On July 25th, 2020, producer Tressa Azarel Smallwood of MegaMind Media in partnership with BET HER launched the first rollout of four female-centric original short films.
The films are spotlighting women’s mental health issues directed by prominent African American women primarily known for being in front of the camera.
Veteran Hollywood stars Kim Fields (“Living Single”), Victoria Rowell (“The Young and the Restless”), Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Moesha”) and Vanessa Bell Calloway (“Coming to America” ) each helmed 20-minute dramatic shorts focusing on topics vital to today’s Black families.
Veteran Hollywood stars Kim Fields (“Living Single”), Victoria Rowell (“The Young and the Restless”), Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Moesha”) and Vanessa Bell Calloway (“Coming to America” ) each helmed 20-minute dramatic shorts focusing on topics vital to today’s Black families. The response was overwhelming following BET’s first issue-oriented dramatic evening.
The first two films which aired under the “Her Stories” franchise — a platform to empower the next generation of Black women filmmakers — focused on post-partum depression. The forthcoming two films delve into breast cancer awareness in a block titled “The Waiting Room” and include short films “Like, Comment, Subscribe” and “A Long Look In the Mirror”). The special presentation is slated to premiere Saturday, October 17, 2020, at 9 pm ET.
Sheryl Lee Ralph “Like, Comment, Subscribe” is directed by Sheryl Lee Ralph, written by Shateka “SJ” Johnson, and will star newcomer Jasmine Luv (“Chicago Med”) and a cameo appearance by Victoria Rowell. It follows a wedding vlogger and bride-to-be herself as she chronicles her journey after being diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer.
Through her journey, we will see the ups, the downs, and the love shared with her fiancé. Sheryl Lee Ralph has been at the forefront of women’s health issues for 25 years and outspoken on love and care for oneself for a long fulfilling life.
Vanessa Bell Calloway will direct “A Long Look in the Mirror” starring Golden Brooks (“Girlfriends”). Written by Deshawn Plair & Sade Oyinade, it tells the story of a broken mother-daughter relationship tested to the limits after the youth-obsessed mother receives a cancer diagnosis and struggles to cope with the disease. The theatrical interpretation is especially meaningful to Calloway who is, herself, a breast cancer survivor.
“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,”
“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.
“We are proud to be the platform for these powerful stories and of the work that our female talent has put into these projects that are ever so timely.” Making a difference is what each and every person involved in this initiative holds dear.
This is one of the most undercover health initiatives of our time and these women are bringing original theatrical content which is poignant, entertaining, and vital for a better tomorrow.
Photo credit: Sheryl Lee Ralph.
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