SURREY – The Sher Vancouver produced short documentary My Name Was January is making film festival waves.
The film, directed by Elina Gress and Lenee Son, is a local, grassroots, community project shot entirely in Metro Vancouver. Elina and Lenee both studied Journalism at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey. The producers from Sher Vancouver are Alex Sangha and Ash Brar, both from Surrey.
The film tells the true story of trans woman, January Marie Lapuz, who was brutally murdered in her own home, a community reacts and her friends and other trans women of colour come to share and voice their issues, concerns, and challenges. January was seen as a bright light in the lives of many
“This film is intended to not only bring justice to January, but to all women who have lost their lives. January had a beautiful soul, and now part of her soul rests in each and every one of us,” Sher Vancouver said in a press release.
January graduated from high school from LA Matheson in Surrey and lived and died in New Westminster.
The film has already been selected in two film festivals and has also been picked up for distribution.
The film has been officially selected by:
*Crash Landed – 2019 – Oklahoma, USA
*Best Shorts Competition – 2018 – La Jolla, California, USA
