And in the Warm Light of Forever

It's hard to believe that it's only been since the Covid pandemic that I began delving into the art of filmmaking as a new means of creative expression. And if you asked me, I'd have to say, "So far, so good." My first film, Love and the Game, released in 2021, has won awards at five major film festivals, from Atlanta to Istanbul, and is currently enjoying commercial success on Tubi. Delilah, my second project, a full-length feature, is scheduled to be released on Valentine's Day 2024, in partnership with Fast forward Films and the America Nu Network. You can check it out on Apple TV, Fire TV,  Roku or Android TV. My lawyer and personal advisors keep telling me to just relax and let things unfold. "You don't want to over saturate your market." But writers write! That's what we do. So, it's been difficult for me to just sit and wait in between these two projects. I got restless, what can I say? Sue me. 

So I decided to do something just for the film festivals later this year. I'm happy to announce my newest work, a short film called, And in the Warm Light of Forever. It's based on a short story I wrote and published called, The Funeral, and it's one of my personal favorites. Long before I understood it, I thought it ironic that, as people, we are so capricious and fearful of death and dying; yet at the same time we're so ostentatiously ritualistic in our expressions. 

I know it's not something we like to think about, but it intrigued me because I believe subconsciously we all know that every funeral we've ever attended is really our own in disguise. We don't acknowledge it, but deep down, in that place, we don't let others enter; it's more than just etiquette or even a personal sense of duty and respect; it's that hidden curiosity that secretly drives us to attend. I know it's a strange topic for a movie, but more than the others I've done so far, this little 17-minute theatrical jaunt is the truest expression of meaningful artistic vision as I see it. The film introduces the lovely, Cynthia Bizukiewicz in her screen debut, and also stars, Erika Bermudez, Darwin Roman, and my daughter Isabella Ali. 

Assuming all goes according to plan, And in the Warm Light of Forever will make its first festival appearance in the spring. The film was superbly shot by the young and talented Souleymane Doumbouya who also shot Delilah. I look forward to sharing And in the Warm Light of Forever with you later this year. In the meantime, check out this little teaser. Hope you like it.