Pan African Film Festival Accepts iWoman Original, "Who is Sheila S?"
"Who is Sheila S?” has become an official selection of the 29th Annual Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) which will take place from February 28th through March 14th, 2021. This event will be entirely virtual. PAFF is the largest Black film festival in the United States and the largest Black History Month cultural event in the nation.
Of nearly 1000 films submitted, from hundreds of countries, the iWoman Original was selected to be showcased as a film that assists in depicting an expanded view of the Black experience.
“Who is Sheila S?” is the true-life story of Emmy Award-winning journalist, Cathleen Trigg-Jones. This film follows her emotional journey to meet her birth family and explores the human right and desire to know one’s origin.
iWoman Founder, Cathleen Trigg-Jones directs and produces the story of her life into a forceful and honest documentary which challenges contemporary notions of closed adoption. Cathleen’s story follows a court ruling by the state of Ohio which nullified the laws precluding the children of closed adoptions from finding their biological relatives.
Since the ban has since been lifted, thousands of adoptees have obtained their original birth records, opening a door which they thought would remain locked forever. However, for Cathleen, it only fueled a fire that had long been lit.
In this documentary, Cathleen turns the cameras on herself, and bears it all in this emotional story. On a three-state trek, Cathleen retraces the steps of her infancy in efforts to find her true start, her biological parents, and healing.
