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First Fifteen

June 2, 2024

Feedback from Jonterri Gadson and Teresa Huang

ETTA LERAE written by Jana Naomi Smith (psychological drama feature)

After being denied access to the documentary subject of her dreams, a filmmaker goes to great lengths to convince an elder who doesn’t want to be bothered to be in her film, making questionable decisions along the way.     

Featuring Jerrika Hinton, Megan Mendoza, Emma Van Lare, Krystal Farris, Dana L. Wilson, Sabah Muhammad, Nicolas diPierro, and Gita Reddy

Jana Naomi Smith (she/her) is a Gary, Indiana-bred, writer, filmmaker, and cultural worker. She is the creator, writer, and director behind the Tribeca Selected, audio drama, Red for Revolution. Previously, Jana wrote the podcast Built to Last for American Express, hosted by Elaine Welteroth and featuring Issa Rae and Kimberly Drew. Her prose has appeared in Essence magazine. Additionally, she created the meditation series Relax, Relate, Release during the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring archival audio from Angela Davis, Debbie Allen, and Maya Angelou, among others. These projects each examine the intersection of Black womanhood, erased historiographies, and intergenerational healing. Throughout her career, she’s worked for the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, HBO, CBS, ABC, and POV Film. Jana is an alum of Ryan Murphy’s “Half Initiative.” She is also a recipient of the Ida B. Wells Disrupting the Master Narrative Award and has been a finalist for numerous screenwriting awards. Jana holds a BA in Film Studies from Sarah Lawrence College. Through all of her work, she strives to reflect the truth of our time while encouraging audiences to re-imagine our collective power for radical love and compassion. She is currently developing two features inspired by her latest existential crises.

NEGRO-TISM written by Aadrise Johnson (comedy pilot)

When Courtney Jones, the first daughter of Black Hollywood, is outed during her father’s Oscar press week, she and her family must navigate their fame amid scandal to maintain their status among the elite.

Featuring Courtney Gabrielle Williams, Ryan Michelle Bathé, Leonard A. Thomas, Michael Flood, Megan Mendoza, Jason T. Gaffney, James Mercer II, James Tang, Kaitlyn Foley, and Emma Van Lare

Aadrise Johnson is a comedy writer who was born in the Bronx but raised most of her life in Irving, Texas. Even though she tried her hardest to reject the Southern lifestyle, it melded into her New York grit. To cope with the changes moving caused, Aadrise created stories to escape a world where she didn’t fit in. A lot of her writing style and comedic humor stem from real-life situations mixed with the crippling anxiety that she might have peaked early. Being constantly told that you’re talented at a young age but growing up and realizing you might not be all that special does a number on a young Black woman. However, that doesn’t stop her from sharing her joy and pain through comedic stories of Black women just trying to exist. Aadrise likes to satirize Blackness in her work to celebrate, explore, and challenge Black Culture.

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First Fifteen

May 19, 2024

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. 

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First Fifteen

March 24, 2024

Feedback from Lauren Glover and Jonterri Gadson


UNSETTLING written by Sarah Jayne Brown (dark comedy pilot)

A 29-year-old woman struggling to no longer settle for the toxic abuse piled on by work, family, and relationships decides to hold herself accountable by making a pact: she will be a successful writer by age 30, or kill herself.

Featuring Courtney Gabrielle Williams, Andrew Elvis Miller, Nono Osuji, Gita Reddy, Erron Jay, Jennifer Apple, Christopher James Stevens, Rashawn Nadine Scott, and Chanell Bell

Sarah Jayne Brown specializes in the dark arts. Born and raised in Oakland CA, she is a Black & Jewish, Queer Feminist writer with a punk rock sensibility. Through horror and dark comedy, she exposes uncomfortable aspects of the human condition. Her stories are a blend of everyday modern life and the surreal. Born to a schizophrenic mother and raised by her grandparents, she grew up in a household where film and TV served as an escape. First, it was The Wizard of Oz at age five. Then it was The Exorcist at age eight. Then she discovered Paul Thomas Anderson, Stanley Kubrick, and Danny Boyle at age twelve and she knew she wanted a career in film and television. Sarah received her Bachelors in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University in 2015. In 2022, she placed in the Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition for FLESH & BONE, a body horror-comedy about a witch who conjures her dream boy, only to discover his body is rapidly decaying. Her TV pilot UNSETTLING recently placed in Launch Pad’s TV pilot competition and is being developed into a web series. Her latest script is a dark erotic drama titled UNICORN’S DILEMMA about a young woman navigating the ecstasy and horrors of polyamory culture.


SENIOR HIGH written by Tamika Simpkins  (comedy pilot)

When Miss Teacher, a 25 year long high school teacher, who has always had a passion to educate and empower students, gets fired due to her old school and unorthodox-ed methods, she gets a rare opportunity to empower another generation of students, who all happen to be in the senior citizen club. 

Featuring Kimberly Hébert, Lee Sherman, Christopher James Stevens, Amy Scribner, Leah Bass-Baylis, Laura Jacobson, Alberto Isaac, Kim Estes, Shirley Jordan, Conni Marie Brazelton, and Rashawn Nadine Scott

Philadelphia-native Tamika Simpkins has shared her acting talents on stage, film, TV, and behind the mic. She holds a double major Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Information Science, and African-American Studies. Now LA based after losing a bet to a friend, she is driven to tell stories to make you laugh, think, reflect, and inspire.

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First Fifteen

February 4, 2024

Feedback from Rochée Jeffrey and Ben Smith

SWITCH written and directed by Jonterri Gadson (comedy pilot)

A half-hour, dark comedy about a wealthy Black woman who fulfills her revenge fantasies by using a mysterious switch in her house to control her ignorant neighbor’s luck.

Featuring Toccarra Cash, LaNisa Frederick, Jonathan Grey, Kimberly Hollkamp-Dinon, Janson Lalich, Amy Scribner, Tamika Simpkins, Tyee Tilghman, and Jamila Webb    

Jonterri Gadson is a former creative writing professor who chose TV over tenure. She is currently a writer on Viacom’s EVERYBODY STILL HATES CHRIS and before that was a writer on Netflix’s THE UPSHAWS. She has been a staff writer on HBO’S A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, NBC’s MAKING IT with Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW and Adult Swim’s half-hour comedy BIRDGIRL. Additionally, she was a Comedy Consulting Producer on 12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS (Max) writing comedic host copy for Natasha Rothwell and a writer for NBC’s ULTIMATE SLIP ‘N SLIDE, writing comedic host copy for Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches. She won Kevin Hart’s LOL Film Fellowship for a short she wrote and directed which premiered at the American Black Film Festival.

Rochée Jeffrey is a graduate of Howard University and a writer/director who hails from Jamaica and lives in Los Angeles. As a television writer, her credits include Golden Globe-nominated comedy series SMILF (Showtime), Woke (Hulu), Bigger (BET+), and co-executive producer of grown-ish (freeform). As a Film Independent Project Involve Fellow, she wrote the award-winning and Oscar-qualifying short film Suitable, which was a finalist in the American Black Film Festival HBO Competition and premiered on HBO in February 2019. Rochée also wrote and directed Mr. Talented, a short film which screened at the Austin Film Festival and competed for the HBO Award at the Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival. She recently directed an independent television pilot starring David Arquette. In 2018, she was selected for the Viacom Emerging Directors Program.

Her feature directorial debut Not Your Average Queen was selected for the 2021 Film Independent Screenwriting Lab and the 2021 WIF/Sundance Financing Intensive. The film is executive produced by legendary feminist author and icon Roxane Gay, Killer Films, and Valerie Steinberg. She has an adult animated series executive produced by Lizzo set up at Tomorrow Studios. She’s also the creator/executive producer of a half-hour series for Netflix executive produced by Megan Thee Stallion, Jay-Z, and Imagine. She also co-created, co-wrote, and directed an upcoming narrative podcast series for Audible that is produced by Broadway Video and stars Sam Richardson, Method Man, Rachel Dratch, Tichina Arnold, and Richard Kind. Rochée is a graduate of the 2022 WGA Showrunner Training Program. She’s represented by APA and Tantrum Management.

Ben Smith grew up in a small Massachusetts town, where he lived with his parents, his sister, his grandfather, and their barn-full of farm animals. Evenings were spent watching Boston sports, not scripted television. Hollywood wasn’t on anyone’s mind. He wanted to be a professional basketball player or a Supreme Court Justice. Maybe it’s not so surprising he ended up a writer — he clearly had quite the imagination. Since moving to LA, Ben has written for a handful of shows, most recently Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, where he serves as a Co-Executive Producer.

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First Fifteen

November 12, 2023

Feedback from Kemiyondo Coutinho and Jonterri Gadson

PANCAKES & WAFFLES written by Monet Mike (comedy pilot)

Fresh out of high school, Gillian Scott accepts a job at a local diner not knowing its colorful staff would start as wild strangers but morph into a unique family she didn’t know she needed.

Featuring Iliana Rivera, Brooks Brantly, Conni Marie Brazelton, Candace Thomas, Oneké Cummings, Elena Campbell Martínez, Jernard Burks, Rod McLachlan, Jerome Beck, Peter Pasco, and Courtney Gabrielle Williams

Monet Mike is a writer, producer, and director from Decatur, Georgia. As a screenwriter, Monet’s mission is to carefully craft stories through a multi-perspective lens that humanizes people and concepts society often avoids in conversation and lifestyle. As an independent filmmaker, Monet began Glory James Productions to produce original series and features that invigorate minds and cultivate conversations with the goal of positively impacting our local and global community through art with purpose.

THE NO DAY written by Gita Reddy & Jessica Jiji (comedic short film)

It’s show — or rather, international conference — time! and a fed-up assistant mistaken for several of the eccentric attendees plays along at the risk of missing the chance to connect with the one person who actually gets her.

Featuring Ellen D. Williams, Napoleon Tavale, Jamila Webb, Peter Pasco, Ser Anzoategui, Elena Campbell Martínez,  Tamika Simpkins, Newton Kaneshiro, Alberto Isaac, and Karen Huie

As a writer and director, Gita Reddy is drawn to the charismatic complexities and intrinsic humor of large ensembles. Plus, they’re never boring! She started out on the opposite end, in solo-ish writing and performing, and has been published in Tokens?: The NYC Asian American Experience On Stage (Temple University Press) also receiving a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts. As an actor, you may know her from I Think You Should Leave, All Rise, and recurrings on Never Have I Ever, Orange Is the New Black, The Mindy Project, Marvel’s Iron Fist, and Adam Ruins Everything. Voiceover includes the Indie Spirit award-winning 7 Days and the Oscar-winning Zootopia. Theatre acting credits include: Sundance Lab, Getty Villa, Old Globe, City Theatre (Pittsburgh), Mixed Blood (Minneapolis) and in NYC: Cherry Lane, Target Margin and Clubbed Thumb. Training includes the Public’s Shakespeare Lab; improv at iO West, Magnet and UCB; and a fellowship with New York Theatre Workshop in Casting and Artistic Management. She was born in Canada, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, has an M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University, and loves watching the hummingbirds get all territorial in her tiny garden.

Jessica Jiji grew up in New York City roaming the streets to the shock and fury of her Arab father, who came from a time and place where women never left the house without a veil and a man. But he also passed along a deep appreciation for the wondrous aspects of Arab culture that she now cherishes. She eventually honored her refugee father by returning to his lost homeland — Iraq — as a speechwriter for the UN Secretary-General. Working at the United Nations has convinced her entertainment contributes as much to peace as diplomacy. The author of three published novels (two translated into Italian), she studied screenwriting with Roadmap Writers and Jill Chamberlain, earning the Page Gold Prize and other accolades. Skateboarding with her three sons is totally worth the nine-inch metal plate holding her arm together.

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First Fifteen

March 19, 2023

Feedback from Kerry Coddett and Kemiyondo Coutinho

ME, MYSELF, AND US by Keisha Bissram (dramedy feature)

An independent, on-the-road traveler returns to her hometown after fifteen years to learn about the life she left behind and the friends whose lives have been altered during her absence.

Featuring Krishna Smitha, Apoorva Gundeti, Samantha Cutaran, Lexi Graboski, Rafiq Batcha, Gita Reddy, Nikki Chawla, Napoleon Tavale, Alex Crow, and Hanjie Chow

Keisha Bissram, an actress and writer, is also known for producing her own stories highlighting unconventional day-to-day conflicts with a blend of relatable discomfort and comedic fashion. Born and raised in New York, Keisha relocated her life and career to Los Angeles, CA. After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing (a business degree was promised to her family) she immediately pursued her love for acting at the Barrow Group Theater in New York City.

After several years, she landed at the William Esper Studio to learn the Meisner technique in a two-year program. While attending classes, she performed in several commercials, theater, and short films, one notably known as The Woman in the Movie.

Keisha is a self-taught producer-writer with the success of completing and starring in her first seven-episode comedic web series, Conversations in Apartment 3A. She continues to produce short skits such as Simple Life with Tammy and The Note to cultivate her craft as a creative.

I CLASS by Mildred Inez Lewis (dramedy pilot)

When former Vine star Savannah Jackson Velez loses her last influencer gig, she’s forced to substitute teach in an alternative high school with a bunch of earnest oddballs she would never be caught dead with in real life.

Featuring Candice Ramirez, Leonard A. Thomas, Lee Sherman, Georgina Navarro, Susan Louise O’Connor, Joi Elise Little, Phil Idrissi, Torie Tyson, Nicola Rinow, and   Rashawn Nadine Scott

MIDLRED INEZ LEWIS writes and directs for theater, film, and the digital space. Her script UNBOWED played at the Palm Springs, Pan African, American Indian, and Jamerican film festivals, and then ran on ENCORE/Starz. She wrote and directed LEFT which played at the San Francisco and Santa Barbara Black film festivals. She also wrote and directed CAN ALSO PLAY! which appeared at Outfest and Outfest Fusion. A hybrid digital piece GHOSTS OF BLACKNESS was commissioned by the National Black Theatre/Harlem9 and Lucille Lortel Foundation. She is in pre-production for MIRROR, a horror short featuring Ephraim Lopez.

Mildred earned a producing MFA from UCLA’s film school where she won a Samuel Goldwyn Creative Writing Award for an original screenplay. She continued her education with the Producers Guild of America Power of Diversity Workshop. She put that training to use as co-founder of The Fox Lewis Project which produced digital corporate content and the ETIQUETTE comedy web series which was invited to HollyFest.

Mildred has written two fiction podcasts: MEETS PRINCE, LOVES FROG for Feminist Fairytales’ first season and $10 AND A TAMBOURINE for Antaeus Theatre’s Zip Code series. That series was nominated for a 2021 Ambie Award.

Her work for theater includes the 2022 comedy THE MUSEUM ANNEX at Central Works (Berkeley, CA). Her short play WE JUMP BROOM was a finalist for the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway festival and Best of PlayGround-LA. In 2018, she was part of Humanitas’ PLAY LA.

Publications include THE GIFT and /KOM’PLISIT/ with Broadway Play Publishing. WE JUMP BROOM is in Smith & Kraus’ 2023 Best Ten-Minute play collection.

THE BLACK GIRLS’ GUIDE TO CORP AMERICA by Keisha Wright and Amber Wynn (dramedy pilot)

Marketing executive Gabrielle Wynn and her mentees navigate corporate America with the help of her Black Girl’s guide to success.

Featuring Kimberly Hébert, Rashawn Nadine Scott, Brittany Bellizeare, Nicola Rinow, Susan Louise O’Connor, Rod McLachlan, and Courtney Gabrielle Williams

Keisha Wright is a marketing exec by day and a passionate writer by night. She is SVP of Partnerships & Purpose at THINK450, the partnership and innovation engine of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the union for all current NBA players. In her 15+ years as a marketing executive, expert brand strategist, and former youth trend analyst, she has contributed to trade publications, presented at industry conferences on the topic of youth culture, and generated millions of dollars in revenue for sports and entertainment properties through strategic partnerships with consumer brands. Before THINK450, Keisha held positions at Vox Media, InStyle, the Brooklyn Nets, Macy’s, MTV Networks, and the NBA, creating integrated marketing campaigns comprised of branded content, cause marketing, and experiential activations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a master’s degree from Pepperdine University.

Amber Wynn is the author of several books, from fiction titles such as A Soft Place to Fall, The Waiting Place, and For Such a Time As This; to the nonfiction how-to, The Rules of Engagement: A Sistah’s Guide to Navigating Corporate America, on which her pilot The Black Girls’ Guide is based. The Black Girls’ Guide is one of Amber’s two book-to-screen adaptations, the other being The Waiting Place, both co-written with her ride-or-die, Keisha Wright. A philanthrepreneur by day, Amber supports the most amazing people on the planet (Black nonprofit leaders), but her happy place is in a quiet space (Miguel crooning in the background) crafting unputdownable novels with sexy plot twists and complex Black characters. Amber received a bachelor’s degree in English from Loyola Marymount University and a master’s degree in public administration from CSU Los Angeles.

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First Fifteen

December 11, 2022

Holiday reading of 3rd Rock Realty written by Alex Ubokudom and directed by Tyee Tilghman

3RD ROCK REALTY by Alex Ubokudom

An animated situation comedy that centers on a Black female real estate agent, Patrice Ewing, who is trying to sell apartments in Harlem during an alien invasion so she can keep up her expensive lifestyle.

Featuring Brooks Brantly, Blair Busbee, June Carryl, Toccarra Cash, Gilbert Chayrez-Chavarria, David Jacobs, Elena Campbell-Martínez, Lakisha May, Rod McLachlan, Andrew Elvis Miller, and Alex Morris.

Alex Ubokudom is an actor, writer, producer, and teacher. He just recently moved to LA from New York City where he performed in many Off-Broadway productions. He also trained and performed improv and sketch comedy at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade and the People’s Improv Theater. His online satirical comedy series BOK TV has been featured on Huff Post and Blavity. Catch him on the newly released Audible graphic novel WAKE with DeWanda Wise, Chante Adams, and Jerri Johnson. He’s also a professor of acting at Chapman University.

Tyee Tilghman is an actor, filmmaker, and teaching artist. He is a storyteller and a lover of language. Voices ranging from the classical brilliance of Shakespeare, the earthy undertones of Zora Neale Hurston, the quick wit of Aaron Sorkin, and the strength of street knowledge demonstrated in the lyrical calculus of Black Thought, are the fuel that feeds his passion to create. Mr. Tilghman holds an MFA in acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and a BFA in drama from West Virginia University. His film & TV credits include Blindspotting (Starz), Baskets (FX), Reacher (Amazon Prime), Party of Five (FreeFormTV), A Deadly Lullaby(Lifetime), Criminal Minds (CBS), I’m Dying Up Here(Showtime), and American Nightmares. Tyee has been a stage actor for 18 years, and was most recently seen as George Page in Merry Wives of Windsor (Folger Library). Other select theatre credits include Our Very Own Carlin McCullough(Geffen Playhouse), Skeleton Crew (Studio Theatre), Gem of the Ocean and Fences (Marin Theatre Company), Spunk! and The Winter’s Tale (California Shakespeare Theatre), A Raisin in the Sun (DCPA), and Three Sisters (Chautauqua Theatre Company).

He recently designed a Shakespeare workshop focused on teaching empathy to non-actors, and created Demystifying Shakespeare, for professional actors in Los Angeles, to “take the fear out of Shakespeare.” Tyee also has taught at Identity School of Acting: Los Angeles, Denver Center Theatre Academy, Living History & Neighborhood Bridges (also through DCTA), A Noise Within, P.S. Arts, B.R.I.D.G.E. Theater Project, City Hearts: Kids Say Yes to the Arts, and InterAct Story Theatre.

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First Fifteen

November 20, 2022

Feedback from Kemiyondo Coutinho and Jonterri Gadson

AMERICAN DEBT by Jeta Stephens (dramedy pilot)

Two pre-rich bankers learn that their employer is plotting to bankrupt their neighborhood and take matters into their own hands.

Featuring Akilah Walker, Selina Scott-Bennin, Andrew Elvis Miller, Gita Reddy, and Cassandra Hunter

Jeta Stephens shares her birthday with Dr. Angela Davis and Ms. Anita Baker. She considers herself a hybrid of both women, sent here to serenade with her storytelling while radically advocating for Black people. Hailing from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Jeta studied public relations and Spanish at Temple University. She entered the filmmaking world with her travel documentary series, Global Lipstick, which she wrote, co-produced and co-hosted. In this series, she managed productions and crews in the United States, Spain, and United Arab Emirates. Her perspective on art, America, and money shifted while working as a banker. It’s there that she decided to merge the world of art and finance and became a financial storyteller. Jeta resides in LosAngeles. She spends her time writing dramedies, creating music, and providing financial education. Her wildest dream is for Black people to be financially free.

COLORISM: A VERY DARK COMEDY by Nono Osuji (comedic short film)

Zora must fight for her place, professionally and personally, in a world judging her by the shade of her skin. In a hidden prejudice of colorism, she must maintain her self-worth.

Featuring Jessica Obilom, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Gita Reddy, Asia Lynn Pitts, Cassandra Hunter, Lawnyae Marie, Hank Chen, Jasmine Shanise, Alex Ubokudom, Jarric Tucker, Jennifer Stoneking, and Kenneisha Thompson

Nono Osuji is an actor turned filmmaker and writer. She is a first-generation American born to Nigerian, Igbo parents who have recently forgiven her for not going to medical school. She studied communication science disorders and minored in performing arts at Saint Louis University. While living in NYC, she attained her Master of Arts from the New School University in media and film. She has worked for ABC and PBS on award-winning documentaries, and in the multi-media space with fortune 500 companies such as Tiffany and Co., Estee Lauder, and L’Oreal USA, as well as with smaller companies and individual artists. She was also a writer for the second season of the series WASHED streaming on Amazon, and now works for corporate entities such as AT&T and Warner Media as a creative producer and writer for podcasts, conferences, videos, and other media content. As an actor, she is currently studying with Lesly Kahn and Associates and taking improv at The Stomping Ground Theater located in Dallas, TX. She is rewriting a pilot for a series she created and will be writing a real-life-inspired fiction book in 2023 She has never written a book so pray for her. Her free time is spent learning Spanish, cooking new cuisines, napping, and spending time with her friends and family with her karaoke mic in hand.

MERDE by Victoria Dunn (comedy pilot)

When former child star, Rachelle Stallings, hires a reality TV show crew to follow her failing theater company she puts the company and staff under a spotlight they weren’t prepared for. 

Featuring Kelly McCreary, Joy Brunson, Kimberly Hébert, Jon Gentry, Lexi Graboski, Alex Ubokudom, Alexander Crow, and Courtney Gabrielle Williams

Victoria Dunn is an actress and writer originally from Atlanta and currently based in Los Angeles. Dunn has worked and trained as an actress from a young age and can be seen in various commercials, web series, and heard in scripted podcasts and voiceover commercials. Weekly you can hear her as a co-host of the reality television recap podcast Fame Adjacent. Dunn worked behind the scenes in a myriad of jobs at a non-profit theater company in Atlanta and currently works on the production side for Disney-ABC Signature. She is currently in pre-production on her comedic web series Smiling Faces.

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First Fifteen

April 26, 2020

Feedback with Britt Matt, J. Lee, & Kemiyondo Coutinho

Unprofessionalism by Miles Brown (mockumentary web series)

A mockumentary style webseries about the daily life of inexperienced, unethical, and underqualified professionals.

Featuring Kyle Lee, @leonard, Alex Crow, Remy Ortiz, and Dani Woodson

BOY-Friends by Vladimir Versailles & Devere Rogers (comedy pilot)

Derek Duplesis is a cocky up and coming comedian who is winning- until his girlfriend publicly rejects his marriage proposal and he has an embarrassing drunken meltdown that goes viral. There to catch him are his three gay best friends. To save money and figure out his life, he moves in with JoJo, Tyrone, and George, reuniting their squad, Da BOYS. They end up teaching Derek what it means to be a man and the true meaning of love, brotherhood, shade, and all things fabulous.

Featuring Jude Vincent, Larry Powell, Tory Devon Smith, Hank Chen, Steven Strobel, Chivonne Michelle, and Rashawn Nadine Scott

Musical Guest: ArinMaya

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