Wow, it’s already June! Half of the year has flown on by! From Father’s Day to Pride Month to Juneteenth, June is always such an important month.I want to say a very Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads out there. I am blessed to have my father – a scientist, doctor, and mathematician. He is a brilliant mind and I truly believe I get my business sense from him. About a year-and-a-half ago, he was in a terrible fire that really changed him, and as unfortunate as it was, it ultimately brought us much closer.
I also have to give a shoutout my grandfather, an amazing man himself. He helped raise me in Port-au-Prince, Haiti while my mother and father were working tirelessly to earn their degrees. My grandfather was a general of the Haitian army at an extremely difficult and unsafe time. Although he passed in 2008, he will always be one of my biggest heroes.
Juneteenth, which takes place on June 19th, is now officially a recognized, national holiday. Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865 announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army General Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom from slavery in Texas. Today, the holiday is all about celebrating black excellence, and one way to do that is supporting black filmmakers at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. In addition to the Untitled: Dave Chappelle Documentary premiere at Radio City Music Hall, there are a number of films, both documentary and narrative, that highlight black historical figures and the significance of black stories. Be sure to check them out!
I am thrilled to announce that my project, 5150, has been selected to be apart of Creators Market at Tribeca Film Festival. Creators Market is a two-day long pitch market highlighting some of the most promising emerging artists and voices in the filmmaking, podcasting, immersive, games and episodic space. 5150, starring Javon Adepo, centers around mental illness, specifically in the black community, and dives into the conversation of race in America.
I am honored to have executive produced alongside David Oyelowo, finally gotten a chance to work with my good friend, writer and director Denzel Whittaker, and have worked with a fantastic, diverse crew on this special project. One of my core values is hiring crew that reflects the real world and is in support of women, BIPOC, and queer talent. All of our department heads on this project ended up being accomplished and hardworking women, which happened holistically and couldn’t have proved to be any better. We also had all of the biggest agencies (CAA, Gersh, and more) support, and thus, a fantastic film was produced. Keep your fingers crossed for 5150!
SeriesFest and Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS) are teaming up for a big event on June 28th! I, alongside Justine Giannino, will be moderating this talk centered around entering the business for creatives. Proper business etiquette, pitching 101, and finding representation are just a few of the points we’ll be tackling. As for our speakers, we’ve got the goods! Speakers will include Haley Hamilton (HRTS Associate NY Board, Exec director literary at Fox), Krystal Stark (HRTS Associate NY Board, Owner StarkWhite Entertainment and Talent Manager/ Producer), Julie Waters (HRTS Associate LA Board, VP Temple Hill Entertainment), and Tiffany Brown (HRTS Associate LA Board, VP TV development at HartBeat Productions).
Sound the alarms! We’ve got another Showbiz Connection event! This time around I’ll be moderating for teaching LinkedIn at this year’s SeriesFest. Jordan, Mara, and I will be diving into how you can find positions at networks and the reverse; how companies and networks can find talent to hire. Head over to the SeriesFest website and socials for more information, and use #LinkedInFilmFamily to stay up to date with all of our events!
Some exciting news about Cicada, the globally recognized and award-winning 2020 feature film I produced, was just announced! Strand Releasing has purchased the North American rights for the film with a release of late summer/early fall. Our team is so eager for everyone to see Cicada, especially with all of the buzz about the swarming insect this summer. You can read all about it on Variety!
On another note, I had an awesome and memorable birthday a couple weeks ago out in Seattle. I did it all! Indoor skydiving, zip-lining through the trees, meditation on the beach, and getting to see Seattle’s “Twin Falls” were just a few highlights. I was also able to have a belated birthday celebration with my grandmother, mother, and sister, the most important women in my life. The four of us got to hit up my my favorite Portuguese restaurant! It was a full on birthday celebration and I am so thankful for another year around the sun. Who knows what next May 18th will have in store?
At the beginning of May, I set out to Florida with a fellow filmmaker and finalist at one of the top tier film festivals on a location scout for a feature film we’ll be working on together. I am extremely excited to join their team on this project and help tell this thrilling story. Check out these cool pics I took throughout the St. Pete, Clearwater, and Tampa areas!
I have also partnered with NPower, a program that creates pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities. I am currently embarking on my mentorship with Jeff, a young Dominican man born and raised in Brooklyn by a single mother. With a background in IT, Jeff has told me that building a computer from scratch is his biggest accomplishment to date. As we get to know each other week by week, I am teaching him skills in negotiating, listening, and collaborating that are key to success, no matter what business you are in.
That’s all for now folks. Get ready for that July heat coming our way!
Don’t Think About It, Do It!
Have you been feeling stagnant in your creative process? Schedule a one-on-one consultation with me online or over the phone. Consultations will take your project from any phase of development to pre-production, production, and selling and distributing your project! To schedule your consultation, visit ramfis.net or email ramfis@ramfis.net.
