Here’s a shout out to minority films and movie projects, although minority seems like an awkward word when discussing such major achievements. And I do mean major!
It was such a joy to previously blog on 1.) minority authors, 2.) African Americans in television, and 2.) black media personalities in sports and business. Now I’d like to share the noteworthy contributions of two of my favorite black film directors.
A Hollywood First — Director Peter Ramsey
You can imagine the thrill of interviewing Peter Ramsey, director of Rise of the Guardians (based on the
book by William Joyce).
The release date for Rise of the Guardians was November 21, 2012 — perfect timing for the holidays. Luckily for me, I was included in the media blitz of interviews with the director, one of the nicest and most approachable people imaginable. The interview was published in an article for Katy Christian Magazine.
We spoke of Peter’s groundbreaking experience, the fim’s incredible animation, and the work of voice actors Chris Pine as Jack Frost, Jude Law as boogeyman Pitch Black, Alec Baldwin as Nicholas St. North, Hugh Jackman as E. Aster Bunnymund the Easter Bunny, and Isla Fisher as Toothiana the Tooth Fairy.
Interesting side note: at the time of the interview, I was writing and editing for several magazines and used the pen name “Ruth Towns” in this particular piece.
Later in 2018, Peter co-directed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Animation) and achieved another first as the first African American to be a nominee and winner of an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Other Favorite Minority Films 
I love Galley Molina, the director of “I’m in Love with a Church Girl.” His story is amazing — the book, later adapted to film, was written while Galley was in prison. It’s a story of redemption, overcoming, and renewed faith starring Adrienne Bailon, Ja Rule, Toby Mac, and Stephen Baldwin.
Watch a clip here.
The movie received quite a bit of buzz. Check out my article here, a CBN article here, a Christian Post article here, a Christian Cinema article here, a Religion News Services article here , and a Black Film article here.
Other Talented African American Film Directors
If you are interested in learning more about black film directors, Maya Angelou, Beyoncé, Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Denzel Washington, and dozens of others can be found listed here. The New York Times published a great article on films and directors here.
As a book editor, ghostwriter and scriptwriter, I’m particularly interested in novels and movies because I adapt books to film.
Contact me for writing and editing services
If you are interested in writing a book or having it edited, or even having your book turned into a screenplay, contact me at melaniesaxton@icloud.com. We can discuss your project in-depth, including price, timeline, and deliverables. Let’s get started!