Panel: Filmmaking Is Resistance
FREE, In-person
Date/Time: 9/10 (WED) 7 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM)
Location: Brooklyn Community Pride Center (1561 Bedford Avenue, Suite Ground A, Brooklyn, NY 11225)
FREE to attend. RSVP is required.
At this challenging time, what are new ways that film can be used to challenge the systems and ignite social change? What tools and resources are available to support filmmakers and activists doing this important work? Join us for a candid conversation with three filmmaker-activists working at the intersection of media and movement-building.
This program is part of PrideFull Fest 2025: Joy Is Resistance. This program is hosted by PrideFull and co-sponsored by Third World Newsreel and Queer Voices: NYC.
Panelists:
JT Takagi (she/her)
JT Takagi is an award-winning independent filmmaker, sound recordist and the executive director of Third World Newsreel (www.twn.org). TWN is a progressive alternative media center, working to advance movement storytelling and media arts for cultural and social justice. It works in educational distribution, exhibition, preservation, production and training. JT’s own films are primarily on Asian/Asian American and immigrant issues including BITTERSWEET SURVIVAL,
HOMES APART: KOREA; THE WOMEN OUTSIDE; and NORTH KOREA: BEYOND THE DMZ, which aired nationally on PBS. As a sound engineer, she has recorded numerous public television and theatrical documentaries with Emmy and Cinema Audio Society nominations, including POWER (Yance Ford, Netflix 2024), BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION (Stanley Nelson), the Emmy winning STRONG ISLAND and many others. Besides this, she teaches at the New School and City University of NY and serves on the boards of organizations working for peace and social justice.
Brandon C. Smith (he/him)
Brandon C. Smith (He/Him) is a New York City–based actor, singer, producer, and filmmaker whose work is rooted in uplifting marginalized voices across media and entertainment.
He is the founder of Golden Boi Productions, a social justice–driven production company, and the co-founder of the Queer Voices NYC Film Festival, an international platform that centers and celebrates BIPOC LGBTQ+ filmmakers and media creators.
Brandon is currently producing his documentary series Before They, which follows LGBTQ+ students and faculty at Medgar Evers College—one of the nation’s most historic Black colleges, located in Brooklyn, New York.
Driven by community, Brandon is excited to continue building platforms for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ creators and is committed to reshaping the media landscape through bold, inclusive storytelling that speaks truth to power.
Kitty Hu (any pronouns)
Kitty Hu is a queer, Chinese documentary filmmaker and Advocacy and Talent Programs Manager at BGDM. They're also a co-founder of Shoes Off Media, an independent production company centering storytellers with lived experiences both in front of and behind the lens. As the child of immigrants, Kitty’s work applies community-centered documentary tactics to amplify character-driven stories that reflect the work of our social movements, looking at topics like labor, housing, culture, migration and climate.
As an impact producer and narrative strategist, Kitty has built campaigns and messaging for initiatives relating to climate justice, Asian American communities, and civic engagement. They recently directed the Emmy Award-winning L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement (PBS Artbound) and produced Taste the Nation (Hulu), Wild Hope (PBS), Take Out with Lisa Ling (HBO Max), America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston (PBS). Their personal short documentary, Golden Boy, played in festivals nationally including DOC NYC and LAAPFF. Their independent documentary features have been supported by California Humanities, Kartemquin Films, NeXTDoc, and National Park Service. Kitty has also served as a juror for LA Asian Pacific Film Festival and The Shorenstein Center, and was a mentor for Cinema Next. They're also a proud member of the Asian American Documentary Network and Global Impact Producers Alliance.
Moderator:
Nabin Park (any pronouns)
Nabin Park is a multimedia artist and the executive director of PrideFull. With the belief that creation, distribution, and experience (or re-creation) of art directly contributes to social change, they are devoted to creating a safe, open space for artists and art lovers of all backgrounds. They have worked with independent filmmakers, artists, and nonprofit organizations to host community screenings and public arts programs. In 2021, Nabin co-founded PrideFull to create a safe virtual/physical space for the QTBIPOC filmmakers, artists, and arts lovers.
