I’m a storyteller. A WGA writer since 1993, I’ve written scripts for John Singleton, Jodie Foster’s Egg Pictures, HBO, Showtime, and network television. You would think I’m pretty connected and should be able to finance a film easily. Right? Think again.
As a woman of color I was often hired to fill 2 EEOC slots, or because I push envelopes, creatively, trying to tell stories about our common humanity which include people of color and women as we see ourselves. Not the type of film traditionally championed in the studio system. Most writers in Hollywood are under 40 male and white, with intent. As I see it, the conversation from that source is pretty homogenous and certainly not reflective of me.
The images of women of color from that sector are urban, violent and objectified. I’m committed to seeding other images of women in our collective conversation.
I was union actor in my 20s, I became a mother in my 30s, a screenwriter in my 40s and at 50 I directed my first film starring David Strathairn, Melissa Leo and Giancarlo Esposito.
We financed it on good will, deferring most crew and our actors accepting the SAG ultra-low budget contract, credit cards, loans, and angels.
VANGUARD CINEMA INTERNATIONAL is distributing Racing Daylight worldwide and the Spiritual Cinema Circle has included us in their 2009 International compilation.
We are always exploring new and creative ways of getting our film to its target audience; women who like to think and the men who think with them.
Our next project, Slap&Tickle, is a coming of age story about a young woman of color in a multi-generational, multi-racial household in the depression era. It’s a charming look at a family.
The legendary Ruby Dee has said of the script:
“It is an engaging story, and its multigenerational focus and novel perspective on race complexities intrigues.”
