Kokomo City, the directorial debut from D. Smith that follows the stories of four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York, is now playing in theaters.
Raw, provocative, and humorous, this wildly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered portrait stars Daniella Carter, Liyah Mitchell, Dominique Silver, and the late Koko Da Doll, who unapologetically hold nothing back while breaking down the walls of their profession. Full of energy, sex, challenge, and hard-earned wisdom, Kokomo City won both the NEXT Innovator Award and NEXT Audience Award when it made its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Audience Award in the Panorama Documentary section at the prestigious Berlinale.
Before embarking on her filmmaking journey, Smith made waves in the music industry as a two-time Grammy-nominated producer, singer, and songwriter. She also made history as the first trans woman to be cast on a primetime unscripted TV show, appearing on both the Atlanta and Hollywood versions of the hit reality series Love & Hip Hop.
Instinct had the pleasure of sitting down with Smith, where she talked more about the film and her vision, how she found Kokomo City‘s four leading subjects, the challenges she endured along this journey, and her tribute to Koko Da Doll.
Check out the full video interview below.
D. Smith…
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