New Titles

'Shells', which had wrapped last summer, is having it's title changed to 'Monica, Monica'. It gives the movie a more intimate feel to the character.

'Monica, Monica' is set to be released online this November.

The other movie of mine that has been given a different title is 'All Things Considered', which is Part 1 to 'The Solitude Trilogy'. It is now called 'Nadine'.

'Clara' update

Putting the final touches on the upcoming drama 'Clara'. Maxine Antoine is the editor of this short movie. 'Clara' was filmed in early 2016. This is part 2 to what I am calling 'The Solitude Trilogy'. Part 1 was released in March 2016, now titled 'Nadine' (a.k.a. 'All Things Considered')

'Clara' follows a depressed, insomniac woman who has deliberately left her daughter and ex-boyfriend to live in her own hell by herself.

This is me and Nana Ponceleon's second collaboration. One of the best experiences for me as a director and dp.  Our first movie, still in post-production is 'Beautiful Women Live By Night', was our first.

'Clara' was filmed in one day and one night, with one camera, one location and one main actress.

More updates to come...

Book of Towers Pt. 9: The incomparable Nina Simone

Nina, Nina, what an incredible autobiography she released in 1991, titled 'I Put a Spell on You'. Not only did she live a prolific life as a singer, she was a survivor. She lived through some harsh times, went through various romantic relationships and battled with bipolar. She had a enstranged relationship with her daughter and had survived an abusive marriage. She speaks about her relationship with her dad and how much she admired him and how it turned sour later on after a certain incident. The book covers a good amount in its 176 pages.

She was very outspoken, an intense and captivating performer on stage. In her bio though you get to hear from her who trained her as a piano player, how she worked her way into the music scene; the many people she met and how she lived as a black woman in America when racial tension was very high.

One of the things that stuck out for me was how much she loved music, writing songs, singing it and how she was pushed to exhaustion while performing. Music was her anchor it seemed.

The book paces well which makes it engaging from page one!

Book of Towers Pt. 8: Lorraine Hansberry

'An informal autobiography' is stated on the front cover of the book 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black', rightly so. Lorraine Hansberry is easily one of the best writers we've had in America. I'm so happy I have read her autobio. What I found great and unique about it was that the book incorporated excerpts of her plays and interviews she gave during her great success with 'Raisin in the Sun' and letters that she has written to people so on. She was a big smoker, friends with many celebrities but here we get to read what she has written in her journal it seems-and her expressions are not always pleasant. You get the sense of her isolation and how it was like for her as a black woman in America-which she so wonderfully depicted in her literature. I didn't know she wrote opera as well (Toussaint). She was well educated and wanted others to know and tell about our (black people) culture.
She was the youngest of four children in Southside Chicago- 1930.
Nina Simone wrote a song about her-same title as the book.

'Genuine drama has a way of hiding out in the essences of scenes rather than in their trappings, i think.'

-L.H.

'Look at the work that awaits you! Write if you will, but write about the world as it is and as you thinkit ought to be and must be-if there is to be a world. Write about all the things that men have written about since the beginning of writing and talking-but write to a point. Work hard at it, care about it. Write about our people: tell their story. You have something glorious to draw on begging for attention. Don't pass it up. Use it...this nation needs your gifts. Perfect them!'

-Playwright (character in Hansberry's stageplay)

'There's always something to love. And if you ain't learned that, then you ain't learned nothing.'

-L.H.

'Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.'

-L.H.

Goodbye 2016

This has been a exciting year- I read a lot, watched over 90 new movies, wrote a couple of new short scripts, directed three short movies, released one short movie on Vimeo (which received really good responses), began writing two poem books (hoping to finish both next year)...next year I expect to be even better and hoping to direct a feature length movie of my own.

RISE AND GRIND PEOPLE, it's going to be an incredible New Year!!!

A film master's Birth

Just wanted to take out time to say happy birthday to a legendary film director, considered to be one of the greatest living directors around. Martin Scorsese. I had the honor in witnessing him direct on location, on Wall Street, in New York. He was directing Leonardo Dicaprio in 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. 

I've read plenty of books about him and consider him a inspiration (both of us are from New York), and at the age of 74 he is still going strong! God bless him :-)

Biblical Story in the works! (Part 2)

Back in Oct. 2014 I announced that I was going to write a stage play of 'Joseph' from the Bible. Since then I'd done a outline of the story. The more I visualize it and think of the vastness of the story and the order of events that I would like to tell it, it would work best on screen! Therefore, I will be writing a screenplay of the incredible life of Joseph.

More to come...