We are very excited to announce that two film students at Emerson have decided to donate their time and talents this summer to creating promo videos and a film documentary about QWOC+ Boston!
Over the past several years, many organizer, volunteers, and ambassadors have helped us (by taking pictures at our events) photo-document a variety of very rich and colorful milestones and achievements; however, due to lack of resources (and know-how), we have barely collected any video footage of our work. In fact, up until last year, when we collaborated with Truth Serum to produce OUTSPOKEN, and we filmed Letta Neely’s very funny, yet thought-provoking piece, “Crazy Stuff White People Say,” we had no videos at all. Hence, this offer to accept the professional capture our ever-evolving contribution to New England’s queer landscape on film is both welcomed and appreciated.
As our savvy filmmakers will be capturing footage during some upcoming events (including tonight at Mixology), and potentially approaching community members for interviews, we thought it made sense to introduce them officially to the community. So, please join us in welcoming, thanking, and encouraging our our two student filmmakers on their skill donation to QWOC+ Boston and on their road to the red carpet, Christina and Sharif! Bios below…
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Christina Campbell was born and raised in New York City. Coming from immigrant Jamaican parents has had great influence on the style of her personal work.Growing up in NYC, the city that never sleeps, she developed an interest in photography and film. From the corner bodegas of the Bronx, to the glass skyscrapers of downtown Manhattan, she saw captivating images in all things. However, in time, she chose to pursue an acting career . After many years of acting, she accepted that despite the thrill of the stage, she would much rather work her magic behind the camera. As a sophomore she transferred to Emerson College in Boston, where she is now majoring in Cinematography. She is also currently working on a series of oil paintings, as well as, the QWOC+ documentary. For her, QWOC+ represents a blending of culture and people in an accepting environment, aligning perfectly with the way she envisons the world should be. To see what women as individuals accomplish in QWOC+ has been a very empowering experience for her.
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Sharif El Neklawy was born, strangely, in Salt Lake City Utah on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th) to his Filipino mother and French/Egyptian father who immigrated and met in that city of all places. For as long as he can remember, Sharif has been fascinated by the images on the silver screen and at home, but it wasn’t until he was introduced to movies like The Usual Suspects and Fight Club in the seventh grade that Sharif knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. He didn’t really know what that meant at the time, but after years past and hundreds upon hundreds of movies were watched, it was the director’s chair that seemed most appealing. So that is the goal for Sharif as he goes into his final year at Emerson College and into the real world. He grew up with movies and now that he’s grown up, it seems fitting that he start making them. When asked about his decision to make a film for QWOC+ Boston, he stated, “When Tikesha [the Director of Multicultural Affairs at Emerson and a QWOC+ organizer] brought forward the idea of a documentary I didn’t hesitate in trying to involve myself. My partner in crime, Christina, and I are looking to do a lot of our own productions this summer, constantly practicing and getting better at our craft, so this was the perfect opportunity to work on a documentary, which neither of us have really done before. I’ve learned that you always learn something new in filmmaking and making this documentary for QWOC+ Boston should only reinforce that notion.”