Jayce Baron and Hailie Sahar Kick-off Black Alphabet Film Festival with ‘Beyond Ed Buck’ Screening

Black Alphabet, a nonprofit committed to promoting equity awareness on behalf of the Black LGBT+ community through the use of media and the arts, has announced the 9th Annual Black Alphabet Film Festival (BAFF) will kick off with the screening of Beyond Ed Buck on Saturday, November 5. At the opening event, documentary filmmakers Jayce Baron and Hailie Sahar will join local leaders, including Dr. Keith Green, Executive Director of the Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus and D’Ontace Keyes, Director of Communications at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) for a live, in-person Q&A.

One of the longest running Black LGBTQ/SGL film festivals in the world, the 9th Annual Black Alphabet Film Festival will run from November 4 – 6 at the University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center and feature more than thirty films, including Black Beauty, I Wish I Never F*cking Met You, Rainbow Migrants, Manifold, The Funnel, and Jabari Dreams of Freedom. An opening reception hosted by comedian Otis Mack will be held on Fri., November 4 at 6 PM, at Sip and Savor, 78 E 47th St., sponsored by Miller Coors.

Written, directed by, and starring Jayce Baron and Hailie Sahar (Pose), the documentary film Beyond Ed Buck follows the tragic murders that took place at the hands of political donor Edward Buck. The film expands the conversation of the history of Black trans and Black gay-identified men falling prey to the sexual fetishes and baiting of crystal meth that exist in America. These encounters often result in fatal endings for many innocent people living under the umbrella of being queer and Black in America. Filled with real-life survivors, community leaders, and families who give heartfelt testimonials, Beyond Ed Buck is a call-to-action meant to inspire change.

Here is your first look at this impactful film…

“This is the festival’s third recent entry featuring the epidemic of crystal meth and its impact on the LGBTQ community in our country,” said Adam McMath, Executive Director of the Black Alphabet Film Festival. “This issue continues to ravage our community, and we are proud to highlight the impactful work of Jayce Baron and Hailie Sahar at the opening of this year’s festival, shinning an even brighter light on its harrowing impact.”

The BAFF was created in 2013 to provide more opportunities for people to see images, hear stories, and relate to unique Black LGBT+ experiences absent from the mainstream media. The annual event provides a global platform for members of the SGL/LGBTQ+ community to showcase their films. This year, the event is sponsored by Here Media, the Chicago Department of Public Health, Aids Health Foundation (AHF), Chicago Community Trust, and VIIV Pharmaceuticals.

A full list of festival events and screenings can be found online by clicking right here.

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