Interview with independent film producer Ronald K. Simons

Recently I had the chance to do an interview with Ronald K. Simons. For those unfamiliar with the name, you might recall him better from his acting roles in Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Detective Willis), or most recently in his role as Carey Ford in Night Catches Us - a film he also executive produced.



Night Catches Us was an official selection for the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. It is a film that touches upon a time in America just after the Black Panthers, and far different than today. It was written and directed by Tanya Hamilton - a first time director who obviously has made an impression in independent film.

"Marcus (Anthony Mackie, “The Hurt Locker,” “Brother to Brother”) returns to the Philadelphia neighborhood where he came of age during the Black Power movement, protecting a dangerous secret in a struggle against the revolution he once embraced and rediscovering a forbidden love (Kerry Washington, “Ray,” “Lift”)."

The film also impressed The Huffington Post, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and many others.

Without futher ado, here is my interview with Ronald K Simons.

[Michael Vass] Mr. Simons, could you explain the process that to you and director Tanya Hamilton went through, from the initial thoughts about this film to having the film at the Sundance Film Festival?

[Ronald K. Simons] It began as what I think of as a bigger industry type interaction: I was introduced to the project by a schoolmate of mine. That lead to meeting producers then associated with the project and with Tanya. That initial deal fell through as backers ran into money troubles and the recession hit. Tanya then called me to meet one-on-one to discuss my coming on to produce the film in a greater leadership role.

I’d loved the project from the first read. Our vision of what we wanted to accomplish was in sync so we decided to work together to make the film happen. As we have worked to get the film ready for the festival, there hasn’t been a lot of time to ruminate on premiering at Sundance. When I first heard we got in I think I hollered outloud. The next instant my thought was, “We gotta finish this movie!”

[MV] How were you able to gain such a noted and talented cast without the normal studio budget and perks that seem to be the norm these days?

[Ronald K. Simons] I believe that, like me, all the incredible talent from the lead actors to the stellar crew, like our production designer and our cinematographer, looked at this as a passion project. It all began with a great script. Salaries were secondary to storytelling and creating art.

[MV] Considering the nature of the subject of the film, did you encounter any problems in crating the film? Was there any resistance?

[Ronald K. Simons] I would say that before I joined the team, yes, there was some resistance to tackling a project who’s subject matter even referenced the Black Panther movement. I mean, how many films have you seen that tell a story through that lens? After the project gelled and was becoming a reality, we encountered many of the same problems that face all indie films: scheduling, budgeting, etc.

[MV] What was it that motivated you to be involved with this film? What made you want to be in the film (as character Carey Ford)?

[Ronald K. Simons] The script and Tanya were the reasons I joined this project. I grew up in Detroit in the 1970’s and that period of our history is very near and dear to me. It represents my formative years in Detroit. I was also aware of the lingering misconceptions about the nature of the Black Power and Black Panther movements, and it was a breath of fresh air to see the people of that period represented. They were represented as real people and not the larger-than-life revolutionaries that may come to the mind of those less familiar with the movements.

As an actor, I was drawn to the character of Carey Ford because he represented in many ways some of the men I’d grown up with. Besides, what actor would turn down the opportunity to work with Kerry Washington!

[MV] How different was it to be a producer, and actor, for this film than some of the other projects you have been involved with?

[Ronald K. Simons] As a first time producer, each day has been a learning opportunity, so I can say that Night Catches Us has been unlike any other project with which I’ve been involved. I will say that producing did allow me to leverage some of my skills learned in corporate America: managing group dynamics, marketing, deciphering, organizing and utilizing mountains of data and stimuli.

One of the biggest challenges was to switch hats from producer to actor. While both serve the film in unique ways, they activate different parts of my brain.

[MV] Have you heard any comments about the film from former Black Panthers, or other organizations?

[Ronald K. Simons] We are just now getting the word out to former Panthers, so talk to me in a few months.

[MV] Can you share with us anything that might clue us in on what it is like to work with Tanya Hamilton, Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, and the rest of the cast? Any funny or insightful stories?

[Ronald K. Simons] There was a real team spirit that was fostered on the set. We were very, very lucky to have the people who we had work on this project. There were no divas.

Anthony would lunch with whomever was in the lunch room and joked and chatted with cast and crew regardless of their role in the film. It was hot in Philly that summer and Kerry hired an ice cream truck to come and treated the cast and crew to ice cream. That’s the kind of being there that makes a project more a labor of love.

[MV] Over the years the Sundance Film Festival has become the venue for independent films. How does it feel to be able to present this film at the festival?

[Ronald K. Simons] I feel proud. I am proud of the people who made this film come together. To be in Sundance is a testament to all the hard work and commitment of every crew and cast member who made this project come to be. I’m thrilled to be in the company of the other outstanding talent that will premier at Sundance 2010!

[MV] Some readers might find this film, due to subject and cast, to be ONLY a Black film for Black audiences. I disagree with such a thought. But what might you say to those readers?

[Ronald K. Simons] I completely agree with you. To say that this film is only for black audiences only is like saying that Lars and the Real Girl is only for audiences who fancy blow up dolls!

Like any good film, I know that Night Catches Us explores universal themes; themes of redemption, coming of age and identity of family make this film identifiable to a wide range of movie audiences.

[MV] This is a topic that the majority of people in America, born in the 70's or after, likely have heard little about. Why did you feel this was important to portray in film?



[Ronald K. Simons] This film is important for that very reason: we still suffer from misrepresentations of American History. This film is told with America 1976 as the back drop and so, indirectly, gives us an idea into what was going on inside and outside of the movement for equality in the 1970’s. We do it through eavesdropping on the microcosm of lives of the lead characters in the film.

[MV] Is there any one scene or moment in the movie that you feel is the best, the most dramatic or funny, the most evocative, that you could give my readers a hint of?

[Ronald K. Simons] There are a few, but I’m going to let the readers experience them for themselves.

[MV] Often we hear about how difficult it still is for Black actors and directors to break into the film industry, even after the enormous successes of Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Samuel Jackson, Spike Lee, and so many others. What might you say for those that are looking to enter the industry? Any tips or recommendations?

[Ronald K. Simons] Make sure that your script is the best it can be. After you write and rewrite it, get input from those established in the industry. Get coverage for the script from a reputable source and listen to the feedback. Build a film’s pedigree. Submit your script to competitions, labs such as Sundance and others. Finally I’d say persevere. It may take longer than you hope or expect that it should but believe in your work and get others on-board who believe in it too.

[MV] What other projects are you looking to in the future with your company SimonSays Entertainment?

[Ronald K. Simons] There are three projects that I’m very excited about. One is entitled Gun Hill Road by the talented Rashaad Ernesto Green (writer/director of Premature). It’s a father and son tale about an ex-con who arrives home from prison to a changed Bronx neighborhood. He tries to reestablish his role as father and husband only to realize that his 16 year-old son, Michael, who has been wrestling with his transgender sexual identity.

The second is Highway to Nowhere by writer/director Lanre Olabisi (writer/director of August the First). It’s the story of a border patrol officer on the U.S./Mexico border, himself was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, who is torn between his adopted country and the Mexican nationals he is hunting.

Then there is The Disappearing, a screenplay by Keith Josef Adkins. It’s a story of a young school teacher who returns to his Midwestern hometown to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his father only to confront his own dark past putting on the road to either his destruction or his redemption.

[MV] Lastly, your journey to Software Engineer and then on to actor and producer is a story of success. It's something that far too many fail to hear about. What is it that has made you avoid the pitfalls that the major media often likes to promote about people of color? What is it that drives you now?

[Ronald K. Simons] I’ve been accused of being an over-achiever. While I accept it, the term has always confused me. What does it mean to “over achieve?”

My friend Tom and I were working at HP many years ago and we were both ready for a change. His challenge was that he had no idea what he wanted to do. My challenge was I had SO MANY things I wanted to do that I didn’t know which I should do!

Since high school, I’ve had a love of drama. I carried that with me through my corporate career, into acting and now producing. Along the way I was educated to the many ways that the world is jacked up. My social consciousness was raised through civic work about the environment, women’s rights, human rights, immigration, racial inequalities to name a few. Filmmaking allows me the opportunity to marry my desire to change the world with the love of drama and storytelling.

I’m where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing, right now.


I thank Mr. Simons for the interview and a peek at what it is like to be involved with an independent film, and to have that film at the Sundance Festival. I look forward to hearing about his future films, and their success, as well that of Tanya Hamilton and the entire cast of Night Catches Us.

I recommend Night Catches Us to all my readers. It is an opportunity to glimpse an aspect of America that has passed, but yet still is with us today. It is a film that will entertain. I can think of no compliments greater than that for a film.

Movie Preview: BULL

BULL is another film that caught my attention. The trailer is stylized and slick. It has a sun-washed look and gives an image of a darker Ocean’s Eleven.



The most important thing to recall in this film is the first thing said in the trailer

“Do you think that anybody actually tells anybody the whole truth.”

The movie trailer rolls off like a classic deception film. Reminding me of the aforementioned Ocean’s Eleven, Matchstick Men, The Hustle, and a few others. It just has that feel. That something is going on and you don’t know exactly what that is.

Which can make a great film if it is done right. Done wrong though and the film is a waste of time. This film could go either way.

The cast includes Maury Chaykin, a character actor that I have always enjoyed watching. He always had just the right touch to a character that is deeper and less obvious than whatever he initially appears.

Also there are a few unknowns (or at least unknown to me) including: Simon Reynolds, Lindsey Deluse, Craig Lauson, Jeff Seymour, Lori Hallier, and Ellen Dubin. Which can really add to the to the film as there are no preconceptions as Chaykin can bring to a degree.

Is this a good film? I’m not sure. But from the trailer it looks like it could be quite good. In fact it might be part of a trend back to well written and envisioned filmmaking. Hollywood has abandoned films of this nature, but obviously there are more than a few directors and writers that can still envision a good story.

Who is really in charge in all this? Who has the upper hand? What are they after?

All great questions. My guess, and that is all I have right now, is that Charlie – the lead – is the guy scamming his boss. Though the secretary might have a plan of her own. But I could be very wrong. And even if I am right, how it all plays out is yet another thing.

I will say that no matter what the film seems like a worthwhile time and easily a trip to a world that we have not seen throughout the summer.

Movie Preview: In The Loop

Ok, so I really must see the British movie In The Loop. I saw a couple of trailers and I was just laughing out loud.



I mean who in the world gets away with saying

“You are my Kunta Kinte, now go out and get your laptop.”

And makes it funny.

In fact, critics over in Britain described the film as follows



Which a friend of mine was led to comment

“You know it must be good when critics are that against it. I mean what a critic wants to see is a bunch of mimes painting the Eiffel Tower green. That they would be thrilled with and call art. It would probably win an Oscar.”

Any film that can elicit that much humor, with that many curses (which it might take American audiences 2x to catch), yet is political intelligent and original deserves to be viewed.

Or of course you could watch Transformers 2 and see a bunch of CGI robots smash a bunch of things for no real reason.

9 questions with director David Kaplan

I recently had the opportunity to review a DVD of the short films (which includes a young Christina Ricci in a leading role) of independent filmmaker David Kaplan. In addition to that review, Kaplan provided me with a chance to interview him via email. The following are the questions and answers from the director, perhaps best known to the public for his major feature film Year of the Fish.

Upcoming films for Kaplan include a comedy featuring actors from Comedy Central's The Daily Show, and famed Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah which is in post-production currently. In pre-production (and thus likely for 2010) is the film Play, in which Kaplan directed and co-wrote.

I hope you enjoy the insights and thoughts the interview brings up, as well as taking the time to see the Little Red Riding Hood collection of short films now out on DVD.


Michael Vass: What led you to focus on short films, and then fairy tales for your work?

David Kaplan: There's something wild, unruly and deep about fairy tales. Their imagery seemed perfectly suited for film. Short films are simply more affordable than feature films and therefore easier to make.

Michael Vass: How did you come upon Christina Ricci, and the other actors in the film?

David Kaplan: I had already worked with Christina at the Sundance Institute's directors' workshop. She seemed born to play the part of Little Red. Not only did she have an uncanny resemblance to the famous Gustave Doré illustration of the tale, but she also had a sparkling intelligence in her eyes necessary to embody this clever young girl. The other actors were friends or were found through auditions.

Michael Vass: Why did you choose to have so much of the film shorts devoid of sound?

David Kaplan: They're not devoid of sound. They have music, sound effects, narration.... I chose not to have sync-dialogue in Little Red Riding Hood because it made it more storybook-like, which gives the audience a certain nostalgic comfort at the beginning, a feeling which is gently subverted as the film progresses.

Michael Vass: In each film there is a subtle but definite sexuality. They each border on the taboo, in their own ways. What inspired that direction?

David Kaplan: Fairy tales explore some dark shadows and truths of the human experience. Even though we think of them as innocent children's stories, I always felt they were much more complex than that. As Djuna Barnes notes in Nightwood,

“Children know something they can't tell: they like Red Riding Hood and the wolf in bed!”

Michael Vass: Do you have plans for a full length feature film? If so, will you be expanding on these film shorts or a new idea?

David Kaplan: Yes, I have several feature projects in the works. A couple are fairy tale adaptations. In fact, my first feature film, Year of the Fish is an adaptation of an old Chinese fairy tale. It played in theaters last year and will be released on DVD soon.

Michael Vass: Is the concept of introducing sexuality in a unique and subtle manner something you want to include in all your films, or was it just something that you found compelling for this short material?

David Kaplan: It really depends on the particular film. For example, the last feature film I made is a mainstream comedy about Indian food and cooking (it's in post-production) - not a lot of dark, offbeat sexuality in that one :)

Michael Vass: Since the success of your shorts at multiple independent film festivals have you found mainstream Hollywood more interested, or less?

David Kaplan: The shorts are very useful as an introduction to Hollywood. They got a lot of doors open for me.

Michael Vass: Do you have an ultimate wishlist film that you would like to make? If you could film any style of movie, with any actor/actress, what might you do?

David Kaplan: Yes, there are quite a few wishlist films I'd like to make. But that's a secret unless you're willing to finance them.

Michael Vass: What are some of the films and directors that inspired you?

David Kaplan: Charles Laughton's Night of the Hunter, Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Murnau's Sunrise, Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon, Neil Jordan's Company of Wolves, and of course Cocteau's La Belle et la Bete.

DVD Review: Christina Ricci in Little Red Riding Hood

The title sounds so innoucuous. I’m sure that many are thinking that this has got to be a mistake on my part. That it must be a audio book review. But I’m not mistaken, and you will be surprised. And you will understand why this is a Chicago International Film Festival Silver Hugo Award winner.

Little Red Riding Hood and other stories, is 3 short films each based on a short story from fairy tales. In total the entire collection of films, made by director David Kaplan, are only 30 minutes long. But I bet you just can’t watch them once.

Little Red Riding Hood is the first story on the DVD. Likely this is because it stars Christina Ricci in her teen years. But the story is hardly the thing of childhood memories. It does effectively set the tone for each of the following stories though.

In each of the short films we are introduced to unique takes on old ideas. We have sexuality introduced in a manner that has you questioning if it was the director’s intention, or just your own inner thoughts making a leap. We get a mixture of ballet, Black and White film, acting, silent film, represerntative characters, puppetry, and a touch of nostalgia among the various stories.

The Red Riding Hood is my favorite. It is sweet and tempting while being new and a bit whimsical. It’s visuals are not breath-taking, but simply further engross you to the action around you. Very little detracts from your observation, providing a voyueristic pleasure on top of everything else. Chrisitna Ricci is perfect, with a coyness and yet intensity in her eyes that just hits the mark.

Little Suck-a-thumb is completely in a different direction. From the sweet and even playful temptation we go t o color and an experience that may just strike you hard. In this short film we get to see a bit of a homage to Nosferatu and the old silent horror films. We are presented a tale with strong homo-erotic undertones.

The story takes a major back seat to the acting, as by the time you are getting the opening lines we are thrust calmly into the crux of the story. There is a gentleness and seduction going on that plays well to the sudden and well placed soundtrack of Ave Maria (a favorite song of mine that I never imagined would fit such a film). By the end we are left with a stroy that hits on views of morality, sexual preferences, and orientation without ever being graphic, lewd, insulting, or shocking.

The last story, The Frog King, is my least favorite of the 3. It too is in Black and White. But unlike the initial which had a narration, this is strickly old school silent film. The look is grittier as well. Darker scenes match a tone that seems ready to explode with danger at any moment. And the payoff left me scratching my head.

We travel this journey with a very young actress, into a place that I’m not sure of. Again sexuality comes up, and again it is a take on it that is far from the mainstream. But this story is unsettling. It’s harsher and less defined. It is more open-ended and questionable.

It’s not the acting that will throw you, but the direction and the story itself. I normally don’t listen to the commentaries of most DVD’s but I sought out this one to hopefully gain greater insight into the story. Sadly there was nothing in the commentary that really helped me out. Other than to hear David Kaplan explain that this was his least favorite as well.

Speaking of the extras of the DVD, there really aren’t any. This is a straight forward DVD. You have the 3 short films, the commentary of each film, a commentary on the folklore by scholar Jack Zipes, and it’s over. Considering there is only 30 minutes to it all I can’t say I’m surprised, though I was hoping to see a blooper real or extra scenes that were deleted – especially for Frog King.

All in all, I liked the DVD. The short trip it takes you on is worth the time and money spent. And as I said in the beginning, you will likely watch it over more than once. If that is not a sign of a worthwhile purchase, in a world of highly forgetable and poorly created revisionist and/or sequel laden films, then I don’t know what is.

Conclusion of my interview of independent film director Dennis Dorcth

This is part 5 of my in-depth interview with independent film director and writer Dennis Dortch, creator of the Sundance Film Festival Award winning film A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy (which is available on DVD).

The interview has covered the motivations for Dennis Dortch, the inspiration of the film, working in the film industry, the actors, writing, and other insights. If you want to see the other parts of the interview they are in order:

Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass

Director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass - pt 2

Part 3 of the Michael Vass interview with Sundance noted director Dennis Dortch

Part 4 of the Michael Vass interview with Sundance noted director Dennis Dortch

Conclusion of interview:

Michael Vass : No I can understand that. By the way how old are you now?

Dennis Dortch : I’m in my mid 30’s

Michael Vass : Oh that’s not that old at all. That is a good age. I’m not that much older but I’m older so that’s a good age. So it's something that, the achievement that you’ve gotten at this point. It's something that’s easily achievable you don’t have to wait till your 50 or 60 to get it done.

Dennis Dortch : You know what it is, I wish I’d done this earlier. Cause I had this idea and I had a short film idea Slam Dance in 99. I had an idea, the name, I had the short script version of Black and Sexy. But it took me literally a decade to really get it going from there and I think it really was just life literally.

I think the filmmakers who are young hot shots make films but they don’t know shit after that. It's kind of hard to follow up. I think it's life experiences that make good filmmakers. Even people like George Lucas; to be a good film maker a writer a visionary. I think the new 20’s are the 30’s and the new 30’s are the 40’s.

I didn’t really find myself until I hit 30. I didn’t find out what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to be creative. But I didn’t know how I was going to do it or how I was going to express it. I went to film school by accident. I didn’t know any thing about festivals. I just wanted to be creative and someone told me to do my short film at Sundance so I did Slam Dance.

I got into it with Slam Dance and I was like oh cool, but I didn’t know how to do that stuff. It was not in my world. I didn’t grow up with a video camera in my hands or a mommy and a daddy who were pushing me to do something with the camera. I sort of stumbled into it and found that I took to it. So I think it took … you know I got married and I have kids so its a lot of distractions. So it took me a while and in the time that it took me is the time that I needed if that makes any sense to you.

Michael Vass : Yes it get the fullness of what you needed to be to make what you needed to have. To make your vision become real.

Dennis Dortch : Exactly instead of half assed doing it.

Michael Vass : Yeah, I understand that completely. That’s a good thing to mention; a lot of people aren’t thinking about that sometimes. That little bit of extra time to get the experience to get the full vision is more important than just getting it out now.

Dennis Dortch : Exactly, instead of being that hot shot director and all that.

Michael Vass : No, I understand that … We’ve covered a lot and I’m sure that if we had all the time in the world I could probably give you another dozen different things I would want to ask you, but I love the work you’ve done. I’m very interested in the work your doing and I’m going to ask for just a little peek into what is that next project.

I know you mentioned its bigger, it’s a little different than what we’ve seen so far, that’s always a good thing. It’s a mix of art and contemporary or commercial I should say. I’m just wondering, 'gee is there a little teaser I can give to all my readers out there?'

Dennis Dortch : Ah no…no … I have to keep this secret. Its just a little superstition I have that if I talk to much about it I’m going to lose it. You know in order to tell the story you have to really want to tell somebody and I take that desire to want to tell somebody and I fit it into the writing. So I can’t really talk about it; but what I can do is tell you about another project that I’m doing. A web episodic online it’s a spin off of Black and Sexy.

Michael Vass : I understand, absolutely, so what is that?

Dennis Dortch : It’s called Black and Sexy Besides. What I’m doing is taking the movie and myself and some of my friends writer/directors are re-imagining what happened after the movie or some things about the movie like for example what happened after Her Man.

So there is an episode online now that you can take a look at if you wish. That is our first episode, our first attempt to see about extending the world of Black and Sexy. We currently shot this weekend and we will be shooting more in a couple of weeks to see what we are going to do with it. But its for the spin off of the movie.

Michael Vass : Definitely there is something that will tied over all my readers till we get a chance to see the next thing. That’s always a good thing and I thank you for giving me that.

End of the interview

Part 3 of the Michael Vass interview with Sundance noted director Dennis Dortch

This is the third part in my series of the taped interview with Sundance Film Festival winning director and writer Dennis Dortch. In this part of the interview we discuss the DVD of his movie A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy, the motivations of the characters, and several of the actors.

You can see the first part of the in depth interview at Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass

You can read the second part of the interview at Director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass - pt 2


Michael Vass : I can understand. Perhaps that’s why, and I think that a lot of people will find this through out all of your vignettes, that there is a lot of honesty. It is very honest. Very almost taken directly from life. You did a great job with the writing and directing and being able to make it like a real moment. I think that adds a lot to the power of what’s going on there. It’s just that I just like it the other way because it kind of almost gets a comeuppance. To a certain extent it kind of gets that a little more.

I did watch the extras which I think most people should see. You’ve got a lot of different things happing within the preparations. Some of the scenes are very different from what we got in the final version. I guess you did that with all the different actors going just a little bit more off the cuff just kind of letting them roll with it to a certain extent. Is that correct?

Dennis Dortch : Yeah very true I think it goes along with the honesty thing. After a while the scenes start sounding like lines. I think I write natural but it does not sound natural coming out of the actor’s mouth. It’s because for actors its their job to make it believable in the scene; to be in the moment. I can’t direct them on every single nuance. So I think having them have that freedom to be able to improvise and explore goes along with the same goals as being honest and true - makes it more real.

Michael Vass : Ok I can see that and it did work. It works very well.

One thing you didn’t change in any version, at least it looks like that from the extras, is the American Boyfriend storyline. You could have used almost any type of group of people. Inparticular you could have gone with some whites, some Russian. You could have gone to native Indians, or Jewish. There are so many people you could have interjected instead of Ann Marie Liu (Emily Liu) I believe that’s her name. But you went there in that direction and they're Chinese. Traditional Chinese I believe? Is that correct?

Dennis Dortch : Yes that is correct.

Michael Vass : Why did you make that choice to the Asian? To use Asians.

Dennis Dortch : For two reasons, one is because its really happened in my real life so I stuck with that and what I knew. And two - there’s a particular type of tone I was going for. I can only write what I know number one and number two a lot of people can identify and have had more experience with a Chinese family.

I could have made them Mohican but it just seemed too straight forward. To on the nose and racism does go beyond, people learn it. You know what I mean? So that is another part that I wanted to get at and I also wanted to bring in a freshness something that was different to. And felt a little different as far as a Chinese family hanging around popping the Mandarin.

And I think the other part was quite honestly, it was like Alphonso. He had the same experience with a Chinese girl he was dating, and my editor who edited that particular vignette, he had the same experience. He [editor] was not really dating the girl but he was friends with her but she would never take him to her house till one day they dropped by to pick up some stuff and he felt really strong with it… and so everybody can identify with it. But this is after the fact, after I wrote it of course. But I knew I was on to something that was very identifiable. Speaking the Chinese was really the way to go.

Michael Vass : It makes perfect sense to me, and it is a different approach to that theme. I just know some readers are going so say, ”well why did he do that?” So I just wanted to ask that. So you said that it happened to you? Did you actually walk through the door like that at the end? You said it was something that you did.

Dennis Dortch : No it was something that I wanted to do. I didn’t have the courage to do that. I get to do that in the movie but I didn’t. We were caught like the line where Ann Marie says he’s just a friend, that happened. I was hidden in that room or pushed out the back door on about three occasions.

Michael Vass : I’ve had that happen too.

Dennis Dortch : On the fourth occasion her parents walked up. It was hot you know you have the door open the screen door closed and they walked up and I didn’t even see them. They walked in on us and my girlfriend at the time let go of me and jumped and said, “he’s just a friend.” It was hurtful so that is exactly how that happened and so that actually played out in the film, but the other part was made up. A scene that was in my head that I wanted to do since I was sitting in that room steaming for hours you know.

Michael Vass : I think there is a lot of black men who can cheer that on, because I’ve had a similar experience to that same one and I didn’t [do anything]. I’m a strong man too and no I didn’t make that confrontation either so I can relate both to.

We all want to be him walking out that door but then again most of us aren’t going to do it. So that’s why I wanted to ask that because its kind of funny. Because we’ve all had that same experience.

By the way where did you find Nana Hill?

Dennis Dortch : She actually auditioned for Reprisosity and you probably saw that on the extras. She was just a girl who would literally go down and do it. So she didn’t work at all. But I liked her so much, that sensuality in her, and I definitely wanted a chocolate sister. I love natural hair in an afro so I wrote that part for her, it was supposed to be that hidden tract after the credits. But it was shot so beautifully that it was a nice little interlude that I ended up putting it into the main film.

Michael Vass : Where is she from? She sounds almost South African.

Dennis Dortch : Yes she is from Uganda.

Michael Vass : She is stunning and I think you just may have started a great career there because I can’t see Hollywood turning around and going I can’t use her. They’ve got to be using her more.

Dennis Dortch : Last time I saw her she was on CSI, but yes she is getting work here and there.

Michael Vass : Let me just skip ahead a little bit on a question that is also of interest into the actors you’ve worked with so far. Are you looking at going into the same thing that Spike Lee, Clint Eastwood and a few directors do. Which is to use a consistent core group of people over and over again in most of your films, or at least several of them?

Dennis Dortch : I don’t know, I’m not sure yet. But it’s possible to do that some times. I’m not sure yet but I don’t think that they knew that at the time either you know.

I think they were kind of looking for people. Probably new fresh people and just going back to people like Wesley Snipes, you know just kind of going back to the same actors. Because you know there really is only so many great actors. So I don’t know if we really are premeditated to do that, I think we just naturally kind of run out of options.

Who knows what this person really embodies, then you just start writing for people we know because we’ve got something so strong in our heads. So its kind of hard for me to say what I would do. I have no idea right now.

I have my next film in my head and I’m not thinking about any particular actor I’d use. Chonte is probably the one that comes to mind more often. Between her and Mylika who played the girl in Tonight, those are my best actors. And in my head yes I’d use them again but I’ve not made any plans yet.

Michael Vass : Ok so there is something for people to look forward to and I know they both have fans. But there are people who are fans of several of the people you use. So there is something they will be looking forward to in your next item.

Before I go there though …give me a moment, I’m just thinking through … there are a couple of things I wanted to hit on. Did you have a favorite story in this? I know American Boyfriend is one that you’ve lived but was that your favorite or was there a favorite in all the stories?

Dennis Dortch : No. They’re all my babies.

Michael Vass : Well its all yours that’s true.

Continued in part 4…

Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass

The following is a taped interview with Dennis Dortch, Sundance Film Festival award winning director and writer of A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy and Michael Vass of M V Consulting, Inc. The interview was taken earlier this year and is quite in depth. Dennis Dortch discusses his background, motivations, the meaning in his film, and hints at plans for the future.

Since this is an extensive interview (over 45 minutes of conversation), I will be breaking the entire interview into several parts. I will be posting each part over the next couple of days, with a summary listing the links after it is all posted.

The delay in posting this interview is mine. My transcription skills are hardly the best and I apologize for the delay. But I invite you enjoy this interview, to see my review of A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy, and to check out the B-sides (the continuation of the stories in the movie).

Michael Vass : You’ve got quite a film. The film was incredible and powerful. The first thing I have to ask is where did you get that idea for this film?

Dennis Dortch : Real life you know what I mean. The title itself is from Black Is Beautiful. You know just trying to make it a little more modern, that idea that concept. So I just really wanted to see certain images of ourselves up on the screen. And that was my first you know, little part of the concept. Then the other parts just came naturally for me, the particular things and issues that I’m interested in and the little tells and anecdotal type stories that don’t really warrant an entire movie, but they are little moments. You know that’s kind of the concept that formed on that and I wanted to do something a little different.

That was my point I wanted to break the mold a little bit. Especially for black film and for film in general, so I think those three things combined is kind of what made Black and Sexy come about.

Michael Vass : I can see that you definitely broke a lot of things. I don’t know if people said it before but I would imagine, well for myself and from what I’ve heard from a couple of people I know who have seen it, it definitively throws you off at least initially in that your almost kind of uncomfortable because its so what you’ve not seen, so different. But powerful - not in a bad way, its not bad its just …new. You know what I mean?

It shocks the system to go and say, "wow its so different and that‘s still beautiful and good." So I think that’s quite an accomplishment You did well in the way that you styled it for that.

Dennis Dortch : Thank you.

Michael Vass : No problem. Let me ask you something, one of the things I like to know about people and I’ve found is very important is the education. The most successful people almost always have great educations of some type. What was your education like?

Dennis Dortch : I was going to school for the recording arts, I was going to produce music. My education was kind of all over the place from elementary school on to high school because I was a military brat too. So I went to middle school in Germany on a military base and my experiences - well I was a pretty good student but my experiences being overseas helped me out with a lot of things too. I’ve always been a book worm and I’ve always been a writer. I’m not sure if I’m really answering your question., but I think I’ve always been the sort of guy to be sitting at home who would rather read than go out.

Michael Vass : It wasn’t a specific type of knowledge but more experience of the world and the accumulation of general knowledge that kind of led you foward. That’s been your background. Would say is that accurate?

Dennis Dortch : You know I’m not really sure. It’s kind of hard to analyze myself. I think for the most part I’ve always been into being honest in looking for the truth of things.

I think it’s [the truth of things] probably going to be my entire career and in everything that I chose to be apart of or read or be into. It’s something that gets at sort of a greater truth or something more honest and raw.

So I had a few choice teachers. I think everyone has had a few teachers that have changed your life or shaped you. When you’re coming up as adults they look at you as a kid and they are able to identify what your about and help shape that a little bit by saying a few things. You know there are a couple of key words that a life holds up.

I think I remember in junior college I had a far east Indian teacher who I literally had for one semester for philosophy and I had a tendency to apply real life situations to this class. I could not study the actual period, I had to apply them to real life. It was apart of our curriculum anyway.

I would come up with these scenarios that are very similar to the stories that I am writing now that are in Black and Sexy that are mainly based in philosophy. I think that one particular teacher for that one semester told me that it was ok. You know other people got mad at me saying things that felt so hurtful to them or so honest and so on. I guess it was raw so they didn’t want to talk about it in class. They felt offended like I’m saying these things, 'how could you say this. It’s not kosher.' But he actually told me it was ok Because it’s the truth.

Michael Vass : The truth is truth.

...Continued in part 2

Interview with Andrew Cockburn of American Casino - Tribeca Film Festival

The following interview was taken at the Direct TV Tribeca Press Center, on April 27th during the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

The interview is with Andrew Cockburn, producer of the independent documentary American Casino. The film is about the mortgage crisis, the people affected, and some of it's causes. The documentary takes place from January 2008 and follows the mortgage crisis through the year. It is a film I have seen and recommend to all my readers. A review of the film is forthcoming.





I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did speaking with Andrew.