By Courtney Sebring
At Comfrey Films’ first Black Trans Short Film Festival, community members gathered alongside emerging and established Black trans filmmakers in the Bullpen at American Underground’s former location. The event sold out. For Courtney Sebring, Comfrey Film’s Communications Director, the film festival brought together the stories and community at the heart of her work in the city that raised her.
Growing up in Durham, Sebring was surrounded by Black and Brown artists and organizers who taught her that her voice mattered. Today, she helps emerging Black trans, gender nonconforming, and intersex filmmakers share their stories through Comfrey Films. Her own business, Courtney Renee Consulting, supports social justice organizations, cultural leaders, and community builders. That work included helping The Embodiment Institute build The Practice Ground, an online community where more than 300 people joined in its first year to explore healing and connection. Three years later, members continue gathering online and are expanding into regional, in-person gatherings.
At American Underground, Comfrey Films’ office houses a film equipment library that local storytellers rely on. After AU relocated, the team connected with neighbors at Fullsteam Brewing Company, which hosted the second annual Black Trans Short Film Festival in the Stokes Club before construction was finished. Sebring says they might not have found that relationship without AU. For someone raised by Durham’s artists and community builders, those connections carry forward a tradition she knows well: making room for one another and the stories that shape our culture.
“It’s a legacy that I’m proud to carry, a lineage that fuels my own courage, and a foundation that I am deeply committed to protecting with my work,” Sebring says. “I am a Communications Strategist, and I have the great honor of supporting cultural leaders and social justice organizations in building the narrative power we need to get free.”
Follow Courtney’s story at @courtneyreneegrowing and discover the filmmakers and stories behind@comfreyfilms. Come see what’s taking shape for Sebring and 500+ other members at American Underground. Visit americanunderground.com to schedule a tour and meet the community.
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