blackfilm.com correspondent Koku Tona spoke with Tichina Arnold about her directorial debut for BET HER Presents: The Waiting Room “Oh Baby Baby”. She also spoke on early fame, moving from New York to LA, singing on her own terms, and more!
“Oh Baby Baby” premieres on BET HER Saturday, October 8th at 10pm ET/PT.
Check out the interview and let us know what you think!
BET HER, in partnership with producer Tressa Azarel Smallwood of MegaMind Media who has served as Executive Producer for the project now in its fourth season, announces the final two original 20-minute dramas (of the four film series total) premieres during Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October 2022) on Saturday evening, October 8th at 10 pm ET/PT, both on BET Her. Dedicated to telling stories that support and celebrate Black women in front of and behind the camera as well as bringing awareness to important issues directly affecting the Black community, producer Smallwood spearheads the Health Initiatives under the “Her Stories” banner, which spotlights women-centered short films and highlights the next generation of Black women filmmakers. Special invited directors include a who’s who list of TV and film icons including Tichina Arnold (Martin), and LisaRaye Mccoy (The Family Business). Helming the first two which aired in July were Meagan Good (Harlem) and Naturi Naughton (Power).
These 20-minute dramatic short films focus on topics vital to today’s Black women, ranging from the varied impact of breast cancer, mental health struggles, and domestic violence on them and their families. The films live under the BET HER “Her Stories” franchise — a platform to empower the next generation of Black women filmmakers through a curated selection of original movies and documentaries. “Her Stories” provides women filmmakers a platform to tell authentic stories that celebrate, inspire and support Black women narratives. “Even though I’ve licensed films to BET previously, being chosen for the third year in a row to produce these crucial initiatives and expand the series with all African-American women in front of and behind the camera exclusively for BET Her is such an honor,” says Tressa Smallwood.
“BET Her is dedicated to telling stories that support and celebrate Black women in front of and behind the camera as well as bringing awareness to important issues directly affecting the Black community,” said Lorisa Bates, VP, Content Strategy, Co-Productions & Multiplatform at BET. “We are proud to be the platform for these powerful stories and the work that our female talent has put into these projects that are ever so timely. Partnering with Tressa, BET Her hopes to educate and empower our audience by continuing to provide a platform for women filmmakers who are trailblazers in the industry.”
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the fourth season of The Waiting Room features two new short films about black women battling breast cancer and following their journey of dealing with their diagnosis with October 8 selected for both to premiere.
Co-written by Maggy Francois and Maimah Karmo, Tichina Arnold is set to direct “Oh Baby Baby!” which focuses on a high fashion entrepreneur trying to conceive a child when she is blindsided by developing breast cancer from IVF estrogen treatment.
ABOUT TRESSA AZAREL SMALLWOOD AND MEGAMIND MEDIA
Tressa “Azarel” Smallwood is an award-winning Producer, and Founder of MegaMind Media, a production company specializing in creating compelling original content for female audiences. A female filmmaker making strategic moves in the film & tv industry, Tressa’s self-funded movie projects have culminated into a multi-million-dollar catalog including Secrets, Holiday Heartbreak, Dear Best Friend, and The Available Wife to name a few.
After striking a production deal with BET NETWORKS, Tressa was able to combine her passion as an advocate for mental health and her career goals as a creative by operating as Supervising Producer on The Waiting Room and The Couch, a BETher series designed to highlight breast cancer and mental health awareness. The series has given unprecedented opportunities for noteworthy actors such as Vivica Fox, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Victoria Rowell, Mona Scott Young and Kim Fields to step behind the camera as directors, paving a path for the diversity that the world deserves.https://www.tressaazarel.com/
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