Through the eyes of four individuals that identify with the LGBTQIA+ community we see their push for social justice and racial equality. Advocating for ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER; while also showcasing the cultural impact the BLACK LGBTQ+ community has brought to the mainstream media but underhandedly forgotten.
EVENTS GALLERY
MEET THE TEAM
DIRECTOR/
PRODUCER
DIRECTOR/ PRODUCER- Ugenia is making her directorial debut with the documentary short “FREE TO BE.” She has been successful at producing short films such as PUPPY LOVE (Official Selection Snapchat Tribeca Film Festival) and feature films DOUBLE DOWN (Official Selection Miami Film Festival). Ugenia is an actor and producer who specializes in narrative film, TV, commercials, and print. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Dallas, she attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York where she obtained a B.A. in Acting and Costume Design with a minor in History. At Marymount, she served as president of her university chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha and was a national representative of the Northeast Atlantic region of AKA.
Ugenia has styled and produced content and magazine covers for companies such as Alberta Ferretti, Interview Magazine, and Hearst (Seventeen Magazine). Since moving to Los Angeles, Ugenia has produced film, tv, and commercial content; and has launched brands such as KLS (by Kimora Lee Simmons), Hollywood Massive, and Forbes 30 under 30. Ugenia also puts on comedy sketch shows at local theatres in Hollywood where the proceeds go to the black women's health and healing foundation.
Ugenia feels that it is her personal responsibility to relay the untold stories of African-American culture through narratives addressing black triumphs and struggles. Her goal is to bring a voice to a culture which is typically depicted in an unauthentic way in the media. She is also a strong advocate for women in film both in front of and behind the camera.
PRODUCER
Brandon Claybon is originally from Oakland, Tennessee, a small town 20 minutes outside of Memphis. Brandon became a working model in multiple cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles, and he then quickly transitioned into the career of acting. After just a few years after relocating permanently to Los Angeles, Brandon has booked over 30 national commercials for leading brands; done numerous roles on networks like CBS, ABC, Showtime and OWN; as well as served as a host and interviewer for BET.com, talking on camera with celebrities such as Gerard Butler, Djimon Hounsou, Kelsey Grammer, Queen Latifah, Samuel L. Jackson, and Halle Berry. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Brandon created his own digital Youtube talk show, The Actors Break, which connects with Hollywood’s most promising actors. He has also flexed his producing muscle in several future projects ranging from scripted and docu-series. In addition to his career pursuits, Brandon also makes time to give back to the community, especially through the support of various charitable causes.
EDITOR
Lucas Celler is an editor, director and photographer based in Los Angeles. He broke into the world of documentary editing with Shirkers which won the Directing Award at Sundance in 2018. Lucas went on to win the Cinema Eye Honors Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design. The film was also nominated Best Documentary at the Independent Spirit Awards and was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2019. Lucas got his first taste of Sundance glory with Jeff Feuerzeig's Author: The JT Leroy Story as a fledgling associate producer and assistant editor in 2016 . The film was nominated for "Best Documentary Screenplay" at the WGA Awards in 2017. He also edited Olompali: A Hippie Odyssey, narrated by Peter Coyote. Along with editing, his music videos have been featured in Spin, The Quietus and Stereogum. His documentary short film "Own The Nite" premiered in 2016 and he's in post-production on his first feature-length documentary, Flannery Plays Himself.
CO-PRODUCER
CO-PRODUCER - Anastasia is an actress, writer, singer, comedian and filmmaker.
She has enjoyed a career that includes movies such as, The Addams Family Series, Die Hard 2 and television series like La Femme Nikkita, Lamb Chop, and Pickett Fences. She has recorded with The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and Harry Connick Jr.
Now you can find Anastasia making bold diverse content through writing and filmmaking; acting in both comedic and dramatic roles. You can also listen to her on her various podcasts, Cereal Killer, One More Drink, and Hysterical. Anastasia has the privilege to be a member of SAG/AFTRA, WIF, AWD and WOC Unite.
COMPOSER
Thomas Yount Los Angeles-based producer, Thomas Yount, is best known for his work on the Netflix Original film "37 Seconds" (2020). Thomas Yount has produced a wide range of music and soundscapes for artists, film, television, commercials, and video games. The art of storytelling and the language of music purvey throughout Thomas’ work whether it be as a composer, sound designer or music producer. Carried by the belief in the story over plot, he grounds his sonic game into the essence of the stories and characters presented, carving intentional paths in a wide variety of narratives.
ORIGINAL SCORE
Ombrey Degrate is an actor, singer/songwriter and poet from Dallas Texas. He was brought up in a very musically inclined family. They submersed him in jazz, blues, and history primarily focused around the Harlem Renaissance. As a result, he began developing an appreciation for other artforms including poetry, and theater. He attended the historic Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where artists such as Erykah Badu, Norah Jones, and Roy Hargrove matriculated. Having performed in numerous concerts, operas, fundraisers, musicals, and stage plays his quest for knowledge about music and the opportunity to perform it intensified. Ombrey attended Long Island University and Dillard University graduating Magna Cum Laude in Business Management and Music. He has had the privilege of performing in Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center during his time there. Ombrey has been the recipient of many awards and honors such as Outstanding Performer in the UIL competitions and the prestigious Irene Ryan Award Presented by the Kennedy Center for his role in Macbeth, as Banquo. Ombrey’s career goal is "to funnel messages through music and acting that challenge social injustice, ignite empathy, and creates unity."
JayJackson/
Laj
ganji Estranja (non-binary)
Jay Jackson, aka Laganja Estranja, is a world-renowned female illusionist, choreographer, music artist, cannabis advocate and LGBTQ+ icon.
A U.S. Presidential Scholar in The Arts, Jackson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance and choreography from the California Institute of the Arts and launched to stardom after being selected to compete on LogoTV's Season 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race.
Jackson was featured on the cover of New York Magazine’s June 2019 issue The Most Powerful Drag Queens in America. Laganja has also been featured in High Times Magazine as well as Dope Magazine, making her the first LGBTQ+ entertainer to appear on the cover of a cannabis magazine
Jackson regularly performs at festivals and events across the world, and her music videos and social media content including YouTube and the drag-centric platform World of Wonder have garnered hundreds of millions of views online.
Gracie Cartier
(trans woman)
Gracie Cartier was born a Sagittarius in Philadelphia and grew up in the Ballroom community. She is a proud Black Trans Woman. In her early years she had a passion for beauty, leading her to the Aveda Institute of New York and then on to Atlanta to assist Ted Gibson. Gracie rose to prominence as a celebrity hairstylist in film and television with clients like Jada Pinkett Smith, Garcelle Beauvais, Tia & Tamera Mowry, Alicia Silverstone, and Danai Gurira. She continued her success, earning herself a Daytime Emmy nomination for Hairstyling on The Real. But after 27 years of doing hair, Gracie decided to hang up her scissors and retire so she could step from behind the camera to in front of it.
Embracing her art, Gracie is an actress, spiritualist, healer and model having walked the runway for Marco Marco and has been featured on the covers of Gaytimes, Hardy and The Fight. She’s host and star of LA’s first inclusive cabaret show, GIRLS LIKE US. Gracie was recently featured in The Pantheon of Queer Mythology, a virtual reality short about a Trans Goddess and the queer spectrum, that’s an official selection of 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. She just wrapped the series, Savage, and is currently working on a new short, Disciple, while producing a documentary about her life in Hollywood, the journey of transitioning from King to Queen. Gracie is known as Madame Jeuge and is an active LGBTQIA+ advocate. She works with and supports the Black Aids Institute, LA Tenant Union and United Way Greater of LA . Gracie is a magical force who has worked to overcome life’s adversities to live authentically.
Ash
Danielsen (trans man)
Ash is a photographer who specializes in transgender photography and has had published works in PAPER Magazine, FLUANT Magazine, and others. He has opened many doors for people in the LGBTQIA community through his published work. Ash is currently working on an abstract self-portrait series showcasing the trials and tribulations of daily testosterone injections. “Juxtaposing acid-trip colors with melancholic characters, I draw a surreal picture of what it means to be alive in this day and age. Through all of the confusion there is beauty, and through all of the wonder there is suffering. I long to depict that.”
Deabrian O’Berry (Queer)
Born in York PA, raised in the DMV area, Daebrian joined the ballroom scene shortly after serving a 5 year tour in the air force in Japan. Introduced to the scene by legendary Kyan and Ugene Balenciaga, he started his journey walking schoolboy realness and later transitioned to Oldway Vogue. Dominating his category for 7 years straight with countless trophies and Of The Year Awards he retired from the ball scene after being deemed legend and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his bachelor’s degree. Shortly after graduating, he decided to return to the scene as a mentor and established the West Coast Chapter of the house of Balenciaga where he now serves as the leader. He worked in marketing and activations for agencies throughout LA for some of the biggest movies of the last 5 years. Moved on to sneaker releases and events for adidas LA. Now currently working as a sales director for Birkenstock USA in LA.
