Episode 33 – LaTajh Simmons-Weaver // Film Director & Writer

“Sometimes I get suggestions for who should come on the BEDROOM™ Podcast, and LaTajh was someone multiple film homies kept requesting. We started following each other on the gram, and at one point I slid through with my classic inquiry. LaTajh was down, and I didn’t know what to expect, though their Instagram bio says “better offline, promise.” Well, the promise was delivered. LaTajh has such a warm presence, and I felt super comfortable around them. The first thing they said to me as they walked up my studio steps was “do you do hugs?” (I definitely do), and from there it was just a highly enjoyable time sharing this space, this episode, this conversation together. I’m a fan of their films, and I can’t wait to see their next move. I also love that they shouted out Monta Ellis - real ones know. There’s no doubt in my mind that LaTajh and their films will stun the world, so it was an honor to spend time with them in my studio and talk shop. LaTajh is rad and I think y’all will dig this joynt.

In this episode of BEDROOM™, LaTajh and I talk about memes, Q&A’s at film events, their upbringing in Oakland, and the moment their uncle gifted them a camera and they fell in love with it. We reminisce about school critiques and how negative comments, even when justified, can fuel the fire to go harder in the creative paint. LaTajh shares the moment they were named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film and what comes with that accolade. We also talk about how they’re an SF Film Resident and how they won the Rainin Grant, the largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the US.

From there we dive into LaTajh’s short films and the themes they consistently explore: the rapid changes that come with gentrification, the question of what “home” really means, and the lingering curiosity of how Oakland might have evolved without displacement. What could Oakland have become?

LaTajh then speaks on their current feature film project, No One Turned Away for Lack of Funds: A Queer Inclusive Memoir, which takes on the topic of the Oakland queer scene and how its radical politics can sometimes feed into cancel culture.

We shift into a conversation about Companion, their short film that serves as an ode to the unspoken romance between cats and their humans, and we segue into what short films can do for a filmmaker’s career and how they can serve as stepping stones. From Companion, we move to Hold Me Close, a short film LaTajh co-directed with Aurora Brachman. The film premiered at Sundance and chronicles the power and complexity of the relationship between two queer Black womxn who experience the cycles of life’s joys and pains together in the home they share.

We also tap into a few listener-submitted questions, one from Caitlyn Durkin, Film Producer, and another from Reina Lam, Film Producer.

Finally, we wrap things up with a round of BEDROOM BANTER™, where I rapid-fire some classic BEDROOM™ questions and LaTajh gives the fans what they want. Big shoutout to LaTajh Simmons-Weaver for coming on the pod. Welcome to the BEDROOM™, y’all. WORLDWIDE PEACE.” – PSG
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LaTajh's Socials & Websites
LaTajh's Instagram: @latajh
LaTajh's Website:

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