You can see the artistic talent of Christian Kamaal in the vivid way he describes his life -- he borrowed a camera from his father, who used it to film funerals for his community ("unfortunately, in the city I come from, a lot of funerals"); his power of observation earned him a spot at USC's film school; and he utilized his power of observation, of visual artistry, to make BLACKIFIER, a powerful short that hits you with more thoughts about our world than most features. And that's only half of it. In this episode, we talk about the reaction of BLACKIFIER at film festivals; why people don't pursue controversial social topics; how he thinks we can change festivals to hear more diverse stories ("it starts at the top") and stresses the importance of ownership of your own stories; his thoughts on AI in filmmaking; are there enough films programs at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)? and what this extraordinarily talented filmmaker is working on next. Christian's Indie Film Highlight: Letia Solomon (https://www.instagram.com/l.solomon_/?hl=en) Links: Christian Kamaal’s Website (https://www.christiankamaal.com/) American Black Film Festival (https://www.abff.com/miami/) Support the Podcast Through Membership (https://app.redcircle.com/shows/9ddc691d-2273-47d5-a1b9-5a4acb0670f5/exclusive-content) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content