Raise Your Hand, a 1990s coming-of-age drama about high schoolers in the Midwest from writer/director Jessica Rae, will screen at four upcoming festivals: La Femme International Film Festival (October 14-17); the Seattle Latino Film Festival (October 11-17); the Studio City Film Festival (November 18-23); and the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) (November 3-28).
Raise Your Hand follows best friends Gia (Jearnest Corchado, Sneakerheads, Little America, The Fosters, The Blacklist) and Lila (Hanani Taylor, Criminal Minds, Punky Brewster) as they balance school and personal connections with their family, friends, boys and neighborhood. Gia attempts to find solace in a relationship with a new boyfriend and invest in her writing. Very quickly, however, all of Gia’s relationships go through dramatic, sometimes traumatic, changes, and Gia and Lila find themselves in separate fights for both meaning and survival. Important allies, school counselor Amaris and teacher Ms. Ramsey, encourage Gia to write a play about her life, and she soon finds herself bringing her fellow students, and their experiences, together in what becomes a testament to their perseverance and the power of story.
Rae’s directorial debut feature was inspired by her real-life experiences growing up as a woman of color in Minneapolis, fighting to find her voice in the face of traumas such as sexual assault, police brutality, and financial struggle. “I made the decision to take a personal risk and share my story,” says Rae, with “the honesty and truth they deserve.” A life-long writer with years of experience in film (Space Jam 2, Star Trek Into Darkness) and television (True Blood, American Horror Story, Bosch, Get Shorty), Rae understands the impact storytelling can have by starting difficult conversations. Having crafted a dedicated and diverse cast and crew, with mostly women in leading roles, Rae is excited to screen at festivals whose mission reflects her own.
Los Angeles-based La Femme is a hybrid virtual/in-person festival with screenings, seminars, panels, and events that supports media and productions “by women, for everyone.” Ticketing options are available here, with tickets for Raise Your Hand available here, screening Saturday October 16 at 4:00PM at the Regal Cinemas Auditorium 13 (and digitally).
Seattle Latino Film Festival is an all-virtual festival that is the only of its kind in the Northwestern US, supporting Latino artists and filmmakers sharing their culture globally. Ticketing options are available here, with tickets for the digital screening of Raise Your Hand available here.
Studio City Film Festival uses film as a unifying force to bridge cultural gaps, presenting provocative, cutting-edge, and informative voices across genres, with emphasis on under-represented perspectives. Full schedule coming soon, with screenings at the Laemmle NoHo 7.
Miami-based ABFF is a free all-virtual showcase for discovering Black talent and creatives, with a program of events (such as an HBO-sponsored short film competition) and screenings, including narrative and documentary features, web series, LGBTQIA stories, international films and new voices. Full schedule is coming soon, register now to watch digitally here.
Addressing real social issues of racial justice, feminism, and classism, Raise Your Hand encourages young people to use their voices to speak out about causes they feel passionate about, and inspire others to do the same.
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