Feedback from Jonterri Gadson and Rochée Jeffrey
URBAN UPTAKE by Kenisha Morgan (Afrofuturism short)
After Ayanna Bell gets fired, she stumbles onto a digital world called Urban Uptake, a place for women like her.
Featuring Jasmine Ashanti, Nicolas diPierro, LaNora Terraé Hayden, sola bamis, Tehana Weeks, Stephanie Rocío, and Gita Reddy
Kenisha Morgan is originally from Atlanta, GA. To be more specific, she is from College Park, GA and East Point, GA. Nonetheless, she is an actress that became tired of waiting for opportunities; so, she decided to create them. She is a proud alumna of Northwestern University’s theatre program in Evanston, IL and the Atlantic Acting School’s Evening Conservatory program in NYC. Last year, Kenisha became a Stowe Story Lab 2023 alumnus. During the pandemic, she co-wrote a virtual production, No Justice, and won several accolades for the best virtual production at The WTFringe21 Festival & The Women’s Theatre Festival. No Justice was accepted to the Central Illinois 2021 Black Lives Black Words Festival and it was published in the BLBW anthology. Currently, she is writing a series. Her pilot for the series made it to the quarterfinals for Filmmatic – Inroads Fellowship Season 6. When not writing or acting, she works as a Low Code/No Code developer. She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, friends, family, and her plants. Kenisha is a plant mom. Her experience in tech fuels her writing to focus on sci-fi and put people of color and women in these roles.
ORNITHOMANCY by Marquis “The Honey Bear” Wright (absurdist comedy short)
Minutes before an interview for his dream job, an anxious man who bases his major decisions on the flight pattern of birds, confronts the most important people in his life.
Featuring Henry Alexander Kelly, Jerome Beck, Christopher Horice Jr., Gracie Fojtik, Shirley Jordan, and Isaiah Dòdó-Williams
Marquis “The Honey Bear” Wright is a Northwest Emmy Award-nominated producer for his work on the PBS Kids’ show Molly of Denali. He is a screenwriter and playwright, with three produced plays under his belt: Ricochet, Ornithomancy: the practice of reading omens through the flight patterns of birds, and Getting Distance. Besides writing, Marquis channels his comedy through stand up and Upright Citizen Brigade improvisation. He loves comedy about the intersections of blackness, queerness, body positivity, and the ex-religious experience. During his time as an Editor at WEBTOON Entertainment, he worked on 24 web comic book series. In addition to writing Ornithomancy, he will be producing and lead acting in the short film this year.
Marquis is a Mr. Bear Los Angeles 2023 title winner and a Southland Honors Cultural Arts Award winner for his contribution to the Los Angeles queer community. In addition to his charitable club event, “Black Bear Joy” at the Eagle LA, he has also co-hosted popular programming at Precinct DTLA, such as Fat Slut, Club Chub, and Howl. Armed with his “Honey Bear” brand of yellow fashion, he aims to uplift black queer people to feel an unapologetic sense of belonging in the LA nightlife scene. He is represented by Queer Up Talent.
