Curated Film Series

Philly’s Erika Alexander is a beacon of hope in this searing drama about acceptance inspired by the upbringing and community of brothers, director Peter Bratt and star Benjamin Bratt. In the Mission District of San Francisco, local Chicano and single father, Che (Bratt), is a former inmate who spends his days outfitting lowriders and taking care of his son Jesse (Jeremy Ray Valdez). When Jesse comes out as gay to his father, Che’s world is shattered. His identity and cultural assumptions surrounding masculinity will be challenged and it’s up to Che’s empathetic neighbor Lena (Erika Alexander) to help rebuild the fractured relationship. The screening will be followed by a talkback with Erika Alexander, Benjamin Bratt (star, producer), Ben Arnon (co-founder of ColorFarm Media), plus a screening of one of Erika’s favorite ‘Living Single’ episodes with live commentary.

Philly’s Erika Alexander radiates as Coraline in Cord Jefferson’s Academy Award-winning hilarious and poignant debut. Disillusioned Black author, Thelonius “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), navigates the tropes and racial expectations of a publishing industry hungry for “authentic” stories and attempts to disrupt it from the inside. The screening will be followed by a talkback with Erika Alexander, Katherine Gilmore Richardson (Philadelphia Councilwoman-at-Large), plus a screening of one of Erika’s favorite ‘Living Single’ episodes with live commentary.