30th Annual Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves Program Book

A Legacy of Sisterhood & Excellence

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE

6President’s Message

t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s

8Executive Director and Short Film Showcase

Director’s Message

9Short Film Showcase Innovator’s Message

10Words From A Past Sistas Alumni

11Festival Programs: Panels and Short Film Showcase

PROOF 4 PROOF 4

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE

14Speaker: Numa Perrier

16Opening Night Host: Wendy Raquel Robinson

17Special Guest: Debbie Allen

18Honored Guest: Neema Barnette

20Festival Presenter: Dianne Houston

28

22Panelist & Moderators

2023 Sistas Film Program Schedule

46BHERC Team

47Acknowledgements

Sanda Evers-Manly

President, BHERC

It is a pleasure and honor to welcome you to Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center’s (BHERC) 30th Annual “Sistas Are Doin’ It For Themselves” Film Festival & Showcase. For 30 years, the BHERC has had the privilege, to be a small microcosm in the careers of great emerging talent. This year’s class of 43 filmmakers, have created pieces that highlight conversations around relationships, race, mortality, love, and much, much more. More than anything, these artists have put on full-display the power and importance of memory.

From the Jelimuso, who healed homes and nations with their words of history. To the imagination dripping from the lips of our grandmothers as we sat on their laps listening intently. Then, all the way down to the conversations we just had last week at the hairdresser; Black women and our capacity for storytelling, has been imperative to the world and our culture since the beginning of time. When we tell our stories, and the stories of our people, we are shifting the narrative from a planet that has worked, tirelessly, to silence our humanity. This year’s Black Women directors and their team of writers, producers, actors, and crew members have added great value to our cultural narrative, with the power of their storytelling and filmmaking.

BHERC Sistas Class of 2023, please be sure to never forget your artistic duty, to make society remember. We all know, far too well, that without knowledge history is bound to repeat itself. Keep striving forward in your craft and know that just like a talented surgeon, you hold the power, grace, knowledge, and skill that it takes to stitch together homes, communities, and nations. Simply by telling your story. Yes, over the past

few decades, we have seen an increase of Black filmmakers and opportunities that have opened up for them, however, great improvement is still needed. We must not forget that the struggle for recognition continues.

We extend our congratulations, to our past participants who have gone on to make tremendous strides in this industry, as well as, other fields. Your contributions, regardless of the scale, are pushing the boundaries and limits of what being a powerful Sista means.

This weekend, as we enjoy the showcase and its events, do not forget that we can NEVER forget. You are the much-needed Griots in a world intent on forgetting. I extend my deepest appreciation to this year’s participants and guests. Twenty-one (21) films will be screened over the course of the weekend.

To the BHERC team, our families, guests, sponsors, and amazing program participants… thank you for believing in us. Over these 30 years, there have been two Brothas who have worked tirelessly for this showcase, Ralph Scott and John Forbes. We love and appreciate you both for going that extra mile. Lastly, we honor those we have lost along the way and dedicate this program to them. We remember you and your story lives on, through us.

Now, kick your shoes off, get comfortable, and lean in. As Black women, our resistance lies in our ability to disengage from the outside noise and engage with our internal selves. So, as you watch your fellow Sista’s work onscreen, know that you are tapping into the innermost parts of everything that is, you. Because these Sista’s did it for themselves, by extension, they have also done it for you.

Welcome to the BHERC Family and the Sisterhood that carries our story forward!!!!

Love, Peace and Blessings,

m e s s a g e s

messages from the brothas holding it down for sistas!

John Forbes

Executive Director and Short Film Showcase Director, BHERC

It’s has been an honor to serve as the Festival Director for the, Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center film programs, especially “Sistas Are Doin’ It For Themselves”. This year we saw 1,063 submissions, and the diversity of films were impressive. The amount of emerging talent is sure to send waves through the industry, which we hope will originate from this showcase.

I applaud all of the very talented filmmakers on their journey, and the success to get the films completed. I’m beyond excited about this 30th Anniversary weekend and what it will mean for them in establishing a bigger network to further expose their talents. The films, panels, and more, have so much to offer for everyone.

My congratulations to all of the filmmakers, their family, and supporters. Let’s keep making films, telling our stories and changing the narrative.

I’m proud of all of these amazing Sistas!! Thank you for joining us!

–John Forbes

Ralph Scott

Short Film Showcase Innovator, BHERC

Once I decided to be a filmmaker, I realized that the state of the industry was such that, I and my stories, would not be appreciated on a wide scale. So, I focused on broadening the acceptance of filmmakers of color. I joined forces with Ms. Sandra Evers-Manly and programmed independent film festivals, at a time when only a select few people of color held key spots in the industry.

It was around 1993, in Los Angeles, and we had already experienced grand success in our showcases. We had sights on continuing our festival at the then, only Black-owned theater in the country, The Baldwin Hills Theater. It closed before we could start up for another year. We were to hold the festival in February, Sandra and I looked at each other, and in our attempt to figure something out soon or lose our audience, we decided to use a smaller venue and maybe focus on short films.

What to do? I just happened to mention to her that, contrary to men dominating mass market filmmakers, there are a lot of Black Women filmmakers submitting to the festivals. She responded, well you know March is Women’s History Month. I said, this would be phenomenal to have a showcase of Black Women filmmakers because, “these Sistas... are doin’ it for themselves.” 30 years and countless success stories later, we are still going strong.

I want to give a special thank you, to all of our sistas past, present, and yet to be, that have had the artistry and courage to share their images and tell their stories.

We will always love and miss, Deborah Fontenot, Sheralyn Richardson and Tara Sullivan.

–Ralph K. Scott

words from a past sistas alumni Gina Prince-Bythewood

Iwas in film school at UCLA and B.R.O.K.E. trying to finish my thesis film. I reached out to Sandra Evers-Manly who was then head of the Hollywood branch of the NAACP, just cold-called, and asked her for help. She got all of my film processing from Fotokem for free. It was a gamechanger. She was there for me at the very beginning. But I am not an anomaly.

Sandra has long been a warrior for Black filmmakers. BHERC and “Sistas Doin’ It For Themselves” are further proof of that. It is not just encouragement and resources that are necessary to build generations of Black filmmakers. We need platforms to share our stories. I showed my thesis film at “Sistas” and then a year later, showed another short film I shot. That same year, another aspiring filmmaker, Kasi Lemmons, showed her short which was a proof of concept for her brilliant debut feature “Eve’s Bayou.”

We both started here, and its exciting to know that among the filmmakers showing their work this year, there is someone, or two, or five who will break out, too. It is no secret that films that focus on us are the hardest films to get made in Hollywood. But do not let that be a locked door. It just means we need to believe more, to outwork everyone and to fight harder.

Passion fuels all of this. So make sure you are passionate about the work you want to put into the world. Make sure you are telling stories only you can tell. Make sure you respect the craft and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. And make sure you have a cause bigger than yourself. Overcome “no.” You only need one “yes.”

–Gina Prince-Bythewood

May 19, 2023 | 7:30 PM

Opening Night Celebration

Welcome ............................................................................................................................... Numa Perrier, Director/Actress

Host................................................................................................... Wendy Raquel Robinson, Actress/Artistic Director CLASS OF 2023 FILM PREVIEW

Special Presentation Debbie Allen, Director/Actress/Choreographer A GLIMPSE OF 1933 FILM HISTORY

“Verdict Not Guilty” ........................................................................................................... Eloyce King Patrick Gist, Director

Special Tribute to “Sista’s Are Doin’ it For Themselves” Debbie Allen

Special Remarks Neema Barnette, Director/Writer/Producer 1996 ACADEMY NOMINATED FILM

“Tuesday Morning Ride” Dianne Houston, Writer/Director

FEATURED SHORT FILMS

“The Bond” Jahmil Eady

“Color” Carly Rogers

“Cabbage”

Destinee McCaster

“The Erasure” .............................................................................................................................................................. Akeallah Blair

“Clones”

Closing.................................................................................................. Sandra Evers-Manly, President

Leticia Solomon

Saturday, May 20th

Panels and Short Film Showcase

REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

9:00 AM

Opening Remarks

John Forbes, Executive Director

PANELS

“WHERE ARE THEY NOW” FILM & DISCUSSION

“Sule and The Case of the Tiny Sparks” Shawnelle & Shawnee Gibbs, Co-Directors

“BlackBird” Nicole Thompson, Director

Moderator: Sandra Evers-Manly, President, BHERC

“CAREERS IN HOLLYWOOD”

Bobbi Banks First Black Woman Sound Engineer in Hollywood

Carron Br own Corporate Marketing & Brand Experience, Warner Bros.

Paquita Hughes............................................................................................................................................... Location Manager

Geneva Nash Morgan Make-Up Artist

Moderator: Lauri Brown, Sr. VP Global Creative Advertising, Universal Pictures

“DIRECTOR’S ON DIRECTING”

Numa Perrier “The Perfect Find”, “Jezebel”

Dianne Houston

“Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland”, “Empire”

Deborah Pratt “Family Style”, “Cora Unashamed”

Princess Monique Filmz .................................................................................................................... “Black-ish”, “Greenleaf”

Moderator: Camille Tucker, Director/Producer/Writer

––––– BREAK––––––

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE

FILMS

“Light Heart” ........................................................................................................................................................

Assata Jackson

“Oscar Micheaux” Jamie Walker

“The Cypher” ............................................................................................................................................................. Letia Solomon

“Discovering Brooklyn”

“Remedial”

FILMMAKER Q&A

Moderator: Sonya Dunn, Director/Writer/Producer/Radio Host

Aliya Brooks

Laurie Gardiner

Sunday, May 21st Short Film Showcase

REGISTRATION 2:30 PM

FILMS

“Moose Tracks” Ayanna Mcknight

“Just Us”.................................................................................................................................................................. Alycia L. Cooper

“Pas De Deaux” Kaitlyn Kelly

“Three Faces of Isa” Andi Chapman

“Ro & the Stardust” ................................................................................................................................................... Eunice Levis

FILMMAKER Q&A

Moderator: Meme Kelly, Author/Director/Writer

––––– BREAK––––––

FILMS

“Blue Laces” ..................................................................................................................................................................... Britt Banks

“Blood Bank” S. Pearl Sharp

“The Wrong One”............................................................................................................................................. Angela M. Gordon

“The Merge” ................................................................................................................................................ Phyllis Tobin Bancroft

“The Pillow” Sherean Jones

“Heartland” .................................................................................................................................................................... Jahmil Eady

FILMMAKER Q&A

Moderator: Dianne Farrington, Cinematographer

Monday, May 22nd-31st

Virtual Film Festival - 24/7

e s t i v a l

speaker Numa Perrier

Director, Actress

Numa Perrier is an actor, director, writer and visual artist who has emerged as a provocative voice in the film and television landscape.

As a director, Numa’s first studio film, The Perfect Find, starring Gabrielle Union, is set to premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival before its worldwide release on Netflix on June 23rd. Based on the best-selling book by Tia Williams and adapted by Leigh Davenport, Jenna (Gabrielle Union) returns to New York to resurrect her fashion career after a messy public breakup and a high-profile firing. But her comeback gets complicated when she falls for her charming, much younger coworker Eric (Keith Powers) — who just so happens to be her boss’s son.

a k e r

Perrier’s first feature, Jezebel, which she wrote, directed and co-starred, premiered at SXSW and was released on Netflix in 2020 via Ava Duvernay’s ARRAY Releasing. Detailing Perrier’s real-life experiences, the film follows 19-year-old Tiffany (Tiffany Tenille) as she navigates working as an internet cam girl in the ’90s, in order to navigate her dying mother’s financial struggles. Jezebel was a fan and industry favorite nabbing The Hollywood Reporter’s Critic’s Choice List and winning Best Director and Best Feature Film at The American Black Film Festival.

Upcoming projects include: The Erotic, a biopic about famed poet and author Audre Lorde, which Perrier will star in and produce through her company, House of Numa; the thriller series, Toxic, which Perrier created, and will write and direct the pilot for Macro Television Studios; and the film The War and Treaty, which Perrier will direct, about the true story of a soldier who has just returned from a tour in Iraq and falls in love with Tanya, a singer with a deferred dream. Gilbert Films, Get Lifted and Harvey Mason Media will produce.

On the television front, Perrier most recently directed two episodes of Unprisoned, starring Kerry Washington, as well as the season finale of Young Rock. She was nominated for a Black Reel Award for Best Director for ABC’s The Wonder Years, and is a Root 100 alumna. She has also directed episodes for Queen Sugar, Cinema Toast and Reasonable Doubt.

In front of the camera, in addition to her own films, Perrier will next be seen in Chelsea Peretti’s First Time Female Director, which will premiere at Tribeca 2023. Numa recurred as a guest star on Frankie Shaw’s irreverent comedy SMILF in a critically acclaimed story arc about immigrants and also stars in the upcoming surreal thriller Fuzzyhead alongside Rain Phoenix.

Perrier first garnered attention starring in and writing the hit web series, The Couple, which resulted in a deal at HBO. She is the co-founder of the first streamer for Black millennials, Black&Sexy TV, serving as Chief Content Officer on the business side, while creating and showrunning over a dozen series launched by the platform, including Roomieloverfriends (executive producer, Issa Rae) and Hello Cupid (co-creator, Lena Waithe)

Numa’s background in immersive art led to directing a live magic show, The Legend of Black Herman, as a part of Derek Fodjour’s art installation, Magic, Mystery and Legerdemain, which ran for two months at The David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles.

Born in Haiti and raised in small-town USA, Perrier now lives in Los Angeles.

Wendy Raquel Robinson

Actress, Artistic Director

Acum laude graduate of Howard University, where she honed her artistic skills in acting, directing, writing, producing, and choreographing, Robinson is one of the most talented and professional actors in the entertainment industry, She continually strives for excellence in her career as an artist, scholar, mentor and Co-founder/Artistic Director of Amazing Grace Conservatory, (AGC) a theatrical training institute, that provides performing, media and digital arts opportunities for youth and young adults interested in careers in the entertainment industry.

Robinson is best known as the no nonsense diva principal, ‘Regina Grier’ on the “The Steve Harvey Show” for six seasons. She made television history as the first African American actress to portray Disney’s iconic villain, Cruella DeVille, in Disney Channel’s, “Descendants”.

Robinson made history by portraying the feisty, savvy, mom-manager and mogul ‘Tasha Mack,’ on the groundbreaking dramedy, “The Game” for an unprecedented 11 seasons! The fan favorite show premiered on the CW Network, BET and is currently in production of Season 2 on the Paramount Plus streaming platform. Wendy is no stranger to television and has been a Series Regular on TV One’s generational comedy, “Here We Go Again”, ABC’s bold, provocative drama, “Grand Hotel” and recurring roles on ABC’s comedy, “The Mayor”, Netflix’s “Dear White People,”, HBO’s “Insecure,” Netflix’s Family Reunion, and most recently the newly rebooted “MacGyver” on CBS.

Robinson’s additional television and film credits include the 2017 psychological horror drama remake of “Flatliners,” “Miss Congeniality,” “Something New,” “Rebound,” “Two Can Play That Game,” “A weekend with the Family,” “A Christmas Surprise,” “A Christmas Reunion,” and the 30th Anniversary Pan African American Film Festival’s ‘Remember Me-The Mahalia Jackson Story.” Additional television credits include roles on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” Fox’s animated show, “Family Guy,” and “Cedric the Entertainer Presents!” With her incandescent personality and vivacious spirit, Ms. Robinson has been the recipient of various national awards as well as local dignitaries in the City and County of Los Angeles for her philanthropy, community and entrepreneurial leadership of Amazing Grace Conservatory, which was named as one of California’s 2019 Nonprofits of the Year. Amazing Grace Conservatory has been servicing youth ages 5-18 years old in the Los Angeles community for over 25 years.

special guest

Debbie Allen

Director, Actress, Choreographer

In a career that spans three decades, the name Debbie Allen is synonymous with dynamic energy, creative talent and innovation.

For her vast body of work, Ms. Allen has earned six Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, five NAACP Image Awards, a Drama Desk, and the first Astaire Award (for Best Dancer). Her production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on London’s West End won the Olivier Award. She holds five honorary Doctorate degrees, is a Kennedy Center Honoree, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

She was appointed by President George W. Bush to represent the United States as a Cultural Ambassador of Dance. She has been artist in residence at the Kennedy Center for over 15 years, writing and directing original works with the legendary Arturo Sandoval and James Ingram, such as: Pepito’s Story, Brothers of the Knight, Dreams, Alex in Wonderland, Soul Possessed, Pearl, Dancing in the Wings, Oman O Man and Freeze Frame… Stop the Madness. Her stage credits also include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (on Broadway and London’s West End).

Her long list of directing and producing credits include television classics such as Fame, Grey’s Anatomy (where she also recurs as Dr. Catherine Avery), Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Jane the Virgin, Empire, Insecure, A Different World, Everybody Hates Chris, Stompin’ At The Savoy, Polly, That’s So Raven, Cool Women, Quantum Leap, The Fantasia Barrino Story, Christmas on the Square, Ms. Pat, and Sam Jackon’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. She is currently the Executive Producing Director for Grey’s Anatomy in its 19th season.

Ms. Allen was the creative force behind Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated epic, Amistad. She holds the distinction of choreographing the Academy Awards ten times.

Ms. Allen has directed and choreographed such legendary artists as Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Will Smith, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Gregory Peck, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton and Savion Glover.

With her keen eye for talent, Ms. Allen discovered actors such as Jada Pinkett Smith, Gary Dourdan, and Jasmine Guy. She was responsible for giving Mia Michaels her first job choreographing for television, on Cool Women.

Her recent Shondaland production of Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker on Netflix tells the true and inspiring story of what she does to enlighten, inspire and engage young people around the world through dance and theater arts.

In 2001, she and her husband Norman Nixon founded the nonprofit Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. The school’s mission is to fill a void for youth who inhabit the spirit of dance and need the opportunity to discover what is possible. A native of Houston, Texas, she is the daughter of poet Vivian Ayers and Dr. Andrew A. Allen, wife of NBA All-Star Norman Nixon, sister of Phylicia Rashad, Tex Allen and Hugh Allen, mother of Vivian Nichole and Thump, and grandmother of Shiloh and Aviah.

Neema Barnette

Director, Writer, Producer

Prominent, innovative, and prolific, director, writer, and producer Neema Barnette has engaged audiences with a body of compelling socially- and politically charged work that defies the narrow stereotypes of African Americans usually depicted in entertainment for over thirty years. Barnette has earned the respect of peers and critics alike by winning countless accolades. As a young theater director, at 24 Neema got accepted into the Women’s.

Directing Workshop at AFI. Neema went from Harlem to Hollywood and soon after made history by becoming the first African American woman to ever direct a sitcom, What’s Happening Now. Neema made history again when Frank Price, then Chairman of Columbia Studios gave her a three-year housekeeping deal, which made her the first African American to receive a three-picture deal from a major studio.

Neema has directed over 75 hours of television, 10 TV movies & 3 feature films theatrically released - Civil Brand, Woman Thou Art Loosed: On The 7th Day & Spirit Lost.

She is an Emmy Award Winner & 3-time nominee, NAACP Award Winner & 4-time nominee, as well as a DGA Directing Award Nominee.

In 2024, Neema will direct the feature film Hidden Stitches, about Black Designer Anne Lowe, executive produced by Oscar & Emmy winner Regina King.

Neema’s most recent television directing credits include Reasonable Doubt with Kerry Washington & Larry Wilmore executive producing Multiple episodes of All Rise for the OWN Network.

Season 2 of Kingdom Business starring Yolanda Adams, Loretta Divine, Michael Beach and Michael Jai White for BET Plus.

Harlem a new series for Amazon starring Whoopie Goldberg and Meagan Goode. (2022 Image Award

Nomination For Best Comedy Director, Naomi – a new DC Comic series from Ave DuVernay for the CW Network

The Equalizer - starring Queen Latifah for CBS.

Genius Aretha - Story of Aretha Franklin, ep. 102 & 103 for Imagine Ent., National Geographic & Fox Television, Paradise Lost a min-series for Spectrum & Paramount Television starring Nick Nolte, Barbara Hersey & Josh Harnett. Luke Cage for Marvel & Netflix, Bosch (2 seasons) Amazon, Raising Dion Season 1, Blind Spot for NBC, The Good Cop for Netflix, and Midnight Texas for NBC.

In 2016 Neema was chosen by Ava Du Vernay and Oprah Winfrey to be producing director of a new series Queen Sugar. In 2017, the 1st season of Queen Sugar was nominated for a People’s Choice Award & multiple NAACP Image Awards. The series is now in Its final 7th season and has gotten over 40 women into the guild as directors.

IN 1997, Gil Gates Sr asked Neema to teach directing to UCLA undergrads. Neema and Reginald Brown taught there for 15 years. Neema was also an adjunct professor at USC for 7 years and is on permanent faculty at her alma mater AFI.

Neema has been at directing member of the DGA since 1989.

Dianne

Writer, Director

Houston

Dianne Houston is an Oscar nominated writer/director with three decades of credits and accomplishments in television and film. In 1996, Houston transformed Arne Bontemp’s classic Harlem Renaissance short story A Summer Tragedy into her Academy Award nominated Short Film Tuesday Morning Ride. This nomination made Houston the first African American female director to be nominated for an Oscar in that or any other directing category.

Houston, known for her unique skills as a storyteller, director, and as a builder of memorable characters,has developed film and television projects for Showtime, HBO, Tribeca Films, Paramount, New Line, Participant Films, Universal, CBS, ABC, Paramount, and many others.

Her credits include: Take the Lead; Seacole; Knights of the South Bronx; Runaway Island; and Surviving Compton: Suge, Dre, and Michel’le, (which won the Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Limited Series of Made for Television Movie, and was nominated for a WGA Award for Best Original Long Form in 2017); .Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland; and several seasons of the series Empire.

Under her Anchor Street Films banner she wrote and directed the indy feature Freedom Hair for MPI films to be released fall 2023. She is the author / co producer of the Charly Pride bio-pic American Pride; and for Universal Studios, she created Boley, a premium series based on the true story of the all Black town, Boley, Oklahoma. She is writing and directing Sugarfoot, a memoir of her adventures with Nina Simone.

Anchor Street Films was established in 2019 as a home base for film, television, and literary projects stemming from the imagination of Dianne Houston. Fantasy, history, and genre bending storytelling thrive at Anchor Street with the added spice of a global perspective literally anchored in a Black American female voice.

Houston began her career in theater, working with such greats as Ntozake Shange, Laurie Carlos, Peter Brook, La Mama, Joe Papp, Woodie King, and Joseph Chaikin. She credits “life changing exchanges” with James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Nina Simone, and Miles Davis for informing her world view of theater, art, history, and literature. These exchanges, combined with her theater background, shaped Houston’s voice as a writer and director for film. Houston is a mother of two amazing young people, both of whom have worked beside her on productions.

Dianne Houston is a survivor, devoted to great stories, great food, laughter, and meditation.

Bobbi Banks

With over 30 years working in the film and television industry, an Emmy nomination and over 120 projects and counting, Bobbi Banks’ career continues to evolve. She has worked with directors such as John Singleton, Malcom Lee, Mark Steven Johnson, Louis Leterrier, Craig Brewer, Brad Anderson, Edward Zwick, F. Gary Gray, Ava DuVernay, Stephen Williams and on films such as Chevalier, The Batman, A League of Their Own, August Osage County, Stonehearst Asylum, Selma, Men In Black International and Straight Outta Compton, 2 Fast 2 Furious andthe upcoming White Men Can’t Jump to name a few.

Ms. Banks is a past president of Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE), a former chair of A2020 Inclusion and Diversity Committee at AMPAS. She currently serves on several committees which also includes Chair of the Academy Museum Inclusion Advisory Committee, Nicholl Screenwriters Committee, Television Academy Board of Governors, Academy Gold Program Mentor, Avid’s Community Association Executive Board of Directors and Industry Council for Roybal Film & Television Magnet. She also continues to seek ways to encourage and mentor the next generation.

Carron Brown

Carron Brown is a leader in entertainment marketing, advertising, and branding for top-tier companies with over 20 years of experience. She creates authentic and award-winning strategies and campaigns that reach, influence, and expand audiences across global regions, cultures, and demographics. In addition, she is an unwavering champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion; and raises the bar for organizational and brand performance.

Carron has led successful initiatives for companies that include Warner Bros. Discovery, Universal Pictures, AT&T, NBC, the Estate of Tupac Shakur, Wells Fargo, the California State Lottery, and Honda Financial Services. Currently as VP, Brand Experience for Warner Bros. Discovery, Carron crafts and manages the company’s corporate brand narrative and creative strategy.

Formerly a 7-time collegiate All-American, and NCAA National Champion in track and field, Carron leads with high energy, a competitive spirit, and a drive to help others shine. She builds high-performing teams by identifying the unique strengths of individuals and puts them in positions to excel.

Carron earned an MBA from Fordham University, and a BS degree, with a major in Marketing, from Georgetown University. She resides with her husband and two children in Los Angeles, CA.

Lauri Brown

Lauri Brown is a Global Creative Advertising Executive in Marketing at UniversalPictures. She has had the privilege of working on the creative campaigns for avariety of films, including the Academy Award winning GREEN BOOK, QUEEN & SLIM, SHE SAID, TICKET TO PARADISE, and the upcoming OPPENHEIMER. In her prior roles as agency Creative Director, she led Trailer and TV campaigns for films such as INCEPTION, SULLY, DUNKIRK, and THE HOBBIT, to name a few. She has been honored to have her work win several Clio and Key Art Awards, including Best In Show for her work on THE DARK KNIGHT. Since 2018, Lauri has been a proud member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She has been privileged to help promote and recognize the work of emerging young filmmakers through her participation on the Student Academy Awards Executive Committee. Lauri’s commitment to mentoring is demonstrated in her other volunteer work, having been an Academy Gold mentor and an Executive Advisor for Soapbox for several years. One of Lauri’s proudest achievements is being co-founder and President of the non-profit organization The Creative Coalition of Color (CCC), whose mission is to connect underrepresented and diverse candidates with career opportunities in the Film Marketing and Creative Advertising industry. From their partnerships, outreach efforts and initiatives, CCC has enabled successful candidate placements, as well as interns transitioning into full-time roles. Lauri celebrates these achievements and remains committed to CCC’s greater mission of creating more inclusivity in the industry.

Sonya Dunn S

onya Dunn is a transmedia storyteller. Dunn has directed, produced, or written over twelve short films. She is a Sistas Are Doin It For Themselves Alumni (The Bedroom - 2013, End of the World - 2016). Her film The Bedroom screened at the Cannes Film Festival,15 other film festivals, received worldwide distribution, translated into five different languages, and turned into a novel.

As an award-winning filmmaker, media executive, and creative entrepreneur. Dunn specializes in creating various types of media content (audio, digital, film, etc.), digital platform creation, and interactive user experiences.

Currently, Dunn is the Chief Content Officer for SimulTV, a streaming platform with 200+ linear channel and online video gaming. She oversees the distribution deals of their global partners for the platform.

Dunn is the chief executive officer and founder of a multimedia production management company, JEMH. She is the host and producer of a radio show (Sonya Dunn Show) that air in the Washington, DC market and all audio podcast streaming apps.

Dunn is a member of the Animation and Short Film branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures of Arts and Sciences. Dunn is an executive board member for Women in Film and Video - Washington, DC.

Dianne Farrington

Director of Photography, Dianne Farrington, is first generation Cuban-JamaicanBahamian and a South Bronx/Fort Apache, New York City native.

Her career began in Detroit, at WXYZ/Channel 7 (ABC/ENG NEWS), WTVS Channel 56(Detroit Public Television/Detroit Black Journal), and WDET (Detroit Public Radio). Dianne’s credits include Masterclass: Jody Foster Teaches Filmmaking, The Demi Lovato Show, The L Word, HBO Access, Diary of a Single Mom, Mad About You, Hearts Afire, South Central, The Preston Episodes, Moesha, Los Americans, The Nice Guy, A Trip To Jamaica, Tempting Fate, Playin’ For Love, The Hive, Fear Of The Black Hat, The Gun In BettyLou’s Handbag, and Harlem Nights.

As Director of Photography Dianne’s has shot films for Netflix/Ficamazonia, La Puzanga, Director Robert Townsend Making The Five Heartbeat and Playin’ for Love. Other narrative film projects include Sex And A Girl, Man Woman

Blackbird, and Restraining Order, which was selected as an Opening Night Film for the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival. Dianne’s most recent project Amy’s Gift, is currently winning awards, including a Special Jury Prizes at the California Awareness Film Festival and the Valley Film Festival Farrington’s documentaries work includes an exploration Beyond Central Avenue: Women Jazz Musicians by the UCLA Ethnomusicologist Cheryl Keyes, Ph.D. Keeping The Faith With Morrie Turner: Wee Pals that tells the story of Morrie Nolton Turner the comic stripe artist and creator of WEE PALS the first syndicated strip to feature a diverse group of children. Gang Girls: A Mother’s Journey to Save Her Daughter, details the relationship between Valerie Goodloe a senior photographer for Ebony/JET Magazines and her daughter who joined the BLOODS the notorious Los Angelos gang.

Dianne participated in the Canon Camera Case Study: USC SCA and in workshops for CANON Camera Burbank, AFI, the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the Los Angeles Film School. She is a longtime member of the Society of Camera Operator and serves on the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographers’ Guild IATSE Local 600.

Shawneé Gibbs

Shawneé Gibbs is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer from Oakland, CA, who specializes in creating content for television, film, comics and graphic novels. Shawneé has served as a Staff Writer for Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network, and has penned scripts for Dreamworks Animation, Mattel Studios and Marvel Comics. She is the co-author of the upcoming HarperCollins YA graphic novel, “Ghost Roast.”

Shawnelle Gibbs

Shawnelle Gibbs is a writer and producer who specializes in content for television, film, comics and graphic novels. She has written for Warner Bros. Animation, Dreamworks, Marvel Comics, and HarperCollins Publishing. Shawnelle quickly developed writing as a secret weapon, and honed her storytelling strengths through film school at San Francisco State University, USC’s Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Writing Fellowship, and years as a Supervising Story Producer in nonfiction programming for networks including NBC, ABC, and FOX. Shawnelle prides herself on stories that center women of color and often explore themes of courage, power, and identity. One half of the sister writing duo, “The Gibbs Sisters,” Shawnelle is the co-writer of the upcoming graphic novel “Ghost Roast,” scheduled for release through HarperCollins Publishers.

Paquita Hughes R

aised in rural Mississippi with a fascination for movies, Paquita Hughes was determined to make a mark in Hollywood, which eventually led her to Los Angeles. As a dual branch Military Veteran, Hughes was awarded for combating the global war on terrorism and defending Iraqi Freedom while serving in the US Navy as an Air Traffic Controller. That character-building experience helped Hughes later in her professional career as an award winning locations manager and independent producer. Hughes has worked with big networks including HBO, Hulu and ABC, and has over 50 productions under her belt. She’s landed on the sets of Perry Mason, Little Fires Everywhere and most recently wrote and produced her most recent short film, Jeremy.

Princess Monique Filmz

Princess Monique, also known as Princess Monique Filmz, has come a long way from growing up in the inner city of Cleveland. From humble beginnings, she has used her life experiences to fuel her creativity and ignite her passion of storytelling embodied in her robust career. Princess Monique is an accomplished TV/film producer, director, writer, and author. She is also an alumni of the Walt Disney/ABC Directing Program: Class of 2020, which helped launch and cultivate her career as a television director. Adding to already remarkable credits, her transition into TV directing is a notable feat got started when she directed OWN hit drama Greenleaf, ABC comedy series Black-ish , NBC comedy series Grand Crew, FOX drama Our Kind of People, ABC comedy The Goldberg’s, BET+ comedy First Wives Club, Disney comedy Bunk’d and STARZ comedy Run The World, and drama BMF (Black Mafia Family) to name a few.

Princess is also the founder of Real Black Unicorns is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to bridging the gap between employers and hirable African American female directors while dismantling the systemic racial divide between them and us, as we educate, support and mentor the next generation of emerging talent.

Princess is set to release her first book and autobiography, Hood to Hollywood, How to Stop Waiting to Be Discovered & Discover Yourself, Summer of 2023. Which charts her personal experiences, journey, and triumphs ignited her desire to help others navigate through their own personal discovery and realize their true potential. Princess was recently elected as a co-chair to the African American Steering committee at the Director’s Guild of America.

“My life’s purpose is to use my God-given gifts and talents to leave a positive impact on the world, by educating, entertaining, and inspiring others to do the same.” ~ Princess Monique Filmz

MeMe Kelly

MeMe Kelly loves to write about strong women who refuse to lay down and give up when faced with unthinkable circumstances. Her indie feature film, One Night in LA, written, directed and produced by MeMe was an official selection of Pan African Film Festival and received offers of representation and distribution shortly thereafter. It tells the, unconventional, story of a woman whose cancer has returned with a vengeance, prompting her to define the meaning of her life. She’s also written two novels, several eBooks, three plays, three television scripts, two additional features, and a ton of essays centered on strong women! She has a B.A. and an MFA (as a Playwright) from the University of California. She’s written and directed three short films and her television script Out of Bounds was selected as a top 10 script out of 175 scripts in UCLA Film School’s Samuel Goldwyn Contest. Its featured version, which inspired One Night in LA, shot past 6000 scripts to land in the top ranks in the Academy Nicholl’s contest.

MeMe is the mom of three sons, and she resides in the Los Angeles area with her husband, a former UCLA basketball player, her autistic adult son and two Shitzu doggies, Tip and Blue. Her middle and youngest sons live near-by and work in the entertainment industry. MeMe says that writing has brought her tremendous joy and been the cherry on top of a blessed life!

Geneva Nash-Morgan

Geneva Nash-Morgan, has worked in the entertainment industry as a makeup artist for 40 plus years. A native of Southern California, Nash-Morgan, received her cosmetology license in 1978; and has since worked on more than 50 major productions with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.

A highly regarded journeyman, Nash-Morgan’s successful career can only be seen as a true blessing with many achievements. She has worked on projects with such greats, as Spike Lee, JJ Abrams, Ron Howard, Tim Burton, Debbie Allen and Steven Spielberg to name a few. Her stellar work continues to be featured in such franchise features and shows as Abbott Elementary, Snowfall, X Man, Notorious, The Nutty Professor, Star Track:Insurrection, Planet of The Apes, The Martin Lawerence Show, Never Have I Ever, Dungeons and Dragons.

In the make-up field of the industry, fame and acclaim are not measurements of success. The only true measurement is, longevity. Nash-Morgan, has cemented her name as one of the most established make-up artist in the industry. She continues to bring her A game no matter where she goes.

Deborah Pratt

Ms. Pratt is a Creator, Writer, Director, Producer, Playwright, and a Novelist. She’s a five-time Emmy nominee, a Golden Globe nominee, and was chosen for the Top Ten shortlist for the Academy Awards for her live-action short film Girlfriends. She has received the Lillian Gish Award from Women in Film, The Angel Award, The Golden Block Award, and six B.E.N. Awards. As Co-Creator/Executive Producer and Head Writer for the original ground-breaking television series Quantum Leap. Ms. Pratt wrote 27 episodes and has produced over 100 hours of network programs. She is currently Executive Producer for the 2022-23 Quantum Leap Reboot series on NBC, directed Family Style airing 2/20/23, and is working on the Quantum Leap feature film. Ms. Pratt made her directorial debut on Cora Unashamed for the BBC’s Masterpiece Theatre’s The American Collection, which aired on both PBS in the US and the BBC in the UK and Europe. She’s a graduate of Webster University and studied performance, singing, dance, playwriting, and directing at the Webster University Conservatory. She worked with the St Louis Repertory, and most recently, at the Chicago Dramatists Theatre in Chicago where she wrote a new play, Joseph Bologne in development for the London stage.

Camille Tucker

With an MFA in screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University, Camille has sold scripts to Sony, Universal, New Line, Fox TV and Disney and worked with producers Robert De Niro, Marc Platt, Debra Chase and the late John Singleton, who was a mentor and friend. In 2021, she was a Sony Pictures TV Diverse Writer fellow.

Currently, Camille is writing a biopic for LeBron James’ Springhill Entertainment and Disney+, developing a TV pilot with 50 Cent’s G-Unit and the Starz network and an EP/writer on the Gladys Knight limited series. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West and repped by Entertainment 360.

Sundance alum Camille Tucker hails from Compton, CA, where both her father and brother formerly served as mayor. She is co-writer of Lifetime’s hit biopic The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel, which was nominated for five NAACP Image Awards.

Nicole L. Thompson

Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Nicole L. Thompson is a filmmaker who overcame the odds. Nicole is the Director of Lifetime Network’s film Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story. Nicole is featured on Forbes Magazine about directing Suitcase Killer. Nicole is also the Producer for Nickelodeon’s Noggin Emmy nominated animated children’s show Rhymes Through Times featuring Nick Jr. characters. Nicole graduated from USC with a MFA in Film & TV Production. Recently, Nicole served as the 2nd Unit Director of Lifetime Television Network Original Film Envy. Nicole also received her Bachelor of Arts from The College of New Jersey where she majored in Communications Studies with a concentration in Radio/TV/Film. Nicole is the Producer of HBO Max and Cartoon Network’s TV series Iyanu: Child of Wonder for Lion forge. As a filmmaker, she defies all challenges and breaks the chains of generational curses. Even on the darkest of days she encourages hope and looks for hidden potential. These are values she instills as a storyteller when filming.

Adventurous, bold, and outgoing, Nicole L. Thompson is a filmmaker who constantly films and captures life on every journey life takes her on. Lover of laughter and a uniter of people, Nicole strives to serve the community around her and abroad. She has come from humble beginnings and has made it her life’s mission to give back and use her lens to shed light on social issues with hopes of changing the world. Nicole is an overcomer who prides herself on her creative problem solving and her willingness to always find a solution.

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2023 Sistas Film Program Schedule

Friday, May 19, 2023

Special Presentation

TUESDAY MORNING RIDE 34:56

An elderly couple, well past the twilight of their years, but still in love, find it increasingly difficult to take care of each other. They climb into their 1952 coupe’ and take a decisive ride into life on their own terms.

Dianne Houston: Director/Writer Joy Ryan, Peter Geiger: Producers Jana Sue Memel, Konda Mason: Executive Producers

Dianne Houston is an Oscar nominated writer/director with three decades of credits and accomplishments in television and film. In 1996 Houston transformed Arne Bontemp’s classic Harlem Renaissance short story A Summer Tragedy into her Academy Award nominated Short Film Tuesday Morning Ride. This nomination made Houston the first African American female director to be nominated for an Oscar in that or any other directing category.

Houston, known for her unique skills as a storyteller, director, and as a builder of memorable

characters,has developed film and television projects for Showtime, HBO, Tribeca Films, Paramount, New Line, Participant Films, Universal, CBS, ABC, Paramount, and many others.

Her credits include: Take the Lead; Seacole; Knights of the South Bronx; Runaway Island; and Surviving Compton: Suge, Dre, and Michel’le, (which won the Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Limited Series of Made for Television Movie, and was nominated for a WGA Award for Best Original Long Form in 2017); .Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland; and several seasons of the series Empire.

Under her Anchor Street Films banner she wrote and directed the indy feature Freedom Hair for MPI films to be released fall 2023. She is the author / co producer of the Charly Pride bio-pic American Pride; and for Universal Studios, she created Boley, a premium series based on the true story of the all Black town, Boley, Oklahoma. She is writing and directing Sugarfoot, a memoir of her adventures with Nina Simone.

Anchor Street Films was established in 2019 as a home base for film, television, and literary projects stemming from

the imagination of Dianne Houston. Fantasy, history, and genre bending storytelling thrive at Anchor Street with the added spice of a global perspective literally anchored in a Black American female voice.

Houston began her career in theater, working with such greats as Ntozake Shange, Laurie Carlos, Peter Brook, La Mama, Joe Papp, Woodie King, and Joseph Chaikin. She credits “life changing exchanges” with James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Nina Simone, and Miles Davis for informing her world view of theater, art, history, and literature. These exchanges, combined with her theater background, shaped Houston’s voice as a writer and director for film. Houston is a mother of two amazing young people, both of whom have worked beside her on productions.

Dianne Houston is a survivor, devoted to great stories, great food, laughter, and meditation.

Short Film Showcase THE BOND

to keep her baby close and turn her life around; however, when Aria goes into labor, she faces her biggest challenge yet. This character-driven short is based on a true story.

Jahmil Eady: Director/Writer

Jahmil Eady, Selena Leoni, Reina Highashitani: Producers

COLOR

Black rookie officer Maria Hill is excited to walk in her father’s footsteps on her first shift as a police officer. On the shift with her new partner, a suspicious activity call comes in and they notice a young man in a hoodie wandering ahead of them. Hill must decide whether to intervene and treat him as an innocent teen or a likely suspect, forcing her to examine her loyalty to her community and her badge.

Carly Rogers: Director/Writer

Josie Andrews, Aida Gevorgyan: Producers

Fighting for her last connection in a system designed to isolate her, The Bond, follows an incarcerated pregnant woman as she gives birth. She is determined

Jahmil grew up in Charleston, South Carolina and New York. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies from Pomona College. Her work has been screened at film festivals all over the world Her film, The Bond, won Best Student Film at Academy Qualifying BronzeLens Film Festival, a Jury Award at Bentonville Film Festival, and a Jury and Audience Award for Best Narrative Short at the Atlanta Film Festival. The Bond was fiscally sponsored by Film Independent and raised over $26,000 on Kickstarter in just two weeks. Jahmil’s awards include the 2022 Princess Grace Foundation Award, New York Times Award, and the Four Sisters Award from writerdirectors Gina Prince-Bythewood, Sara Finney-Johnson, Felicia D. Henderson, and Mara Brock Akil. Jahmil is currently pursuing her MFA in directing at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.

15:51 MIN.

Carly Rogers is a writer, producer and director from Portland, Maine, with her MFA in Film and Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career in filmmaking. She has produced several short films, including the short documentary project Immigrant at Home, which showed in film festivals Doc LA, St. Louis International Film Festival, Mizna’s Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, and the Impact Doc Awards where it won the Award of Merit for documentary short. Her directorial debut short, Missing, premiered at the Roxbury International Film Festival in 2020. Growing up in a mixed-race household she gained a unique view of the world, one that she hopes to share through her work in film. Carly is passionate about changing the

8:30 MIN.

A Legacy of Sisterhood & Excellence

narrative for underrepresented voices. Her goal is to progress representation for people of color in the entertainment industry and tell more dynamic stories of their lives.

CABBAGE

14:00 MIN.

While recovering from the grief of a miscarriage and a dry, dying farm, Mabel and Abraham

are visited by a strange traveler who offers them a chance to wager their true love for each of their deepest desires. The two are suddenly plunged into a slow growing nightmare of their own creation, eventually finding themselves pitted against one another and forced to face the visceral consequences of the question: how far will one go to get what they desire?

202 3 f i l m s

Destinee McCaster: Director Vincent J. Walker: Writer Gabby Fiszman, Maria Paula Quesada: Producers

Destinee McCaster is an Arizonagone-LA director, actor, editor, and screenwriter, currently at the University of Southern California pursuing a BFA in Film and Television Production on a full-ride scholarship. She loves the universalities in narratives of growing up, queer womanhood, and artist identity. As a director, she hopes to craft stories that take the straightedge standard of genre and bend it into a new,

commentative light. She has enjoyed exploring genres like horror and comedy as a chance to reinvent, or shape stories in ways that speak to perspectives that rarely get seen. As a queer, female, biracial storyteller, she constantly seeks to amplify her own underrepresented experiences and ideas as someone navigating life alongside companies and creatives that aim to define and deliver fresh forms of storytelling to audiences everywhere. Her films have been recognized at festivals including the NFFTY Film Festival, San Diego Black Film Festival, Feminist Media Festival, and the USC’s First Look 2023 Showcase.

THE ERASURE

For one weekend out of the year, Black women and girls go missing and the rule is that there cannot be any police involvement or media coverage of the missing women. The audience goes on a journey with three Black women that live in a safe haven and shows what happens to them when The Confederate goes beyond their boundaries. This fictional film is inspired by a real statistic, that 64,000 Black women and girls go missing in the United States every year and only a fraction of their cases are investigated.

12:00 MIN.

Akeallah Blair: Director/Writer Anna Ogunkunle, Vita Amore, Victor Bouzi: Producers

Maggie Savarino, Carolyn Monterio, Rhoda “Nana” Jackson: Producers

Akeallah Blair is a dynamic writer, director and producer hailing from Sacramento, California. She studied film and television at the University of Southern California, as a Bill and Melinda Gates’ scholar. During her undergraduate career she wrote and directed several short films, two of which premiered at the Los Angeles Shorts International Film festival. In addition to creating short films, she also interned at major entertainment companies: NBC Universal, VH1, BET and the African American Film Critics Association. The Erasure won three grand prizes, and six official selections. The Erasure premiered on 20th Century Fox’s Fox Soul TV. Currently, Akeallah is producing web series at Brat TV, with a focus on their scripted content. She also plans to create a proof-of-concept short film based on one of her feature length screenplays.

CLONES

Rogers: Producers Doug Jordan, Nate Walker, Letia Solomon: Executive Producer Brandon Blackshear: Executive Producer

Letia Solomon is an award-winning writer/director based in Los Angeles. Former Aerospace Materials & Processing Engineer, she received her MFA in TV & Film Production from the University of Southern California in 2020. Her thesis film, The Cypher, premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, and screened in CAA’s Moebius Short Film Showcase. The Cypher was a finalist of the 2020 ABFF HBO Competition and her mockumentary short comedy Clones won the 2022 Lionsgate/ STARZ Award for Best Speculative Fiction Film. In 2023, Fathead, a virtual production short film Letia Co-Produced was nominated for a NAACP Image Award.

Saturday, May

she seeks guidance from a lively, 10-year-old proverb detective named Sule. Set in a fictional West African village, Sule and the Case of the Tiny Sparks, inspires audiences with the engaging message that even small actions can yield big results.

Shawnee´ Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs: Directors

Rene Rawls: Writer

Rene Rawls: Producer

Rene Rawls: Executive Producer

Shawnee´ Gibbs is a Los Angelesbased writer and producer from Oakland, CA, who specializes in creating content for television, film, comics, and graphic novels. She has served as a staff writer for Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network, and has penned scripts for DreamWorks Animation, Mattel Studios and Marvel Comics. One half of the sister writing duo, “The Gibbs Sisters,” Shawnee´ is the co-author of the upcoming HarperCollins graphic novel, “Ghost Roast.”

Hilarity ensues when three couples with their own assortment of problems, volunteer for a cloning experiment, only for their multiple clones to rebel and threaten a hostile takeover as the couples soon discover the trial was all a front for an organ-harvesting operation!

14:10 MIN.

Letia Solomon: Director

Nate Walker: Writer

Letia Solomon, Nate Walker, Carly

In a young African girl’s quest to learn the meaning of the proverb -“Great fires erupt from tiny sparks” -

Shawnelle Gibbs is a writer and producer who specializes in content for television, film, comics, and graphic novels. She has written for Warner Bros. Animation, Dreamworks, Marvel Comics, and HarperCollins Publishing. Shawnelle quickly developed writing as a secret weapon and honed her storytelling strengths through film school at San Francisco State University, USC’s Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Writing Fellowship, and years as a Supervising Story Producer in non-fiction programming for networks including NBC, ABC, and FOX. Shawnelle prides herself on stories that center women of

20, 2023

“Where Are They Now” Special Presentation SULE AND THE CASE OF THE TINY SPARKS

A Legacy of Sisterhood & Excellence

color and often explore themes of courage, power, and identity. One half of the sister writing duo, “The Gibbs Sisters,” Shawnelle is the co-writer of the upcoming graphic novel “Ghost Roast,” scheduled for release through HarperCollins Publishers.

BLACKBIRD

A young woman is torn between two worlds, her job cleaning planes and her dream of becoming a pilot. When she attempts to get time off to pursue aviation, she is met with resistance and must fight against the odds to get her wings.

Nicole L. Thompson: Director/Writer Nick Brooks, J.D. Walker, Nicole L. Thompson: Producers

Nicole L. Thompson is a director, producer and screenwriter from Newark, New Jersey. She directed Lifetime Network’s film Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story. Nicole is also the Producer for Nickelodeon’s Noggin animated children’s show Rhymes Through Times featuring Nick Jr. characters. Nicole graduated from USC with a Master of Fine Arts in Film & TV Production at the School of Cinematic Arts. At USC, she proudly served as the president of the African American Cinema Society for two years, which was founded by the late John Singleton. Upon graduating USC Nicole worked for SAG-

AFTRA as a Creative Director and Producer and was hired by NBA All Star Kyrie Irving to serve as his personal cinematographer and director for segments for his 2019 All-Star Weekend Highlights. Nicole’s films Blackbird, Between The Pages, and Harlem Blues are broadcasting on Aspire TV. Nicole’s animation Between the Pages is licensed by Fox Soul TV. Most recently, Nicole L. Thompson was featured as a film Director in Variety Magazine’s Power of Women issue with the Lifetime Television Network.

Short Film Showcase

12:00pm

LIGHT HEART

9:54 MIN.

When a young girl discovers the heart of the world it’s up to her and her baby sister to rescue it from a dark force.

Assata Shaqur Jackson: Director/ Writer

Megan Sousa, Tiffany Spriggs: Producers

Nicole L. Thompson, Juliet Beneich: Producers

Assata Jackson is a native of Long Island, New York and has a BA in Communications with a focus in Broadcast Production from Bethune Cookman University where she began writing and producing television shows. As an MFA student at USC, Assata

dedicates her life to making a difference through filmmaking. In the hopes to inspire, Assata wrote Light Heart, the film to help show young black girls in a positive light as well as educate and motivate young brown kids to be themselves and let their light shine always. She hopes to inspire, educate, and motivate people through her work.

OSCAR MICHEAUX

where she was funded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, Jamie also has a graduate degree from Howard University.

THE CYPHER

DISCOVERING BROOKLYNN

8:20 MIN.

Set in Los Angeles during Reconstruction, a producer of silent films, starring African Americans in leading roles, decides to take matters into his own hands when he is denied a distribution deal from Lincoln Motion Picture Company.

Jamie Walker: Director/Writer

Valentino Misino, Jamie Walker: Producers

Jamie Walker is an award-winning director/writer who was recently selected by the Academy of Motion Pictures to serve on the leadership board for Gold Rising, an initiative to promote and provide access in the film industry for diverse filmmakers. Her long-term goal is to direct original content for episodic TV.

Originally from Oakland, CA, Jamie has over 11 years of experience in the I film industry and specializes in narrative character driven dramas, action, rom com, and comedy. She also enjoys directing. A graduate of USC’s MFA Program in Directing,

A young black freestyle rapper in Philadelphia must confront his sexuality when he finally gets the chance to perform on the big stage. No one knows the truth, not even his little sister, who unwittingly sets in motion events that might destroy her brother’s chances for success.

19:49 MIN.

An unexpected reencounter drastically alters Brooklynn’s perfect world, pushing her closeted sexuality to the forefront.

Aliya Brooks: Director/Writer

15:04 MIN.

Liz Holland/Chelsea Fenton: Producers Aliya Brooks, Raymond Brooks, Marvin Brooks: Producers

Letia Solomon: Director

Wes Akwuobi: Writer Craig Patterson, Anne Brashier: Producers

Letia Solomon is an award-winning writer/director based in Los Angeles. Former Aerospace Materials & Processing Engineer, she received her MFA in TV & Film Production from the University of Southern California in 2020. Her thesis film, The Cypher, premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, and screened in CAA’s Moebius Short Film Showcase. The Cypher was a finalist of the 2020 ABFF HBO Competition and her mockumentary short comedy Clones won the 2022 Lionsgate/ STARZ Award for Best Speculative Fiction Film. In 2023, Fathead, a virtual production short film Letia Co-Produced was nominated for a NAACP Image Award.

Aliya Brooks is a writer/director/ producer known for films that highlight LGBTQIA2+ stories, social issues, and social justice. She is based between Los Angeles, CA and Atlanta, GA, and is known for Apophenia, Discovering Brooklynn, InQueeries, and She Knows. She launched her production company Alluminated Productions, which promotes films that are dedicated to diversity, pushing the envelope, and promoting change.

REMEDIAL

Remedial is a coming-ofage narrative drama that centers around a young British boy who relocates to Houston, TX with his mother after a devastating and unexpected loss. After enrolling in a new school, his new

20:00 MIN.

A Legacy of Sisterhood & Excellence

homeroom teacher is forced to make a difficult decision when his behavior becomes increasingly disconcerting.

Laurie J. Gardiner: Director/Writer/ Producer

Laurie J. Gardiner received her MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and Music degrees from Oakwood University. She is a writer, director and musician who creates musically driven dramas for film and television and has a strong desire to transform the hearts of many through the intersection of film and music. Gardiner has worked on numerous student and independent films, which have gone on to screen on Aspire TV, Omeleto, the BBC and at prestigious Oscar qualifying film festivals. She has developed a distinct style that interweaves her unique voice for both film and music with hopes to reach a mass audience through her artistry.

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Short Film Showcase 3:00pm

MOOSE TRACKS

Ayanna McKnight: Director

McKenzi Vanderberg: Writer

Joon Cho, Chelsea Patricia Ramirez: Producers

Ayanna McKnight was raised in Chino Hills, California. In 2014, she attended UCLA to pursue a career in acting. After noticing a lack of quality roles for herself and her fellow Black classmates, she was inspired to create her own stories. In 2018 she was accepted into the prestigious USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she received her degree in Film Production with a focus on directing, writing, and producing. Her passion is developing complex life stories that center on underrepresented Black voices.

THE THREE PHASES OF ISA

13:00 MIN.

A father struggles to cope with his wife’s death while caring for his 12-yearold daughter and newborn baby.

16:24 MIN.

Isa and Stephan, who met while Isa was a freshman in college, have been married for twenty years; a marriage riddled with domestic violence. Tonight is their twenty-first anniversary, where another domestic dispute ensues. This time leaving Isa to fight for dear life. She confronts the younger versions of herself attempting to gain the freedom she so desperately seeks.

Andi Chapman: Director

Mildred Marie Langford: Writer

Mildred Marie Langford, Conisha Wade, Jessica E. Williams: Producers

Andi Chapman is a director, Aactor, educator and the Associate Artistic Director of The Ebony Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles. Theatre directing credits of note include; world premiere and critically acclaimed production of Both/And at Boston Court Pasadena; critically acclaimed Native Son at Antaeus & Kirk Douglas Theatres (nominated for Best Director by Stage Raw & Broadway World); Ebony Repertory Theatre’s The Gospel at Colonus (14 Ovation Award nominations including Best Play & Best Play Direction; won Best Producer at NAACP 2016 Theatre Awards) and The Actor’s Co-op Steel Magnolias (Best Director Award). Others include The Abuelas, Winter’s Tale, Mockingbird, As It Is In Heaven, The Ninth Wave, Dutchman, Summer Memory and a host of many more.

PAS DE DEUX

and characters to include drama, comedy, animation, sci-fi, and horror. She’s a graduate of Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts Program.

JUST US

Eunice Levis: Director/Writer

Rachel K. Ofori, Elvis Nolasco: Producers

13:19 MIN.

After his romantic dance partner’s life is cut short, ballet dancer, Quentin Jones struggles to perform the dance of a lifetime with someone new.

Kaitlyn Kelly: Director/Writer

Robert Burns: Producer

Kaitlyn Kelly is a film writer and director from Albany, Georgia. At an early age, she recognized her calling for telling stories. Her purpose is to challenge the viewers narratives, beliefs, and stereotypes of Black people on screen through a myriad of genres

After being visited by a spirit from his past, a Mississippi judge is forced to deal with the memories that have haunted him of life he took, but never paid the price for.

12:15 MIN.

Alycia L. Cooper: Director/Writer/ Producer

Alycia Cooper is what’s known in Hollywood at a multi-hyphenate. She’s an actor/comic/writer/ producer/director. She loves each skill set equally-but for different reasons. Being an actor has allowed her to be an excellent director, who knows how to direct other actors. A comedian is basically a writer, director, and producer of their own material. And when you combine all five, you’ve got Alycia.

RO & THE STARDUST

Writer and director, Eunice Levis is a first-generation Dominican American from the Bronx, New York. Eunice’s work focuses on genre-bending stories that combine her love of horror, sci-fi, thriller, and fantasy often through a diasporic lens. She is a two-time Sundance Lab Second Rounder, a Stowe Story Lab Fellow, and a NALIP Latino Lens fellow. In addition to writing and directing, Eunice teaches and co-hosts Café Negro con Genre, a podcast that promotes creatives working in the genre space. Eunice is a graduate of New York University and is managed by 3 Arts Entertainment.

Short Film Showcase 5:00pm

BLOOD BANK

17:39 MIN.

A free-spirited teen fulfills her terminally ill grandmother’s dying wish of building a rocket ship to launch her into outer space.

7:27 MIN.

A poetry piece that speaks to how women’s labor, local resources and bodies are used without permission or compensation for the profit of corporations, governments and criminals featuring fine art by artists Adesina Cooper, Amani Holbert, Deandra Lee, Gale Fulton Ross, Linda Ternoir, Michael Massenburg and Skira Martinez.

S. Pearl Sharp: Director/Writer/ Producer

A Legacy of Sisterhood & Excellence

S. Pearl Sharp has written, produced and directed several poetry films, the semianimated Picking Tribes, a dozen documentaries, including the celebrated, The Healing Passage/ Voices From The Water which was launched by BHERC, and docs for the City of Los Angeles’ CH 35. She has been featured in publications Black Women For Beginners and NPR Evening News. She has created CD’s in the genres of non-fiction, fiction, and poetry w/jazz. One of her joys is mentoring new filmmakers.

BLUE LACES

festivals internationally, including Bronzelens, The Micheaux Film Festival, the Gary International Black Film Festival, and the Diversity in Cannes Film Festival. Her horror short film, RONALD, premiered on REVOLT TV after winning their hip hop horror contest. Britt is also a 2022 Film Impact Georgia filmmaker grant runner up. She has directed 7 short films, 6 web-series episodes, and an upcoming feature film.

THE WRONG ONE

On a routine bike ride through Long Beach, high school juniors, Chilli, Mia, and Tracey, pass Kiki, a fellow classmate, in distress. In an effort to comfort Kiki, Chilli reveals that she lost her brother at the hands of the police and the two bond over the recent loss of Kiki’s brother. Chilli extends an invitation of family and protection through the Crip gang.

5:00 MIN.

A philandering doctor gets more than he bargains for when he tries to finesse a beautiful woman at a martini bar.

Angela M. Gordon: Director

9:45 MIN.

Lisa L. Wilson: Writer

Angela M. Gordon, Lisa L. Wilson: Producers

Brit Banks: Director/Writer

Britt Banks is an award-winning director and screenwriter from Long Beach, California who focuses on amplifying the voices of non-binary, women, and girls of color. Britt’s profound short film THICKE, is a grant winner of the 2020 Black Life Film Festival. Her award-winning short film BLUE LACES, screened at film

Angela made her filmmaking/ production splash into LA in 2004 with the award-winning Velvet Cuffs which premiered at PAFF and her film directorial debut in 2010 in the 48 Hour Film Project with How Do You Spell Love?, which screened in PAFF, won The Humanity in Film Award in The Reel Sisters of the Diaspora and won the 48HFP Audience Award. Her films have screened in festivals across the globe. She was a selected filmmaker in the 2015 Filmmaker’s Alliance Canon Filmmaker Challenge, the WIF Producers Mentoring circle 2021 and was the recipient of

the California Dreamin’ Writing Fellowship from Writer’s Bootcamp in 2021. Angela, a Howard alumnus, is active in AKA Sorority, Inc., WIF, the Alliance of Women Directors and an advisory board member of AfroCannes. Angela will direct her first feature, Remy & Chance in Los Angeles and Lagos. Her three new shorts, The List and Shape of a Bottle and the post-apocalyptic short, Scorched Sea will premiere in 2023.

THE MERGE

producer of the BET Lens on Talent-winning SPENT, and director of BURNED, currently available on Tubi. She is also the CEO and Master Teaching Artist of Red Balloon Playroom, a 12-week film bootcamp for high school students. Drawing from her own experience as an adoptee and outlier, Phyllis creates films that connect with those searching for their own tribe.

THE PILLOW

workshops. There, her comedy pilot earned her a spot in the TRIBE Writing Mentorship Program and the Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship initiative. She worked on Allblk’s A La Carté, a comedy show about the lives and relationships of black millennials. Sherean is studying Film, Television, and Production at the University of Southern California.

THE DRAGONFLY TALE

7:00 MIN.

When a young woman is visited by Elonia, her higher self, everything changes despite having a bad day.

Elonia’s job is challenging as she must persuade the woman to release the judgement about her past, enabling her to embrace her inner light and the future.

Phyllis Bancroft: Director/Writer/ Producer

Phyllis Bancroft is a talented filmmaker and director who pursued her passion for storytelling with just $500 when she moved from NYC to LA. Her recent success includes the awardwinning short film, ...with salt, which has been selected at over fifteen festivals and won Best Actress at The Culver City Film Festival. Phyllis’s impressive portfolio includes her role as Supervising Director for the Emmy-nominated web-series, Send Me, creator/

A devoted wife struggles to fulfill her disgruntled dying husband’s final wish. She has a strange encounter with a potential stalker and received new information that will change everything she knows about her marriage. This pushes the wife into a rage where she can’t help but “kill two birds with one stone”.

6:06 MIN.

In 1964 Hereford, Texas a 9-yearold June Bug Brown is determined to take action to save his family. When a dragonfly takes June Bug’s worries to Heaven, his destiny is forever changed.

Sherean Jones: Director/Writer

Stella (Tianyu) Shi: Producer

Sherean Jones is a comedy writer committed to creating art that amplifies marginalized people whose stories are sometimes underserved or completely erased. Through negative stereotypes in filmmaking. Growing up in the city of Brotherly Love, Sherean developed her sense of humor watching 90’s Black sitcoms and people on the city train. She began writing stories about the Black women who inspire her and continued to hone her craft, writing screenplays in Second City and Script Anatomy

Lorey Hayes: Director Hayes & Bobby Crear: Writer Pat Battistini, Ed Jones, Lynne Conner & Bobby Crear: Producers Lorey Hayes: Executive Producer

The DragonTale is Lorey Hayes’ film directing debut. Co-written with Bobby Creary, and based on his life growing up in Texas, The Dragonfly Tale is derived from Lorey and Bobby’s multi-award-winning fulllength play. Ms. Hayes is an Awardwinning writer/actress, theater director, former talk show host and news reporter.

30:01 MIN.

A Legacy of Sisterhood & Excellence

HEARTLAND

202 3 f i l m s

A sci-fi examination of relationships in a technological world where a woman attempts to immortalize her dying grandfather using virtual reality technology, but her obsession with documenting drives a wedge between them.

Virtual Festival Films A BEAUTIFUL MESS

10:41 MIN.

Jahmil Eady: Director/Writer Selena Leoni: Producer

Jahmil grew up in Charleston, South Carolina and New York. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies from Pomona College. Her work has been screened at film festivals all over the world Her film, The Bond, won Best Student Film at Academy Qualifying BronzeLens Film Festival, a Jury Award at Bentonville Film Festival, and a Jury and Audience Award for Best Narrative Short at Atlanta Film Festival. The Bond was fiscally sponsored by Film Independent and raised over $26,000 on Kickstarter in just two weeks. Jahmil’s awards include the 2022 Princess Grace Foundation Award, New York Times Award, and the Four Sisters Award from writerdirectors Gina Prince-Bythewood, Sara Finney-Johnson, Felicia D. Henderson, and Mara Brock Akil. Jahmil is currently pursuing her MFA in directing at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.

The film explores the concept of “the curse of creativity” or rather the spectrum of creativity through the lens of multiple creatives, focusing on their state of minds as they maneuver the different phases of creativity.

3:30 MIN.

The creation of art is a beautiful thing and final products of creativity are glamourized with no light is shone on the “trust the process“ stages of creation. This film explores both sides of the spectrum of creativity, the curse, the mess, the beauty and fulfilment it comes with.

Mmatshepo Rakhalakane: Director/ Writer/Producer

Mmatshepo Rakhalakane, is a South African multidisciplinary artist working in film production, theatre, and visual art painting. Her work reflects profoundly the state of mind and the neverending process of seeking. She is on a journey of finding her own distinct voice as a creative and the reoccurring themes she seems to always integrate into her art are of the mind space. Forever in awe of the intricacy of the mind, our thoughts, how every inch of it operates in dreams and

reality and unceasingly inquisitive about the ways of life. The more Mmatshepo seeks, the more it gets complicated, yet she finds beauty in the chaos and that is what HER work of ART does, BEAUTIFIES CHAOS.

BIRDHOUSE

become ‘florists’ and grow a strain that changes the racial divide.

Joy Shannon: Director/Writer/Producer

Joy Shannon is a Los Angelesbased writer and director of several indie feature and short films. Joy has her BFA from Howard University and her MA in film from The American University, both in Washington, DC. She served as a juror for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and was a grant recipient from AFI and WETA.

her talent and creativity toward moving and inspiring stories. Her dedication to the craft and infectious personality makes her a rising star to watch as she lights up screens with her talent and vision captivating audiences.

EUA-LANDER

Birdhouse is about a young girl at war with herself to determine if she should stay in the nest, riddled with bones and bits of her broken shell, or if she should fly.

COLOR OF LOVE

12:23 MIN.

Lee Shaw: Director/Writer

Moses Johnson: Producer

Lee Shaw is a Baltimore native with roots stemming all the way to the colorful, warm island of Jamaica. She’s attending Desales University as an addition to the performing arts department. As an upcoming artist in this community, Lee strives to tell real narratives through the mediums of horror and indie films. Birdhouse is her directorial debut, with more to come in her journey of filmmaking.

CANNA SISTAZ

4:52 MIN.

Potheads and half-sisters, Fola and Francy can’t make it in LA as actresses, thus when faced with an eviction, they

An inspiring short film that follows a couple from different backgrounds who share a deep love. When their son’s life is put in danger, they face incredible challenges that threaten their family’s safety and security. They learn to lean on each other and stand united in the face of adversity.

19-year-old Tracey is living a charmed life; great adoptiveparents, college life and childhood bestie. On the eve of her 20th Birthday, she suddenly gets ill and undergoes a transformation, changing into an outer-worldly being. Her life makes a 180-degree flip, to which she slowly adapts.

Erica Meus-Saunders: Director/Writer

11:13 MIN.

Emma Boardman: Producer

Natasha C Smith: Director/Writer/ Producer

Natasha C Smith, David Cox: Writers

Natasha C Smith, David Cox, Shawn McLaughlin, Moe LaRena: Producers

Natasha C. Smith is an exciting new voice in the film industry taking on the roles of producer, director, and writer. As a student of the art of storytelling, Natasha brings fresh energy and creativity to every project she undertake and applies

A storyteller by ‘nurture’, Erica Meus-Saunders left the Bahamas and moved to Nova Scotia six years ago to attend film school. After graduating, she quickly became immersed in the film industry, working in various crew roles, and creating a few short docs, working as a director, producer and camera person. “Eua-Lander” was made through AFCOOP’s Film 5 program, has screened at FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival (2022) and Silver Wave Film Festival (2022). It won Best Short Film at the Mosaic Film Festival of Arts and Culture. Erica is the current executive director of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP).

8:28 MIN.

A Legacy of Sisterhood & Excellence

FORKS IN THE ROAD

I AM LIGHT

3 f i l m s

A young black couple in the South are on a date night at a local restaurant. Through conversation, they realize that their summer love is coming to a close. Solutions and uncertainty are in the air throughout the entire night. Compromise is a big question. Is their love enough?

15:05 MIN.

Ryan G Cameron: Director/Writer Lauryn McCollum, Gary Pierrot: Producers

Ryan Cameron is a University of North Texas graduate with a BA in Media Arts. She is a filmmaker with experience in production behind the scenes in film, theater, and television. In 2019 Ryan was the winner of the Studio Movie Grill (SMG) short film competition. Her film, 525 Bonnie View Rd premiered in numerous SMG locations across the country. During her time at North Texas Television, she created and CoExecutive Produced All That and A Bag of Chips, which followed cast members on epic adventures, performing different challenges. After seeing her favorite film (Love and Basketball), Ryan has been dedicated to creating coming-of-age films that highlight underrepresented communities. She continues to highlight and create content that shines a light on the South and individuals that are left in the dark.

A cinematic short film that aims to create an emotional connection with viewers and shed light on the experiences of Black people in the UK. Belinda was born and raised in London as the first generation born in the UK to parents from Barbados and Jamaica. Inspired by her personal experiences and her reflections on the George Floyd murder, the film uses vignettes to showcase the joys and pains of life as a Black person in the UK.

3:40 MIN.

Julia Schönstädt: Director

Belinda Fenty: Writer

Belinda Fenty, Julia Schönstädt, Pauline Nakirya: Producers

Julia Schönstädt is an awardwinning portrait photographer & video director in London and Berlin. Most recently Julia was amongst the winners of the ‘Portrait of Humanity’ award show, run by the British Journal of Photography and Siena Photo Awards.

IF I PRAY

Life hasn’t always been fair to Chrisette, a single mom who’s only want in life is to be loved. But when love walks away,

13:55 MIN.

bad choices in life send her world spiraling downward, her daughter and friends fight to save her before it’s too late.

Shonda J. Stephens: Director/Writer/ Producer

A native of New Jersey, Shonda is a writer, producer, director, mother, grandmother and most of all a woman of God. She wrote her first song in 1998 that became one of many, including ‘Forever Stay and ‘IF I’ which is featured in If I Pray. Shonda wrote her first story in 2001 and in 2014 published her first poetry book, “Inspiration From Within”. Shonda created a mentor group for girls in 2017, “God Made Me U.G.L.Y”, which stands for Unique, Gifted, Loved and Yielded. It is her mission to inspire every woman young and old to embrace their own unique beauty. In 2022, Shonda started her production company U.G.L.Y Girl Productions.

IN THE STILLNESS

Naira is an award winning NigerianAmerican recording artist, creative director and filmmaker. In an exciting new venture into scripted works, her first long format film serves as the visual complement to the forthcoming studio album release “In the Stillness”.

INEZ

with local creatives. She believes that writing is a powerful vehicle of activism and hopes to continue to use it to amplify the voices of marginalized groups.

INSIDE OF ME

After her grandma passes away, Kayla is catapulted back to her childhood memories of her grandma only to discover that her memories are different. Grandma keeps disappearing and Kayla is unable to find her. Through her journey with grief, Kayla sets out to search for Grandma and to find peace after this devastating loss.

17:14 MIN.

Judean Montgomery never thought that an unexpected conversation with her only son would help her to realize she suffered from depression. After years of mental abuse from the people she depended on the most, Judean accepted disappointments and feeling unloved as a norm. What will it take to finally get the happiness she deserves back into her life?

29:38 MIN.

24:00 MIN.

Two creative entrepreneurs struggle to maintain their passion and identities while growing their careers. The blossoming romance turns volatile when the pair is thrust into the spotlight suddenly and the pressure triggers unresolved wounds from the past.

Naira Adedeji: Director/Writer

Stephanie She Ifendu, Gladys Edeh, Sherifat Mohammed: Producers

Kayla E Skipper: Director/Writer Gabriel Acosta: Producer

Kayla Skipper is a screenwriter and director who is devoted to using her voice and writing to spread awareness and share the Black experience. She started her career in the industry, attending film school at Newhouse (Syracuse University) and then working as a PA on film/ TV sets. Currently, Kayla works as a freelance TV writer in the children’s television space, and as a creative screenwriter for Dhar Mann Studios. In her spare time, she enjoys writing poetry, bingewatching her favorite shows, thrift store shopping, and collaborating

Stephanie Greene: Director Wendy Shipman: Writer Wendy Shipman, Russell Shipman, Sr: Executive Producers

Stephanie Greene a native New Yorker who relocated to Charleston, South Carolina. She was an Executive Producer of a local TV show and had talk show in the Lowcountry on the WLCN Christian Network. Currently residing in Texas, her business Stef-Lelia Productions, is based in Charleston, South Carolina. Stephanie produces films and film festivals. Her dream is to have her own studios in South Carolina, Texas, and New York where she would employ creatives with a passion for telling stories.

A Legacy of Sisterhood & Excellence

Four people are faced with the question of whether “love at first sight” is real, or only exists in a dream.

Nykieria Chaney: Director/Writer/ Producer

15:59 MIN.

Rainelle Saunders: Director/Writer Rainelle Saunders, Almayvonne Dixon, SK Dayne: Producers

A true renaissance woman, Rainelle Saunders began her professional career in New York City. Destiny brought her to Hollywood, where she was a writer/actor on the hit BET show, LA Friday. With four other actresses, she formed Karti Productions and sold the screenplay, Five Deep in a BMW. She’s written many screenplays, TV pilots and stage plays. As an actress, she’s done film, TV, commercials and radio voice-overs.

NO ORDINARY WOMAN

Nykieria Chaney is a talented creative with a passion for using art as a means of inspiring change and promoting understanding. As a playwright, Chaney’s works center around the rich history and experiences of the Black community, with an emphasis on showcasing the accomplishments and perspectives of influential Black Americans. Her plays, which range from historical dramas to modern comedies, seek to engage and entertain audiences while also fostering critical thinking and empathy.

OLEANDER

20:00 MIN.

Black women face unique challenges and are often expected to be strong, selfless caretakers while also enduring discrimination and dehumanization due to the color of their skin. The short reflects on the importance of unlearning harmful beliefs and embracing selflove and self-care, even in the face of societal pressures.

3:07 MIN.

Hard-ofhearing Cleo lives in a beautiful home on a peaceful, secluded plot where her husband, Duncan, has provided her with safety because she has troubles trusting her own mind. But what happens when she accidentally encounters disturbing information about her seemingly perfect husband? Feeling unsafe in both her home and her mind, she finds that every step she takes pushes her further into questioning her own reality.

Mmatshepo Rakhalakane: Director

Lai Reineth Mokoena: Writer

Ayanda Mlangeni: Producer

Mmatshepo Rakhalakane, is a South African multidisciplinary

artist working in film production, theatre, and visual art painting. Her work reflects profoundly the state of mind and the neverending process of seeking. She is on a journey of finding her own distinct voice as a creative and the reoccurring themes she seems to always integrate into her art are of the mind space. Forever in awe of the intricacy of the mind, our thoughts, how every inch of it operates in dreams and reality and unceasingly inquisitive about the ways of life. The more Mmatshepo seeks, the more it gets complicated, yet she finds beauty in the chaos and that is what HER work of ART does, BEAUTIFIES CHAOS.

PROTEST EMBODIED

A meditation on the implications of the black feminine form.

Jael Campbell: Director/Writer/ Producer

Jael Campbell loves the ethereal and the lyrical, the subtle and the celestial. She finds expression through poetry, prose, and fiction writing.

Jael enjoys capturing the human spirit through cinematography, filmmaking, and photography. She worked as a studio and production assistant since graduating as a Film Studies and Creative Writing Major from Dartmouth College.

QUARANTINE CHRONICLES

A documentary showing how the pandemic affected people of color in Los Angeles and how they navigated to keep themselves inspired and productive.

killers, she places a body switch spell on a jaded White, 34-year-old police officer and a Black 20-yearold from “da blocks”. There is only one way the two can reverse the spell, and return to their respective bodies.

D’Marie Dowe: Director/Writer

Nathaniel Sang Levy: Producer

12:12 MIN.

Denise Khumalo: Director/Writer/ Producer

Denise Khumalo was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe and is a multi-hyphenated artist with experience in the entertainment industry as a director/producer/ actor. Watching her mother become a successful television personality and radio host ignited her passion for the arts. Denise has spent years honing her directorial skills and has achieved great success with her narratives and documentaries. Khayalami (My Home) received numerous awards and recognition for its unique insight on Zimbabwe.

SAY NOTHING

D’Marie Dowe is an emerging writer/director. She started her filmmaking career by completing an MA in screenwriting at LCC. Before working as a filmmaker, D’Marie had a career in the social care field working with children, young people and families, as part of a multi-agency team of public servants. She draws from her experiences to enhance the authenticity of the story-worlds she creates. She is represented by Blake Friedmann and was approached by Zodiak/Banijay to write and develop a series pitch for a young adult drama.

THE CLUBHOUSE KILLER

Mrs. Mabele, an undercover voodoo woman, is devastated after losing her son to knife violence. Fed up with the youth crime, and tired of the police delay in apprehending the

7:12 MIN.

A young girl seeking career advice enters the wrong room on a popular app and finds herself chatting with a stranger. Later

30:00 MIN.

that night, the stranger begins to stalk her on the app and taunt her with her personal information. This makes her realize he is somewhere close. Strange things begin to happen around the house. She and

7:48 MIN.

her sister agree they must find a way to escape before it’s too late.

Sasha Sales, Jillian Holt: Director Jillian Holt: Writer Sasha Sales, Jillian Holt, Joyce Allen: Producers

Jillian Holt is an educator, screenwriter, director, and producer. Jillian has a BA in Film and Digital Media from Cleveland State University and a MA in Education Administration from Ursuline College. Jillian wrote her first screenplay at age 25 and fell in love with the craft and the art of filmmaking which prompted her to start her own production company, SoShabanky Productions which specializes in film and television writing and producing. Jillian hails from Cleveland, Ohio where she lives with her three children.

THE FARMER AND THE LIGHTNING STORM

Danielle Browne is an emerging filmmaker and writer based in Maryland. She created her YouTube channel, Poetic Poison, to promote Black representation through honestly written characters and the use of flowery language. Her favorite childhood memories are of her frequent visits to the library and getting her hands on as many books as she could. Her dream is to make stories as immersive as the novels that shaped her whimsy, as well as apply animations to bring her words to life.

THE LITTLE GIRL INSIDE

Ava, a vengeful and curious girl, searches through hotel rooms, hoping to discover something new within herself. When what’s behind those doors becomes repetitive and underwhelming, she questions her identity and existence—that is, until one night a stranger convinces her to make a lifechanging decision.

Ambyr Michelle: Director/Writer/ Producer

5:19

Burdened by frustration and fear, the Goddess of Lightning cannot find meaning in what she does and suppresses her abilities. After hearing Lightning’s frustration, a nearby farmer helps her regain confidence in her powers by offering a different point of view.

Danielle Browne: Director/Writer/ Producer

Ambyr Michelle is an American actress, writer, and director. She recently recurred on the FX drama series Snowfall, as well as co-starred on comedy series #BlackAF for Netflix, Insecure for HBO and Games People Play for BET. Her first short film, Right Where You Need To Be (which she

MIN.

19:57 MIN.

wrote, produced, and starred in) won Best Drama at the Festigious International Film Festival, Honorable Mention for Best Drama Short at the Independent Shorts Awards, and Short Script Finalist at the California Women’s Film Festival. Ambyr wrote, directed, and produced her first feature film, Little Reminders which is currently on two major streaming services. The Little Girl Inside is Ambyr’s second short. She is a trained dancer and a graduate of the Performing Arts program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

THE PYRAMID CLUB & STUDIO 1517

expanded the persona and practice to explore the ever-shifting intersections of being a free Black woman in America. In 2018, she co-founded Studio 1517 with her husband and partner Joaquim (Wakeem) inside their historic apartment building. The pair has featured & collected works of burgeoning local artists to form The Hamilton Collection.

WINSTON

various major company campaigns. That experience inspired her to get behind the camera and embark on directing commercials and long form content.

WITH SALT

14:00 MIN.

What do you do when you learn Marion Anderson once stood in your living room? Black art, history and family converge in a North Philadelphia brownstone. Follow the Hamilton’s on a journey to uncover the past of their historic residence and join the quest for a safe space to house the future.

8:39 MIN.

A young Jamaican thief commits the unthinkable to survive, crushing his humanity in the process. Winston is a young man left without options by the society he strives to live in. Based on several incidents of murder in the LGBTQIA community in Jamaica, WINSTON unpacks how societal homophobia can affect the psyche and culture of the population.

Tanya E. Taylor: Director

Tanya E. Taylor, Karl O’Brian Williams: Writers

Tanya E. Taylor, Letitia Guillory: Producers

Intisar Hamilton: Director Scribe Video Center: Producer

Intisar (Ehn-ti-Sar) Hamilton is a North Philadelphia born & based, multi-disciplinary, contemporary artist. With the debut of (black) eve in 2016, Hamilton has

Tanya E. Taylor is a passionate director who hails from Jamaica. With almost two decades of production experience, she has developed over 400 hours of content. She made her transition to television after a three-year tenure in advertising, in which she served as a Creative Director for

When ambitious college student Natalie’s impromptu date takes an unexpected turn, silence is easier, but at what cost?

14:00 MIN.

Phyllis Bancroft: Director

Phyllis Bancroft is a talented filmmaker and director who pursued her passion for storytelling with just $500 when she moved from NYC to LA. Her recent success includes the awardwinning short film...with salt, which has been selected at over fifteen festivals and won Best Actress at The Culver City Film Festival. Phyllis’s impressive portfolio includes her role as Supervising Director for the Emmy-nominated web-series Send Me, creator/ producer of the BET Lens on Talent-winning SPENT, and director of BURNED, currently available on Tubi. She is also the CEO and Master Teaching Artist of Red Balloon Playroom, a 12-week film bootcamp for high school students. Drawing from her own experience as an adoptee and outlier, Phyllis creates films that connect with those searching for their own tribe.

BHERC Team

Sandra Evers-Manly, President

John Forbes, Executive Director

Stephene Johnson, Operations Director

Robert C. McCune, Youth Director

Billie Green, Secretary

Dr. Shirley Evers-Manly, Special Projects

Braylon McCune, Video and Logistics

Andretta Hamilton, Special Projects and Research

Anthony Richardson Communications

Richard Racklin, Editing

Lynne Connor, Media Consultant

Jacy Rodriguez, Social Media

Makayla McCune, Researcher

Festival Administration and Coordination

John Forbes

Ralph Scott

Cheryl Kemp

Alcee Walker

Odgen Bass, OB1 Films

Sean Daniels, DVR Productions

Cazzie Burns, Photography

Venus Bernardo, Photography

Paula White, Paula N. White Designs, Graphic Design

Armond Keys, Keys to Service, Catering & Craft Services

Sharreace E. Baldwin, SolShock Media

Jam Protective Services

Wendell Wiggins, Special Projects

Tiffany Massey, Social Media Volunteers

Carol Anderson

S. Torranio Berry

Keta Davis

Sihonn Dixon

Heidi Hill

Clifton Johnson

Marcia Lynne Johnson

Maude Johnson

Carolyn Maxwell

Ed Maxwell

Shadera McCune

Tracy Mitchell

Diane Mitchell Henry

Lawrence Tolliver

Tony Wafford

Mary Miller

Acknowledgements

All Filmmakers- Past and Present

All Program Participants

The Directors Guild of America

The Brotherhood Crusade

The Memorial Foundation

Los Angeles Sentinel

Los Angeles Wave Newspaper

Los Angeles Times

LA Focus

KBLA Radio

Pace News

The Loop 411

EUR

Suite Life SoCal Magazine

Copyland

LA Business Printing

Prisma Color, Brian Turner

Chafeh Graphics

Yes We Print

DCP For All

Raven Computers

Premier Office Space, Kym Sims & Miguel

Tolliver’s Barbershop

Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson

Dr. Lura Daniels Ball

Cora Fossett

Bruce Gordon

Tawana Tibbs

Fran Jermott

Jackie DuPont Walker

Gloria Pualani

Jackie Elam

Vicky Harper-Hall

Randy Bradley

Lloyd McKinney

Lillian Benson

Renard Jenkins

Larry Chatman

Record One

SEM Inspirationals

Debra Legans

Gwen’s Speciaty Cakes and Catering

Mothers In Action

Herb Sims

Kelly Redmond

Coffee Conversations with Greg J.