There are levels to the craft, something fitness mogul and songwriter-turned filmmaker Barry Jay and Emmy-winning television and film professional Mike Manning understand well. The two recently appeared on So Booking Cool to promote their new multi-award-winning film The Way Out, which is now available on digital, demand, and DVD.
With The Way Out being his third film, Jay decided to take a bit of a different approach. “People … Read the rest
What would you do if shortly after losing your job you receive an offer to hack into a computer for $5 million? This concept is explored in the new British heist film The Pay Day (Vertical Entertainment, November 11). The post-pandemic story was developed and written by award-winning actors Sam Benjamin and Kyla Frye, who co-star in the movie as Jennifer and George.
“It’s a working class tale about characters … Read the rest
From books and journalism to filmmaking, Stacie Davis Hamilton has been a storyteller for many years. The likes of Mildred D. Taylor (Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry), Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun), and Barbara Park (Junie B. Jones) were early inspirations, especially the latter who she credits for introducing her to writing. A pivotal moment in her journey came during her … Read the rest
In the wake of the pandemic and social unrest, Rudeboy’s Restaurant filmmaker Philipp Yaw has turned to art. “I think like a lot of African American people, we’re not unfamiliar with struggle,” he tells So Booking Cool. “And so, I think I’ve kind of been raised and trained from a young age to take the hurt, take the pain, and channel that into something.” During his childhood, he utilized his … Read the rest
2020 Creative Emmy-winner Nena Erb, ACE (Insecure, Little America, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) has embraced mentorship and networking during quarantine and recommends that creatives do the same. “I would take advantage of this time,” she tells So Booking Cool. “Reach out to anybody whose work you admire and see if they’ll have a little Zoom coffee with you. We’re all kind of hanging out. It’s a really good time … Read the rest
Actor Justin Hurtt-Dunkley (HBO’s Mare of Easttown) sees the value in reading multiple genres. He finds novels to be a form of entertainment. “Reading a novel just opens up my imagination a little bit more,” he tells So Booking Cool. “So I’m not seeing this character they’re describing on the screen, I’m creating it in my head, so I think that’s good. I can get exercise for … Read the rest
“There is no direct path to being a director, which is ironic,” Angelfish (2019) filmmaker Peter Lee tells So Booking Cool in support of his debut feature film, starring rapper Princess Nokia and Jimi Stanton (The Punisher, Wu-Tang: An American Saga).
Lee’s interest in film began in his youth, which involved the tradition of going to the “cinema” or “the movies” (he admits he is still … Read the rest
