BEING BEBE: THE BEBE ZAHARA BENET DOCUMENTARY, Directed by Emily Branham

**From Cameroon to First-Ever Champion of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Award-Winning Documentary BEING BEBE Chronicles the Extraordinary Life of BeBe Zahara Benet**

Roaring Into Pride Starting June 7th on Major TVOD Platforms; Broadcast Premiere on Fuse (U.S.) and OUTtv (Canada) on June 21st

After a World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival last year, and over 30 festivals on four continents (with seven opening night/closing night/centerpiece placements, an audience award at Provincetown and jury award at Sound Unseen for Best Documentary), Emily Branham’s first feature documentary BEING BEBE roars into Pride Month on June 7th on major Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD) platforms via digital distributor Giant Pictures (Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu - Pre-Order at https://geni.us/BeingBeBe). The film will make its Broadcast Premiere on Fuse in the U.S. and OUTtv in Canada on June 21st, and will later be available on their streaming platforms.

Being BeBe intimately charts 15 years of drag performer Marshall Ngwa (aka BeBe Zahara Benet): An immigrant to America from homophobic Cameroon, first champion on now-iconic LGBTQ+ reality show phenomenon RuPaul's Drag Race. Grounded by Marshall’s present-day narration, the film features vérité, interviews and performances illustrating his journey to Queer Black Excellence.

From his COVID-standstill in Minneapolis, Marshall watches and reacts vibrantly to sequences that Branham filmed with him over the years. Like everyone in Minneapolis, he grieves the tragedy of George Floyd. Just months before, 2020 was poised to be BeBe’s “breakthrough year,” with a new TV show, music album and live show – until the pandemic hit. The clips unfurl a time capsule: His early days as a promising amateur drag performer in the Minneapolis clubs, to his time living in New York City and shows he creates there, and his family backstory and immigrant narrative. Througout the film, we also meet LGBTQ+ youth and activists in Cameroon, where Queer rights remain in the dark ages. They’ve never heard of BeBe and are baffled by the concept of drag being a viable career. Yet they are mesmerized when seeing BeBe on smartphone screens.

In Being BeBe, Marshall’s staggering effort is apparent years before his RuPaul’s Drag Race win in 2009 when there was no blueprint then for turning his new platform into an actual career. The opportunities and whirlwind in the 2020s bring a resurgence to BeBe’s languishing career. By now, lessons have been learned, and Marshall embraces his whole self. When unimaginable setbacks put everything on hold again in 2020, Marshall recognizes the predicament. He’s been there before and has the self-determination to rise again.

“I’ve had the privilege of following Marshall (BeBe) for 15 years since meeting him in 2006 in Minneapolis,” said director Emily Branham. “While the pageant scene was fascinating, I could tell that BeBe was poised for greater things. Fortunately, BeBe was open to letting me in, and our friendship deepened. The look and feel of the film are raw, honest and textured much like Marshall’s life. The story never shies away from his failures, so much so that his successes come with an air of victorious sweetness. Over time, I’ve become deeply cognizant of the ethical dilemmas that come with telling someone else’s story, especially as a White woman turning the lens on a Black Queer African immigrant. I’ve stayed the course because I’m absolutely committed to making sure this film does BeBe’s story justice. As I documented Marshall’s life over the years, I witnessed his unprecedented path of Queer Black Excellence. His story will inspire people who are disenfranchised to keep reaching for their dreams – something audiences need now more than ever.”

Being BeBe is produced in association with OUTtv, Changeworx, Adventure Pants and 13th Gen. It is Produced by multi-award-winning director, producer and executive producer Marc Smolowitz (Trembling Before G-d) and Emmy-nominated filmmaker and producer Jonathan Goodman Levitt (Follow the Leader), with award-winning director Bat-Sheva Guez (In This Life) and award-winning journalist and content director Diego Wyatt serving as Co-Producers. Being BeBe’s Editors are James Codoyannis (Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts) and Branham, with Consulting Editor Doug Blush (20 Feet From Stardom). The Original Score is by Hélène Faussart of the French-Cameroonian duo Les Nubians; and many more talented people make up the rest of the stellar crew and advisory board.

About the Director:

Emily Branham is a director, producer and editor in NYC who makes films about artists and creative thinkers. Her short documentary, “Legend: a film about Greg Garing,” won the jury prize for Best Film of the International Doc Challenge at Hot Docs in Toronto, then screened at Sheffield Doc/Fest, IDFA, Nashville, Big Sky, Rooftop Films, and on the Documentary Channel. She directs doc-style films for clients including JP Morgan, Aritzia, Lincoln Center, Atlantic Council, Martha Stewart Weddings, and AT&T, as well as music videos for artists including Jonatha Brooke, Jeff Litman, the Muckrakers and Eleni Mandell.

Originally from Minneapolis, Emily was a child actor who earned her SAG-AFTRA card at 5 years old, and found her happy place both on- and off-stage at the Guthrie Theater and Children’s Theater Company. When she discovered that filmmaking combined all of the many varied art forms she loved, she studied Radio/TV/Film (on the directing track) at Northwestern University and has been happily behind the camera & edit suite ever since. She has years of experience working with incredible creatives in high-pressure environments as a post-production and visual effects producer for clients including Mercedes, Adidas, Geico, Samsung, Apple, Cigna, Google, Nike, Lexus, Citibank, Subway, Budweiser, Verizon, Fiat, A&E, PBS, Nova, Paramount, The Roots, Gwen Stefani and Kanye West; for production companies including The Artery, Buck, Artjail, Roof Studio, The Mill, M ss ng P eces, Show of Force, Imaginary Forces and HSI Productions. Being BeBe is her first feature film.

Credits:

Directed, Produced & Edited by Emily Branham

Producers: Marc Smolowitz, Jonathan Goodman Levitt

Co-Producers: Bat-Sheva Guez, Diego Wyatt

Executive Producers for OUTtv: Brad Danks, Philip Webb

Editor: James Codoyannis

Consulting Editor: Doug Blush

Directors of Photography: Sinisa Kukic, Jeremy Wilker, Emily Branham

Advisory Board: Natasha Johnson, Matamba Kombila, Avril Z. Speaks

Supervising Sound Editor: Rob Daly

Original Score by Hélène Faussart/Les Nubians

Colorist and Online Editor: Pedro Padilla