February 22, 2012

Coming out this week in theaters is Tyler Perry’s latest film, ‘Good Deeds,’ his first non-Madea film where he’s the leading character.

Starring along with him are familiar faces from his previous films such as Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union, Brian White and Phylicia Rashad. Also included in the film are Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson and Beverly Johnson.

Scheduled to marry Natalie (played by Gabrielle Union), businessman Wesley Deeds (played by Tyler Perry) is jolted out of his scripted life when he meets Lindsey (played by Thandie Newton), a single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building.

For Union, it’s her first time back on the big screen since appearing opposite Jeffrey Wright in 2008’s ‘Cadillac Records.’ It’s also her second outing in a Perry film after starring with Idris Elba in 2007’s ‘Daddy’s Little Girls.’

While the Nebraska native may have been off the big screen for some time, she continued to work in other venues, appearing on the small screen with episodic work on TV series such as ‘Ugly Betty,’ ‘Life,’ ‘FlashForward,’ and ‘Army Wives.’

Union has a slew of upcoming films releasing in 2012, including the romantic comedy ‘Think Like A Man,’ and the independent films ‘In Our Nature’ and ‘Miss Dial.’

In speaking exclusively with Blackfilm.com, Union spoke about her character in ‘Good Deeds,’ working with Tyler Perry, and her future projects.

How would you describe Natalie?

Gabrielle Union: Natalie has a great career. She’s educated. She’s got great friends. She’s got great chemistry. She looks amazing on paper. She has this great relationship with Prince Charming but there’s something missing. There’s a spark missing in the crossroads of their relationship. They have to decide if they should follow their own hopes and dreams or do they live out the plans that were laid out by their parents.

Is there anything else you added to Natalie’s background that wasn’t presented on screen?

GU: I knew a lot of people that have been a Natalie at different points in their life. You start to do what’s expected of you instead of living out your own dreams, and that’s out of fear of letting someone down or disappointing them. The next thing you know when you are looking up with life is passing you by and you’re not happy.

What was the attraction to taking on this role?

GU: When Tyler first approached me to play Natalie, what he felt was most important for me to know is that she’s not a bitch. In this type of film or genre where there is a love triangle, people go out of the way to make sure you know who the villain is and who you should be rooting for. He wanted to not make it easy on the audience and show more of the reality of the relationship where there really is no bad guy a lot of times in relationships. It’s more like a “We’re not happy until we get resentful at the other person” issue where in this film there really are none. It’s about how to get out a relationship with the same respect, dignity and love that you entered in. At the end of the day, you’re not bad people.

How was working with Tyler for a second time?

GU: What’s great about Tyler wearing all the hats is that he has compassion for actors that a lot of directors sort of don’t have. He approaches the actors with a kindness and consideration and empathy that directors miss. It’s very comforting and you feel very safe.

What did you see in him as an actor?

GU: I’ve seen him do Madea but there are so many layers hiding who he is. What’s great about watching him work is that you hear a lot about that we see as a friend, the generosity, the spirit, the warmth, the caring. You will see a lot of Tyler Perry in this role.

This is shaping out to be a good year for you with ‘Think Like A Man’ coming out in a few months. What’s your role in that film?

GU: I play Kristin, Jerry Ferrara’s longtime girlfriend and wanting Jerry’s character to be a little more ambitious in his career and a lot more ambitious in their relationship. She doesn’t know how to get him to move forward. She comes across Steve Harvey’s book, ‘Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man’ and she sets in motion a plan to get her man to step up.

How much fun was working on that film with folks who are also personal friends?

GU: It’s great to work on a film with friends who are on front and behind the camera. It’s like coming home to a super successful family and everyone’s embracing each other. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.

You also have a role opposite Mad Men’s John Slattery in the indie film, ‘In Our Nature.’

GU: Yes. I play John’s girlfriend and we think we’re going away on a weekend getaway to the lake house and his son and his girlfriend are also there. Father and son have some issues to discuss and we get sucked into their dynamic confrontation. We’re fortunate to be showing the film in March at the SXSW festival in Texas. I also have another film called ‘Miss Dial’ that my girl Robinne Lee put together about a lonely woman who’s missing that connection and starts calling people randomly and I’m one of the people that she calls. It also has Hill Harper and Dule Hill and a lot of our friends. I also did a documentary for PBS called ‘Half the Sky’ where they took six different actresses to six different parts of the world to highlight the oppression of women’s growth across the world. That comes out in late 2012.

That’s a lot of projects you have lined up. Was there a period of time when the work just wasn’t there?

GU: In this business, you have to have humility. You’re not always going to be the ‘it’ girl and it that time you have to figure other ways of working and feeding your soul and artistic spirit. I’ve always worked, just more in television in the last few years than on the big screen. I’ve haven’t been on the big screen in three years, but was on the small screen and am very thankful for all the opportunities that I have been getting, and the opportunity to feed my family and still do what I love.

What’s a good reason to see ‘Good Deeds’?

GU: If you want to go into a film knowing that you are going to be moved and feeling hopeful and also leave that film feeling so much better about yourself and humanity than when you first walked in, go see ‘Good Deeds’ on Feb.24.

February 21, 2012

Playing on Feb.22 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO2 is the extraordinary documentary, ‘Raising Renee,’ which explores the life of painter Beverly McIver and hers efforts to make good on her promise she made to her mother.

Directed by husband and wife team Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan and filmed over the course of six years, Beverly McIver was enjoying a skyrocketing career when she promised her mother, Ethel, that she would take care of her mentally disabled sister, Renee. Years later, following Ethel’s death, that promise came due.

Beverly McIver is currently the Suntrust Endowed Chair Professor of Art at North Carolina Central University. Her work is in the collections of the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro and the Baltimore Museum of Art, among other institutions, and has been reviewed in Art News, Art in America and the New York Times.

What was your first response when Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan talked about filming you?

Beverly McIver: Well, I never thought that it would be on HBO. I just thought that they are artists, and I’m an artist and they are interested in following me around. That’s fine. I understand that. We’ll just see where it goes. That’s how I first thought of it. I didn’t see the film until they had filmed it for five years.

What was the endgame to this project?

BM: I had no idea. I didn’t know it would last for six years and I didn’t know what they were filming. I knew that they were filming me but I didn’t know what they were focusing on. It’s pretty interesting. Steve the cameraman was fabulous at making himself invisible. He wasn’t intrusive when he was filming me and he wasn’t judgmental and he didn’t laugh or say “I can’t believe you said that.” He was quiet the whole time. That really allowed me to be me.

How long did it take for Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan to come up with the title of ‘Raising Renee’?

BM: ‘Raising Renee’ was the title of one of my exhibitions at the museum in Andover, MA. I had a show there and it stuck. They liked that title.

Not only were you followed around, but so was your family. Were they as giving in the beginning as you were?

BM: My family has always considered me to be ‘the artist.’ They were used to me taking pictures and stuff like that. Now ‘the artist’ has more artists following her and taking videos and pictures and they want to film us too. They were like, “Ok. Whatever. We understand.” They were pretty open to it.

How much involvement did you have with the editing process?

BM: I didn’t have a lot of say in that in part because, if I were making a story about me, and because I love my cats, it would be a cat film. I saw after five years of footage and there were a couple of things, that during the process of making the film, like a scene where my mother is at the hospital with the minister of her church and they were holding hands and laughing. Jeanne took it out and I told her that I really missed that scene and that’s an important scene because it describes my mother’s life so much. So she put it back in, which was terrific. The other scene they asked me about was the scene where I talked about Renee getting raped. We wanted to make sure that was okay with Renee and that was okay with me if they shared that information. I thought it was important to use that information even though it’s painful to hear. Women get taken advantage all the time and they don’t report it. The perpetrator gets away and does it again and it was important to talk about it.

How has the documentary affected you career?

BM: I tell my students because I’m a professor that this could happen to them too. It’s really given hope that anything’s possible. In terms of my career, I have a gallery here in New York and there are paintings on display. A lot of people who have seen the film actually want to come and see the paintings in person. It had indeed increased my art sales, which is lovely. Ironically, every time I’ve been at a film festival where the film is playing, most of the audience is laughing at the same point throughout the film, which is fabulous. To experience and witness over again with different audience across the country is a joy. To have a universal reaction is pretty fabulous.

February 21, 2012

TAKE HOME THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL AND PROVOCATIVE FILM OF THE YEAR

Get Captivated by Michael Fassbender’s Unforgettable, Golden Globe® Nominated Performance

Available Exclusively on Blu-ray Combo Pack April 17

Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film and Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 2011 Venice Film Festival

From visionary director Steve McQueen, one of the most talked about films of 2011 comes home to stunning Blu-ray from Fox Searchlight and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. A film festival powerhouse, SHAME has captivated viewers through its haunting depiction of the life of a sex addict and his emotionally troubled sister. Evocative performances from Golden Globe® nominee Michael Fassbender and Academy Award® nominee Carrie Mulligan make SHAME the must-have release of the year. Get your hands on SHAME on Blu-ray Combo Pack April 17 and see the movie everyone is talking about in the privacy of your own home. Available for pre-order now on Amazon.

Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a New Yorker who shuns intimacy with women but feeds his desires with a compulsive addiction to sex. When his wayward younger sister (Carey Mulligan) moves into his apartment and stirs up memories of their shared painful past, Brandon’s insular life spirals out of control.

The SHAME Blu-ray Combo Pack presentation features a premium high definition Blu-ray loaded with special features, a DVD version of the film and Digital Copy. Get a behind-the-scenes look at McQueen’s groundbreaking vision with exclusive extras and featurettes. Pre-book date is March 21.

SHAME Blu-ray Combo Pack Features:

Focus on Michael Fassbender
Director Steve McQueen
The Story of Shame
A Shared Vision
Fox Movie Channel Presents: In Character With Michael Fassbender
Theatrical Trailer

Extended Clip

Release Date: September 28, 2012
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Director: Daniel Barnz
Screenwriter: Brin Hill, Daniel Barnz
Cast: Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Holly Hunter, Ving Rhames, Rosie Perez, Oscar Isaac, Lance Reddick
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG (for thematic elements and language)
Official Website: Not Available

Synopsis: “Won’t Back Down” is an original story about two strong women, both mothers, who channel their frustration into action and join forces to transform an inner-city school. They want to make a difference in education and the lives of their children.

Hunter will play the head of the teacher’s union. Oscar Isaac will play Michael Raymond, a sexy, ukulele-playing teacher who helps inspire, challenge and romance Gyllenhaal’s character throughout the film. Perez will play a former teacher who is now the poised-yet-frank head of the school board, while Reddick will play Davis’ husband who’s also a teacher.

February 21, 2012

Comcast Corporation today announced it has selected four new minority-owned independent networks to be broadly distributed on Comcast Cable systems between April 2012 and January 2014. After a thorough evaluation of more than 100 proposals, Comcast selected four networks ― two of which are majority African-American owned and two that are majority American Hispanic owned and operated and programmed in English.

“We are thrilled to work with such talented individuals to launch these new networks that will bring exciting and fresh content to consumers,” said David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation. “Comcast is committed to delivering programming that reflects the interests of our customers, and we look forward to integrating these great networks into our rich programming line-up.”

African-American Category:

· Aspire: Spearheaded by Entrepreneur and NBA Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson, in partnership with GMC TV, Aspire is dedicated to delivering enlightening, entertaining and positive programming to African-Americans families, including movies, documentaries, short films, music, comedy, visual and performing arts, and faith and inspirational programs. Aspire will celebrate the successes, achievements and accomplishments of the African-American community and create new opportunities for the next generation of African-American visionaries. The network will launch by summer 2012.

“Aspire will be a network that encourages and challenges African-Americans to reach for their dreams and will appeal to all generations. Aspire will celebrate our heritage, our groundbreaking achievements and the fearless talent that has shaped American culture. I’m most excited about Aspire creating opportunities for the new voices, new visions and the next generation of storytellers,” said Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

· REVOLT: Proposed by superstar and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs and MTV veteran Andy Schuon, this network is designed to have programming inspired by music and pop culture, including music videos, live performances, music news, and interviews and will incorporate social media interaction for music artists and fans. The network has entered into an agreement to launch in 2013.

“REVOLT is the first channel created entirely from the ground up in this new era of social media” said Sean “Diddy” Combs. “We’re building this platform for artists to reach an extraordinary number of people in a completely different way. REVOLT will be live, like all great moments in television history. REVOLT will also be immediate, like today’s social networks. We know it was a highly competitive process and we want to thank Comcast for this opportunity to truly change television with REVOLT.”

Hispanic Category:

· El Rey: Proposed by legendary Hollywood director Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures executives John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa, this network is designed to be an action-packed, general entertainment network in English for Latino and general audiences that includes a mix of reality, scripted and animated series, movies, documentaries, news, music, comedy, and sports programming. The El Rey network will include programming that features Hispanic producers, celebrities and public figures. The network has entered into an agreement to launch by January 2014.

“This partnership with Comcast signals an important moment for the Latino community in this country – we are passionate about creating a wildly entertaining destination that we can be proud of by appealing to both Latino and mass market audiences,” said Robert Rodriguez and CEO of FactoryMade Ventures John Fogelman. “We engineered El Rey to address a burgeoning opportunity to deliver unique, high-quality and compelling content to a hard-to-reach demographic and are excited to bring more opportunities to generations of talent, storytellers and dreamers through this special partnership.”

· BabyFirst Americas: Proposed by Spanish language television veteran Constantino “Said” Schwarz, this network is designed for infants, very young children, and their parents, and emphasizes the importance of early development of verbal, math and motor skills. The network has entered into an agreement to launch by April 2012.

“We are thrilled to partner with Comcast and commend them for recognizing the importance of quality education for young children,” remarked Constantino “Said” Schwarz, CEO and Chairman BabyFirst Americas. “BabyFirst Americas aims to bring the essential academic building blocks for Kindergarten readiness into the home, making it accessible for families all across the U.S.”

Comcast made a series of voluntary public interest commitments in connection with the NBCUniversal transaction, one of which is to launch 10 new independently owned and operated networks over the next eight years. Of the 10 networks, four will be majority African-American owned, two will be majority American Latino owned, two will be operated by American Latino programmers, and two will provide additional independent programming. Ultimately, each of the 10 networks will be added on select Comcast systems as part of the digital basic tier of service.

Release Date: March 23, 2012 (limited)
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Gareth Evans
Screenwriter: Gareth Evans
Cast: Iko Uwais, Doni Alamsyah, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian, Ray Sahetapy
Genre: Action
MPAA Rating: R (for strong brutal bloody violence throughout, and language)

Synopsis: Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters.

A swat team arrives at a rundown apartment block with a mission to remove its owner, a notorious drug lord named Tama. The building has never been raided before, never been touched by police. Seen as a no go zone it has since become a sanctuary to killers, gangs, rapists and thieves seeking accommodation in the one place they know they cannot be touched.

Making their move in the break of dawn the swat team work their way up the building under cover of silence. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and with news of their assault traveling to Tama in his penthouse suite the building is locked down with all lights out and all exits blocked.

Stranded on the 6th floor the swat team must fight their way through every floor and every room not just to complete their mission but to survive.

Red Band Trailer

February 20, 2012

Coming out this week in theaters is Tyler Perry’s latest film, ‘Good Deeds,’ his first non-Madea film where he’s the leading character.

Starring along with him are familiar faces from his previous films such as Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union, Brian White and Phylicia Rashad. Also included in the film are Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson and Beverly Johnson.

Perry plays businessman Wesley Deeds is jolted out of his scripted life when he meets Lindsey (played by Thandie Newton), a single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building.

Known for her roles in ‘Flirting,’ Besieged,’ ‘Mission: Impossible II,’ ‘Crash,’ ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ and ‘W,’ this is Newton’s second outing in a Perry film after giving an incredible performance in ‘For Colored Girls,’ the film adaptation of Ntozake Shange’s 1975 stage play ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.’

Blackfilm.com caught up with Newton as she spoke about her character and working with Tyler Perry.

How would you describe Lindsey’s character?

Thandie Newton: Strung out, but I think she’s an educated hard-working person and she knew that her education would be her ticket to a better life and she was half way through her medical studies when her husband tragically died. She wasn’t able to continue her studies and money became an issue when taking care of her child. She had to give up her dream. She didn’t have any qualifications other than being a janitor. That’s the only thing that was available to her at the time. This is a story that is based to what’s happening now in 2012 in that it’s incredibly difficult for people to work, Unemployment is high and the economy is in trouble all around the world. It’s very hard for people to make end’s meat, so if one calamity happens in your life, it can snowball into homelessness. I don’t think it was something she ever expected as do you, and me.

Had you done any research on the homeless?

TN: I have. I’m a member of a community that has homeless people. There’s an organization in England called Shelter and I contribute to that. There are certain guidelines on how to contribute to the homeless rather than giving them money. I also worked on a film called ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ which is based on a true story based on Chris Gardner, who was living in shelters and was homeless with his son. I read Chris Gardner’s book and got some insight as to the life that they led even though my character didn’t have the same background or that story arc. If you are a member of any society, you are going to invest some time to what you can do to help people who are in this situation because we are all in this together.

What was the dram to taking on this film?

TN: To work with Tyler (Perry) again. He had told me that there was a movie that he had written for me and would love me to do it. I said yes before even reading the script because I really enjoyed the experience of working with him. He also wanted to make a departure from his other acting work and wanted to play a more dramatic leading man. He specifically said that he was looking for support in that and it was a big deal for him to try something new. He knew that our rapport and chemistry was going to help him achieve his goals. To strip himself down to a multidimensional character and that was exciting.

How was working with Tyler when he’s wearing so many hats in the film?

TN: Well, Tyler is a writer, actor, and director and he seamlessly floats between all of those roles at every moment. If I had an issue about a line, I would talk to him as the director. If I had a question about the logistics of the story line, I would talk to him because he’s the writer, and if I was feedback on a scene, I would talk to him because he was the actor in the film. He’s so calm and able and generous. I never felt that I couldn’t do that. He was absolutely available at any moment to satisfy whatever we needed. Tyler tends to attract people who don’t have an ego and who are not self-absorbed. I’ve worked with him twice now and there’s a real camaraderie and incredible support. With his films, all of the actors and crew are flying in formation like geese. He has that kind of unity because he’s working hard than anyone else and we see that. He’s a real captain and inspirational leader.

How was working with Jordenn Thompson?

TN: Jordenn is a honeybee. She’s adorable and completely delightful. She’s incredibly friendly and innocent and enthusiastic and loved being there. She’s a real professional. Her mom Lacey was always there. When my children were visiting Atlanta, we hung out with Lacey and Jordenn’s grandmother. She trusted me to play her mom on screen. There was never any concern of violating this little girl’s privacy. We all took great care of her.

Your character is also good at riding a motorcycle. Can you ride one?

TN: Honestly, even Tyler couldn’t ride a bike before the movie. He had to take lessons. It’s not my desire to ride a bike, and I don’t want to speed down a highway. That was fun though. The biggest acting for me on this film was to look enthusiastic riding a motorcycle.

Are you set to do ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’?

TN: I hope so. We’re still waiting to see if the lead actors who the producers are looking at can fit it in their schedule. It’s an amazing level and I would love to visit Nigeria. I’ve never been there and I’m always up for exploring another part of the world. I hope it does happen.

‘Good Deeds’ opens nationwide on Feb.24

Clip #1 – A Little Help

February 20, 2012

Paramount Pictures has provided Blackfilm.com with an exclusive look at the new poster for Eddie Murphy‘s upcoming film, ‘A Thousand Words.’

Set for release on March 9, Murphy plays a savvy businessman who discovers he only has ‘a thousand words’ left to speak before he dies. Kerry Washington plays his wife who wants Murphy to spend more time with his family.

Directed by Brian Robbins, who previously worked with Murphy on ‘Meet Dave‘ and ‘Norbit,’ the film revolves also features Clark Duke, Kerry Washington, Justina Machado, Ariel Winter, Allison Janney, Clark Duke, Cliff Curtis, John Witherspoon, and Steve Little.

February 18, 2012

Best known for her roles in ‘A Thin Line Between Love,’ ‘Uninvited Guest,’ ‘The Wood,’ ‘Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls’ and as the hair stylist Tracy “Bird” Van Adams in the Showtime acclaimed drama series, ‘Soul Food,’ actress Malinda Williams has carved out a good amount of work over the last decade on the big and small screen.

Lately, the New Jersey native has working pretty hard on a number projects, completing four films in the span of four months. One of those is films is the inspirational film ‘A Cross to Bear,‘ which also stars Kim Fields, and newcomer Danielle Deadwyler.

The inspirational drama about a young girl’s long road to redemption makes its world television premiere on Saturday, February 18th at 7:00 PM ET, with encore telecasts 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM on GMC TV.

Blackfilm.com recently spoke to Williams about her role in the film, as well as her upcoming projects, including Russ Parr’s ‘The Under Shepherd,’ and ’2 Days in New York’ with Chris Rock.

What role do you play in ‘A Cross to Bear’?

Malinda Williams: I play a woman named Fae and she’s a good friend of Joan, who’s played by Kim Fields. Joan runs a home for women and is a mentor to my character. It’s basically for women who are at risk, have been abused, who suffer from various addictions. She supports them and Fae herself came through the home. She comes to the home now that she’s older and mentors these young girls based on her own experience. She’s not a professional. She actually spent time in prison for taking the life of her then-husband, who had been abusing her. She couldn’t take it anymore and took his life and ended up spending some time in jail for it. She finds God in prison. She goes back to Joan’s home and mentors these girls from a level where they can relate. She understands and shares her experience with them.

What drew you to this project?

MW: One of my very best friends, Terri J. Vaughn co-wrote and produced the project with Cas Sigers. Anything that Terri asks me to be a part, I’m certainly and able to do so. She’s like my sister. That was the initial attraction. When I read the piece, one of the things that resonated with me was how these were women who were supporting women. I always found in my life that whenever I was going through something, I need another woman who understood what I was going through. I have gone to therapists and various places and people who have the credentials to help you professionally, but I found that the thing that was most helpful to me was having another woman who can relate. That’s the thing that would always make me feel better.

How was working with Kim Fields?

MW: There’s a scene in the movie that’s a revealing scene where her character gives some information about her background that none of the women had known. I remember I was crying my eyes when we were rehearsing the scene and she was acting. She’s such an amazing presence. I grew up watching her so to be standing next to her and working with her was incredible. She makes work effortless. A lot of people are used to seeing her in comedic projects but wait until you see her in this movie. I was in awe. I am saying that in an honest way. I’ve seen a lot of actors work, but I was in awe of Kim Fields.

You have a number of upcoming films. How was filming ’2 Days in New York’ with Chris Rock?

MW: That was a funny experience. First of all, most of the cast and half of the crew spoke French and very little English. The nice thing about this was that the character that I play was not supposed to know what’s going on with these French speaking characters. It was new and interesting for me. It was very well received at this year’s Sundance.

What role do you play in the film?

MW: I play the role of Elizabeth, Chris Rock’s sister.

You also have a part in Russ Parr’s film, ‘The Under Shepherd.’

MW: Yes. I did a number of films in the span of four months, but in ‘The Under Shepherd,’ I play Cassandra, Isaiah Washington’s wife. She’s the first lady of this mega church and the theme around the film is on the church and corruption. It’s also a person being corrupted by power and that’s Isaiah in the film. People’s morals get questioned in the film based on the power and money and things that surround running a mega church that way. The film is dark at times and will shock a lot of people. It’s shocking because of the place you don’t expect it to happen.

There’s also another indie film you shot called ‘Percentage.’

MW: I think it’s the first film that Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere are doing for Flavor Unit Films and I’m in the film with Cam’ron and Ving Rhames. I play a woman who is caught up in a crime syndicate run by Macy Gray. It’s your average everyday credit card fraud.

Why should anyone see ‘A Cross to Bear’?

MW: Well, the film is truly inspiring. As I mentioned before, the film is relatable to some. There’s also some great talent, new and familiar in the film.

February 18, 2012