Film Screening - Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America

Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America. 

UB Department of Theatre and Dance presents a free film screening of Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America at UB Center for the Arts Screening Room in Amherst, NY on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 7 p.m. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director and subject of the film, Moises Serrano.

Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America is a feature length documentary about an inspiring young man whose story is exceptional, although not unique. When Moises Serrano was just a baby, his parents risked everything to flee Mexico in search of the American dream. Forbidden to live and love as an undocumented gay man in the country he calls home, Serrano saw only one option—to fight for justice. 

Forbidden is currently available on Amazon Prime, Kanopy, and Pragda, and has aired on LogoTV with sponsorship from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The film earned the first ever Social Justice Film Award from the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Freedom Award from Outfest Film Festival.

Forbidden was produced by Sisters Unite Productions and Pony Pictures. The small team of local and national filmmakers were inspired to produce the film after a chance encounter with Serrano. The award winning documentary is directed by filmmaker and guest dance artist Tiffany Rhynard, who will be in residence with UB Theatre and Dance from February 2 – 7, 2020.

Rhynard is an artist, dancer, and filmmaker compelled to make work that examines the complexity of human behavior and addresses social issues. Having created numerous works for stage and screen, Rhynard’s choreography, dance films, and documentaries have been presented nationwide and internationally.

Her recent dance documentary short Black Stains, created in collaboration with Trent D. Williams, Jr. about black male identity in the United States, is currently screening at film festivals.

As a performer, Rhynard has danced for choreographers including Gerri Houlihan, Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, and Chavasse Dance and Performance Group. She has taught at colleges and universities throughout the country and currently is an Assistant Professor in the School of Dance at Florida State University.

Moises Serrano served as a producer and one of the cinematographers for the film. He is an openly queer and undocumented activist and storyteller. His mission is to de-criminalize and humanize the issue of migration while advocating for immediate relief to migrant communities. Serrano quickly became one of the most requested speakers in the state of North Carolina. Described as a "consummate orator," his advocacy has led him to lead a TedX talk in Greensboro and to be named a notable Latino of the triad.

What: Film Screening 

When: February 5th, 7-9pm

Featuring Post-Screening Q&A
With Director Tiffany Rhynard and Moises Serrano

Where: 

UB Center for the Arts

Screening Room

University at Buffalo

North Campus
Directions: https://www.ubcfa.org/directions-maps2019

Tiffany Rhynard is an artist, dancer, and filmmaker compelled to make work that examines the complexity of human behavior and addresses current social issues. Having created numerous works for stage and screen, Rhynard’s choreography, dance films, and documentaries have been presented nationwide and internationally. Her dance films have screened at festivals including Dancing for the Camera at the American Dance Festival and ScreenDance Miami 2015 where she won First Prize for her short “Invisible Queens.” Rhynard’s award winning documentary, “Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America,” was honored with the Social Justice Film Award from the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Freedom Award from Outfest Film Festival. “Forbidden” is currently airing on LogoTV and is sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Her recent dance documentary short, “Black Stains,” created in collaboration with Trent D. Williams, Jr. about black male identity in the United States, is currently screening at film festivals. Now in the pre-production phrase, “A Right to Kill,” is a feature-length documentary questioning the ethics of capital punishment. A cross-disciplinary artist, Rhynard has worked with esteemed collaborators including choreographer Christal Brown, internationally renowned composer Lei Liang, real-time digital media artist Marlon Barrios Solano, and mezzo-soprano Sahoko Sato Timpone. As a performer, Rhynard has danced for choreographers including Gerri Houlihan, Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, and Chavasse Dance and Performance Group. She has taught at colleges and universities throughout the country and currently teaches dance and technology in the School of Dance.