KOKOMO CITY + shorts 'The In_Between' and 'This Place We Rule'

Directed by former hip-hop producer D. Smith and executive produced by Lena Waithe, Kokomo City tells the story of four Black trans women and their experiences as sex workers in New York and Georgia. Through reenactments and interviews with them and their clients, the documentary paints an insightful portrait of contemporary Black gendered identity. 

Before transitioning, D. Smith was a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer, working with artists like Lil’ Wayne, André 3000 and Ciara. After coming out as trans in 2014, D. Smith’s music career fell apart. She reinvented herself as an actress and filmmaker, appearing in the show Love & Hip Hop and creating Kokomo City, for which she was the  Director, Cinematographer, Casting Director, Editor, and Producer.

Kokomo City premiered at the Sundance Festival in 2023, winning the NEXT Audience and Innovator Awards. The film also received the Panorama Audience Award at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Kokomo City will be preceded by two short films:

The In_Between/ 2022 / 5 min/ Noleca Radway / US / ENG The In_Between is a short documentary that tells the story of Mr. Moxie, a trans masculine B.

This Place We Rule/ 2021 / 2 min / Amy Todorovska / US / ENG Elejandro Martinez, Father of the House of Vineyard, takes you on a visual journey through the beating heart of the ballroom community.