ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE FOR STROBE

ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
STROBE Music Film Festival
• 8.10pm, FRI AUGUST 30th, 2024 Sold-Out
GOLDEN AGE CINEMA & BAR, Surry Hills
Presented by Groovescooter

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Watch the trailer below

★★★★★ [Rotten Tomatoes]

2024 Out In the Silence Award [Frameline LGBTQ+ Film Festival]

2024 DGC Special Jury Prize [Hot Docs Canada]

“…A compelling investigation of an elusive life, as well as a talent so striking you’ll be amazed it remained forgotten for so long.” [Variety]

“An enchanting celebration of an artist whose praises are still sung to this day, Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story is a superb examination of what it means to truly live in one’s own skin.“ [Cinema Axis]

“…An eye-opening, jaw-dropping, foot-stomping wave of jubilation that will ring forever more.” [Film Threat]

“…An example of what bigotry and forces queer people must overcome to reach their dreams.” [Black Girl Nerds]

“If I had known what Jackie does, I would have gone on first.” [Etta James after Jacki Shane supported her]

The true story of a pioneering Black Trans performer, who on the edge of stardom, suddenly disappeared.

On first hearing Jackie Shane‘s stirring soul voice – perhaps singing lyrics like “tell her that I’m happy / tell her that I’m gay / tell her that I wouldn’t have it any other way“ – you may well ask yourself why you haven’t heard of this remarkable soul/r’n’b artist until now. As this creatively rendered documentary shows, that’s partly because she was Trans, partly because she was Black and partly because, after teetering on the edge of stardom in 1960s, Jackie Shane suddenly disappeared from the spotlight.

A true trailblazer originally from Jim Crow-era Tennessee (where she befriended Nashville-settler and fellow Queer icon Little Richard), Jackie Shane sought to escape racism and small-mindedness finding a new home and an adoring audience and community in Canada, after Joe Tex told her: “Jackie, you’re beautiful, exciting… talented… you’ll never become who you could become here. Get out of Nashville, Tennessee.” With an unmistakable gift of the gab, shimmering stage presence and a gut-wrenching voice, her live performances became legendary and were captured on the 1967 LP Jackie Shane Live! and more recently on a Numero label collection. While she supported greats like Etta James, she refused Ed Sullivan‘s invitation to perform on his career-breaking show because they refused to let her wear make-up and also turned down America Bandstand because they wouldn’t allow Black children in the audience. Later she turned down an offer to be a part of George Clinton‘s Funkadelic and later still became a recluse for many years. Just as a new generation of soul lovers discovered her talents and she was poised to relaunch her singing career, she tragically passed away.

Via recorded telephone conversations, Jackie Shane vividly recounts her journey and struggles in this new documentary, alongside archival materials and an evocative use of animation. Trans women artists such as Sandra Caldwell, friends and family, including niece, Andrenee Majors-Douglas (who didn’t know about her aunt until she inherited Shane’s belongings and has now lovingly archived them) help complete a portrait of a life lived authentically and without compromise.