A documentary film by Dante Alencastre / Executive Producer Roland Palencia

November 20 2013

TRANSVISIBLE: Bamby Salcedo's Story is featured in the

Cal State University Northridge student paper, the DAILY SUNDIAL:

‘Transvisible’ documents love, acceptance within the life of a transgender activist

By Roy Azoulay

November 20th, 2013

In celebration of Trans Awareness week, the Chicano/a Studies Department, MeChA, F Word and CSUN’s Gender and Women Studies department hosted a film screening on Wednesday afternoon where they showed “Transvisible: the Bamby Salcedo story.”

In the presence of Salcedo and the filmmakers themselves, students watched the documentary that delved into the life of Salcedo. The film depicted her struggle growing up as a transgender Latina, and her work today as an activist for the transgender community as a whole which was further discussed during a question and answer session following the screening.

Salcedo was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico and her youth consisted of drug addiction and jail sentences before she decided to move to California. Still, the film depicted that even in the U.S. it was hard for her to escape her troubled past that caught up with her.

After admitting herself into a treatment center, Salcedo found her voice as an activist for the transgender community, and more specifically, the Latino transgender community.

“The first step is for us to be open and not afraid, we are just like you. We’re human, flesh, and blood,” Salcedo said.

Salcedo has committed countless hours to the cause of LGBTQ rights, whether it be speaking at rallies, or coordinating her Angels of Change fashion show and calendar for transgender youth.

“I realized in my first interview with a transgender woman in Peru that we have more things in common than we do differences and we should emphasize the commonalities and similarities rather than emphasize our differences,” said Dante Alencastre, the film’s director and LGBTQ activist. “We’re all different, but believe me, we have a lot more in common than you can imagine.”

Alencastre decided he was going to make a documentary on Salcedo not only because she was a recognizable figure in the Los Angeles transgender community, but also because she presented herself to him as an open and transparent person with nothing to hide.

“She was totally open, there was no question I couldn’t ask, no letter I couldn’t read, no photograph I couldn’t take and show, there was no stone left unturned,” Alencastre said. “It’s rare as a documentary filmmaker that people turn themselves over to you so I was spoiled.”

Salcedo, according to Alencastre, literally hugs every person she meets, which is a quality that he said was a big factor in wanting to document her and something that he never forgot when he first met her.

“The most overwhelming feeling I had was the love she inspires and gets from people. The whole film for me is a love story about her, her family, her friends, her community and all the children, all the angles she touches. They come from broken homes, abuse, family rejection and the first person they meet is her,” Alencastre said.

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TRANSVISIBLE: Bamby Salcedo's Story is featured in The Advocate's

"18 Favorite Films at Outfest 2013 ! "

FULL ARTICLE LINK:

http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/film/2013/07/11/advocates-17-favorite-films-outfest-2013?page=full

The Advocate's 18 Favorite Films at Outfest 2013

This year's Outfest features more than 150 films. The Advocate has chosen 18 of our favorites.

BY DANIEL REYNOLDS SUNNIVIE BRYDUM AND DIANE ANDERSON-MINSHALL

JULY 11 2013 4:00 AM ET

TransVisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story

Sunday, July 14, 6:30 p.m. at REDCAT Theater

"Outfest marks the world premiere Dante Alencastre’s documentary about the life of renowned Los Angeles-based trans Latina activist and leader, Bamby Salcedo, following her personal challenges to a transformative rise to prominence in the local trans community. Salcedo’s personal story shares the narrative of many trans immigrant women of color — who find themselves trapped by drugs, prison, sex work, and more —but more interesting is how she’s moved through loss and become a resilient advocate for social justice in multiple, overlapping communities her life has touched, including HIV-positive people, Latina, youth, and LGBT communities.

Salcedo is currently at the helm of the nation’s largest transgender youth program at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. TransVisible follows Salcedo’s creation of the life-saving Angels of Change program for trans youth, and her feminist advocacy for the Translatina Coalition. And though we still see the effects of the haunting loss of former partners to drugs or discrimination when Salcedo speaks, it’s clear that she’s a woman who has come into her own in mid-life, rising to greater heights than many in the same stead, and who seems both lovable and unstoppable. That makes TransVisible a rarity in a media that still portrays trans women as freaks."

The Advocate / July 2013

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TRANSVISIBLE: Bamby Salcedo's Story is featured in

an article in the LOS ANGELES TIMES !

FULL ARTICLE LINK:

http://www.latimes.com/brandpublishing/livingplus/lgbt/la-mkt-lgbt-outfest-lafilms-dto,0,4380959.story

L.A. Latino. LGBT.

Curiosity and admiration sparked two filmmakers' quests to document noteworthy locals

July 18, 2013

Among Outfest 2013’s diverse slate of films is “Rad Queers: Payasos L.A.” and “Transvisible: The Bamby Salcedo Story.” They are two documentaries that turn the lens on Angelenos who are devoting time and effort to making this town – and the world – a better place for LGBT Latinos.

...

Also exploring identity is director Dante Alencastre’s “Transvisible.” The hour-long doc, which screened at Outfest on Sunday evening (information on future screenings at www.transvisiblefilm.com), tells the story of Bamby Salcedo, an HIV-, transgender- and immigrants’ rights activist who is a transplant from Guadalajara, Mexico.

Alencastre, who grew up in Peru, says he knew he wanted to make a film about Salcedo because of her standing in the community and because her story could inspire self-worth and introduce a positive role model to a group that needs one.

“Besides being very family-oriented, many [Latinos] are also very faith-based,” Alencastre says. “If you’re young and coming out as trans, you might wind up rejected and out in the streets.”

Alencastre hopes Salcedo’s life proves to viewers – especially young trans people – that they can overcome anything that’s thrown their way.

“I hope they look at this woman who’s so visible and see the obstacles in her life and say, 'I can do it too,’" he says.

–Alex Weber, Brand Publishing Writer LOS ANGELES TIMES

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TRANSVISIBLE: Bamby Salcedo's Story is featured in

an article in Adelante Magazine !

FULL ARTICLE LINK:

http://adelantemagazine.com/2013/06/transvisible-bamby-salcedo’s-story/

Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story

posted on 30 June 2013 by Adelante

Outfest will be screening the world premiere of “TransVisible: Bamby Salcedo’s Story,” a documentary film on the life of renowned Los Angeles-based Trans Latina Activist and leader, Bamby Salcedo. Turning personal challenges and barriers into the very basis of her activism, Bamby gives voice and visibility to the multiple, overlapping communities her life has touched. She has become an effective advocate and role model not only for the Transgender community but also the Latina, immigrant, HIV+, youth, and LGBT communities.

Her gripping and intimate first-person storytelling, supported by those of family, friends and colleagues, leads us through the challenges of her early life towards her unlikely and transcendent rise to being the powerful activist that she is today.

Passing through addiction, prison, prejudice, and loss, her resilient and generous spirit carries her from merely surviving these challenges to becoming a thriving and beloved advocate.

From her post at the helm of the nations largest transgender youth program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the story of her wide-ranging and multi-focused activism takes us in several directions. We see her creation of the life-changing Angels of Change program for trans youth. We follow her empowering grassroots advocacy with her nation-wide Translatina Coalition and we hear her testimony supporting LGBT imigration reform at the California State legislature and beyond.

Her unassuming warmth and and down-to-earth personal style is a constant throughout and coexists with the seriousness of her determined committment as an activist. What emerges in the film is a portrait of someone who so fully and completely participates in her life that it is infectious and inspirational. Someone for whom people happily say, ‘I know Bamby’. That she is fortunate and grateful to be alive is expressed in her life, in her work, and in her signature dance moves that are always ready to spontaneously and joyfully erupt.

As a film about a transgender subject, Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo’s Story is unusual for its in-depth focus on the personal and professional life of a transgender person, activist and leader. The film reflects her life as a unique, integral and fully dimensional human being. It includes the issue of gender transitioning only in the context of a life with a variety of her other particular concerns, issues and accomplishments.

The film is also unusual in that it portrays an exceptional trans activist in mid-career, in action, in her full power, poised to raise to even greater heights in the years ahead. The visibility of her story at this point in her life will not only widen the circle of awareness and support for her current work, but will speed the delivery of her hopeful, possibly life-saving example to the many unknown others, in the midst of their own life and death struggles right now.

Dante Alencastre is a Peruvian-born, Los Angeles-based documentary filmaker and activist. His previous award-winning film, En El Fuego ( In The Fire ) ( 2007) documented the plight of transgender Peruvians. Five years later, he produced El Fuego Dentro ( The Fire Inside ) ( 2012) which follows up with the personal and political transformation of this group of extraordinary grassroots transgender activists.

Executive Producer Roland Palencia is a recognized LGBT Latino activist and leader, based in Los Angeles, with decades of service to the community. He is the co-founder of Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos, Viva!, an LGBT Latino arts organization, the former Vice President and Chief of Operations at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and former Executive Director at Equality California and Clinica Msrg. Oscar A. Romero.

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TRANSVISIBLE:Bamby Salcedo's Story

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

For More Information

Dante Alencastre / Independent Filmmaker

TransVisible Films

Los Angeles CA

(310) 661-0388

droa70@msn.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DOCUMENTARY FILM ON RENOWNED TRANSGENDER ACTIVIST BAMBY SALCEDO

WILL HAVE ITS WORLD PREMIERE AT OUTFEST, LOS ANGELES ON JULY 14, 2013.

Los Angeles, CA, USA - 13 June 2013 -

Coming this July 14 at Outfest, Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival is the world premiere of TransVisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story, a documentary film by Dante Alencastre, on the life of renowned Los Angeles-based Trans Latina Activist and leader, Bamby Salcedo. Turning her daunting personal challenges and barriers into the very basis of her activism, the film follows her unlikely and transcendent rise into becoming the effective social advocate and role model that she is today. Her work is shown giving voice and visibilty to not only the Transgender community, but also to the multiple, overlapping communities her life has touched (Latina, immigrant, HIV+, youth, and LGBT communities).

Ms Salcedo's gripping and intimate first-person storytelling, supported by those of family and colleagues, leads us through the struggles of her early life in Mexico. Passing through addiction, prison, prejudice, and loss, her resilient and generous spirit carries her from merely surviving these issues herself to becoming a thriving and beloved voice for social change. From her current post at the helm of the nations largest transgender youth program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the story of her wide-ranging and multi-focused activism takes us in several directions. We see her creation of the life-changing Angels of Change program for trans youth. We follow her empowering grassroots advocacy with her nation-wide Translatina Coalition and we hear her testimony supporting LGBT imigration reform at the California State legislature and beyond.

Her unassuming warmth and and down-to-earth personal style is a constant throughout and coexists with the seriousness of her determined committment as an activist. What emerges in the film is a portrait of someone who so fully and completely participates in her life that it is infectious and inspirational. Someone for whom people happily say, 'I know Bamby'. That she is fortunate and grateful to be alive is expressed in her life, in her work, and in her signature dance moves that are always ready to spontaneously and joyfully erupt.

As a film about a transgender subject, Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story is unusual for its in-depth focus and scope, documenting the full personal and professional life of a transgender person, activist and leader. The film reflects her life as a unique, integral and fully dimensional human being. It includes the issue of gender transitioning only in the context of a life with a variety of her other particular concerns, issues and accomplishments.

The film is also unusual in that it portrays an exceptional trans activist in mid-career, in action, in her full power, poised to rise to even greater heights in the years ahead. The visibility of her story at this point in her life will not only widen the circle of awareness and support for her current work, but will speed the delivery of her hopeful, possibly life-saving example to many unknown others, in the midst of their own life and death struggles right now.

Ultimately, the film speaks to us all, of the extraordinary ability of the human spirit to turn our unique challenges into our strengths and how powerfully love can evolve through self, family and community.

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TransVisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story will premiere at Outfest Los Angeles at the REDCAT Theater on July 14, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. After the film, a Q and A Panel with the director and Ms. Salcedo and a Lobby Reception will follow.

Dante Alencastre is a Peruvian-born, Los Angeles-based documentary filmaker and activist. His previous award-winning film,

En El Fuego ( In The Fire ) ( 2007) documented the plight of transgender Peruvians. Five years later, he produced

El Fuego Dentro ( The Fire Inside ) ( 2012) which follows up with the personal and political transformation of this group of extraordinary

grassroots transgender activists.

Roland Palencia, Executive Producer, is a recognized LGBT Latino activist and leader, based in Los Angeles, with decades of

service to the community.

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QUOTES about Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story

"Bamby has once again shown great courage in illuminating what it means to live at the intersections of oppression by sharing her life story and her journey to becoming the fierce and inspiring activist she is! Her story has the power to complicate the dominant dialogue in social justice spaces on "boys and men of color", and on immigrant rights, as a person who the world once saw as a gang-involved young Latino man from Mexico. Its just factual that some "boys of color" grow up to be trans women of color. All of us committed to social justice work need to do a much better job at acknowledging these women's herstories, naming the disproportionate and layered levels of oppression they face, and lifting up their leadership in our movements.

By sharing her story through this powerful film, Bamby has created a tool to hold all social justice warriors accountable for true inclusivity and allyship. Everyone who dreams about collective liberation should watch this film.

Amita Swadhin, Los Angeles Executive Director, Peer Health Exchange

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"Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story is an inspiring, compelling, poignant journey of a woman who, against all odds, continues to achieve goals, motivate her community and propels us all to aspire to be significant in the lives of others. Dante Alencastre's filmmaking is flawless artistry."

Angel Agustin Gorbea,

Founder and Executive Director at Arco Iris Project