Bumming Cigarettes is a short film about a brief and intimate meeting between a young Black lesbian woman who is in the process of taking an HIV test and a middle aged Black Gay HIV Positive man. Coming off of the devastation of a bad breakup with a girlfriend, Vee musters up the courage to go and take an HIV test to put her worst fears to rest. What she experiences during her trip to a local clinic is much more than she expects while sharing a cigarette with a stranger, Jimmy, during the 10 minutes that she awaits her test results.

Alia Hatch makes a strong debut in this short film, as a young Black lesbian woman looking to discover her status. This is a breakthrough performance for James Tolbert, a native Philadelphian and professional actor living with HIV for 21 years. Alia and James deliver a moving performance in this film that explores complex issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic including the loss of intimacy and stigma that persons living with HIV/AIDS may encounter, while also encouraging awareness around HIV/AIDS testing and the way we treat persons living with the disease.

Starring Alia Hatch, James Tolbert, Gerloni Cotton, Vincent Du, Zerandrian Morris, Kaamilah Milton, Gary Kramer, Peaches Jones, Katrina Clark, Johnny Rans

CREW
Executive Producer/Director/Writer tiona.m.
Cinematographer Sienna Pinderhughes
Sound Recordist Richard Hamilton
Original Music & Film Score Rucyl Mills
Line Producer Gala P. Goodwin

Film Festival Screenings

2012 Philadelphia QFest Philadelphia, PA

2012 BlackStar Film Festival Philadelphia, PA

2012 Corona Cork Film Festival Cork, Ireland

2013 Langston Hughes African American Film Festival

2013 Sistah Sinema Screening Tour Atlanta, Greensboro, Portland, Cleveland, Chicago,

2013 frameline San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival

2013 Long Island Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

2013 Fresno Reel Pride Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

2013 GFest Gaywise Fesitival London

2013 Queer Film Festival MEZIPATRA Prague & Brno, Czech Republic

Howstuffworks “how electronic cigarettes work”

Is it possible to sell a premium cigarette brand in this packaging? – business insider

You’re at your favorite restaurant, enjoying a meal. A diner at the next table is puffing on a cigarette, letting out a cloud of smoke. Because smoking isn’t allowed in the restaurant, you’re thinking about asking the smoker to put the cigarette out. But before you protest, consider this Your neighbor may not be smoking at all.

Electronic cigarettes, also known as smokeless cigarettes, e cigarettes, or e cigs, are an alternative method of consuming nicotine, the addictive chemical found in tobacco. Manufacturers often design e cigarettes to look like regular cigarettes, but they contain no tobacco and don’t require a match or any flame at all.

An e cigarette is a battery powered device that converts liquid nicotine into a mist, or vapor, that the user inhales. There’s no fire, no ash and no smoky smell. E cigarettes do not contain all of the harmful chemicals associated with smoking tobacco cigarettes, such as carbon dioxide and tar.

Manufacturers and satisfied customers say the e cigarette is a healthier alternative to tobacco cigarettes, which cause millions of deaths every year. Some users say e cigs have helped reduce their “smoker’s cough,” sharpened their senses of taste and smell, and even improved their sleep.

The electronic cigarette was invented by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, who patented the device in 2003 and introduced it to the Chinese market the following year. Numerous companies are now selling e cigarettes to customers around the world. But as e cigarette smoking or “vaping” as it’s sometimes called has grown in popularity, some have concerns about its safety, including the possibility that the vapor created by the devices contains dangerous chemicals.

Is the electronic cigarette a cleaner, healthier choice for smokers? Or is it a dangerous device with hidden risks? Both viewpoints have their merits, but on the next page we’ll start with the basics how the product works, and why it’s popular.