Naked Acts

Bridgett M. Davis’s comedy about an aspiring young Black actress who lands her first major role, but there’s a big problem: it requires a nude scene.

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), she attempts to get past her fear.

Celebrated as a key film in the canon of African-American independent cinema in the 1990s, Bridgett M. Davis’s first and only feature is a fresh, sensitive exploration of a Black woman attempting to reclaim her sexuality and her past.