Award winning director, screenwriter, singer, actor and producer, Patrik Ian Polk is coming to Boston!
Polk will join the roster of special guests at the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition’s (HBGC) 4th annual Youth Empowerment Conference.
HBGC’s Youth Empowerment Conference is the largest conference for LGBTQ youth of color in New England and will take place on October 4-5, 2014 in Cambridge. Other special guests for the conference include Jamar Rogers from NBC’s The Voice, spoken word artist Denice Frohman, New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres, and actor Julian Walker.
Polk will be screening and discussing his new film, Blackbird. Based on the novel by Larry Duplechan of the same name, Blackbird presents the life of a young Black Christian singer’s struggle with his sexuality and the church while growing up in a small Southern Baptist community. The film stars Julian Walker as well Isaiah Washington and academy award winner Mo’Nique.
Patrik Ian Polk is widely known as the creator of the popular LOGO series Noah’s Arc as well the subsequent movie Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom. The film received three NAACP Image Award nominations: Outstanding Independent Feature Film, Outstanding Writing in a Feature Film and Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film. It won GLAAD Award’s for Best Feature Film (Limited Release).
Noah’s Arc was one of the first popular shows to highlight the unique experiences, relationships, challenges, and culture of black LGBTQ people. Polk has also written, directed and produced other works such as Punks and The Skinny that also explore the lives Black gay and bisexual men.
The screening and following Q&A of Blackbird will be on Sunday, Oct. 5th , the second day of the Youth Empowerment Conference, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
To find out more and to register for the conference visit HBGC’s website: www.hbgc-boston.org.
