Smoke, Lilies and Jade
by Robert Philipson

Robert Philipson
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Smoke, Lilies and Jade
by Robert Philipson
Robert Philipson
Follow
"Smoke, Lilies and Jade" is a narrative short based on Richard Bruce Nugent's ground-breaking 1927 prose poem. One of the first positive depictions of same-sex desire in American letters, our visually rich adaptation of Nugent's story celebrates the untold history of the queer Harlem Renaissance.
"Smoke, Lilies and Jade" is a narrative short based on Richard Bruce Nugent's ground-breaking 1927 prose poem. One of the first positive depictions of same-sex desire in American letters, our visually rich adaptation of Nugent's story celebrates the untold history of the queer Harlem Renaissance.
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Story
Mission Statement
Directors Deondray & Quincy Gossfield are a prominent Black queer producing/directing couple. Producer and writer, Robert Philipson, is a queer Jewish senior. His company, Shoga Films, specializes in films that explore the intersection of race and sexuality. Most actors will be Black.About The Project
In a 1926 arts magazine called Fire!!, a young Harlem Renaissance writer, Richard Bruce Nugent, published the first positive depiction of same-sex love in American letters, “Smoke, Lilies and Jade.”
Reviled upon its publication, Nugent’s prose poem suffered decades of obscurity before being rediscovered in the 1980s. It has since been hailed not only for its ground-breaking subject matter but for the beauty of its writing. Our film adaptation, the first of its kind, will introduce this lyrical queer masterpiece to the widest possible audience.
For those of you familiar with "Congo Cabaret," shown in the pitch video, "Smoke, Lilies and Jade" will also be incorporated into a feature-length documentary about how queers shaped the Harlem Renaissance in profound and as-yet-not-widely-recognized ways. The vision here is large, but "Smoke, Lilies and Jade" will make history on its own merits.
This will be the second collaboration between the Black queer directing couple, Deondray and Quincy Gossfield, and Shoga Films. For the last decade, Shoga has been producing music videos and documentaries that highlight the queer Harlem Renaissance (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/queerbluesdivas). Recently the Gossfields joined the team to bring their narrative directorial skills to adaptations of literary texts from the period. Our first project, "Congo Cabaret," is currently on the festival circuit, has been accepted into a dozen different festivals, and has garnered several awards. The Gossfields secured top-rate talent, such as Parisa Fitz-Henley (Midnight, Texas) and Kevin Daniels (Modern Family).
The time is 1926. That means costumes, sets, locations in addition to the usual filmmaking apparatus of actors, hair and makeup, cameras, lighting, script supervision. There will also be a musical performance: a singer, a pianist, a studio recording to synch to the video.
Our team has already demonstrated that we can turn the literary products of the queer Harlem Renaissance into gorgeous film, a medium that has potentially far greater reach than the printed word. Nugent's prose is sensuous, wave-like, drawing his audience into the mind and feelings of a young artist coming to self-knowledge both sexually and psychologically. Because "Smoke . . ." is the best-known literary representation of the queer Harlem Renaissance, it has value both as a work of art and a testament of historic witness. We were there -- even then. And we were Black, literate, sophisticated, funny, complex, passionate. Our script will put that on the screen.
Gains made by Blacks and queers over the past decades are in jeopardy. Being Black AND queer has never been simple. The general public is not aware that the Harlem Renaissance was as gay as it was Black. "Smoke, Lilies and Jade" reminds us that queer expression stretches back for almost a century, that Blacks created queer content and culture, that queer visibility was not the sole provenance of white LGBT people.
We're excited about launching this project. We have new energy and collaborators involved in Shoga Films as we move forward with "Smoke, Lilies and Jade." We hope that you will be part of the process and contribute to this important project. Thank you for you support.
For those of you who are interested in such things, here's a pie chart of where the money's going. You might notice that what we're raising won't cover the expenses of the projected budget, but we'll make up the shortfall somehow. Indie filmmakers live on hope and largesse.
Incentives
$10
The "A" Train
Social media shout-out on Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook
$25
The Harlem YMCA
Send us a clear pic of yourself, and you'll find yourself in the company of your favorite Renaissance figure. Plus the social media shout-out.
$50
The Apollo Theater
Downloadable link to "Smoke, Lilies and Jade." See it before the critics, the media, and the clamoring masses. Available immediately after the premiere. Plus all perks at lower levels.
$75
Jungle Alley
Get a DVD of Shoga's smash doc, "T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s" -- with bonus music videos! Plus all perks at lower levels.
$100
Lenox Avenue
18"X12" poster of Aaron Douglass' remarkable cover for Fire!! Plus all perks at lower levels.
P
Claimed: 4 of 10
$150
Astor Row
One-hour video conference call with our professional consulting producer, Marc Smolowitz (The Watermelon Woman, The Weather Underground, The Campaign). Plus all perks at lower levels except poster.
Claimed: 0 of 1
$200
Niggeratti Manor
Shoga Films Presents the Queer Harlem Renaissance screens at the San Francisco Black Film Festival on Sunday, June 16. Your gift gets you an all-access pass to the film festival (June 13-16) and a special invitation to the after-party. Transportation to and lodging in San Francisco not included. Plus perks at all lower levels except for the poster and the one-hour film consultation.
Claimed: 4 of 5
$500
Mount Morris Park
Come to the film premiere and after party (travel not included). Rub shoulders with the glittering cast and crew. Plus perks at all lower levels except film consultation and poster.
$1,000
Striver's Row
Be a part of the shoot either as an extra or as a Production Assistant. Or simply watch the magic as it happens on set. (Travel not included.) Plus perks at all lower levels except film consultation and poster.
Claimed: 2 of 3
$2,500
The Abyssinian Baptist Church
Add your name as a producer to the illustrious talents of Quincy and Deondray Gossfield. Plus perks at all lower levels except film consultation and poster.
Claimed: 0 of 3
$5,000
Sugar Hill
Join Robert Philipson as Executive Producer of the whole shebang! Your name will be prominently displayed in the closing credits and you'll have an International Movie Data Base entry. This could be the beginning of a whole new career! Plus perks at all lower levels except film consultation and poster.
Claimed: 0 of 2
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$10
The "A" Train
Social media shout-out on Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook
$25
The Harlem YMCA
Send us a clear pic of yourself, and you'll find yourself in the company of your favorite Renaissance figure. Plus the social media shout-out.
$50
The Apollo Theater
Downloadable link to "Smoke, Lilies and Jade." See it before the critics, the media, and the clamoring masses. Available immediately after the premiere. Plus all perks at lower levels.
$75
Jungle Alley
Get a DVD of Shoga's smash doc, "T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s" -- with bonus music videos! Plus all perks at lower levels.
$100
Lenox Avenue
18"X12" poster of Aaron Douglass' remarkable cover for Fire!! Plus all perks at lower levels.
P
Claimed: 4 of 10
$150
Astor Row
One-hour video conference call with our professional consulting producer, Marc Smolowitz (The Watermelon Woman, The Weather Underground, The Campaign). Plus all perks at lower levels except poster.
Claimed: 0 of 1
$200
Niggeratti Manor
Shoga Films Presents the Queer Harlem Renaissance screens at the San Francisco Black Film Festival on Sunday, June 16. Your gift gets you an all-access pass to the film festival (June 13-16) and a special invitation to the after-party. Transportation to and lodging in San Francisco not included. Plus perks at all lower levels except for the poster and the one-hour film consultation.
Claimed: 4 of 5
$500
Mount Morris Park
Come to the film premiere and after party (travel not included). Rub shoulders with the glittering cast and crew. Plus perks at all lower levels except film consultation and poster.
$1,000
Striver's Row
Be a part of the shoot either as an extra or as a Production Assistant. Or simply watch the magic as it happens on set. (Travel not included.) Plus perks at all lower levels except film consultation and poster.
Claimed: 2 of 3
$2,500
The Abyssinian Baptist Church
Add your name as a producer to the illustrious talents of Quincy and Deondray Gossfield. Plus perks at all lower levels except film consultation and poster.
Claimed: 0 of 3
$5,000
Sugar Hill
Join Robert Philipson as Executive Producer of the whole shebang! Your name will be prominently displayed in the closing credits and you'll have an International Movie Data Base entry. This could be the beginning of a whole new career! Plus perks at all lower levels except film consultation and poster.
Claimed: 0 of 2
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
DIRECTORS
DEONDRAY AND QUINCY GOSSFIELD
Artists and activists Deondray and Quincy LeNear Gossfield are the creators of the award-winning film anthology series, The DL Chronicles, The Chadwick Journals, and The DL Chronicles RETURNS; recipient of the 2008 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Television Anthology. Noted in 2013 by BET as one of the leading Black gay power couples, the creative team has also developed and produced TV series such as Bring Your Own Talent (Lifetime), Kocktails with Khloé (FYI), The Zane Chronicles (HBO/Cinemax), Face Off (Syfy), Family Dance Off (ABC), Randy Jackson’s America’s Best Dance Crew (MTV), The Sing Off (NBC), Make Your Mark Shake It Up Dance Off (The Disney Channel), and The Laugh Factor (CW). They made history when they were married at 56th Annual Grammy Awards during Macklemore’s performance of “Same Love,” featuring Madonna and Mary Lambert and officiated by Queen Latifah.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - SHOGA FILMS
ROBERT PHILIPSON
Robert Philipson has produced and directed an impressive body of work in the last 14 years. His first film festival entry,“Ma Rainey’s Lesbian Licks” (2005), played in 20 different festivals. His subsequent videos have screened in over 100 film festivals around the country and abroad. Four of them, including “T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness,” (2011), “The Lives of LaMott Atkins” (2014), the feature-length Body and Soul: An American Bridge (2016), and the narrative short “Congo Cabaret” (2016) which he co-wrote and produced, have won festival awards.
CONSULTING PRODUCER
MARC SMOLOWITZ
Marc is a multi-award winning director, producer, and executive producer with more than 20 years of experience across all aspects of the entertainment and media business. His career focus has been powerful social-issue filmmaking across all genres. His long list of credits include films that have screened at top-tier festivals including Sundance, Berlinale, AFI Docs, IDFA Tokyo, and Melbourne, among others. Amongst his better-known features are The Watermelon Woman, The Weather Underground, and most recently Paternal Rites.
LINE PRODUCER
MARY CELENZA
Mary has worked as a supervising producer for television since 2009. She is best known for 19 episodes of Face-Off but has also worked on The Sing-Off and America's Best Dance Crew.
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