*Jack’d, the dating app built for queer people of color, is getting into film. The app’s first Jack’d Film Festival streams original films by queer creators through Dec. 3. Miss Lawrence is one of the jurors helping choose the winners.
Jack’d is the largest dating app for queer people of color in the U.S., with millions of users across 180 countries. Its new festival highlights films that center the lives and perspectives of queer people of color. The program includes digital screenings, filmmaker programming, and community voting, all inside the app.
The festival offers $20,000 in prize money for both short and feature-length films. One film will win the $10,000 Grand Jury Award. Another will take home the $10,000 Audience Choice Award, which app users decide by voting.
Submissions have closed, and the films are streaming now. Watching and voting are free. Fans can download Jack’d from the Apple App Store or Google Play, create a profile, then start watching and voting.
Miss Lawrence, known for “Fashion Queens” and “Empire,” sits on the jury with TS Madison, Bobby Ashley, Mike Gauyo and Dyllón Burnside. Miss Lawrence spoke with EURweb about joining the jury, the films he hopes to see, and why the festival matters.
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Saying yes to the festival’s first year was easy for Miss Lawrence.
“First and foremost, I’m a part of the GBTQ plus community, number one. Number two, I’m an actor. I’m a creator in the space of arts and film and… all things creative. And I think it’s so genius that Jack’d decided to do a film festival to help filmmakers and creators get their stories out there, particularly those of the Black and Brown GBTQ community. So it was pretty much a no-brainer once it was presented to me, and I’m actually grateful that they said yes to the vision of this film festival.”
For years, Hollywood made little room for those stories.
“For far too long… when I first got in, you know, there weren’t a lot of spaces, writers, directors, studios, that were willing to tell our stories or even willing to hire Black and Brown people in those spaces to be actors or to be writers or to be directors. A lot of them did it because, you know, it was the right thing to do, to check off that… DEI checkbox. But now we know that we’re on the precipice of losing all of that.”
With those gains at risk, Miss Lawrence wants creators to take control.
“And so it is very important for us to take back our own power and tell our own stories. You know, it’s not enough to have writers or creators have an idea of what our stories are, what our stories consist of. We need to be invited into the spaces. You know, we need to take charge and tell our own stories.”
That’s where Jack’d comes in.
“For so long, we’ve not had studios or, you know, had networks to say, okay, here’s a space specifically for Black and Brown GBTQ individuals. Tell us your story. Share your story with us. And so I think with Jack’d launching this, I think this fills a very huge void in the entertainment space.”
The obstacles facing queer creatives of color haven’t gone away. At the top of the list is the idea that a project only has room for one queer character.
“Many, many, many challenges, right? There’s this idea that, you know, when we create a new show or when we, you know, green-light a film, there’s only room for… one token gay, if you will. I’ve been asked a lot of times as an actor, you know, ‘Oh, I would love to see you play a straight role.'”
Range was never the problem. The expectation behind it is.
“And yes, I can do it all. I can play a straight… I’m an actor, and I like to say that I’m a good actor, and I can play all of those things. However, the fact that it has not been normalized that our stories as Black GBTQ people matter in those spaces, and you think that the magnum opus of being an actor or being a director or filmmaker or writer is to be able to play and write the perfect straight role or straight story, is a problem. And so one of the biggest challenges is normalizing us at the writers’ table, normalizing us in those spaces as actors, as directors, and as filmmakers.”
So why would a dating app launch a film festival? Its massive reach makes the move a natural fit.
“It is no surprise and it’s no secret that Jack’d is one of the largest dating apps, right? And I think while you have those type of eyes, while you have that type of access to so many GBTQ individuals, I think it’s kind of a no-brainer.”
The festival also says something about how Jack’d sees its users.
“I think it proves that Jack’d is not just about creating the next opportunity to date somebody or finding that perfect match. You know, it is also saying, no, we see you beyond who you date. We see you beyond, you know, a hookup. You know, we want to learn your stories.”
For Miss Lawrence, the timing feels like more than coincidence.
“I honestly think it’s… part spiritual. You know what I mean? I think that it’s time. There’s this saying, this biblical saying… the last shall be first and the first shall be last. And when you think about GBTQ people, especially those of the Black and Brown community, we’ve always gotten the short end of the stick. Our stories have always been the last or part of the last to be told or for people to be interested in our stories. And I think that Jack’d launching this film festival will help aid in eradicating that idea.”
As a juror, Miss Lawrence knows what will catch his eye.
“Several things. Originality. I’m looking for people that have the courage to tell unpopular stories. I’m looking for people that aren’t afraid to go there, to challenge the narratives. Creativity, of course… And execution, of course, is a major plus.”
Fans hoping to see Miss Lawrence on screen at the festival will have to wait.
“Ain’t nobody called me. Ain’t nobody said we need you to star in this. Ain’t nobody called me yet. But I’m proud to serve as a judge or as a jury member… Eventually, you know, who knows, maybe the next Jack’d Film Festival I will submit some work, or someone will have me included in their work. But to serve as a judge or as a jury member of the inaugural film festival, I think is, you know, it’s an honor.”
As for how audiences will respond, Miss Lawrence is betting big.
“I’m excited to see what the reception is. I think it’s going to be through the roof. I think people are going to learn that this is a space and this was a platform that was necessary for this type of work. And I’m excited to see what comes of it.”
What should viewers walk away with? A new appreciation for queer artists of color.
“I hope audiences take away our genius. I hope that audience take away the fact that, you know, we’ve always been here, that we’ve had major influence on the art in the films that they’ve seen all their lives. We just weren’t able to tell it ourselves. But now you get to see in a lot of ways the blueprint of it all.”
Looking beyond year one, the goal is bigger than any single film.
“The impact that I would like for this festival to have, and that I know it will have, is that it sends a clear message to Black and Brown individuals of the GBTQ community that we no longer… have to wait on… the powers that be to tell our stories. That we no longer have to wait on, you know, different platforms that are predominantly straight-led to say yes to us… or platforms that are predominantly white-led to say yes to Black and Brown stories. I hope it sends a clear message that, you know, with platforms like the Jack’d Film Festival creating space, that we can do it ourselves. We no longer need permission from the gatekeepers. If you say yes to yourself and God says yes, let no man put asunder.”
Watch EURweb’s full interview with Miss Lawrence below.
The Jack’d Film Festival is streaming free in the Jack’d app through Thursday, Dec. 3. The winners will be announced Friday, Dec. 4. To watch and vote, download Jack’d at jackd.com.
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