Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nabin Park. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Nabin, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

PrideFull is a New York-based film festival by and for Queer and Trans People of Color. We curate and screen innovative films that center LGBTQIA2S+ people of color and their stories.

I co-founded PrideFull with Joohee Oh in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and right after the Black Lives Matter movement with a mission to create an open, safe, community-driven space where we can celebrate and appreciate stories that represent ourselves, and support each other. At PrideFull, we bring QTBIPOC filmmakers and audiences together, create a platform to amplify our own voices and share resources, and ultimately make the film industry more inclusive, equitable, queer & “colorful”.

The organizational mission is really at the core of my personal mission. As a queer Asian person working in film & media, I’ve always wanted to create a space for my community and support the filmmakers and their work that deserve much more. I’m so grateful to have started PrideFull and excited to support more QTBIPOC filmmakers.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Nabin “BEAT.NA” Park, a creative producer based in New York. I produce film and video projects, run a film festival dedicated for queer and trans people of color called PrideFull, and program community screenings and events. Recently, I started to expand my work through dance and performance.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Joohee and I are college friends who reunited after graduation. As soon as Joohee came back to New York, we decided to be roommates. And five months after we moved in together, COVID-19 happened.

We were trapped in the same NYC apartment together during the lockdown and started doing everything together. And we realized that we both have a background in film, feel the need for better media representation of queer and trans people of color, and love supporting other filmmakers and artists. Joohee was also working on her thesis project in media management, and I was eager to host community screenings again but on a longer term and start building a community. It just felt right for us to start a film festival together. We had a half year of planning, and in 2021, PrideFull was born.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Many filmmakers and film festivals would agree that funding is a crucial issue. There are countless talented filmmakers with important stories to tell, but many face significant financial barriers. Public and private film grants are scarce, and many emerging and independent filmmakers struggle to secure the financial support. And it’s even harder for those with socioeconomic barriers and lack of industry connections. To foster a more equitable film industry, it is essential to increase funding opportunities for filmmakers of all backgrounds.

It’s also critical to make a more sustainable work culture within film festivals. I believe film festivals still play a vital role in supporting emerging and independent filmmakers by connecting their work with distributors and wider audiences. Unfortunately, many festivals rely on seasonal staff and volunteers, a model that is neither sustainable for the festivals nor for the individuals. As a volunteer-run grassroots festival ourselves, we face similar challenges every year. While I don’t have a perfect solution, I believe it’s important for festivals to continue these conversations, advocate for more funding and salaried positions, and imagine alternative, more sustainable models together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pridefull.org
• Instagram: @PrideFullFilm
• Facebook: @PrideFullFilm
• Twitter: @PrideFullFilm

Image Credits

Rom Choi
Chen Xiangyun
Rom Choi
Pedro Martin
Rom Choi
Nabin Park
Rom Choi
Dyke Beer