In the latest episode of Create Beyond Sunday, host Shivawn Mitchell and her guest Franceli Chapman Varela discuss handling criticism as a creative while being led by your faith. Franceli expresses her desire to tell stories that reflect her experiences as a Spanish-speaking black woman and explore themes of identity, faith, and resilience.
In this episode, you will hear more about:
Moving to Hollywood and maintaining her faith
Immerse yourself in the complicated interplay between history, culture and media interpretation.
Taking a role in a film that she knew she would be criticized for.
Stories that are important for her to tell and representation.
Finding your creative community in HollywoodMeet Franceli, an Afro-Latina (Dominican) Artivist. Activism and art were bound to come together for Franceli, by the age of 7 she began to teach dance with her father and at 8 went to her first protest when the KKK were staying on school grounds close by to her home at the time. This former on-air personality at 91.1 FM has
been seen hosting on Afterbuzz TV, Black Hollywood Live, and Uno Dos Tres Television. As an actor/activist she uses her voice to speak on panels and protests on the need for inclusion/diversity in Hollywood. She has covered and written for Houston Style Magazine, Broadway Black, Soul Essence Magazine and has been featured in the NY TIMES, Amsterdam News, CNN, Telemundo. She worked with Latina Show-runner Tanya Saracho in the writer's room for Brujas on Starz. Semi-Finalist in 2018 and then winner in 2019 of the Restoration Art & Frank Silvera Writer’s Workshop 50for50 Letters to Our Daughter’s contest curated by Tony-Nominated writer, Dominque Morriseau. Her play, "A Work in Progress" was produced at the Castillo Theatre for the Young Playwrights Festival.
Meet Shivawn, the author of two Books, Producer of Podcasts and owner of SM Productions + Create Beyond Sunday. After attending film school for screenwriting Shivawn assisted in developing and implementing the visual brand and identity of many businesses. Since committing to her filmmaking career, she has gone on to work on production teams that have won the accolades of the “Official Winner of Women’s Only Entertainment Film Festival, Top Indie Film Award and more.” Shivawn is the recipient of the 2021 ACHI Magazine Playwright of the Year and nominated for Podcast of the Year 2022. Her work has been seen on PBS, Essence Festival, Amazon Prime and more. Want to support us beyond the podcast? Did you enjoy this episode?
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CELIHANGOUT