Join us for a conversation with beloved director Elegance Bratton and acclaimed producer Chester Gordon as they recount their journey through the world of independent film and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.
About Our Keynote Speakers:
Elegance Bratton was thrown out of his mother’s home at the age of 16 in New Jersey for being gay. After ten years spent homeless, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps where he became a combat documentarian. After finishing the Marines, he earned an undergraduate degree from Columbia University and an MFA from NYU’s Tisch Graduate Film program. Elegance’s award-winning short films have played in almost 150 film festivals worldwide including Sundance, Outfest and the American Black Film Festival. He is the executive producer and creator of Viceland’s GLAAD-nominated series, My House.
In 2019, Chester Gordon became the first gender non-binary African-American costume designer to compete in competition at Cannes Film Festival with Port Authority. In the last 4 years, they have produced a fleet of acclaimed short films, including the feature documentary Pier Kids. Gordon was also a winner of the Tribeca Film Institute’s 2019, TFI All Access Grant and TFI Pond5 Program. Gordon is a Film Independent 2019 Producing Lab & Fast Track Lab fellow. Gordon’s films have been an official selection and won many awards in over 200 festivals, including Berlin, SXSW, BFI, Outfest, New Orleans, Cleveland, Athens, Palm Springs, Blackstar and the American Black Film Festival. They are also a producer for the MIPCOM 2018 winner - GLAAD nominated documentary TV series, My House, on Viceland. Gordon’s latest shorts Buck and Ship are Sundance Film Festival 2020 world premieres.
Join us for a conversation with beloved director Elegance Bratton and acclaimed producer Chester Gordon as they recount their journey through the world of independent film and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.
About Our Keynote Speakers:
Elegance Bratton was thrown out of his mother’s home at the age of 16 in New Jersey for being gay. After ten years spent homeless, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps where he became a combat documentarian. After finishing the Marines, he earned an undergraduate degree from Columbia University and an MFA from NYU’s Tisch Graduate Film program. Elegance’s award-winning short films have played in almost 150 film festivals worldwide including Sundance, Outfest and the American Black Film Festival. He is the executive producer and creator of Viceland’s GLAAD-nominated series, My House.
In 2019, Chester Gordon became the first gender non-binary African-American costume designer to compete in competition at Cannes Film Festival with Port Authority. In the last 4 years, they have produced a fleet of acclaimed short films, including the feature documentary Pier Kids. Gordon was also a winner of the Tribeca Film Institute’s 2019, TFI All Access Grant and TFI Pond5 Program. Gordon is a Film Independent 2019 Producing Lab & Fast Track Lab fellow. Gordon’s films have been an official selection and won many awards in over 200 festivals, including Berlin, SXSW, BFI, Outfest, New Orleans, Cleveland, Athens, Palm Springs, Blackstar and the American Black Film Festival. They are also a producer for the MIPCOM 2018 winner - GLAAD nominated documentary TV series, My House, on Viceland. Gordon’s latest shorts Buck and Ship are Sundance Film Festival 2020 world premieres.