Filmmaker, educator, and executive producer of Storytellers United, Damien S. Navarro explains, “Storytellers United was a movement and event-series I had been conceptualizing for a very long time. It can’t be argued that our country and communities are in desperate need of healing from the defacing and misrepresentation of millions of minorities. I was therefore compelled to implore and empower the entertainment industry to take matters into its own hands.”
Entitled “The New Face of LGBTQ Youth in Entertainment,” the launch event will include an elegant evening of surprise performances, provocative content, cocktails, and conversation with a cause. Celebrating the charitable achievements of It Gets Better and other non-profit organizations, the evening will also feature an enlightening panel discussion about LGBTQ representation in media. Industry leaders Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight,” “Lords of Dogtown”), Academy-Award Winner Dan Jinks (“American Beauty,” “Big Fish, “Milk”), Peter Paige (“The Fosters,” “Queer as Folk”), Dan Bucatinsky (“Scandal”, “Marry Me”), and Scott Peters (“Eyewitness,” “The 4400”) will be joined on the panel by rising talent Carmen Carrera (The Advocate’s 40 Under 40) and Tyler Young (“Eyewitness,” “The Avatars”). Breakthrough gay country artist Brandon Stansell will also perform.
Storytellers United’s October 27th event will also feature renowned non-profit organizations that are relevant to the evening’s focus. It Gets Better will showcase clips from their latest docu-series, “It Got Better”, produced in partnership with L/Studio, created by Lexus. Other content highlighted will include clips from OUTFEST’s 2016 Outset: The Young Filmmakers project – short films produced by the next generation of young filmmakers between the ages of 16 and 24 – as well as – recognition of GLAAD’s work and service to the industry.
Storytellers United events will most importantly premiere ‘Best-in-Show’ content that fits the theme of the evening. The launch evening’s featured case-study will be “Eyewitness,” USA Network’s groundbreaking new anthology series created by Adi Hasak (“Shades of Blue”). Centered on two teenage boys, Philip (Tyler Young) and Lukas (James Paxton), who witness a murder in a small town just moments after they kiss for the first time, “Eyewitness” innovatively delves into issues of sexuality and self-discovery. The show features a critically acclaimed lead performance by Julianne Nicholson as Sheriff Helen Torrance, which The New York Times has called a “perfect” role for her.
“I am thrilled to launch such an innovative, inspiring event that will spark a long-overdue conversation and action,” said Adi Hasak, Creator of “Eyewitness.” “Storytellers United provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate the hard work and social progress I've always wanted to represent – and to promote the type of inclusive, character-driven content that we need more of in Hollywood.”
