My Name Was January has won four awards and semi-finalists since its release to film festivals in September 2018.
AWARD WINNERS
• Award of Recognition – LGBT, Best Shorts Competition, La Jolla, California
• Best Documentary Short Film, Aphrodite Film Awards, New York City
• Best LGBTQ Film, Los Angeles Film Awards, Los Angeles
• Best Documentary – Gold Award, Los Angeles Shorts Awards, Los Angeles
SEMI-FINALIST
• Best North American Documentary, Alternative Film Festival, Toronto
• Semi-Finalist, Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival, Los Angeles
When a trans sister, January Marie Lapuz, is brutally murdered in her own home in New Westminster, BC, a community reacts and her friends and other trans women of colour come to share and voice their issues, concerns, and challenges. January was seen as a bright light in the lives of many. This is the story of January, a friend, a daughter, a person.
This film will not only bring justice to January, but to all the women who have lost their lives. January had a beautiful soul, and now part of her soul rests in each and every one of us.
The film is directed by two former Kwantlen Polytechnic University Journalism students Elina Gress and Lenee Son. The film is produced by the Sher Vancouver LGBTQ Friends Society, specifically Sher Vancouver Founder Alex Sangha and Sher Vancouver President Ash Brar. “I feel January is watching over us like our Angel in Heaven. I feel she is blessing the film and helping us spread her message of love and light,” says Sher Vancouver Founder Alex Sangha.
The film has been selected into an amazing 11 film festivals since its release in September 2018.
The exclusive Canadian rights of the film for the educational market has also been acquired by Moving Images Distribution which is a local non-profit social justice distributor in Vancouver. A discussion guide for teachers has been prepared to go with the film.
The film will be formally released for sale to high schools, colleges, and universities in January 2019. Pre-order and advance copies will be available prior to the New Year.
Watch trailer: https://vimeo.com/292387515
