“THE HOUSE OF LABEIJA” is a short poetic documentary film that pays homage to the House of LaBeija through a series of letters from its members.
The House of LaBeija is a short documentary film featuring members of the prominent ballroom family, the House of LaBeija. The House of LaBeija is the first ballroom house–– established in 1972 by Crystal LaBeija. The film pays homage to the House of LaBeija through a series of letters from its members and features original music composition from Manhattanite, Khalif Diouf, formerly known as Le1F. In 2022 the House of LaBeija’s members continue the tradition of being a safe space for transgender women, a safe space for queer people, and a safe space for those who need one. They are family and New York City is their home.
STATUS: Festival screenings
"Cotton Candy" follows two competing teenage beach vendors. Marie (Haitian-American) and David (Dominican-American) are descendants of the magical island of Hispaniola––their two countries separated by a river, a sordid colonialist past, and unimaginable acts of hate. Fleeing volatile governments and seeking safety, both families have built lives in the Bronx.
Marie is a young entrepreneur whose main goal is to earn enough money to contribute to her aunt’s funeral in Haiti. Her grandmother and mother are afraid of travelling back and must organize the ceremony from New York. David is a hopeless romantic––infatuated by music and women. He sells cotton candy inorder to send money back to his brother who lives in the Dominican Republic and due to immigration policies, can not come to New York to live with David, his mother, and sister. As Marie and David compete for the profitable cotton candy route, age-old conflicts arise between the two families and the two young vendors learn that their differences may be what unites them.
STATUS- Festival Screenings
"Milking It" short film is a dark romantic comedy – a story that follows a presumably motherless young woman through three successive relationships, as she seduces men with the sole purpose of befriending their mothers.
STATUS: Feature film in development
Seven Days In New York is a feature documentary art film that follows the lives of seven charismatic New Yorkers in their daily routines. The film mirrors the days of the week with each subject chronicled on a separate day. Shot in an observational, cinema verité style, with an original jazz score, the film records the subjects of the film—unique personalities who capture the New York of past and present:
Sherwood, New York’s finest tour guide since 1990; Johan, Swedish transplant and artist-apprentice since 1990; Monae, Hair Queen of Harlem since 1983; Sara and Everardo, incorporating art and architecture into the city’s landscape since 1987; Billy, mixing drinks and patrons since 1999; Carline, the mother of SoHo children's couture since 1995; and Hal, the Bicycle Doc since 1978. These intimate portraits depict issues of aging, identity, gentrification, and urban planning in a modern day New York City—with each subject bringing a signature blend of perseverance, wit, and grit.
STATUS: Available on Vimeo On Demand