Docs Get Down: A BGDM Birthday Boogie

Get down with BGDM! As an organization with over 5,000 members worldwide, we take our birthdays seriously. Join us on October 25th for our 60s/70s Soul-themed birthday bash to celebrate!

DOCS GET DOWN

Friday October 25, 2024, 7:00-9:30pm ET
Friends and Lovers (641 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY)
Tickets $50 + first drink on us!

Docs Get Down is a 60s/70s themed birthday party meant to bring the documentary industry together, embrace the spaces we’ve carved out, show support for our members, and of course par-tay! We’ll have a night of nonstop dancing, DJ sets inspired by Jamila Wignot’s STAX: Soulsville U.S.A, and legendary performances from some karaoke all-stars of the doc world. Spotlight and drum roll, please...

DOCS GET DOWN: DJ MISS ALICIA & STAX: SOULSVILLE U.S.A.

DJ Miss Alicia is a DJ, organizer, visual artist, and designer. Alicia works tirelessly to uphold an ethos of spreading joy to the community through her bombastic DJ sets, DIY parties, art installations, and design collaborations with musicians. Behind the decks she spins house, funk, global, cheeky edits and leftfield beats to create a room that dances with a smile on its face. Miss Alicia is a regular at some of the hottest NYC spots like Good Room, House of Yes, and Jupiter Disco. Miss Alicia is resident at the family-friendly DIY party, Sweet Kicks, and is half of Ūmboma, a sonically global-forward project blending Afro, Arab, and Latin rhythms in a communal narrative, with ambient artist and DJ Omar Ahmad. Follow her on Soundcloud and Instagram for more.

STAX: Soulsville U.S.A., directed by BGDM member Jamila Wignot, is an Emmy-nominated docuseries and testament to Soul. In 1960s Memphis, an audacious set of interracial collaborators dared to make their own music on their own terms, forming Stax Records, one of America's most influential creators of Black music.

DJ Miss Alicia will be spinning 60s/70s Soul music inspired by Stax Records, spiced up with some contemporary and global flair. That’s a recipe for a packed dancefloor!

DOCS GET DOWN: KARAOKE ALL-STARS OF THE NONFICTION WORLD

Farihah Zaman is a filmmaker, curator, and BGDM's former fellowships director. They are known for their clasically-trained voice nailing every genre. Inspo for the night: Mercutio’s drag performance in Romeo and Juliet (1996).

Joh Cardellino is a producer and former program director at Sundance. He's known for a bold baritone and concerning commitment to TLC or Radiohead’s Creep. Inspo for the night: Gamble and Huff, Tina Turner, The Wall of Sound.

Leah Giblin is a consultant, most recently at Oxbelly and formerly at Cinereach. Leah's known for deeply felt, messily human, surprisingly physical performances. Inspo for the night: Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.

Ximena Amescua Cuenca is the senior manager of grantmaking at Firelight Media. She is known for tricking people into thinking Shakira herself is in the room! Inspo for the night: Juan Gabriel performing at the Palacio de Bellas Artes and his iconic gold, sparkly toreador jacket.

Iyabo Boyd is the founder and co-executive director of BGDM. She's known for Disco, duets, shouting ad-libs, and being everyone’s backup dancer. Inspo for the night: The Isley Brothers.

Cecilia Aldarondo is a filmmaker, professor, and writer. She is known for floaty yet powerful vocals with a romantic Spanish accent. Inspo for the night: every loyal friend she's ever had.

BGDM HOST COMMITTEE — AKA "THE PARTY STARTERS"

Last, but certainly not least, huge thank yous to our host committee and sponsors who’ve helped to make all this possible:

Nell Augustin is a queer Haitian-American artist development executive, and advocate for creative freedom, risk, and redefining investment. Nell is no stranger to the dance floor. Their parents met at S.O.B.'s and their dad is a professional dancer, so they grew up in nightclubs.

Elise Mccave is the executive director of Points North, dividing her time between the hills of Maine and late nights in Brooklyn. If you've seen her on a dancefloor, you know she likes to commit — and she expects the same from you!

Gerry Leonard is an Indonesian-born, Brooklyn-based organizer and cultural worker, supporting and restributing resources to filmmakers and social justice movements towards a just and equitable future. He still reminisces about his radio show, Sound Hive, occasionally moonlights as a DJ/music vibe-setter, and constantly daydreams about being a backup dancer for an R&B artist.

Riham Ezzaldeen is a Syrian-born creative producer who shapes nuanced stories of queerness, belonging and artivism, driven by a desire for fun and plurality, both behind and in front of the camera. Riham is dance-driven, beat-bound, and often an accidental party host, saying “Chemistry is all in the groove.”

Mars Verrone is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker, musician, and educator from Los Angeles. They’ve produced award-winning films like Golden Voice, which they also directed, and Union. Mars’ many prestigious fellowships and secured support includes Sundance, NBC, PGA, BGDM, Ford Foundation, Field of Vision and IDA among others. They were selected for DOC NYC’S 2024 “40 Under 40” cohort. s. Be sure to check out the Sundance award-winning documentary Union, produced by Mars, coming to 20+ theaters across the US this month.

Jeff Seelbach is an award-winning executive who has recently been consulting on the To See Each Other podcast and Queer Futures short documentary series.

Rebeca Huntt is an Afro-Latina writer and director born and raised in NYC. Music and dance are a vital source of nutrients that she must consume daily.

Shruti Ganguly is a filmmaker and the founder of honto88, which makes visual media that makes you stop, think, and look again. Shruti also leads Prism, a production company focused on the South Asian market. Music is a big part of her life! She co-founded the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective bringing together artists and activists to use music and joy as an act of resistance.

Raeshem Nijhon is the founder & executive producer of Culture House, an Emmy-nominated media company centering women and people of color. Watch their Twigg & Jenkins podcast, giving election prep and some much needed laughs on Youtube.

Docs Get Down is graciously sponsored by

And even if you can’t join us in person, you can still show your support by sending us a birthday gift, we accept love (and donations!) all year round.