{"id":1286554,"date":"2025-06-19T00:45:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T00:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/?p=1286554"},"modified":"2025-06-19T00:45:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T00:45:13","slug":"surrounded-by-stories-creates-safe-space-for-black-filmmakers-despite-dei-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/surrounded-by-stories-creates-safe-space-for-black-filmmakers-despite-dei-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Surrounded By Stories Creates Safe Space For Black Filmmakers Despite DEI Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n

In a year that\u2019s felt like the hands of time are slowly ticking backward \u2014 with the anti-diversity, equity and inclusion political climate reversing corporate promises in a <\/span>post-George Floyd world <\/span><\/a>and <\/span>Hollywood backtracking on diversity programs<\/span><\/a> to appease Donald Trump\u2019s second presidential term \u2014 it\u2019s comforting to know some safe spaces for these communities have still found the means to exist without scrutiny.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That\u2019s partly what makes the inception of <\/span>Surrounded By Stories<\/span><\/a>, a one-night-only showcase dedicated to spotlighting unreleased works from overlooked Black voices in film, so moving. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Set for June 21 at New York City\u2019s historic SVA Theatre (the same theater used by the Tribeca Film Festival), the intimate event aims to celebrate Black storytelling by offering creatives a place to debut their short films, engage in real-talk panel discussions and rub elbows with industry figures like \u201cPower\u201d star Naturi Naughton, \u201cThe Wire\u201d alum Chad Coleman, \u201cThe Real Housewives of New York City\u201d star Racquel Chevremont and many others.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

What makes the inaugural showcase even more compelling are the dynamic hosts behind it: Grammy-nominated artist and actor Tristan Mack Wilds and award-winning filmmaker Greg Cally, two industry veterans pouring their years of talent and expertise into an initiative that deliberately challenges the <\/span>anti-DEI agenda plaguing parts of the entertainment industry<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Going against the Hollywood grain to build a space that doesn\u2019t revolve around industry politics, awards or exclusivity is no easy feat. Doing it with the sole purpose of giving marginalized artists more access and tools <\/span>and<\/span><\/em> funding it from their own pockets? That\u2019s just rare.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

However, Cally and Wilds noticed a gap that still hasn\u2019t been meaningfully filled in the film industry: a lack of spaces where underrepresented creatives can share their work without having to jump through hoops for opportunities. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Sure, large-scale festivals like Sundance, Tribeca, Venice and more already exist to help emerging storytellers establish themselves. However, they\u2019re still highly competitive and very costly spaces to be in, and as Cally notes, there simply aren\u2019t enough focused on elevating filmmakers themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That\u2019s where Surrounded By Stories comes in. There are no awards or high stakes to worry about. The event is simply a vessel for creatives to show their projects with no strings attached.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cYou\u2019re just showing the work and celebrating that,\u201d Cally says. \u201cYou\u2019re celebrating community and the film. And for one day, you can worry about not selling it to someone. Whether a distributor says yes or no, whether the box office numbers are great, whether you got nominated for an Emmy\u2026 This is just about the project and seeing how people react to it, and sharing these different actors that are [involved].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe need to have places that uplift us in the success of creating art,\u201d Wilds adds, \u201cbut also help guide us in a direction that can make our art better\u2026 Something that is more geared towards the creator and not the distribution of said art.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\""These<\/div>\n
“These are all people that come from different walks of life, different parts of the industry, that want to get their story out,” Cally says of the filmmakers being highlighted at Surrounded By Stories.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

The showcase portion of Surrounded By Stories was born out of a string of industry rejections, according to Wilds and Cally. It also stemmed from a desire to get their short films in front of audiences \u201cwithout worrying about a middleman.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cA big part of this business is soliciting yourself, getting yourself in front of different people, film festivals, etc.,\u201d Wilds explains. \u201cWhether you\u2019re an actor or a director or a writer or whatever you do, it comes with a lot of \u2018nos\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He adds, \u201cAfter a while, we wanted to get to a place where not only can we showcase our stuff and not have to worry about somebody saying \u2018yes\u2019 or \u2018no\u2019 to us, but also give other people an opportunity to be around like-minded creatives and build their stuff to a better place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Surrounded By Stories isn\u2019t Wilds and Cally\u2019s first creative collaboration. The two previously worked on the former\u2019s Tidal-released \u201cAfterHours\u201d mini-series and his 2021 short film \u201cWouldn\u2019t Mean Nuthin\u2019.\u201d They also recently co-launched their <\/span>Surrounded By Water film collective<\/span><\/a>, which helped produce their upcoming showcase. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Funny enough, the way the longtime collaborators first connected began similarly to this conversation, when Cally, a then-journalist, interviewed his actor-singer friend over a decade ago. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe were on the phone talking, and then it just turned into a friend-type of conversation,\u201d he recalls. \u201cHe was talking about his age \u2014 he was born the same year as me. And then all of these similarities kept coming across \u2014 his family\u2019s from [the Dominican Republic]; my family\u2019s Haitian\u2026 It literally just started with an interview, and we kind of caught a vibe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Wilds<\/div>\n
Wilds and Cally say they connected years ago during a phone interview and kept in touch from there. “Eventually, it just led to creativity,” the latter shares. “Like, ‘Yo, let’s do something. Let’s create something together.’”<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Around that time, Wilds \u2014 best known for his roles in \u201cThe Wire,\u201d \u201c90210\u201d and \u201cSwagger\u201d\u2014 was concentrating on his music career but eager to return to film. Meanwhile, Cally was looking to pivot away from journalism to explore new avenues of storytelling, which led him to filmmaking (\u201cD. Wade: Life Unexpected,\u201d \u201cNever Would Have Made It: The Marvin Sapp Story\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI saw where he was with it \u2014 how he wanted to start creating stuff, and he saw how I wanted to start creating stuff, and it just slowly started to tick,\u201d says Wilds. \u201cThings just started to fall in place perfectly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

With their shared ambitions in mind, the pair struck up a creative partnership and began pursuing their goals behind the camera. That eventually led to the idea for their immersive showcase. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Initially, the duo intended to produce films together and find a way to get them seen at film festivals \u2014 until they encountered \u201cgatekeepers.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThese film festivals get to choose who gets seen and who doesn\u2019t,\u201d Cally explains, noting that some can be \u201cvery predatory, because they\u2019re preying on people that have hope.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cSo, we\u2019re creating these great films that we\u2019re passionate about, but now we don\u2019t have a platform to share \u2019em because you gotta have a relationship with the festival programmers, or you gotta have a bunch of five-star celebrities, or you gotta talk about what they deem is a trending topic at the time in order for it to be seen,\u201d he continues.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cUs going through this process, getting a lot of nos from film festivals, getting into some festivals, and being led to believe we were gonna win. And then being on stage and receiving that loss, that\u2019s when you realize, \u2018Oh, they\u2019re leveraging the celebrity that Mack has to sell tickets, but they don\u2019t plan on actually honoring us in that way.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Finally, he says, the two decided, \u201cYo, let\u2019s create a film showcase where everybody\u2019s a winner in the room.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Surrounded<\/div>\n
Surrounded By Stories will host the world premiere of “Spillover,” a short film that explores the complex relationship between urban neighborhoods and law enforcement, starring Lamar K. Cheston (“Godfather of Harlem,” “BMF,” “The Game”) and Grant Lowenstein.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

From what Cally and Wilds describe, Surrounded By Stories isn\u2019t an ordinary film showcase. In addition to offering creators and talent a platform to amplify their voices, the two also wanted to combine an evening of entertainment with foundational pillars like community and education. The networking mixer and special guest panels include \u201cSummer House: Martha\u2019s Vineyard\u201d star Jasmine Ellis Cooper, Emmy-nominated executive producer and director One9 (\u201cTime is Illmatic\u201d), \u201cReal Housewives of Atlanta\u201d and \u201cPotomac\u201d executive producer Eric D. Fuller, \u201cLizzo\u2019s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls\u201d producer Jessica Hubert and \u201cZatima\u201d actor Guyviaud Joseph. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The goal was to facilitate a free flow of ideas between A-list talent and individuals people may not be familiar with yet, all in the same space. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe wanted people who we knew weren\u2019t going to come in here from a diva standpoint,\u201d Cally says of friends and celebrities they contacted, \u201cwho were willing to touch the people and interact, and had something interesting to speak on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That reasoning also extends to the powerful short films that were selected to screen at the showcase, two of which Cally and Wilds helped create.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cSpillover\u201d \u2014 co-written by former cop William McGarry, directed by Cally, and executive produced by Wilds and Phil Tudeme, another former cop \u2014 delves into the complexities of community policing in the wake of a life-changing incident involving two lifelong friends and a white rookie cop. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThese are two cops who worked in some of the toughest urban neighborhoods, and they wanted to tell a story about that,\u201d Cally shares, adding that he and Wilds faced resistance from some festivals due to the current climate around DEI. \u201cWe just wanted to help bring this story to life. We felt it was an important story that needed to be seen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing that the film is being a little bit suppressed in terms of how it\u2019s treated\u2026 So, we\u2019ll see how the audience reacts, and that\u2019s how we\u2019ll be able to tell if this is politics or if we just made a bad movie,\u201d the director jokes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Another<\/div>\n
Another film premiering at Surrounded By Stories is “Sincerely Brad,” a genre-bending short written by Cally and Isaac Yowman, who also directs.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Meanwhile, \u201cSincerely Brad,\u201d directed by Isaac Yowman and co-written by Cally, features \u201cMartin\u201d alum Carl Anthony Payne and \u201cDoc\u201d star Patrick Walker in a short about an astronaut on the brink of becoming the first Black man on the moon \u2014 only to grapple with the personal cost of his historic mission. Rounding out the lineup is \u201c333,\u201d a deeply personal short written and directed by Naturi Naughton, which explores the emotional toll of womanhood amid restrictive abortion laws and the ongoing fight for reproductive autonomy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

According to Wilds, the projects weren\u2019t selected solely for their social timeliness, but \u201cthe pieces just fit together.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Cally adds that, while they hadn\u2019t set out with an overt political agenda, the two came to realize, midway through planning, that their collective effort was, in fact, quite \u201cradical\u201d in spotlighting issues that are rarely granted nuance onscreen. It gave their showcase even more urgency and purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe were like, \u2018Wow.\u2019 All these conversations we were having were manifesting themselves into something tangible,\u201d Cally remarks. \u201cSo, instead of just complaining about what the problem was, we started to make a solution. And before we knew it, we were like, \u2018Oh, shoot, we\u2019re actually solving our own problem.\u2019\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"At<\/div>\n
At the showcase, Naughton will present her short film “333,” starring “The Chi” actor Birgundi Baker (pictured) and Vanessa Bell-Calloway.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Surrounded By Stories is taking its mission a step further this weekend with the inaugural launch of the Michael K. Williams<\/a> Creative Fellowship, an initiative created in honor of the late \u201cThe Wire\u201d actor<\/a> with permission from his estate. Through this fellowship, the recipient will earn one-on-one training, mentorship, access to industry resources and even the opportunity to work on Cally and Wilds\u2019 film projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cMe and Mack both got to work with Mike at different times in our lives, and he became a big brother to both of us,\u201d says Cally, who produced one of Williams\u2019 last television projects, Vice TV\u2019s \u201cBlack Market\u201d series. \u201cWe\u2019re getting ready to give back some of what he gave to us, which was something that he was really proud about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He adds, \u201cMichael K. would say, \u2018Yo, call me big bro.\u2019 So we get to tell this young person, \u2018We big bro,\u2019 for the next year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Discussions around the next Surrounded By Stories showcase haven\u2019t started just yet, but Cally and Wilds are committed to making it an annual celebration of film and Black artistry \u2014 if not to entertain, educate or inspire, then at the very least to \u201ckeep open spaces for our stories.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThey\u2019re gonna try to delete our stuff<\/a> as much as they possibly can. They\u2019re gonna try to delete our history and our narrative,\u201d says Wilds. \u201cBut just as fast as they delete it, we just have to constantly make more so that the people can hear our stories.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cNew York being the city that it is, it feels like it\u2019s about time for Black artists, for our people, to have a space where they can show up, show out, and not have to worry about the back-and-forth of what it means to make art,\u201d Wilds continues. Just have a day to celebrate each other, celebrate yourselves, and just enjoy art.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n