Cody Gohl

Writer

Rosie Vaughan

Stylist

Alonzo Maciel

Photographer

I type Kweighbaye Kotee’s username into Skype and press call. It rings for a few moments. I check to make sure my voice recorder is on. I look over my notes: scribblings of her favorite quotes, some dates and figures, writings other people have done about her work with the Bushwick Film Festival. She’s an impressive fixture in the Bushwick arts scene, so I’m anxious to speak with her, fiddling with my hands and my computer’s volume button.

When she finally picks up, any worries I might have had dissipate into the wireless ether. She’s got some serious sunshine in her voice, and it pours through my speakers. Her laugh is warm and she offers it generously as she explains why she’s calling from Berlin. “My boyfriend lives here, so I came for a family reunion,” she starts. “Berlin is such an exciting city. I’m sure that most people who love Bushwick would love it here, too.” We exchange a few Berlin stories and chat about the summer heat before getting into the real meat of our conversation, the preparations for the upcoming Bushwick Film Festival.

The Bushwick Film Festival, which got its start nine years ago in 2007, is an annual film festival that brings a diverse selection of domestic and international indie films and new media projects to the Bushwick community. This year, the festival will have twelve feature film screenings and fifteen short film screenings, along with dozens of panels, events, parties, and workshops.