Shoga Films

Shoga Films is the production company of Robert Philipson. Vimeo Link: http://vimeo.com/user6835725

Shoga is a Swahili word with a special meaning for g**s and women along the East African Coast. Shoga Films specializes in gay and le***an audio visual media.

12/26/2025

Boxing Day (Benny Leonard)

In England and Canada, December 26 is known as Boxing Day. We can’t tell you what it means, but we’ll take the opportunity to remind you that our documentary in production, “The Hollywood Left,” has a sequence on Jewish boxers.

Although the doc focuses on Barney Ross, a boxing legend in the 1930s, he was preceded by Benny Leonard, considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time, nicknamed “The Ghetto Wizard.”

Most Americans don’t know – most *Jews* don’t know – that 30% of professional boxers in the 20s and 30s were Jewish. To find out more, listen to our podcast with Douglas Century, “The Greatest Jewish Boxer You’ve Never Heard Of.”

Follow the link in our linktree.

12/22/2025

Centenary – The New Negro Anthology

The New Negro: An Interpretation, published 100 years ago, announced the arrival of the Harlem Renaissance (not yet named as such) on the literary and intellectual scene. It was the first compendium of Negro writing of importance, incorporating essays, poetry and fiction by writers who were to become stars of the Renaissance, including Countee Culleh, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay and Eric Walrond.

Professor Alain Locke’s editorship was little short of miraculous. Not that much of substance had been published up to 1925, but Locke pulled together – or nagged his contributors to produce – writings that have stood the test of time. As a product of design – with portraits and decorations by the German ally Winold Reiss – the book was also triumphant.

The anthology served its purpose in demonstrating that African Americans were advancing intellectually, culturally, and socially – to those who were open to such a message. And it definitely boosted the visibility of the writers mentioned above, all of whom were at the beginning of their careers. The New Negro has endured years of reprinting spawning 35 republications … and counting.

12/17/2025

Centenary – “Careless Love”

Although the song’s roots reach back deeper into history, Bessie Smith’s 1925 iconic recording featured Louis Armstrong on cornet and showcased themes of heartbreak and betrayal in a traditional, yet deeply emotive, blues style. "Careless Love Blues" was a major hit that captured Bessie Smith at the peak of her powers, showcasing the vocal strength and emotional depth that cemented her legacy as the Empress of the Blues.

This is an excerpt of the cover performed by blueswoman Gaye Adegbalola for a Shoga concert and conversation featuring anecdotes and songs made famous by the q***r blues divas of the 1920s.

To hear the whole song and others from the blues repertoires of Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, and Alberta Hunter, follow the link in our linktree to our Shoga Treat, “Gaye Sings Gay.”

***rBlues

12/15/2025

Christmas Clobbers Hannukah

Bring out your shamash and get ready to light the second candle for the 8-day celebration of Hannukah, a minor Jewish holiday that got puffed up in a doomed effort to counter the Christmas juggernaut. Yesterday the holiday began with the traditional antisemitic mass shooting – this time in Australia.

In recognition of the Festival of Lights, we bring back Dr. Philipson’s essay, “Christmas Clobbers Hannukah,” which presents the hopelessness of warding off Christmas with his signature blend of black humor (see above) and erudite cynicism.

For those who want to revisit the whole essay, first published in our newsletter of December 2024, follow the link to the Professorial Foray on our website.

12/12/2025

This is it. Final day.

Today is the last chance to back Bessie Shows Her Ass before the campaign closes. There will not be a redo or a replay of this moment. What we do together today decides how fully we can honor Bessie Smith’s life, legacy, and q***rness on screen.

If you have been meaning to give, this is the time. If you have already given, thank you—please consider sharing the campaign one more time and asking a friend to join you. Independent Black q***r films get made because communities like ours refuse to let them die in development.

Help us end this campaign strong. Visit the link in our bio and make your contribution before the clock runs out.

***rHistory ***rCinema

12/11/2025

Two days left to back Bessie Shows Her Ass.

In just a short time, this campaign has grown from an idea into a community effort. Every contribution, every share, every message has helped us move closer to putting Bessie Smith’s story on screen in the way she deserves to be seen.

We are almost there, but “almost” will not greenlight a film. Your support over these next two days is critical. If Bessie’s legacy, Black q***r history, and independent Black cinema matter to you, this is the moment to act.

Click the link in our bio, make a contribution, and then send the campaign to someone who would want to see this film in the world.

***rStories ***rFilm

12/10/2025

The December Newsletter Drops

The end of the year often invites a retrospective glance, but we love centenaries, arbitrary and meaningless as they are, and our year in review will be 1925. Our blog explains why the premier historian of the Harlem Renaissance dubbed 1925 as Year One. Since Dr. Philipson, writer of First Person, wasn’t even close to being alive back then, he stretches a thematic point (pay attention to the final paragraph) to explain why he specialized in Swahili Literature. Hakuna matata!

Our Ally of the Month is Jeffrey C. Stewart, whose magisterial biography of Alain Locke won both the National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize. But surely we haven’t forgotten about Bessie Smith, especially with two days of the campaign left. Never fear! For our Shoga Treat, we bring back the well-known blueswoman, Gaye Adegbalola, to sing one of Bessie’s racier numbers, “I Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl.” And our Notable Date is the much-anticipated end of the crowdfunding campaign. We may have mentioned it over the past 50 days.

12/09/2025

This is not our first tango with Bessie Smith. She was one of the featured "Q***r Blues Divas of the 1920s" (along with Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, Alberta Hunter, and Gladys Bentley) in our widely acclaimed documentary, "T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness."

Enjoy this excerpt with cultural commentary by Brian Kaizer and narration by Jewelle Gomez. If you want to find out more about the documentary, go to our webpage to find where you can buy, rent, or even purchase a DVD!

Want more of Bessie? We're trying our hardest to get fully funded in our "Bessie Shows Her Ass" crowdfunding campaign WHICH ENDS THIS FRIDAY! Follow the link to the campaign on Seed and Spark and PLEDGE!

12/08/2025

We got the greenlight.

Because of you, "Bessie Shows Her Ass" *will* move into production. Every dollar you contributed, every share, every comment, every late-night text to a friend about this campaign helped push us over the line.

Thank you to everyone who donated, boosted, and believed in this film before a single frame was shot. You did not just back a project—you invested in a vision of Black q***r history that refuses to be quiet, sanitized, or forgotten.

But it's not over. We're still $9,200 short of being fully funded. Yes, we'll get the pledges that we worked so hard to take in, but there's a reason we chose to go for $50,000. That covers our bottom line production costs, and we don't want to starve our stripling child. We have four days left to gather as much of the full funding as we can, so we carry on. Those who pledge from here on in know that their money is going into a real project.

As we move into production, we will carry your support with us on every set, every rehearsal, every day we fight to honor Bessie Smith with the depth and power she deserves.

Stay tuned for updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and new ways to stay connected as "Bessie Shows Her Ass" comes to life.

***rHistory ***rCinema

12/07/2025

Musician Khalil Sullivan crafted and performed his unique version of Bessie’s debut single, the iconic Downhearted Blues, for Columbia Records. The record sold 780,000 sides in its first six months and helped kick off the blues craze that dominated much of music sold to African-Americans during the 1920s. As we approach the final stretch of our crowdfunding campaign, take a moment to enjoy this soulful Sunday offering. With just five days left, your support can bring the story of this remarkable singer to life. We're grateful for Khalil's contributions to Shoga Films and wish him deserved success in his music career.

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Oakland, CA
94619

Website

https://linktr.ee/shogafilmsorg

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