Filmmaker and LGBTQ advocate Daniella Carter hosted a Spirit Day-themed screening and reception for her new short film ‘I Love My Mother’ last night in New York City. The event was hosted at Soho House New York in collaboration with national LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD and the Phluid Project, a gender-free fashion brand which amplifies the rising voice of today’s youth, rejects binary gender norms, and favors an inclusive world that allows individuals to wear what makes them feel good.
Carter’s event helped kick off the annual Spirit Day campaign, when millions around the world wear purple or go purple online on October 20 to show support for LGBTQ youth.
Special guests at the screening and reception included Eva Reign, Mila Jam, Amanda Lepore, Gillian Laub, Basit, and journalists Alex Kacala and Jonathan Borge.
‘I Love My Mother,’ directed by Francis Wintour and executive produced by Daniella Carter, premiered earlier this month at the 10th annual Chelsea Film Festival.
The short film follows a young queer immigrant from Latin America who navigates New York City while stopping at nothing to help his mother through cancer treatment.
“As an emerging filmmaker I make sure that all my projects embody the essence of Spirit Day. I’m showing the world what it looks like when we don’t support LGBTQ youth and also highlighting the resiliency that most LGBTQIA+ youth have when it comes to navigating in a world that is constantly trying to erase them and leave them in the shadows of society. It’s that LGBTQ ancestral energy that carries me to the finish line when completing my projects,” said Executive Producer Daniella Carter.
“Obstacles or not, big budget or not, this film was conceived by a community of young artists, a female DP, Jewish sound production, a Black hair stylist, a Honduran makeup artist and a Back trans woman as an Executive producer. All full of passion and love for film. We hope everyone who watches the film can feel that at the heart of it,” said Creator and Director Francis Wintour.
ABOUT DANIELLA CARTER:
Daniella is a lifelong advocate for LGBTQIA+ youth. In 2020, she launched Daniella’s Guestbook, a site and online campaign that spotlights BIPOC creators for brands and leaders in advertising and media, with the goal of unlocking employment opportunities for the creators. The project was featured on Forbes.com, among other media outlets. Daniella has given speeches at local, national, and international events, including panel discussions with political leaders and dignitaries. She spoke at TED Talks Live and also delivered talks during TEDxABQ and TEDxMidAtlantic. Carter appeared in a Puma campaign alongside Cara Delevingne and shared her experience with youth homelessness at the Human Rights Campaign’s “Time to Thrive Conference.” She was recognized on the 2015 Trans 100 list and attended the Obama White House’s Annual Emerging Leaders Day, highlighting 100 Black leaders. She has appeared on MSNBC, ABC News, the New York Daily News, People Magazine, and in the New York Times. Daniella initiated a project to bring visibility to trans youth issues and has collaborated with Miss Universe and others to share their experiences in overcoming homelessness. She has worked with her mentor Laverne Cox and was featured in the Emmy award-winning MTV & Logo documentary, Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. Daniella’s message transcends boundaries of race, class, and gender, focusing on the intersection of identities.