A Radical Gospel: Carl Bean’s Life and Anthem Take Center Stage at Tribeca

 

Tribeca 2025: A Trailblazer’s Legacy Illuminated in “I WAS BORN THIS WAY”

The life and enduring legacy of Archbishop Carl Bean, a pioneering voice in the LGBTQ+ and civil rights movements, will be spotlighted at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival with the world premiere of I WAS BORN THIS WAY, a feature-length documentary debuting June 5 in the festival’s Documentary Spotlight section.

Directed by Oscar and Emmy winners Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard, and produced by Wellington Love and Jed Alan, the film chronicles Bean’s journey from a turbulent childhood in Baltimore to his rise as a disco music icon and later, a spiritual leader and activist whose influence reverberates to this day.

Executive produced by Questlove, Billy Porter, and Jamie Lee Curtis, the film brings together intimate archival footage, animation, and interviews with Lady Gaga, Dionne Warwick, Rep. Maxine Waters, and others to build a portrait of a man whose radical message of inclusion challenged—and changed—the world around him.

Archbishop Bean, a gospel singer-turned-Motown artist, achieved mainstream recognition in 1977 with the Billboard top 10 hit “I Was Born This Way,” now regarded as the first openly gay anthem in pop music history. But rather than continue down the commercial music path, Bean chose a life of service. He founded the Minority AIDS Project, one of the first organizations of its kind focused on Black and Brown communities during the height of the AIDS epidemic. He also established Unity Fellowship Church, the nation’s first ministry dedicated to the spiritual needs of LGBTQ+ people of color.

“In a time when LGBTQ and BIPOC people are being systematically erased from our collective American history,” said producer Wellington Love, “a film like I WAS BORN THIS WAY is not only a means of honoring a selfless humanitarian like Archbishop Carl Bean—it is also an act of resistance.”

Six years in the making, the film also traces the cultural afterlife of Bean’s signature song, which decades later inspired Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” a global anthem of LGBTQ+ pride and acceptance.

The film’s premiere comes during Pride Month and will be followed by screenings at several high-profile festivals, including DC/DOX in Washington, Frameline in San Francisco, and Sheffield DocFest in the U.K.

CAA is handling sales for the project.

Screenings at Tribeca are scheduled as follows:

• June 5, 5:30 p.m. ET – Village East (World Premiere)

• June 6, 11:45 a.m. ET – Village East (Press & Industry)

• June 6, 8:15 p.m. ET – AMC 19th St. East 6

• June 14, 11:00 a.m. ET – Village East (Encore)

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Daniel Junge, a two-time Academy Award nominee and winner for Saving Face, has built a reputation for incisive, socially driven films. His credits include Being Evel, Fight Church, and the Emmy-nominated Challenger: The Final Flight on Netflix.

Sam Pollard, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director, is known for his collaborations with Spike Lee and acclaimed documentaries such as MLK/FBI, Citizen Ashe, and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power. His recent work includes South to Black Power, inspired by Charles Blow’s The Devil You Know.

Wellington Love, a veteran producer, is president of w/Love Productions. His recent credits include Beyond the Aggressives and Lee Daniels’ The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Love’s body of work reflects a deep commitment to telling stories at the intersection of race, identity, and justice.

Jed Alan, co-founder of production houses Goodform and Rare Breeds, brings more than a decade of cinematography experience to the project. He has collaborated with filmmakers including Peter Berg and Matt Tyrnauer.

I WAS BORN THIS WAY runs 100 minutes and is presented in English.