Pan African Film Festival 2020 – Black Boy Joy
Black Boy Joy is about three generations of black men struggling to juggle the demands of raising a young son with autism while adapting to their new normal after the death of a loved one.
Interview with Director Martina Lee
Watch Black Boy Joy on Prime Video and hulu
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to make this film because I love to explore character arcs by investigating tough interpersonal family relationships.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film if you want to see a nuanced look of black fathers being vulnerable.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Toxic Masculinity, Fatherhood, Loss, Autism are key topics of this film, but underneath it all, its a story about love.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The fundamental elements of the story stayed the same throughout the filmmaking process. Once we were in the editing process we ended up taking out dialogue in some of the scenes. When it comes to portraying men and their emotions less is more. Portraying the character of Otis and Miles with less dialogue was always something I felt landed much stronger. The last scene, in particular, I shot with no dialogue.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been great. It's great to know that people have been moved to tears.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
This story is a film made by and for black people, but the emotions and themes in it are universal.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love for people to come and see the film! Check out where it is screening. www.blackboyjoyfilm.com
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We would love to have film festivals and journalists to help amplify the film's message.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope that this is a film that doesn't just move people to tears but hopefully something that sticks with them in their hearts and in their spirits.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What does masculinity look like when is rooted in love and compassion? How do we raise our black boys in a world that has been pre conditioned to fear them?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Writer, Michelle Sam just wrapped a shooting feature film that she wrote and directed. Producer, Nasir Kenneth Ferebee is producing a feature set to shoot later this year. Producer, Jhanvi Motla is currently in production for her feature documentary Household Heroes that explores the economic value of unpaid care work done by women across the globe. Cinematographer, Morgan Cooper is set to executive produce and direct a comedy series at the upcoming, short-form streaming service, Quibi.
Interview: February 2020
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Black Boy Joy
Black Boy Joy is about three generations of black men struggling to juggle the demands of raising a young son with autism while adapting to their new normal after the death of a loved one.
Length: 17:00
Director: Martina Lee
Producer: Nasir Kenneth Ferebee
Writer: Michelle Sam
About the writer, director and producer:
MARTINA LEE is an award-winning filmmaker who found my passion for directing in 2013 when she spent a year in Singapore at New York University Tisch Asia. She graduated from University of Southern California in 2018, where she was awarded the Annenberg Fellowship. Blueberry, her USC thesis film, screened in multiple festivals including American Black Film Festival and aired on ASPIRE TV. It also won the USC First Look Industry Award for Best Comedy in 2019. After being accepted at a Project Involve directing fellow, she was awarded the 2019 Amazon Studios Film Fellowship. She now works on the CBS show All Rise and continues to work on her own personal projects.
MICHELLE SAM is a first-generation Ghanaian-American writer, actress and filmmaker raised in Ireland, UK and the U.S. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and Visual and Dramatic Arts from Rice University and studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Ireland and Acting Conservatory in London. Sam is an Outfest Screenwriting Lab Fellow and was named a Notable Writer by New York Television Festival. Her short Missed Connections, written, produced and directed by Sam and starring and executive produced by Angelica Ross (Pose on FX), has screened at over 20 festivals and won Best Trans United States Short Film at the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
NASIR KENNETH FERBEE is from Southwest Philadelphia. He earned a film degree and graduated with honors from Temple University. After graduation, he relocated to New York City and climbed the ranks from intern to producer at various media companies including NBC, VH1 and The Oprah Winfrey Network. His passion for narrative film led him to Hollywood in 2014. Since then, he’s amassed more than 20 film credits. He co-produced 90 Days, which won the Audience Choice Award at the Diversity in Cannes showcase. The following year, he produced the digital pilot H.E.I.R. He is currently a production manager at Complex Media.
Key cast: Will Cattlett Evan Alex,
Looking for: film festival directors, distributors
Facebook: Black Boy Joy
Instagram: @blackboyjoyfilm
Hashtags used: #blackboyjoyfilm
Website: blackboyjoyfilm.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Project Involve Film Independent
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Hollywood Independent Reel Film Festival - Feb. 19th 3:00pm; Pan African Film Festival - Feb. 14th 1:35pm & Feb 20 9:40pm; Micheaux Film Festival - Feb 21st & Feb 23rd; Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival - 08/7 - 15/20