New York City is a huge city full of stories. Giving Me Life (In The Land of the Deadass) follows six black and Latinx friends of diverse sexualities as they navigate love and life in the concrete jungle. Each episode focuses on one particular friend in what looks to be a true character study series.

“Growing up in New York City, I always had a diverse, crazy group of friends and family,” said series creator/writer/producer/director Dafina Roberts. “It never even occurred to me that the rest of the world didn’t embrace every shade of skin or sexuality until I went upstate for college. That was my first real experience feeling like a ‘minority’, and it created a burning desire in me to normalize marginalized identities and tell our stories. With the current political and social climate, this show feels even more essential. I truly believe friendship and love can help us survive this harsh world that can be full of hatred, pain and divisiveness.”

The series stars Lori Laing, Natalie Jacobs (Tough Love), Mark St. Cyr, Sly Maldonado, Nathaly Lopez and Jarvis Tomdio and is executive produced by Dafina Roberts of So NYC Productions and produced by Sophia Clark of Sophia Estelle Productions.

Giving Me Life (In The Land of the Deadass) premieres at the New York Television Festival at the end of October.