Milestone Films, Kino Lorber and Julie Dash present a new 4K restoration of Naked Acts, the landmark 1996 independent film by Bridgett M. Davis.
Milestone and Kino Lorber will release Naked Acts on Blu-ray and DVD February 18, 2025. The SRP for the Blu-ray is $29.95 and the SRP for the DVD is $19.95.
Celebrated as a key film in the canon of independent cinema by African Americans in the 1990s, Bridgett M. Davis’s Naked Acts was included in the seminal anthology “The 50 Most Influential https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-black-movies-21st-century/” by S. Torriano Berry.
Beautiful aspiring actor Cicely (Jake-ann Jones) has just landed her first major role, but there’s a big problem: it requires a nude scene. Her mother was a Blaxploitation star known for her sex appeal, while Cicely is a survivor of sexual assault with life-long body image issues, all of which has left her with a strong aversion to disrobing in public. Now, with the support of her boyfriend Joel (Ron Cephas Jones, star of This Is Us), she attempts to get past her fear.
“The film deftly touches on body image, how Black women are portrayed in media, generational trauma, childhood sexual abuse, and mommy issues.”— Kaitlyn Greenidge, Harper’s Bazaar
Bonus features include an archival audio commentary by director Bridgett M. Davis and star Jake-ann Jones (2000); “Creative Detours” and “Last Wish”, two short films from 1992 by Bridgett M. Davis; Film Scholar Maya Cade Interviews Bridgett M. Davis; Naked Acts at BAM Premiere (2024), and the trailer. Also included on the Blu-ray edition is archival 1990s interview footage with Bridgett M. Davis.
The Blu-ray and DVD release of Naked Acts comes just ahead of the publication of Bridgett M. Davis’s new book Love, Rita, which Kirkus Reviews calls “A powerful tribute to sisterhood and the complex fragility of Black lives.”
Digitally Restored and Remastered in 4K by Lightbox Film Center. In Collaboration with Milestone Film From the 16mm A/B Rolls Preserved at the Indiana University Black Film Center & Archive. With Support from Ron and Suzanne Naples. Restoration and Release with Creative Consultation by Maya S. Cade. Cover art design by Lauren Caddick.
