Bridges Across Homelands

Free RSVP for a chance at a door prize.

With a mission to create intergenerational and intercultural community building, Bridges Across Homelands is an event to get inspired by BIPOC feminist trailblazers in arts and culture. Our facilitator and filmmaker, Jen Cheng, brings a documentary short film screening with interviews of award-winning and nationally recognized arts and cultural leaders. Come hear important insights from visionaries Jewelle Gomez, Dr. Stephanie Anne Johnson, Madeleine Lim, and Kim Shuck on how to build and grow a creative career. Check out the trailer.

We are joined by Los Angeles-based arts leaders Sonia Guiñansaca and Andi Xoch (Latinx with Plants) as panelists for our community discussion. Some of our questions for discussion: What advice would you give creatives building a career? How do we build bridges across communities, with people who have different backgrounds? How do you represent your multiple identities as someone with intersectionality? How do you show support as an ally?

Free RSVP for a chance at a door prize. All are welcome. Drop-ins welcome.

More about our interviewees:

  • Jewelle Gomez (author, founding board member of GLAAD). Jewelle’s book The Gilda Stories was the recipient of two Lambda Literary Awards, and was adapted for the stage by the Urban Bush Women theater company in thirteen United States cities. In our documentary, we learn about an unexpected and funny ritual that helps her get into her writing.
  • Dr. Stephanie Anne Johnson (visual artist, lighting designer/producer). In our documentary, Stephanie talked about what it meant to be in theatre and film when women were not welcomed. She was a producer for the first staged production of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.
  • Madeleine Lim (filmmaker and founder of Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project). Madeleine’s groundbreaking queer film, Sambal Belacan, was banned in her home country of Singapore. In our interviews, she shared how she provides technical training to under-represented media artists, with the perspective that if we are going to see ourselves in the media, we need to be the ones making the media.
  • Kim Shuck (Poet Laureate Emerita of San Francisco, multidisciplinary artist). In our interview, Kim reads poetry next to her art exhibit. We learn stories of her beadwork animals with insight from her Cherokee cultural background.

You’re invited to attend and share with friends! Saturday, October 5th, 2pm at Greenway Court Theatre, doors open at 1:45pm. Free parking lot adjacent (same as Melrose Trading Post).

This event is part of the Circa Festival (One Institute) celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month.

This program is presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood. For more info on WeHo Arts programming please visit www.weho.org/arts or follow via social media @WeHoArts.

Community partners include Sapphic.LA and more to be announced.

Bridges Across Homelands is part of Jen Cheng’s larger documentary project sharing stories of LGBTQ Elders. Please support this project with your tax-deductible donation through the project’s fiscal sponsor donation page (please write “LGBTQ Elders” in the DONATION MESSAGE text box). Receipts will come from “From the Heart Production.”

For quickest impact: Donate directly to the filmmaker producer Jen Cheng. All contributions at any level are greatly appreciated and will be acknowledged. Please click through here for Producer Opportunities.

Hear filmmaker Jen Cheng’s interview with Feminist Magazine radio show on the Wed Sept 25th, 7pm show!

Behind the scene photos

BTS photo: (From L to R) Featured interviewees Stephanie Anne Johnson, Jewelle Gomez, Madeleine Lim.
Crew on the right: Stan Ng (sound recordist), Stephen Ho (cinematographer), Jen Cheng (writer/director).
Kim Shuck reading poetry in front of her beadwork exhibited at
Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Stephanie Anne Johnson at her drafting table.
Cinematographer Stephen Ho on the right.
Jewelle Gomez ready for her interview, sound check! Stan Ng (sound recordist) on the right.

Photo credits: Headshots in the graphics are from the artists. BTS photos by Jen Cheng.

Production team

Co-producers

Stephen Ho, From the Heart Productions

Associate Producers

Lailanie Gadia, Cristy McMahon, Ivan Maldonaldo

Thank you to Supporters

Kayte Deioma, Mark Piatelli, Chiray Koo, Kelly Cheng + Donald Hoang, Ghen Laraya Long (Attorney), Molly McCloy,
Gil Groom + Merri Davis, Visali Ramanathan, Ron Cortes, Alex Cho, Ernie Lee, and others TBA

Credits

  • Stephen Ho (cinematographer)
  • Sarah Kennedy (editor, sound mixer)
  • Stan Lee (sound recordist)
  • Ernie Lee (composer)
  • Ghen Laraya Long (legal)
  • Jen Cheng (writer, director, producer)

Thank you for your support of indie filmmaking and cherishing stories of cultural leaders!