha Johnson were also Fulbrighters to the U.K.
We also contributed a blog post to Fulbright Association, which you can read here.
NATIONAL LGBTQ TASK FORCE:
CREATING CHANGE CONFERENCE
So honored to screen BEING BEBE at Creating Change: the nation’s foremost political, leadership, and skills-building conference for the LGBTQ movement!
Over 3500 people gathered in-person at this conference, and it was a genuine delight to meet so many incredible folks – and connect IRL with previously “virtual” friends and organizers I’ve so admired!
One of the most moving parts for me was exchanging with Deaf and Spanish-speaking members of the community with the help of the accessibility & translation team at the conference. This level of inclusivity added so much for everyone.
Fired up and feeling like much is possible. While also processing many valid reminders throughout the events to not get burned out / burned through while doing the important work.
SPEAKING & PANELS
BeBe, Emily and other members of the filmmaking team are open to and interested in speaking & panel opportunities. We’ve spoken about our experiences with impact, technology/remote production, crowdfunding, distribution, equity/inclusion and more as it relates to BEING BEBE. Feel free to inquire below.
BROADCAST CO-PRESENTERS
OutRight Action International and Rainbow Railroad joined us as community presentation partners for BEING BEBE’s US broadcast premiere on FUSE.
FUSE, like us, is committed to partnering with social justice and community organizations to help ignite multi-platform conversations. Both Rainbow Railroad and OutRight Action International contributed pertinent “factoids” about that status of LGBTQ+ human rights worldwide that were shared alongside promotion of the film, and interspersed throughout the broadcast premiere.
Fuse’s MISSION is to provide entertaining content that empowers young multicultural audiences, and BEING BEBE is one of just a few featured films on the FUSE DOCS slate: “a Peabody, Emmy and NAMIC award-winning documentary franchise that spotlights young, idealistic and diverse people who are celebrating their cultural heritage and identity, confronting issues, and overcoming prejudice.”
COMMUNITY IMPACT SCREENINGS
NON-PROFITS & COMMUNITY GROUPS
Unlike watching a film alone, hosting an in-person or virtual screening event is a powerful way to build & strengthen your community.
Holding space for dialogue with the filmmakers or Marshall (aka BeBe) present, is an opportunity to create a unique, uplifting and memorable experience – and generous offering – for your organization’s members.
BEING BEBE IS A FILM THAT:
• Challenges stereotypes & prejudice
• Represents, destigmatizes & empowers diverse gender expression
• Inspires persistence, self-acceptance & empowerment
• Celebrates the value & power of art
• Models family acceptance & love
WORKPLACE Experiences:
EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP (ERG) +
diversity equity & inclusion (DEI) events
