An appropriate response to America's current political unrest, Queer | Art has planned for a "Summer of Resistance," featuring an engaged film series curated by activists and collectives at New York's IFC Center. Running from May 8 through August 14, the cinema will play four different films--one each month--with post-screening discussions aimed to inspire resistance and provoke political conversation.
"In a time of political upheaval, our guests are individuals who refuse to be silent and complacent, and instead are committed to organizing and creating change for the communities they serve," Queer | Art says of the project, adding that it will encourage viewers to "come together as a community and strengthen our resolve to act and give depth to our resistance."
The series launches this Monday, May 8 with a screening of The Black Power Mixtape, which centers on the American urban revolution between years 1967 and 1975. Featuring 16mm footage captured by Swedish journalists who came to the U.S. to document the Black Power Movement, the Sundance Select highlights historic activists, including Stokely Carmichael and Angela Davis, as well as contemporary figures, such as Erykah Badu.
Queer | Art, which launched in 2009, aims to support a generation of LGBTQ artists that lost its mentors to the '80s AIDS crisis. The non-profit arts organization fosters queer creatives through its long-running film series and mentorship program--both created to actively elevate LGBTQ perspectives, stories and identities, which are historically disenfranchised.
Click here to purchase "Summer of Resistance" tickets and see the full festival lineup.