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Unapologetically Jackie

The film deals with the life and legacy of Jackie Shane, hailed as one of the best soul singers to have ever lived and who was a transgender pioneer in North America’s fourth largest city's legendary music scene. Jackie’s early roots are shown with her as a young child and then a teenager in the southern states as she steeps in the music and General culture that solidifies her passions and famously exquisite and original character which flew in the face of the restrictive norms of the times.

  • Josiane Blanc
    Director
    Faux départ, Ainsi va Manu, Contes d'une grossophobie ordinaire
  • Josiane Blanc
    Writer
    Faux départ, In-Génie, Petites Bouchées du monde
  • Rebecca Singh
    Producer
    Mr. Jane and Finch, Just Another Day
  • Freya Ravensbergen
    Producer
    Acting Up, Reel Women Seen
  • Billy Massicott Longpre
    Key Cast
    "Young Jackie "
    Unapologetically Jackie
  • Alex Nunez
    Key Cast
    "Teen Jackie"
    The Umbrella Academy
  • Madeleine Eddy
    Key Cast
    "Jessie"
    Ghosts
  • Lindsay Owen Pierre
    Key Cast
    "Charles"
    Star Trek: Discovery
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    History, Biopic, Biographical, Documentary
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 31, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Black Alphabet Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    October 12, 2024
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • CineFAM Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    October 20, 2024
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Josiane Blanc

Josiane is a writer, director, producer, passionate about social issues and cultural interactions. Josiane's versatility allowed her to occupy a wide range of positions in Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. In 2016, she developed and directed for TFO Jeunes d'exception (Amazing Teenagers), a 7 episodes documentary webseries about exceptional teenagers who have distinguished themselves by their actions, inventions and / or community engagements. Alumni of Black Women Film Canada's leadership program in 2017, Doc Institute's Breakthrough program in 2018, Banff Media World Fellowship in 2019, winner of 3 prizes during UnisTV’s emerging director’s film competition, winner of the ONF(NFB) Tremplin Emerging Directors competition & winner of the Cuban Hat Pitch at Montreal Documentary Film Festival in 2019. Josiane is also a fellow from Hot Docs Accelerator lab in 2020 as well as the recipient of the Youth Media Alliance Thérèse-Pinho bursary and the Academy's mentoring program for women directors. In 2020, Tales of Ordinary Fatphobia, a short documentary produced by the NFB regarding the impact of fatphobia on the mental health of kids and teens, premiered on Radio-Canada and was described by critics as treasure of delicacy, hard-hitting, difficult to watch but necessary film. In June 2021, Ainsi va Manu, her 7-part short form series, was broadcast on the online platform of French broadcaster TV5 & TFO and was selected for several international festivals winning a total of 15 awards. The series is now renewed for a second season. That same year, Josiane had the opportunity to produce and host the French episodes of Strong & Free, an Historica Canada and Media Girlfriends podcast series about Canadian Black history. Strong & Free recently won the Gold Award for Best Podcast: Arts, Culture and Society at the Digital Publishing Awards while also being selected on Amazon music's best podcasts in 2022. Josiane is currently in post-production on her documentary, Words Left Unspoken, and is a writer on several children's programs. In 2022 she won the WIFT Showcase Best Directing award for HOGTOWN and was chosen as one of Playback's 10 to watch in 2022.

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Director Statement

The filmmakers are wholly dedicated to increasing Global Majority representation in Cinema. They are Black and mixed race women who, growing up, rarely saw themselves celebrated on screen. This project seeks to address this in a widely appealing and impactful way. It is also meant to be a template of sorts for future storytelling of under celebrated women from underrepresented communities. In addition, separate from the films being screened, a wide awareness campaign is planned to promote the Lifting as We Climb e-book project. This will include in person events around Canada, wider virtual events and a host of partner organizations.