| Kortney Ryan Ziegler | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 15, 1980 Compton, CA |
| Nationality | African American |
| Other names | shane b. star |
| Occupation | Filmmaker, Visual Artist, Ph.D. of African American Studies |
Kortney Ryan Ziegler (born December 15, 1980) is an award-winning filmmaker,[1] visual artist, writer[2] and scholar[3] based in Oakland, Ca.[4] His artistic and academic work focuses on queer/trans issues, body image, racialized sexualities, gender, performance and black queer theory. Ziegler is also the first person in history to receive the PhD of African American Studies from Northwestern University.
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From 2003-2006, Ziegler maintained a popular black queer feminist blog by the name of blac (k) ademic. The blog tackled topics such as gender and sexuality from a young black queer academic perspective.[5] Eventually becoming one of the top blogs in the feminist blogsphere,[6] Ziegler endured much controversy due to his radical stance that positioned the experiences of women of color as the locus of his feminist analysis.[7]
The blog went on to receive the award for Best Topical Blog in the first annual Black Weblog Awards in 2006.
Premering in 2008, STILL BLACK, was conceived during the years Ziegler was a doctoral student in the department of African American studies at Northwestern University. Ziegler and his producer, Awilda Rodriguez Lora, provided the initial financial investment to get the project off the ground. They then conceived of a grassroots fundraising method, using social networking sites to solicit funds from potential donors, eventually securing enough to help complete the project.
Upon its release of the queer film festival circuit, STILL BLACK became one of the most sought after and talked about films to represent the transgender male of color experience, showing to sold out crowds in cities such as Los Angeles, Toronto, Seattle, Chicago, and Tel-Aviv.
The film received an Isaac Julien Experimental Award from Queer Black Cinema International Music Festival and an Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary in the ReelOut Queer Film + Video Festival.