Reel prophets: these industry mavericks are finding creative ways to parlay their diverse talents into Tinseltown success.

IN HOLLYWOOD, SO MANY DREAM OF red carpets, camera flashes, and hobnobbing with movie stars. But a slew of talented African Americans are turning the once-elusive reverie into attainable and lucrative careers. Although the powerful gatekeepers of Tinseltown have only cracked open the doors at major Hollywood studios by cherry-picking a few "black" projects, these creators are ushering in a modern-day renaissance through other outlets--ranging from music videos and Broadway to DVDs and digital media.

The direct-to-DVD market is doing for black films what urban radio did for hip-hop. Cell phones, podcasts, and other digital media outlets are becoming an increasingly attractive means of distribution. The recent purchase of YouTube by Google for $1.65 billion indicates that this trend will continue, Independent films have entered exciting times, offering a break to those with a fistful of dollars and a dream. LeVar Burton, co-chair of the African American Steering Committee, Directors Guild of America, exclaims, "Independent films are what started the movie industry, and now they are saving the film industry. It was really big news when at last year's Academy Awards all the nominees for Best Picture were independent films. Big studios aren't making films of great substance. Independent films have a more independent vision."

Yet many African Americans continue to face roadblocks and collisions on the road to Hollywood. Lack of financing, lack of distribution outlets for content, and Hollywood heavyweights who don't see the value of diversity stop projects in their tracks. Furthermore, the industry's accounting practices can stop money from reaching the pockets of creative forces. Crystal McCrary Anthony, a former entertainment lawyer for Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison L.L.P., who is now an author and movie producer, advises Hollywood hopefuls to become well-versed in legalese. "It's smart to put everything you expect in writing, always put a cap on the [print and advertising] budget, and ask for gross profits--never net--because net could mean nothing in Hollywood."

Jeff Clanagan, CEO of Code Black Entertainment, sees another major problem in Hollywood. "Where are the black distribution companies?" he asks. "[African Americans] do not control any type of distribution. This is really the key to getting a movie greenlit; you have to be on the distribution side."

Clanagan further states that there exists a dual culture in Hollywood: African Americans tend to come in on the creative side, and from that position, it is difficult, if not nearly impossible, to make the leap to the executive side. "[But] we have to start pushing and using our clout to make headway into the business side of the industry."

Answering the call in July was BET founder Robert L. Johnson, owner of BLJ Cos., and veteran filmmakers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, with the creation of Our Stories Films, which will make family-friendly, African American comedies. Tracey Edmonds, whose credits include producing films such as Soul Food and the first African American reality series, BET's College Hill, was named president and chief operating officer, marking the first time that an African American has headed a major film studio. But there's still no home for black dramas, points out McCrary Anthony. Two recent developments may change that: Code Black signed a deal with 20th Century Fox's FoxFaith to release up to a dozen faith-based films with theatrical distribution for at least six films a year; while Warner Home Video and Film Life, the organizers of the American Black Film Festival, signed a deal in July to release festival entries and other "urban" titles in DVD format, under a special ABFF label.

BLACK ENTERPRISE set out to identify several Hollywood pioneers, and there's definitely no lack of talent or business savvy among this group of pacesetters--many of whom learned the ropes in the school of hard knocks. They have found a way not only to make money in the craft that they love but to get their projects in front of audiences all over the world.

LAURENCE FISHBURNE ON THE BIG SCREEN

When Laurence Fishburne, 45, read Doug Atchison's screenplay for the movie Akeelah and the Bee, he says it broke his heart--not necessarily because it was a sad movie--but because he it was a movie no one would make. "[Hollywood] doesn't care about a young, disadvantaged black girl," he laments. "I knew this was something I wanted to get behind and push forward."

Fishburne, an accomplished actor, director, producer, and writer with more than three decades of experience in Hollywood, immediately signed on to produce the film through his production company, Cinema Gypsy, and to take a role in the movie--an inner-city underdog tale. By doing so, Fishburne has become one of the latest in a string of actors to play the role of maverick, serving as producer and lightning rod to get films made that most Hollywood execs wouldn't give a second look. In the past few years, other African American actors who have decided to put on the producer's cap include Will Smith, Halle Berry, and Forest Whitaker.

Fishburne's film is atypical of the fare usually seen on the big screen. In Akeelah, Keke Palmer plays the title role of a charming, 11-year-old gift struggling with insecurity and besieged by the gang-ridden South Central, Los Angeles environment that is threatening to strangle her aspirations. Akeelah has an innate talent for spelling, which she discovers after winning a spelling bee she entered to avoid punishment for excessive absences in school. She begins to fantasize about entering the bee circuit but athleticism and rapping skill are coveted far more than school smarts in her community. Akeelah is guided by her idealistic principal, who pairs her with a mentor, a former professor named Joshua Larabee (played by Fishburne), and goes on to bedazzle her friends, her community, and her somewhat neglectful mother, played by Angela Bassett.

Atchison, who wrote and directed Akeelah, had been struggling for four years to secure funding for the film, which cost $6 million to make. Once Fishburne signed on, he acted as the magnet that drew Canadian studio Lionsgate and 2929 Entertainment, a media company founded by billionaires Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that makes low-budget movies.

Lionsgate recruited Starbucks Entertainment, a division of Starbucks Corp., which is famous for its mammoth coffee chain, to help market the film in conjunction with the company's literacy initiative. Starbucks built on the movie's theme, the power of words. As a result, it created buzz for the film and, at the same time, challenged customers to expand their vocabulary and spelling prowess with esoteric words printed on flash cards, magnets, in-store signage, coasters, and cup sleeves. "We've experienced great success with the music we offer in our stores, and we recognized that we had an opportunity to extend the trust our customers have in the Starbucks brand to bring them other forms of entertainment," Howard Schultz. Starbucks chairman, said in a statement. "As a result of that. we've been looking for more than a year to find a great story that would bring a sense of discovery to our customers, and when we saw Akeelah and the Bee, we immediately realized that it was the perfect choice."

Despite the additional marketing, Fishburne says he was disappointed with the film's box office sales. The film, which was released on April 28 in 2,195 theaters, made only $6 million its opening week but remained in the top 10 for four weeks. It left theaters after only 12 weeks, making a total of $18.8 million. "It wasn't on as many screens as I would have liked," reveals Fishburne. "The presence just wasn't there ... it was in and out of the theaters in no time. It wasn't what it should have been." Fishburne, however, is optimistic that Akeelah will do much better on DVD, where it has earned $21.6 million in its first seven weeks in stores.

Fishburne is also optimistic that more feel-good, family movies with blacks in lead roles will continue to hit movie screens in the coming years. Why? Because he plans to continue to produce and direct those films. "What [this movie] does for me is demonstrate that I have a proven track record," says Fishburne. "In this business, people want to know how much money you've made." Fishburne does indeed have a track record. Akeelah swept the 2006 Black Movie Awards in several major categories, including best motion picture. Fishburne's company has produced other films such as Miss Evers' Boys (1997), Hoodlum (1997), Always Outnumbered (1998), and Once in the Life (2000). He also produced the film version of the play Riff Raff, through another independent production company, Loa Productions, in 1994. "I started Loa when I was young, in my 20s, and I did it to produce Riff Raff on stage. I then created Cinema Gypsy because I felt it was a necessity. It was time for me to take on more responsibility. I definitely feel that it's my responsibility to not only produce positive images of blacks but positive, honest, thoughtful and three-dimensional images of human beings," explains Fishburne. "Producing allows me more creative control to do the types of movies I wanted to do. It is something I can do because I have years of experience."

Fishburne started his illustrious and prolific career at the tender age of 10, when he appeared in In My Many Names and Days, a Manhattan stage play. The Augusta, Georgia, native went on to appear in more than 70 movies, television shows, and plays. "I like working in all [media], from television to movies and on stage. I've done them all and they all have their different juice, their different magic, and actually, their particular audience," shares Fishburne. "Being an actor, however, requires a certain type of creativity. The notion of being creative isn't always comfortable and that's why a lot people aren't actors--or, at the least good actors. It's not comfortable because it requires you to expose a part of yourself that's usually kept private."

Fishburne lost all hope of anonymity when he took the role as Morpheus in the cult-phenomenon The Matrix and its sequels. He reportedly was paid $15 million plus 3.75% gross sales for the first Matrix movie, which pulled in $456 million in global ticket sales. Fishburne insists that his pay stub for the trilogy isn't typical of what he usually gets paid per film. "Each project is different," he says. "I never expected The Matrix to do so well and be so popular. It was a fluke. And that's not typical pay for me because I don't typically do what's popular. I'd rather do what's timeless and classic. And if you look back at my body of work, you'll see that I've never really done what's popular. The message is more important to me. I do movies that speak to me--that's my primary interest."

Accordingly, Fishburne's body of work is as diverse as his interests. The avid motorcyclist acted in the 2003 film Biker Boyz; a father of two, Fishburne did the children's animation Osmosis Jones (2001) and was a regular character on the television show Pee-Wee's Playhouse; and his interest in the black experience in America lead him to appear in The Color Purple (1985) and Boyz n the Hood (1991).

"I've been very fortunate. There have not been many white actors that have had the career that I have and I think that attests, more than anything else, to my talent, tenacity, and my discipline," says Fishburne. "You should never let anything hold you back, especially race, because you're defeated before you start. I don't feel like I'm limited, not compared to how it used to be for those like Sidney Poitier and others during that time."

With several films currently in production, including A Landlord's Tale, 4Chosen, and The Alchemist, Fishburne is continuing to add to his credits. Fishburne represents the new generation of black actors expanding their position in Hollywood by directing and producing their own movies. His intelligence and his innate understanding of the business have catapulted him into a very elite stratosphere of power players in Tinsletown. "We're all making it up as we go along," jokes Fishburne. "A lot of people see acting as a craft but the smart ones see it as a business too."

CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY BANKROLLING A DREAM

Crystal McCrary Anthony financed her new film, the highly anticipated Dirty Laundry, due in theaters March 2007, by any means necessary. As executive producer of the film--with a budget "south of $1 million--it was her job to get the money--even if that meant shelling it out from her own pocket.

"When this project first came to me in September 2005, [it was] a real independent film. There was a script but virtually no money, no studio, and nothing had been shot," recalls McCrary Anthony. The film, written and directed by Maurice Jamal, stars Loretta Devine, Rockmond Dunbar, Jenifer Lewis, and Veronica Webb, and went on to win Best Feature Film at the American Black Film Festival. It tackles issues of homosexuality in African American families and churches. "I gave script notes, helped cast raised money, and, essentially said I believe in this story."

McCrary Anthony was intrigued not only by the message about homosexuality but also by the story's focus on strong, beautiful, well-rounded black women--characteristics she admits inspire passion and creativity in her and were evident in her two New York Times best-selling novels. Homecourt Advantage (Avon Trade; $13.95) and Gotham Diaries (Hyperion; $21.95). But she learned the hard way that mainstream media was not eager to rep resent diverse, well-rounded images of African American men and women when Lifetime Movie Network suddenly changed directions and halted production of a monde adaptation of Gotham Diaries.

"It was my first bout with frustration in the entertainment industry and trying to get black images on film, on television, and particularly black images of strong women," recalls McCrary Anthony. "If we want our stories told, then it is ultimately something we are going to have to do ourselves."

McCrary Anthony provided a bridge loan from her own pocket that covered a significant amount of the film's budget (the rest came from private investors), and shooting began in March. "If we had waited for some big studio to throw some pennies at us, we'd still be waiting," she says. "This way we maintain our autonomy."

Dirty Laundry was recently purchased by Code Black, a black-owned and -operated company involved in a joint venture with Universal Studios. McCrary Anthony says the advance will cover the cost of the film, which will have an initial release in about 100 theaters in roughly 20 cities, and that Code Black has agreed to put significant marketing dollars behind it.

--Nicole Marie Richardson

STEVE PAMON DIGITAL DOLLARS

These days, with technology evolving at warp speed and consumer choice expanding across multiple media by the nanosecond, the challenge for content providers is not just to stay ahead of the competition but also to turn the next big idea into a profitable business opportunity.

Enter Steve Pamon. As vice president of marketing and strategic partnerships at Home Box Office, Pamon, 36. is charged with developing new distribution outlets and cultivating new partnerships to extend the HBO brand across emerging platforms.

Podcasting, wireless, the Internet--you name it--and you'll find Pamon and the HBO team dancing pretty close to the edge. So when HBO announced an exclusive agreement with Cingular to provide premium content for the telecom giant, it sent ripples through both industries. Why? Simple mathematics. With 58.7 million subscribers nationwide, Cingular is the nation's largest wireless carrier; HBO, with hit shows such as Sex and the City, The Sopranos, and The Wire, boasts 40 million subscribers nationwide. Cingular subscribers in 20 markets (nationwide by January 2007) can now enjoy full episodes of HBO shows on their 3G phones. "Surprisingly, Def Comedy Jam is one of our biggest hits." Pamon says. "People are not only watching it themselves, they're showing it to others."

Early success in this medium, as well as the popularity of HBO programming via Yahoo Podcast, has taught Pamon a valuable lesson about consumers and technology. "One of the biggest things we're learning is that all of these new services are adding to the core base. People are not looking to replace their TV experience," he says.

So what sets Pamon apart from others in his field? While some are quick to highlight his impressive resume--McKinsey alum, entrepreneur, and corporate strategist for example--Pamon downplays all this, citing instead his mentors. "I work for an African American woman [Olivia Smashum, executive vice president], and her vision and insight of where HBO needed to take the brand helped me get my opportunity here."

Further, says Pamon, the diversity at HBO has "set a path for someone like me to understand that you can progress." And, he believes that the company's diversity translates into a better understanding of HBO viewers, a good percentage of whom are African American. This significant black viewership is reflected in the popularity of shows such as The Wire and Def Comedy Jam.

--Sonya Donaldson

SHOLA LYNCH WEAVING HISTORY

Shola Ayn Lynch says her dream job would have been to work for the New York Historical Society--that is, until she discovered the world of documentary filmmaking. There's something about being buried under mounds of research that stirs Lynch's creative juices. "Trying co unearth information is exhilarating, and it makes real that [which is] a passing sentence in some broader history book," Lynch observes.

It was this exhilaration that fueled the production of the 2006 Peabody Award-winning Chisholm '72--Unbought & Unbossed, Lynch's directorial debut. The film documents Shirley Chisholm's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. Fascinated by the fact that a black woman had run for president, Lynch embarked on a mission to "capture the energy and the engagement and the fight and the ferociousness of the campaign, and the intensity of the people who were so for her and those that fought against her."

With a budget of nearly $600,000--funded by numerous organizations including Independent Television Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Black Programming Consortium, and additional support from individual investors such as Bill Cosby, Halle Berry, and Bette Midler--Lynch completed the film in four years, just in time for the 2004 presidential election.

Lynch retains the rights to the film. although PBS has a licensing to broadcast it on television. She learned the ropes of documentary filmmaking by working with Ken Burns and Florentine Films on the Award-winning Frank Lloyd Wright and the 10-part JAZZ series. She also worked on the Emmy Award-winning HBO Sports documentary Do You Believe in Miracles? The Story of the 7980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, as well as material for PBS' Matters of Race.

Lynch is back to work on her second feature documentary, Free Angela & All Political Prisoners, a film about the events from 1970 to 1972 that catapulted activist Angela Davis to international notoriety.

--Nicole Marie Richardson

DEBORAH GREGORY HOLLYWOOD FICTION

Most creators responsible for conjuring up blockbuster hits realize little, if any, return: That's because only about 5% of movies officially show a net profit, due to Hollywood's accounting practices, As a result, Deborah Gregory says that to date, she hasn't received any net profit compensation from the insanely popular Disney Channel movie The Cheetah Girls and its sequel.

When it first aired in 2003, Cheetah Girls captured 6.5 million viewers. Over the past three years, the franchise has exploded into two soundtracks (one has reached double-platinum status), two sold-out concert tours, loads of merchandise, six movie tie-in books, and two DVDs. The Cheetah Girls 2 went on to nab nearly 8 million viewers when it was broadcast in August, making it the most-watched original movie in the cable network's history.

This cult phenom was derived from Gregory's series of 16 books about the adventures of five aspiring teenage singers. "These people were on this like white on rice," recalls Gregory, who was working as a freelance writer for magazines such as Essence and Us Weekly when she was approached by Hyperion Books to write a children's book in 1998. Disney optioned the dramatic rights in 1999 before the first book was even released, and tapped Whitney Houston and Debra Martin Chase as producers to create a movie starring Raven-Symone. tween group 3LW members Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams, and actress Sabrina Bryan.

Gregory says she will request more money on future projects now that she understands that net profit means very little in Hollywood. She received a $40,000 advance from Hyperion for the first four books and then she received more advances for the other 12. Disney optioned them for $15,000 for two and a half years and then bought the dramatic rights for the valuable Cheetah brand for a song--a mere $50,000. "Writers are not well compensated [in Hollywood].

An actor has a Chance at a $20 million payday, I don't have that chance, ever," laments Gregory I've not seen a penny because it takes an enormous amount of money for them to finally say we've made a profit. A lot of people never see a penny" Gregory's experience hasn't deterred her from trying scriptwriting. She recently signed a two-book deal with Random House for Cat Walk, a book about fashionistas. In fact, Bankable Productions' Tyra Banks has signed on as executive producer of the movie version, but Gregory is still looking for a studio. The book will most likely be published in 2007. And Gregory, has a lot of fiction up her sleeve.

--Nicole Marie Richardson

CLEAR MENSER FROM MATH TO MATRIX

When it comes to special effects and animation, there's more than one way to break into the industry. And while Clear Menser, 30, a lead FX animator at Tippett Studio, took the traditional route--earning a bachelor's degree in computer art from Savannah College of Art and Design. then working as an artist on Final Fantasy and honing his talent as an entry-level support staffer on feature films such as How the Ginch Stole Christmas and X-Men--there is nothing conventional about this special--effects whiz.

One of only a handful of African American FX animators in the industry. Menser cut his teeth on TV series such as ER, Monk, and The New Twilight Zone. then eventually moved on to groundbreaking features such as The Matrix Revolution. Hell Boy, and Constantine. After just three years at Berkeley, California-based Tippett Studio. he's risen from an entry-level FX animator to a lead animator, tie is currently working on the Disney feature Enchanted.

In a growing field numbering roughly 7,000 professionals, reputation travels mainly by word of mouth. And Menser's quick rise speaks volumes about his capabilities. "Word travels really fast if you do good work or poor work, if you're easy or difficult to work with," he says.

Blondel Aidoo, a 20-year veteran and visual effects producer for feature films such as Spider-Man, Minority Report, and Man on Fire, attributes the lack of black FX animators to the complicated issue of "comfort" rather than race. Although there are no official numbers, Aidoo estimates that less than 3% of industry animators are African American. He says it has less to do with racism than with the fact that "people hire people they "know." He adds, however, "I think it is up to us, who are able to puncture the shell and bring in as many people as possible, to kick open doors."

Menser, content in the heady business of calculus, physics, geometry, vectors, and "creating large swarms of creatures," rides his "$100 beater" of a bicycle to the Berkeley studio each day, but not for hack of funds. In fact, the mean salary in the industry is about $75.000. However earnings vary depending on skill area the FX studio, the artist's portfolio, metropolitan region, and a host of other factors.

--Sonya Donaldson

RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON: FROM STAGE TO SCREEN

On Broadway, Ruben Santiago-Hudson feels alive. "It's the only place that I think I have been totally whole," says the 50-year-old writer-actor-producer-director." All my possibilities can be reached and felt and there are no boundaries to what I can do in the theater." Currently, he's directing Seven Guitars, the same August Wilson play for which he won a 1996 Tony.

For a growing number of black playwrights and directors, the stage has become the path to the screen. Santiago-Hudson is probably best known as the writer and executive producer of Lackawanna Blues, the HBO Films" Emmy Award-winning hit that takes an inspiring look at the intertwining, yet complicated lives of black folks in the segregated North during the '50s and '60s. The stage production received two OBIE Awards and a Drama Desk nomination.

The film was HBO's most-watched original movie for 2005, and Santiago-Hudson says, "What Lackawanna Blues did was make my name familiar, gave me an opportunity to get certain people on the phone, and gave me a certain validity as a screenwriter."

In recent years, Hollywood has come to appreciate the fact that African American moviegoers can determine whether a movie will open big and that black television viewers can make a show a hit. However, Santiago-Hudson says, that realization doesn't mean important projects like his proposed mini-series on the Harlem Renaissance will get made. So he's on a mission: Over the next year, he plans to present Hollywood with a number of projects that offer a well-rounded depiction of black life. But he knows it will not be easy. "At this point, I can't even get them to talk to me about a Lackawanna Blues television series." he says of execs with green-lighting authority.

Santiago-Hudson, who plays black chemist Percy Julian in the upcoming TV movie Forgotten Genius, isn't giving up on his desire to bring positive stories of African Americans to the screen. "Every day I get up and I think it's possible for us to tell these stories and it excites me. And everyday I hear the word "no." That just fuels me. Other people are always going to limit you. but i want to make a difference."

--Tanisha A. Sykes

EVA DAVIS: MADE FOR DVD

Eva Davis always knew she'd fall into the entertainment business. She just wasn't sure where she would land. But two years after joining Warner Home Entertainment, Davis nabbed the coveted job of vice president of targeted acquisitions and marketing at the media giant. In a nutshell, Davis is now responsible for managing worldwide acquisitions of "everything related to home entertainment," including the made-for-DVD market.

That's no small feat when one considers that to date, Warner Home Video bus 19% market share in the United States for 2006. And with Warner Home Entertainment's new agreement with Film Life Inc.--the company that produces the annual American BlackFilm Festival and the Black Movie Awards--to distribute independent urban films on DVD, Davis is now in a position to bring more diversity to that segment of the film industry. "There is an untapped niche of African American as who want good, quality films," says Davis. "This agreement allows us to leverage the [ABFF] brand to make consumers aware of the wonderful stories out there that they might not have seen." In the first quarter of 2007, Spark, a thriller starring a pre- Hustle and Flow Terence Howard, and Soul Food's Nicole Ari Parker, will be the first film to make its debut under the Warner/Film Life banner, Davis says the agreement calls for the distribution of between four and eight films in 2007.

Davis is one of perhaps two African Americans in the industry who have acquisition and signing power, says Jeff Clanagan, founder and CEO of Code Black Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based company that specializes in the production and distribution of made-for-DVD films. Clanagan cut his teeth in the hip-hop and urban video arena and later (with Master P) pioneered the made-for-DVD industry back when VHS still ruled. The multi-billion dollar DVT) industry, "accounts for about 60% of studio revenues, surpassing theatrical revenues," he says. Tapping into the urban made-for-DVD marketplace allows compares like Warner, with its various entities and distribution channels, to enjoy a larger slice of that pie.

Citing made-for DVD movies such as Carlito's Way: Rise to Power, Davis adds that the made-for-DVD market is "up double digits in the last year in terms of percentage growth rates, and urban film dramas and comedies have been the driving force. Further, African Americans have been at the forefront, of the phenomenon, purchasing more DVDs than any other ethnic group, she says, as well as snatching up leadership roles in the burgeoning industry. "This is an exciting area, and we're trying to find the smartest way to exploit that opportunity to provide high-quality, urban-targeted content."

--Sonya Donaldson

SANAA HAMRI, LIGHTS, CAMERA, DANCE!

Music videos are often treated like the movie industry's rebellious stepchildren--constantly being punished for pushing the boundaries of drugs, sex, an hip-hop culture. That's exactly why Morocco native and self-identified radical Sanaa Hamri, 31, decided to direct videos for other artists who refuse to be boxed in. Her handiwork can be seen in the videos of Dr. Dre, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, Sting, and Jay-Z, to name just a few. "I really believe that the first philosophy of life [is] you create your reality. If you believe it's going to be different for you to do anything, it will be. If you go into a situation with a chip on your shoulder, it's gonna be hard. If I had that attitude, I would not be where I am," reveals Hamri.

The self-taught director went on to put her stamp on the $600 million music video industry, receiving numerous award nominations for her work, including Prince's "Musicology" and "Black Sweat," Common featuring Mary J. Blige's "Come Close," Heather Headley's "He Is," and India.Arie's "Little Things." She is currently directing several episodes of ABC's hit show Desperate Housewives.

Hamri built a reputation as a no-nonsense director with an itch to eradicate social cliches, so it's no wonder the Focus Features script for the $11.5 million film Something New, starring Sanaa Lathan, Simon Baker, and Blair Underwood, landed on her desk. The movie chronicles the sometimes hysterical and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of a black woman involved in an interracial love affair. "I thought it would be really fresh to show an African American woman dealing with dating outside her race because we never really see that," explains Hamri, who immediately identified with the characters because she is the product of an interracial marriage (her father, now deceased, was a North African Muslim and her mother is a Russian American Jew). "We all have our own prejudices and we need to break through that, whatever it is. That's what I want to express in my work and it's what I'm really passionate about."

--Nicole Marie Richardson