Tea Talks with Tomeka Podcast

Diana Lesmez shared her journey through the entertainment industry. Along with being a filmmaker, she now uses her vast knowledge to help empower other filmmakers through consulting and coaching. 

 

A produced feature-film screenwriter and an award-winning filmmaker, Diana Lesmez is a Jane-of-all-trades with vast industry experience in production, development, acquisitions, distribution, physical production, film finance, business/legal affairs, as well as new media.  She wrote the adapted screenplay for the recently produced feature-film, THE JOURNEY AHEAD, starring Michael Madsen, and she produced the feature film, CULTURE  CLASS IN AMERICCA, directed by Emilio Estevez.   Previously, she served as President of Production at a mini-studio, Arenas Entertainment in partnership with Universal Pictures, and was the Head of Development for Patriot Pictures, and the industry liaison for Banque Paribas, a film financing institution.  Via her banner company, Bumptious Media Consulting, Diana offers one-on-one coaching and master classes with a specialty in pitching and mastering communication skills, producing, as well as screenwriting in the age of digital and social media.  

Born to a Nigerian father and Ivorian mother in Guymon, Oklahoma, Gladys Edeh has always been a lover of the arts right from the age of 13. Her love affair for film blossomed after watching the 1980's movie classic, "The God's Must be Crazy" with her dad. Her dream was to attend film school and begin her life as a filmmaker, but her father had other plans and wanted her to pursue a degree that would provide better job prospects. She moved from Kano State, Nigeria to Atlanta, GA in 1995 and attained a Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Film Studies at Kennesaw State University. Upon graduation, even though she worked in IT full time, she became an active member of the film community in the Atlanta area and participated in every film or video project she could find and performed in several roles such as a boom operator, background actor, production coordinator., production manager, etc. But in 2008, she formed KokoAtDawn Productions and produced her very first short film, 'But Mamah' which was screened at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in Atlanta, GA during the 48 Hour Film Project that year. In 2009, the film got selected to be part of the ION Film Festival which was hosted in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.   In subsequent years, she went on to produce fictional short films such as A Day in A Life, Go Fish, Lost Memory and Solemates. In 2012, she began to focus more on the documentary style of filmmaking which led to her directing, producing, filming and editing short form content for the web. This led to opportunities to capture celebrities such as Afrobeats singer and songwriter Lagbaja, AfroJazz/Folk Soul artist, Tosinger, British-Nigerian actor Wale Ojo, and Deyemi Okanlawon, a Nollywood Actor, and a host of other artists. Her latest short film, Mr. Gele: The Man.The Story.The Craft gave her access to profile the talented African headgear mastermind, Mr. Hakeem Oluwasegun Olaleye, also referred to as Segun Gele. "Mr. Gele" which is currently in the film festival circuit has been an official selection in the Sidewalk Film Festival, Cleveland Film Festival, African World Film Festival, CineOdyssey Film Festival, African New York Film Festival and the BronzeLens Film Festival where it received a nomination for Best Short in the Short Documentary category. It is also now airing on the Africa's first Global Black Entertainment & Lifestyle network, EbonyLife TV to over 49 countries in Africa.   As a filmmaker with an African heritage, one of her goals is to produce documentaries that showcase the multifaceted lifestyles and untold stories of Africans living in the diaspora. Her films are meant to capture, celebrate and share these stories that normally do not get the light of day on the global stage. She is currently working on creating a 13-episode documentary TV series, a fictional short film and a feature documentary. Gladys Edeh has been a resident of Atlanta, Georgia for over 20 years and currently lives with her husband and two kids.  

TOY LEI shares her journey of acting that led her to becoming a filmmaker. Toy was tired of being offered roles as a masseuse or nail technician. She took her career in her own hands by writing, directing and producing action films. 

TOY LEI has had a fascination with action films ever since her parents took her to Chinatown as a kid. They watched kung-fu movies every Saturday afternoon. After lamenting the lack of roles for Asian females over 30, she began writing, directing and producing her own projects. Her directorial debut, THE WEDDING, won her the Top 5 Women Filmmakers award from the Asian-American Film Lab and New York Women in Film and Television. BOXER, won not only Best Actress, Best Action and the Grand Prize at the 2015 Asian-American Film Lab 72-hr Shootout, but also won Awards of Merit from the highly competitive Accolade Global Competition for Short Film, Women Filmmakers and Leading Actress. It also won the Maverick Movie Award for Special Achievement in Stunts and a nomination from the Connect Film Fest for Best Drama. The film opened its fest run at the coveted Etheria Film Night and won Best Action. She has now expanded BOXER into a feature and has signed on Kristina Reed, a two-time Oscar winner, as Consulting Producer. BOXER was a finalist in the PGA Diversity Program. Her latest short she directed, TRANSITION, won the Jury Runner-up Prize in the Collaboration Filmmaker Contest.

A native of Tupelo, Mississippi, Tina Mabry graduated from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Film Production in 2005. A true hyphenate, Tina is a writer, director, and producer for television and film. Tina is currently a writer and produce on FOX's upcoming PROVEN INNOCENT.  She was a co-producer, writer, and director for the second season of USA's hit drama QUEEN OF THE SOUTH. Tina was also a producer, writer, and director on OWN's QUEEN SUGAR created by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey. Tina produced and directed MELODY 1963: LOVE HAS TO WIN, an American Girl special for Amazon Kids. The special earned Tina a DGA Award and a NAACP Award. Tina's other television directing credits include Netflix's DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, ABC's THE MAYOR, HBO's INSECURE, FX's POSE and STARZ's POWER.

In film, Tina began her career co-writing the feature screenplay ITTY BITTY TITTY COMMITTEE directed by Jamie Babbit. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2007 and won Best Feature Narrative at South by Southwest Film and Music Festival. Tina went on to write and direct her first feature film, MISSISSIPPI DAMNED, which garnered an impressive thirteen awards for participation in fifteen film festivals including awards for Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2009.The film premiered on Showtime Networks in February 2011. Tina has worked on a number of short films, including her first film, the award-winning BROOKLYN'S BRIDGE TO JORDAN, which screened at more than fifty film festivals worldwide and aired on Showtime Networks, LOGO and Centric. Most recently, Tina wrote revisions for George Tillman Jr.'s upcoming feature at FOX 2000's, THE HATE U GIVE, based on the best-selling novel of the same name, written by Angie Thomas. She is also writing CODE OF SILENCE for Madison Wells Media Studios, formerly OddLot Entertainment. 

Tina was named among the "25 New Faces of Independent Film" in Filmmaker Magazine in July of 2009 and was recognized by Out Magazine as one of the most inspirational and outstanding people of the year. She was featured in the Advocate magazine as part of their "Top Forty Under 40" issue, which features the top 40 individuals who are raising the bar in their respective fields. Tina has participated in several talent development programs including Film Independent's Writers' Lab, Tribeca Film Institute's All Access, and Sundance's Screenwriters Intensive.

www.morgansmark.com

twitter.com/TinaMabry

www.instagram.com/tinamabry/

Photo Credit: Ashly Convington

 

Lous Simon shares her journey as a filmmaker. We talk about her latest film, 3 AN EYE FOR AN EYE. 

Writer, producer and director, Lou Simon was born in Cuba.  At age nine her family immigrated to the U.S. to escape the communist regime. Lou started writing short stories at the age of 10 and eventually found her way back to her writing in 2010. In 2011, Lou went on to write, direct and produce her first feature film.  Never having been on a film set before, this was, in essence, her film school.  Since then, Lou has written, produced and directed four feature films in four years:  "HazMat," "Agoraphobia," "All Girls Weekend" and "3."  The first 3 of these films have obtained distribution in various territories throughout the world. The last film is just starting the festival circuit. Her films have also won several awards at various film festivals, and Lou, herself, has won Best Director. 

Hanelle M. Culpepper is an energetic and unflappable award-winning television and film writer/director whose visual, story-driven films have played in festivals around the world and on television. Last year, she made history by being the first African-American woman to direct for the Star Trek franchise. Her Parenthood episode was chosen by the producers to represent the series for Emmy consideration.  And in 2015, Hanelle was nominated for an Image Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.

Hanelle has directed numerous episodes of television for all the networks. She has directed movies for Lifetime including Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer, a feature starring Amanda Schull (Center Stage, Suits, One Tree Hill), Michael Nouri (Flashdance), Coby Ryan McLaughlin, Anne Ramsay (Mad About You), James Avery (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and featuring Gina Gershon; Murder on the 13th Floor starring Tessa Thompson (For Colored Girls) and Sean Patrick Thomas (Save The Last Dance, The District); and the suspenseful good twin/bad twin feature Deadly Sibling Rivalry starring Charisma Carpenter (Buffy, Angel), Christa B. Allen (Revenge) and Kyle Richards (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).

Hanelle's first feature, the supernatural thriller Within, starring Sam Jaeger (Parenthood), Brent Sexton (The Killing), and featuring Aisha Hinds (True Blood, Detroit 1-8-7), won Outstanding Feature Film at the Big Bear Horror Film Festival. Produced and distributed by Bigfoot Entertainment, Within premiered on Lifetime in July 2010, ranking as the network's #2 program of the week. It continues to air frequently on both Lifetime and LMN.

A native of Alabama, Hanelle graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Economics and French from Lake Forest College in suburban Chicago. For graduate studies, she earned a Master's degree at USC's Annenberg School. While at USC, she worked behind the scenes on multiple student film projects in positions from PA to producer.

Following her graduation from USC, Hanelle assisted Academy Award winning screenwriter Callie Khouri on her directorial debut, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Hanelle was selected for the FIND Screenwriters Lab, Bill Cosby's Screenwriting Program, AFI's Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) and NBC's Directing Initiative.

Hanelle's DWW short A Single Rose won numerous awards and screened at film festivals worldwide, including the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, and was a semi-finalist for an Academy Award nomination in the Best Shorts category. Hanelle directed several more shorts that screened in festivals, on television and even on airplanes and hospitals.

Hanelle is represented by Verve talent agency. Her manager is Adesuwa McCalla at Metamorphic Entertainment.

Shanice Williamson discusses her journey from PA to Art Department Coordinator in just a short time. She heard about THE BOBBY BROWN STORY and she made a declaration to be on the show. She got a the job on The Bobby Brown Story by seeing a post on Facebook for Set Decoration PA. Shanice's work ethic quickly launched her career in TV. 

Born in Queens and raised between Queens and Irving, TX (DFW area), I'm a dreamer, a dream-chaser and a doer. l'm a recovering legal industry vet, walking away from law and jumping into the film and television industry - on the ground floor! Leading up to the big leap, I wrote, directed and produced a short dramatic film entitled Waiting Room and a comedy web series entitled All That Shabaz. I'll soon direct a suspense short written by another awesome screenwriter entitled Potted Meat. I'm freelancer in the film and television industry, working in the Art Department. Check my credits by clicking the IMDB button below!

http://www.shanicewilliamson.com

Marlene Rhein was born into a dysfunctional family one spring in New

York City.  Although she always felt socially awkward, comedy and

creativity became her salvation and eventually her career.  After

attending Ithaca College on a Rod Serling Screenwriting Scholarship,

she went to LA with $40 in her pocket and wound up directing hip hop

videos, including 2Pac's last with a quarter of a million dollar

budget at the age of 26.  She would go on to direct music videos for

Amy Winehouse, an award-winning, self-starring comedy short film "Let

Me Tell You A Story," and eventually return to NYC where she shot her

first feature, "The Big Shot-Caller," which was theatrically released

in '09, reviewed by the New York Times and acclaimed by critic Kam

Williams, who called it "an appealing little gem of an indie which

marks the impressive debut of Marlene Rhein as a writer, director and

actor."  Marlene was chosen by Filmmaker Magazine as one of their "Top

25 New Faces of Independent Film."  In addition to developing her next

feature film project, Marlene has created several comedy web series

including "My Parents Are Crazier Than Yours," "Angry Gladys," and "I

Don't Care About the Assholes, with Dr. Rita Gatswani."  After being

left broken-hearted by her last love affair, she created "The So-So

You Don't Know" to feel better.

She resides in NYC with her rescued Pit Bull, Luigi.

Rachel Goldberg is an award-winning filmmaker who had her TV directing debut with AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT and recently directed on THE MAYANS. She has been supported by the Sundance/Women in Film Financing Initiative for her feature, TRANSFORMATION AWAITS, based on the short film, NEIGHBORS, starring Kelli Garner (SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE) and Edi Gathegi (TWILIGHT). NEIGHBORS was created through AFI's prestigious Directing Workshop for Women. She also helmed the short film MUTED, about media discrepancy when a child of color goes missing, starring Chandra Wilson (GREY'S ANATOMY) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (SNEAKY PETE) which sold to HBO. She was selected for the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program, the We for She Direct Her Program, FOX Global Directors Initiative, the AFI/FOX Studio Directors Initiative, Film Independent's Project: Involve and the Ryan Murphy HALF Foundation. As a writer, Rachel has been recognized by the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, the Academy's Nicholl Fellowship, Cinestory Foundation, Rhode Island International Film Festival and more. Rachel earned her MFA in Directing for Film and Theater from the California Institute of the Arts and her BA in Theater and Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Website: http://rachelgoldbergdirector.com/

https://www.facebook.com/rachelgoldbergdirector

 

Amy Adrion is a director and writer whose work has screened at the Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca and Los Angeles Film Festivals, been broadcast on PBS and MTV, and won numerous awards including a Directors Guild of America (DGA) Student Film Award and an Impact Award at the Through Women's Eyes Film Festival in 2018. A graduate of the MFA film directing program at UCLA, with an undergraduate degree in Literature and Theology from Georgetown University, Amy has worked in independent film production and distribution, as a producer on awards shows and as a festival programmer.  HALF THE PICTURE, Amy's debut feature, had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 and includes interviews with prominent female film and television directors.  Amy grew up in Hillsdale, New Jersey and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.   Amy and I chat about Amy's new documentary, HALF THE PICTURE where she interviews 29 directors including: Ava Duvernay, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jill Soloway, Lena Dunham, Patricia Riggen, Sam Taylor-Johnson just to name a few.   Currently women represent 4% of the working directors in Hollywood. The movie is now available on iTunes!    https://www.halfthepicture.com   https://www.facebook.com/halfthepicture/ https://twitter.com/halfthepicture https://www.instagram.com/halfthepicture/