Bumming Cigarettes: A Short Film

harrietsgunmedia: htjfilmfestival: HTJ-2013 (FFA): Best Black...

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:12:47 -0400

htjfilmfestival:

HTJ-2013 (FFA): Best Black LGBT Short Film (Nominees)

Bumming Cigarettes - (Directed By: Tiona.M)
http://bummingcigarettesfilm.tumblr.com/
http://vimeo.com/51232736

Inside Out - (Directed By: Wayne Hobdy)
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/insideout-a-dramatic-series—3 (Support)
http://youtu.be/c04HPR7wQks

Pause - (Directed By: Eight Peace Productions)
http://youtu.be/4_cEZ68G03c

Slow - (Directed By: Darius Clark Monroe)
http://vimeo.com/daclamo/slow

Who we will win this year?
YOU decide, with YOUR vote..?

VOTE NOW
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e7efkqs6hfzybn1b/start

*THANKS for nominating Bumming Cigarettes for best Black LGBT Short Film!!!

harrietsgunmedia: Harriet’s Gun Media x Sistah Sinema...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:15:01 -0400

harrietsgunmedia:

Harriet’s Gun Media x Sistah Sinema present.

Bumming Cigarettes Screening.

May 4, 2013 | Kingston Jamaica | SO(U)L Collective
*Google Hangout w/ Director tiona.m. following the screening.

harrietsgunmedia: Harriet’s Gun Media x Sistah Sinema...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:28:51 -0400

harrietsgunmedia:

Harriet’s Gun Media x Sistah Sinema present.

Bumming Cigarettes Screening.

SAT. April 27, 2013 | 6:30pm |Cleveland, OH | MOCA-Cleveland

*w/ Director tiona.m in attendance.

BUY TICKETS HERE!

harrietsgunmedia: Harriet’s Gun Media x Sistah Sinema...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:29:10 -0400

harrietsgunmedia:

Harriet’s Gun Media x Sistah Sinema present.

Bumming Cigarettes Screening.

SUN. April 21, 2013 | 3pm |Portland, OR | 5th Avenue Cinema

*w/ Director tiona.m in attendance.

BUY TICKETS HERE!

thefactory-takkies: HIV & the Conquering Power Of Love...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:09:26 -0400

thefactory-takkies:

HIV & the Conquering Power Of Love @kenlikebarbie

- WOW JUST LIKE WOW, THIS MAN IS AMAZING.

harrietsgunmedia: Harriet’s Gun Media X Sistah Sinema Spring...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:44:00 -0400

harrietsgunmedia:

Harriet’s Gun Media X Sistah Sinema Spring 2013 Screening Tour w/ updated cities!!!

BUY TICKETS HERE:

http://www.sistahsinema.com/#!tickets/c6jy

April 12, 2013 | Atlanta, GA | Rush Center
w/ Director tiona.m. & Actor Alia Hatch in attendance

April 18, 2013 | Greensboro, NC | Geeksboro Coffeehouse Cinema

April 20, 2013 | Seattle, WA | Langston Hughes Film Festival Sponsored Screening
w/ Director tiona.m. in attendance `

April 21, 2013 | Portland, OR | 5th Avenue Cinema
w/ Director tiona.m.

April 27, 2013 | Cleveland, OH | MOCA
w/ Director tiona.m.

April 28, 2013 | Chicago, IL | IAEOU
w/ Director tiona.m.

May 4, 2013 | Kingston Jamaica | SO(U)L Collective

May 25, 2013 | Oakland, CA | Numi Tea Garden
w/ Director tiona.m.

“Everyone is At Risk” Says Bumming Cigarettes, A Film about HIV Stigma in Black Lesbian Communities

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:37:03 -0400

“Everyone is At Risk” Says Bumming Cigarettes, A Film about HIV Stigma in Black Lesbian Communities:

One evening, I met a friend for dinner. After the typical pleasantries, she shared a deeply personal story and the lessons she learned. I was grateful. This strong, remarkable, and highly successful woman put herself in a vulnerable position for one reason – to share her lesson with me, another woman of color.

Tiona McClodden does the same with her moving short Bumming Cigarettes. She shot the film at the very clinic where she took her HIV test, The Washington West Project in Gayborhood of Philadelphia. But McClodden doesn’t simply tell a story, she shares her story; she shares our stories. She explores one of the scariest moments of her adult life–waiting for the test results of a deadly disease–and, in so doing, empowers the viewer to face that moment with strength and certainty.

Bumming Cigarettes – a narrative depicting its protagonist getting an HIV test – shows that we are all at risk for sexually transmitted infections regardless of our race, sexuality, or gender identity. The likelihood of contracting a sexually transmitted infection between women varies significantly. Herpes, HPV (genital wart virus), and bacterial vaginosis are transmitted fairly easily between women during sex. HIV, hepatitis B, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are less likely to be transmitted than herpes, HPV, or bacterial vaginosis – but it is still possible. Most of these STIs are treatable, especially if diagnosed early.

READ MORE….

lhaaff: See the film and enjoy a Q&A discussion with...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:02:21 -0400

lhaaff:

See the film and enjoy a Q&A discussion with filmmaker Tiona McClodden on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, Seattle WA - presented in partnership with Sistah Sinema. Sistah Sinema started in Seattle, WA in January 2011. In the Spring of 2012, Women of Plenty launched Sistah Sinema - San Antonio (curently in hiatus). In June 2012, Sistah Sinema - Cleveland was launched. Sistah Sinema - Portland & Atlanta launched in January of 2013. Sistah Sinema - Greensboro went live in April 2013 and Sistah Sinema - Kingston in May. For details on bringing Sistah Sinema to your city, click here. Our goal is to become an international distribution network for Queer Women of Color cinema.

Bumming Cigarettes (USA, 2012) 22 minutes

Directed by Tiona McClodden

Bumming Cigarettesis a short film about a brief and intimate meeting between a young Black lesbian woman who is in the process of taking an HIV test and a middle aged Black Gay HIV Positive man. Coming off of the devastation of a bad breakup with a girlfriend, Vee musters up the courage to go and take an HIV test to put her worst fears to rest. What she experiences during her trip to a local clinic is much more than she expects while sharing a cigarette with a stranger, Jimmy, during the 10 minutes that she awaits her test results.

Alia Hatch makes a strong debut in this short film, as a young Black lesbian woman looking to discover her status. This is a breakthrough performance for James Tolbert, a native Philadelphian and professional actor living with HIV for 21 years. Alia and James deliver a moving performance in this film that explores complex issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic including the loss of intimacy and stigma that persons living with HIV/AIDS may encounter, while also encouraging awareness around HIV/AIDS testing and the way we treat persons living with the disease.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/51232736

Shown with Zanele Muholi’s Difficult Love

Difficult Love (South Africa, 2011) 48 minutes

Zanele Muholi / Peter Goldsmid

A highly personal take on the challenges facing black lesbians in South Africa today emerges through the life, work, friends and associates of “visual activist” and internationally celebrated photographer, Zanele Muholi. How real are the freedoms of newly won democracy for this diverse minority? This documentary offers a moving answer - and a compelling plea for understanding and tolerance. It offers a poignant personal journey illustrated by Zanele’s photographs and a diverse range of encounters - lesbian activists, critics, commentators, victims and even a lesbian sangoma (traditional healer). It counters the charge head-on that being lesbian or gay is “unAfrican” or unChristian.

Young, Gay, Black—and at Risk for HIV by Kenyon Farrow

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:39:15 -0400

Young, Gay, Black—and at Risk for HIV by Kenyon Farrow:

afrolez:

“…Too often when we hear stories about people who have HIV, it is followed by a discussion of what they did to put themselves at risk. But for many young gay black men, what they’ve done isn’t what is driving them to have the highest HIV rates in the country. Several studies show black gay and bisexual men wear condoms more often than white men. But because they are coming of age sexually in a population that already has a high HIV prevalence, one slip-up creates a higher probability of infection. Many young gay black men live and begin their sexual lives in a racially segregated world where HIV has had three decades to gain a foothold. Adding to the isolation, some research shows that other racial groups of gay men in the U.S. view black men as the least desirable sexual partners, and there’s a great deal of data overall showing that African Americans remain more geographically segregated than other groups, concentrated in heavily black communities and counties around the country…” ~ Kenyon Farrow, for The Atlantic

READ IN ITS ENTIRETY —> http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/12/young-gay-black-151and-at-risk-for-hiv/265792/

harrietsgunmedia: Harriet’s Gun Media is teaming up with Sistah...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:48:46 -0400

harrietsgunmedia:

Harriet’s Gun Media is teaming up with Sistah Sinema to bring Bumming Cigarettes to a few cities this Spring!

Atlanta, GA: Fri. April 12, 2013.

Portland, OR: Sun. April 21, 2013

Cleveland, OH: Sat. April 27, 2013

*Executive Producer/Filmmaker tiona.m. will be in attendance at each screening date.

*updated with new dates and venue dates!

harrietsgunmedia: Harriet’s Gun Media is teaming up with Sistah...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:16:00 -0500

harrietsgunmedia:

Harriet’s Gun Media is teaming up with Sistah Sinema to bring Bumming Cigarettes to a few cities this Spring!

Atlanta, GA: Fri. April 12, 2013.

Portland, OR: Sun. April 21, 2013

Cleveland, OH: Sat. April 27, 2013

*details for each city coming soon!

*Executive Producer/Filmmaker tiona.m. will be in attendance at each screening date.

harrietsgunmedia: Bumming Cigarettes is a short film about a...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:08:00 -0500

harrietsgunmedia:

Bumming Cigarettes is a short film about a brief and intimate meeting between a young Black lesbian woman who is in the process of taking an HIV test and a middle aged Black Gay HIV Positive man. Coming off of the devastation of a bad breakup with a girlfriend, Vee musters up the courage to go and take an HIV test to put her worst fears to rest. What she experiences during her trip to a local clinic is much more than she expects while sharing a cigarette with a stranger, Jimmy, during the 10 minutes that she awaits her test results.

Alia Hatch makes a strong debut in this short film, as a young Black lesbian woman looking to discover her status. This is a breakthrough performance for James Tolbert, a native Philadelphian and professional actor living with HIV for 21 years. Alia and James deliver a moving performance in this film that explores complex issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic including the loss of intimacy and stigma that persons living with HIV/AIDS may encounter, while also encouraging awareness around HIV/AIDS testing and the way we treat persons living with the disease.

STATUS: NOW SCREENING

harrietsgunmedia.com/bumming-cigarettes

the-science-llama: HIV has been cured in a child for the first...

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 22:13:39 -0500

the-science-llama:

HIV has been cured in a child for the first time

A ‘functional HIV cure’ — In a monumental first for medicine, doctors announced today that a baby has been cured of an HIV infection. Dr. Deborah Persaud, who presented the child’s case today at the 20th annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infection, called it “definitely a game-changer.”

Persaud, of Johns Hopkins University Medical School, is the lead author of a report recounting the child’s treatment. The identity of the little girl, who was born to an HIV-positive woman in rural Mississippi, has yet to be released. What we do know is that she is only the second person in the world — and the first child — to be cured of HIV in its devastating 32-year history. If the case is confirmed, it is truly unprecedented.

The abstract for Persaud’s presentation (which can be found in its entirety here) provides details of the child’s treatment, which involved very early administration of antiretroviral therapy (ART), initiating treatment when the child was just 30 hours old (emphasis added):

Methods: Infant exposure to HIV was confirmed through review of maternal HIV antibody and plasma viral load tests, including HIV drug resistance testing. Infant infection was documented using standard HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and plasma viral load. ART administration was confirmed with medical and pharmacy records and maternal report of medication adherence. Persistence of HIV infection following treatment discontinuation was assessed using standard clinical assays that included plasma viral load, proviral DNA, and HIV antibody testing. Ultrasensitive HIV DNA (droplet digital PCR), plasma viral load (single copy) assays, and quantitative co-culture assays were done at age 24 and 26 months to further assess HIV persistence. HLA typing was done to confirm matching of the mother–infant pair.

Results: Maternal infection with wild type subtype B HIV was verified. The mother and infant shared HLA haplotypes. Infant infection was confirmed by positive HIV DNA and RNA testing on 2 separate blood samples obtained on the 2nd day of life. 3 additional plasma viral load tests (days of life 7, 12, and 20) were positive before reaching undetectable levels at age 29 days.

The child, who is now 2 and a half years old, has reportedly been off drugs for a year. Still, her blood tests continue to show no signs of a functioning virus.

The authors’ conclusions say it all: “This is the first well-documented case of functional cure in an [HIV-positive] child and suggests that very early [antiretroviral therapies] may prevent establishment of a latent reservoir and achieve cure in children.

We’ll keep you posted as more info comes to light. In the meantime, read the researchers’ account of the girl’s case at CROI: “Functional HIV Cure after Very Early ART of an Infected Infant.” See also: these general overviews by NPR and the NYT.

Via io9

thatsucia: provocatoria: ‘deepsouth’ is a documentary about...

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:16:41 -0500

thatsucia:

provocatoria:

‘deepsouth’ is a documentary about the new American South, and the people who inhabit its most quiet corners. Beneath layers of history, poverty and now soaring HIV infections, four Americans redefine traditional Southern values to create their own solutions to survive.

Josh, a college student, seeks the support of an underground gay family miles away from his suffocating Mississippi Delta hometown. With no funds and few resources, Monica and Tammy try tirelessly to unite reluctant participants at their annual HIV retreat in rural Louisiana. Kathie, an Alabama activist, spends 120 days a year on the road fighting a bureaucracy that continues to ignore the South.

‘deepsouth’ won the SHOUT! LGBT Best Documentary Feature Award at the Sidewalk Film Festival and the Best Domestic Documentary and Audience Favorite Award at the Outflix Film Festival

I can’t think of a film that I want to see more than this one.

So much love for my LGBTQ friends who stayed in the South. I hope they have a NY screening soon!

James@47: 22 Years of Living with HIV...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:41:38 -0500

James@47: 22 Years of Living with HIV...:

jamesat47:

What have I learned?

1) Life goes on…..Let go of the nonsense. All the heartache and pain you felt will continue to bring you sadness if you don’t let it all go. Easier said than done, but nonetheless, in the long run, it’s much better for you.

2) Surround yourself with people who will…

jamesat47: ...Incredibly proud to have been a part of this...

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 21:33:08 -0500

jamesat47:

...Incredibly proud to have been a part of this project. Tiona McClodden has such a finely tuned sense of narrative and direction. Keep your eyes out for her work…she’s gonna be a force of change in the industry. Trust and Believe! xx

*ABOUT THE FILM*
Bumming Cigarettes is a short film about a brief and intimate meeting between a young Black lesbian woman who is in the process of taking an HIV test and a middle aged Black Gay HIV Positive man. Coming off of the devastation of a bad breakup with a girlfriend, Vee musters up the courage to go and take an HIV test to put her worst fears to rest. What she experiences during her trip to a local clinic is much more than she expects while sharing a cigarette with a stranger, Jimmy during the 10 minutes that she awaits her test results. This film explores tough issues that persons living with HIV/AIDS may encounter such as the loss of intimacy with loved ones while also encouraging awareness around HIV/AIDs testing and the way we treat persons living with the disease.

— with Tiona McClodden, James Tolbert III, El Hatch, Katrina Clark, Vince Du, Gary Kramer, Zerandrian Plainoleswaggalishious Morris and Patricia Jones.

Bumming Cigarettes-A Short Film- National Black HIV/AIDS...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:55:00 -0500

Bumming Cigarettes-A Short Film- National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - 2013 Special 6min Preview.

watch the 6 min preview HERE or click the photo.

bklynboihood: from TheBody

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:40:41 -0500

bklynboihood:

from TheBody

blackcontemporaryart: findingfemaleartists: Howardena...

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:41:59 -0500

blackcontemporaryart:

findingfemaleartists:

Howardena Pindell, Separate But Equal Genocide: AIDS (detail of Part II), 1990

Howardena Pindell

PRESS: Strange Fruit: Filmmaker Tiona M on Telling Untold Stories; Louisville Author TeaRon Watkins

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:15:00 -0500

PRESS: Strange Fruit: Filmmaker Tiona M on Telling Untold Stories; Louisville Author TeaRon Watkins:

A young black lesbian woman waits for the results of her HIV test after having been cheated on by a partner. For the middle-aged, HIV positive gay black man in the waiting room with her, the clinic visit is more routine. These are the two characters in documentary filmmaker Tiona M’s latest movie, Bumming Cigarettes.

Tiona joined us this week to talk about her work, and how she’s been inspired to make the kinds of films she would have benefited from seeing herself, as a young black lesbian growing up in the south.