♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Simmons: WELCOME TO "BASIC BLACK."

SOME OF YOU ARE JOINING US ON OUR BROADCAST AND OTHERS OF YOU ARE JOINING US ON OUR DIGITAL PLATFORMS.

I'M LISA SIMMONS, DIRECTOR OF THE ROXBURY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AND PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF THE COLOR OF FILM COLLABORATIVE.

CALLIE CROSSLEY IS OFF THIS EVENING.

TONIGHT: "HOLIDAY FILMS AND REPRESENTATION."

THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE, A SPECIAL TIME TO GATHER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

AND AS THE WEATHER GETS COLDER, MOST OF THAT BONDING TIME WILL BE SPENT WATCHING NEW MOVIES, WHETHER ON THE BIG SCREEN, IN THEATERS OR STREAMING ON TELEVISION AT HOME.

AND YET, MUCH LIKE THE CHANGING SEASON, THERE HAS BEEN A NOTICEABLE CHANGE OF THE FILMS THAT INCLUDE STORY LINES ABOUT AND WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR AVAILABLE TO WATCH DURING THE HOLIDAYS-- WITH MORE REPRESENTATION, IN FRONT AND BEHIND THE CAMERA.

SO WE'LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THESE UPCOMING FILMS AND HOW THEY ARE REFLECTING THE DIVERSITY OF ITS AUDIENCES.

IS THIS SIMPLY A TREND OR A LONG LASTING AND POSITIVE CHANGE FOR FILMMAKERS AND ARTISTS OF COLOR?

JOINING US REMOTELY: DANIEL CALLAHAN, A MULTIMEDIA ARTIST AND FILMMAKER; DR. MICHAEL JEFFRIES, DEAN OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN STUDIES AT WELLESLEY COLLEGE-- HE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF, "PAINT THE WHITE HOUSE BLACK: BARACK OBAMA AND THE MEANING OF RACE IN AMERICA;" ANDREA LYMAN, AN ACTRESS, SINGER AND PRODUCER, SHE'S ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AND THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TELEVISION AND RADIO ARTISTS; AND MAURICE EMMANUEL PARENT, AN ACTOR, SINGER, DANCER, EDUCATOR, AND CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF "THE FRONT PORCH ARTS COLLECTIVE."

WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU.

>> HELLO.

>> Simmons: HELLO, HELLO, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU.

MICHAEL I WANTED TO START WITH YOU.

THE HOLLYWOOD DIVERSITY REPORT 2021 THAT IS CALLED THE PANDEMIC IN PROGRESS, FOUND THAT MORE WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR GOT JOBS THIS YEAR AS LEAD ACTORS, CLOSE TO ACCURATE REPRESENTATION, REPRESENTING THEIR MAKEUP AND PEOPLE AT LARGE.

WHAT DOES THIS REPUTATION HAVE ON AUDIENCES?

>> I THINK IT MATTERS BECAUSE IT SHOWS WHAT SO MANY RESEARCHERS HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME.

IF YOU PUT TOGETHER FILMS WITH CAST THAT LOOK LIKE THE AUDIENCES THAT GO SEE THEM, THEY WILL COME AND SUPPORT THEM AND THE FILMS WILL BE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BY EVERY MEASURE, CRITICALLY AND FINANCIALLY.

IT'S PROOF OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR A LONG TIME.

YOU ASK THE QUESTION WHY NOW, WHAT LED TO THIS MOMENT THAT LED TO THIS CHANGE?

I THINK FILM INDUSTRY AND FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY IS IN IDEAS, NOT ONLY THE PANDEMIC BUT THE PANTD LAYERED ON TOP OF THE STREAMING RESOLUTION.

TO SHAKE LOOSE FROM WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING FOR SUCH A LONG TIME AND TAKE RISKS.

AS WE ARE SAYING, THEY WEREN'T REALLY RISKS, THE OUTCOME WAS BASICALLY CERTAIN, RIGHT?

BUT NEVERTHELESS, IT GAVE ALARMLY WHITE PRODUCERS AND STUDIO HEADS A CHANCE TO KIND OF BREAK THE MOLD.

AND NOW THEY'RE REAPING THE REWARDS.

BUT THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT WHEN YOU LOOK FILM INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE.

WHO GREEN LIGHTS FILMS WHO DIRECT FILMS WHO ARE THE CASTING DIRECTORS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ARE STILL AREAS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE GREAT PROGRESS.

>> Simmons: I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN TOO IS WE ARE SEEING MORE ACTORS, SEEING MORE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF THE SCREEN BUT IT'S BEHIND THE SCREEN NOW THAT WE REALLY NEED TO PUSH FORWARD FOR.

MAURICE SO YOU FOR THE FRONT PORCH ARTS COLLECTIVE AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO, YOU REALLY FCUS ON THIS WITH YOUR THEATER WORK.

AND I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT -- ARE YOUR AUDIENCES, DO YOU SEE YOUR AUDIENCES REALLY CRAVING THIS?

YOU CREATE AND PRODUCE WORK FOR RECOMMENDATION TO DO THIS WORK -- FOR REPRESENTATION TO DO THIS WORK.

>> ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

WE ACTUALLY REALIZE THAT THERE'S A LARGE DESIRE TO SEE YOURSELF ON STAGE.

WE WERE MENTIONED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES AS PART OF OUR LARGER ARTICLE ON SITUATIONS WHERE ART WAS BEING PRESENTED FOR MAJORITY IF NOT ENTIRELY BLACK AUTOPSIES.

SO LIKE THAT BLACK AUDIENCES.

THAT WAS MIRRORED IN THE AUDIENCE, WHICH IS SO RARE.

IT IS SO MAGICAL.

WE JUST KNOW THAT THE POWER OF REPRESENTATION, THE POWER OF PRESENCE, THE POWER OF SEEING YOURSELF REFLECTED IN THE ART IN WAYS THAT JUST ISN'T AS COMMON AS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT IS REALLY POWERFUL AND THAT'S WHY WE STARTED THE FRONT PORCH.

>> Simmons: IT'S SO INCREDIBLE.

I REMEMBER IN MY EARLY, EARLY, EARLY DAYS AS AN AN ACTRESS, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SEE PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN THE AUDIENCE.

IT VALIDATED YOU.

WE ARE SEEING MORE OF THAT AND AS MICHAEL SAID, PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP AND UNDERSTANDING NOAA THIS IS IMPORTANT, THAT REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT, THAT PEOPLE WILL COME TO SEE THESE FILMS, COME TO SEE THESE THEATER PIECES AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE WANTED TO.

AND NOW WE'RE GETTING TO THAT POINT AND WE'LL GET TO A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT THE TREND AN WHETHER OR NOT IT IS.

BUT DANIEL YOU'RE CREATING WORK LIKE THIS AS A FILM MAKER AND THE MASKING WORK YOU'RE DOING HAS THIS BEEN A DESIRE OF YOURS TO BE CREATING STORIES THAT FOCUS ON PEOPLE OF COLOR?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, I THINK AS A FILM MAKER YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON THE STORIES THAT YOU KNOW.

AND SO AS A BLACK MAN, THOSE ARE OFTEN THE STORIES THAT I HAVE TO TELL.

AND YEAH, I MEAN I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY NOW, WHERE PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SHARE ALL OF THE STORIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I AGREE WITH MICHAEL THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AND I THINK THAT IN ORDER FOR THIS NOT TO BE A TREND, IT NEEDS TO BE MORE GRASS ROOTS, IN TERMS OF OWNING THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION AND THEN ALSO IN TERMS OF USING OUR LEVERAGE TO CONTINUE TO PUSH NOT ONLY CREATORS BUT ALSO LIKE YOU'VE SAID FOLKS WHO GREEN LIGHT AND FOLKS WHO PRODUCE, FOLKS WHO INVEST, AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, IT'S NOT JUST ECONOMIC, IT'S POLITICAL.

IT'S MORALITY.

AND -- MORAL.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNTRY.

>> Simmons: EXACTLY.

AND THE OTHER THING WE'RE SEEING TOO ARE MORE -- WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ACTORS IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA WE'RE SEEING SO MANY MORE HALLMARK LIFETIME BET, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOLLYWOOD MOVIES THAT ARE COMING OUT AND OF COURSE THE HOLIDAY SEASON BRINGS HALLMARK AND FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS HALLMARK HAS BEEN PREDOMINANTLY WHITE VENUE FOR ACTORS.

AND THE SHIFT WAS SORT OF MADE I THINK AROUND 2015 FOR HALLMARK TO SAY WAIT, THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY.

WE HAVE THESE AUDIENCES.

SO ANDREA I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THESE TYPES OF FILMS ARE CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTORS AND MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND ALSO FOR NONTRADITIONAL ROLES.

AND I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT SHIFT.

BUT FIRST I'D LIKE TO GO TO A CLIP OF A HALLMARK MOVIE.

THIS IS I'M GOING TO SET UP THE SCENE FOR YOU.

WHEN CHARACTERS LOU AND KYLE, PLAYED BY ACTORS JORDIN SPARKS AND MICHAEL XAVIER SIT AROUND THE FIRE IN THE HALLMARK CHANNEL MOVIE, "A CHRISTMAS TREASURE," LOU REFLECTS ON HER FIRST BOOK WHILE MICHAEL COMES UP WITH A CURE FOR HER WRITER'S BLOCK.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

>> I WAS SIX WHEN I WROTE MY FIRST BOOK.

>> YOU WERE SIX WHEN YOU WROTE YOUR FIRST BOOK?

>> YES, THERE WAS EXACTLY ONE COPY AND IT WAS PRINTED ON CARD STOCK IN MY DAD'S OFFICE.

IT WAS IN CRAYON.

>> WHAT WAS IT ABOUT?

>> IT WAS ABOUT A LITTLE GIRL THAT GOES TO THE NORTH POLE TO MAKE SURE SANTA GIVES GIFTS TO THE EL OFS.FS.

HE GOT IT WRAPPED AND I OPENED IT ON CHRISTMAS MORNING AND I SAW WRITTEN BY LOUISE WEBB.

I NEVER FORGOT THAT.

>> IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE YOU SEE YOUR NAME AGAIN.

>> IT'S FRUSTRATING, NOTHING I'VE BEEN WRITING LATE HAS BEEN STICKING.

I JUST WRITE THE WORDS AND THEY SLIDE OFF THE PAGE.

>> WELL, KEEP GOING.

SOONER OR LATER, SOMETHING IS GOING TO STICK.

YOUR PASSION HAS TAKEN YOU THIS FAR.

YOU'LL GET IT.

>> THANK YOU.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR WRITER ANSWER BLOCK?

SMORES.

>> YOU THINK CHOCOLATE SOLVES EVERYTHING.

>> IT DOES.

>> Simmons: OKAY, WHO DOESN'T LOVE A HALLMARK MOVIE?

SO ANDREA HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS FOR ACTORS OF COLOR TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES?

HALLMARK CREATES THESE AND LIFETIME AND BET, MANY EVER THEM EVERY YEAR.

>> OKAY SO WHAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS, SAY THIS MOVIE IS MADE IN BOSTON.

WHICH NOW, MORE AND MORE FILMS ARE, SINCE OUR FILM TAX CREDIT.

SO YOU SEE THOSE LEAD ACIALGHTS, BUT WHAT YOU -- ACTORS BUT YOU DON'T SEE IS THEIR STAND INS WHO ARE NOW ALSO BLACK.

BECAUSE THEY USED TO USE WHITE PEOPLE FOR STAND INS FOR WHITE PEOPLE WHICH IS CRAZY SO THEIR STAND INS ARE BLACK.

IF THERE ARE ANY STUNTS, THE STUNT DOUBLES ARE BLACK.

AND THAT BRINGS THE STANDARD INS AND STUNT DOUBLES MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ON SET, MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

PRAY TO GOD THAT THEIR HAIR AND MAKEUP ARE ALSO BLACK.

SOMETIMES THEY ARE.

SOMETIMES THEY AREN'T AND THAT'S A LIMB THING WHERE THE MAKEUP AND HAIR FOLKS SOMETIMES DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO BLACK FOLKS AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED SO NOW THAT'S COMING OUT THAT THAT SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED.

BUT SO IT'S MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ON THE SET THAT ARE BLACK.

IF JORDIN SPARKS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH POWER SHE HAS BUT IF SHE'S ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAS A BUNCH OF POWER SHE'LL SAY I WANT TO HAVE REPRESENTATION ON MY CREW.

SO MAYBE YOUR GAFFER IS BLACK, MAYBE YOUR CAMERA OPERATOR IS BLACK.

CINEMATOGRAPHER, DP ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF OR SOMEBODY OF COLOR.

I'M SEEING MORE WOMEN IN JOBS ON SETS BUT I'M NOT SEEING MORE BLACK FOLKS ON THE CREW.

I'M SEEING SOME.

BUT NOT A LOT.

AND IT MAKES -- IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

BECAUSE THERE'S ALL KINDS OF -- I NOTICED ON ONE THING I WAS AT, THE CAST, THE MAIN CHARACTERS WERE ALL BLACK SO ALL THE STAND INS WERE BLACK BUT SOME OF THE STAND INS FOR OTHER CHARACTERS WERE WHITE, THE DIRECTOR WAS WHITE AND THE FIRST AD WAS WHITE AND WE ALL NOTICED THAT THEY WOULD TALK WITH THE WHITE STAND INS, HEY HOW YOU DOING?

BUT FOR US, IT WASN'T THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION.

IT IS THOSE KIND OF THINGS, WE'RE NOT REALLY BUILDING RIMS, THEY ARE.

-- BUILDINGS RELATIONSHIPS, THEY ARE.

>> Simmons: WOW.

>> ON THE OTHER HAND I'LL BE ON A SET WHERE THE FIRST AB IS BLACK.

AND MAYBE I'M DOING BACKGROUND WORK.

THEY'LL PLACE ME, THEY KNOW I'M A GOOD PERSON, THEY'LL PLACE ME IN A GOOD PLACE.

SSMS YEAH, I.

>> Simmons: YES, THAT'S WHAT MICHAEL IS TALKING, DANIEL AS WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR REPRESENTATION, BUT ALSO OWNERSHIP, RIGHT, OWNERSHIP AND CREATING THOSE STORIES AND SO I MEAN HALLMARK IS CHEESY BUT, COME ON, WE NEED SOME CHEESINESS, YOU KNOW?

I'D.LOVE TO SORT OF HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF REFLECTION BEFORE WE GO ON, I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT OTHER FILMS COMING OUT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, I WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR IDEAS MAURICE ABOUT HALLMARK FILMS AND THIS REPRESENTATION AND BEING AN ACTOR ALSO.

>> I MEAN I AGREE, WE ALL LOVE HALLMARK FILMS AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS IT'S LIKE EGGNOG, YOU KNOW, YOU MIX IT TOGETHER, YOU HAVE YOUR RECIPE, YOU HAVE YOUR TRADITIONS AROUND MAKING THE EGGNOG BUT YOU DON'T HAVE EGGNOG, MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE IT IN MAY, YOU KNOW?

RIGHT?

SO IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT LETS YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON?

LETS YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN A TIME OF FAMILY AND LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP, AND THE TIME WHEN IT'S OKAY TO BE A LITTLE CHEESY.

THE WEATHER'S NOT ALWAYS THE WARMEST, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO SNUGGLE, IN LAYERS, THAT'S A VERY COMFORTING HOLDING WARMING GESTURE TO WRAP YOURSELF IN WARM BLANKETS AND WARM CLOTHING.

GET A NICE COFFEE OR HOT OR AN EGGNOG AND WATCH SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE CHEESY BUT IT WARMS YOU BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH HUMANITY, WE WANT TO SEE THE SLICE OF HUMANITY THAT HALLMARK IS PUTTING ON.

>> Simmons: YOU CAN WATCH IT WITH YOUR YOU LITTLE KIDS.

MICHAEL I WAS READING AN ARTICLE THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE WELLESLEY COLLEGE PAPER ABOUT A COUPLE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO WERE TALKING ABOUT HALLMARK, ONE WAS SAYING OH MY GOSH WE NEED HALLMARK, THE OTHER WAS SAYING, IT'S NOT THE RIGHT REPRESENTATION, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR TAKE ON HALLMARK FILMS, GOOD OR BAD.

>> I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU CAN APPROACH IT FROM MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES RIGHT?

FOR THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP WATCHING THEM THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF NOSTALGIA THERE THAT WE'LL PROBABLY NEVER BE ABLE TO GET RID OF.

BUT GROWING UP YOU CAN WATCH IT WITH A CURRICULUM EYE.

IF YOU ARE WATCHING IT WITH YOUNGER FOLK, A PART DOESN'T SIT QUITE RIGHT WITH YOU, CAN YOU ADD A FOOTNOTE, DO THEY HAVE TO SAY IT THIS WAY?

COULD THEY HAVE SAID IT THIS WAY?

DO YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT ACTS LIKE THAT?

THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THESE CHARACTERS REPRESENT, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ACRITICAL READER AND VIEWER OF A FILM LIKE THIS.

AND THE OTHER THING I'LL SAY ABOUT THE REVOLUTION IN THE HALLMARK STORIES THAT WE'VE SEEN IS IT'S NOT COINCIDENTAL THAT WE'VE SEEN SO MANY OF THESE CHANGES AND REPRESENTATION IN HALLMARK AT A TIME WHEN TELEVISION IS REALLY UNDER A GREAT DEAL OF THREAT BECAUSE NOW PEOPLE CAN GO ELSEWHERE AND FIND OTHER STORIES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

>> Simmons: EXACTLY.

>> THEY'RE NOT JUST STUCK IN FRONT OF THEIR TV.

WHEN I WAS YOUNG WE HAD FIVE CHANNELS.

FIT WASN'T ONE OF THOSE FIVE YOU WOULDN'T SEE IT.

BUT FOLKS WHO ARE NOT PRESSURED TO MOVE TOWARDS GREATER REPRESENTATION, ARE FEELING THAT PRESSURE AND THE RESULTS ARE A POSITIVE THING.

>> Simmons: A PERFECT SEGUE.

SO WE HAVE HALLMARK AND THAT'S WONDERFUL AND THAT'S PART OF OUR HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE BUT THERE ARE ALSO OTHER MOVIES THAT HAVE COME OUT, COMING OUT OR HAVE COME OUT DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND SOME OF THOSE, IS PASSING.

AND IT ACTUALLY IS NOW STREAMING HAS HIT THE STREAMING PLATFORM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, ABOUT TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WHO GREW UP, ONE PASSING FOR WHITE AND THE OTHER ONE LIVING HER LIFE OUT IN HARLEM AS A BLACK WOMAN.

AND ONE CRITIC WROTE, THIS IS NOT A BLACK FILM, IT'S A FILM ABOUT BLACKNESS.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO ARE SEEING THESE TYPES OF FILMS AND THIS IS CERTAINLY GOING TO BRING UP SOME ENGAGING CONVERSATION, I THINK, AROUND THE DINNER TABLE AS WELL AS THE DENZEL WASHINGTON NEW FILM MACBETH WHICH ACTUALLY OPENS ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GET YOUR TAKE ON QUICKLY THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE TYPES OF FILMS THASH COMING OUT WITH BLACK CHARACTERS, WITH BLACK STORIES, AND DANIEL AS YOU TALKED ABOUT US BEING A FILM MAKER, THESE STORIES ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOU.

WHEN YOU SEE A PASSING, YOU SEE MACBETH, A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN, CS, WHY SIT IMPORTANT TO SEE THESE FILMS IN ADDITION TO THE LIGHT HEARTED FILMS OF HALLMARK LIFETIME AND BET?

>> I AGREE WITH ALL THE POINTS THAT WERE MADE.

I THINK SORT OF TO GO TO WHAT I SAID BEFORE ABOUT YOU KNOW, WHAT ANDREA WAS SAYING ABOUT LIKE ECONOMICS OF THIS AND THE OPPORTUNITY OF THIS, I MEAN LIKE REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE THINK ABOUT THE FILM, THE FACT THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR BLACK ACTORS TO WORK, OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR BLACK FOLKS AND FOLKS OF, YOU KNOW, MANY DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES TO WORK, IS IMPORTANT.

I MEAN THAT'S EVERYTHING.

BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT A FILM BUT HAVING A FILM CREDIT SAYS A LOT AS A WORKING ACTOR.

AS AN AD, AS A CINEMATOGRAPHER.

SO THAT'S -- THAT CAN'T BE UNDERSTATED.

I DON'T REALLY WATCH HALLMARK MOVIES.

NEVER REALLY HAVE.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT REALLY INTERESTS ME.

BUT AGAIN I'M LEAP THAT THIS CHANGE IS HAPPENING -- I'M HAPPY THAT THIS CHANGE IS HAPPENING.

I THINK CHANGE IS GOING TO HELP EVERYONE.

I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY TURN DOWN BEING A PART OF A HALLMARK MOVIE.

AGAIN FOLKS ARE HUNGRY, WE NEED ACCESS, WE NEED EXPERIENCE SO THAT'S IMPORTANT.

I THINK WITH FILMS LIKE PASSING, DEFINITELY IMPORTANT TOO, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE PASSING, BECAUSE I'M NOT REALLY QUITE SURE WHAT THAT MEANT, THAT QUOTE, WHETHER THAT FILM IS A BLACK OR ABOUT BLACKNESS, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS BUT I REALLY SAY I APPRECIATE THE NUANCE THAT WAS IN THAT FILM, THIS WASN'T SORT OF A QUOTE UNQUOTE BLACK STORY?

THIS IS ABOUT PEOPLE IN THE BLACK DIASPORA WHO HAVE VERY DIFFERENT VIEWS AND LIFESTYLES.

AND SHOWING THE DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF HAVING A PERSON OF COLOR ON SET BUT WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW THAT INTERSTATES INTO THE ACTUALITY STORY THAT'S TOLD AND THE NUANCE THAT'S TOLD, BECAUSE THAT TO ME IS MUCH MORE HUMAN IF I'M SEEING THE BREADTH OF DIVERSITY, THAT REPRESENTS MY GROUP, MORE SO THAN JUST SEEING ONE OR TWO PEPPERED IN TO SORT OF AFFILIATE A QUOTA.

>> Simmons: SLUM.

I THINK THESE FILMS ARE IMPORTANT AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ON THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ON STREAMING CHANNELS AND FACEBOOK AFTERWARDS AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO SAY ON THAT.

BUT I DID WANT TO GET TO WE ALL HAVE OUR HOLIDAY FAVORITES AND DANIEL, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHT, HALLMARK FILMS ARE NOT NECESSARILY FOR EVERYONE BUT THERE ARE OPTIONS AND THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES.

MY PERSONAL FAVORITE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS JINGLE JANGLE A CRIMENTS JOURNEY WHICH LANDED LAST YEAR, IT'S A GREAT MOVIE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AND I WANT TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THAT.

>> IT'S OKAY.

COME ON.

>> MY NAME IS JOURNEY.

>> I AM ADIE 3,000.

>> AND THIS IS EDISON.

>> I'M OKAY.

>> BYE.

>> BYE.

GOOD-BYE.. >> WHY DIDN'T YOU WORK FOR MY GRANDFATHER?

>> I ALWAYS JUST NEEDED SOMEONE TO BE ME.

>> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ALL SEEN JINGLE JANGLE, IT REALLY IS, IT SORT OF MARRIES, I THINK ALL OF THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT FOR REPRESENTATION FOR STEM FOR GIRLS, FOR OPPORTUNITIES, IT'S A MUSICAL, AND I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT -- YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT WHOLE REPRESENTATION ABOUT MACBETH AND PASSING AND HALLMARK AND THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS IT FEELS LIKE FOR AUDIENCES AND ACTORS ALIKE.

THIS IS ONE OF MY HOLIDAY, HOLLYWOOD, HOLIDAY FILMS TO GO TO AND I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT YOURS ARE.

AND MICHAEL I'D LOVE TO START WITH YOU.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE EARLIEST HOLIDAY FILMS THAT I REMEMBER WATCHING WAS HOME ALONE.

NOT MANY BLACK CHARACTERS AND ACTORS IN HOME ALONE BUT THAT WAS A FILM THAT WAS KIND OF MISCHIEVOUS AT THE TIME FOR ME.

I WAS A YOUNGER PERSON AND MY PARENTS DIDN'T LET ME WATCH R, PG 13, THAT'S ONE THAT LEFT A HUGE IMPRESSION ON ME AND ONE I FEEL LIKE IT WAS PRETTY REWATCHABLE THE OLDER I GOT.

AND THEN SOME OF THE EARLIER ONES WERE JUST ANIMATED FILMS LIKE I USED TO WATCH THE GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS, BUT HOME ALONE WAS LIKE A HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS MOVIE THAT'S ONE OF MY EARLIEST MOVIES.

>> Simmons: THAT IS AGAIN A CLASSIC.

AND MAURICE WHAT ABOUT YOU?

>> SO I THINK EVERY YEAR, IT ROTATES.

RIGHT NOW I'M ALL ABOUT A DEHAVE DIVA'S CHRISTMAS.

VANESSA WILLIAMS.

THAT WAS BRILLIANT.

>> Simmons: I THINK WE CAN FIND IT ON STREAMING CHANNELS AND DANIEL?

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

>> I THINK A CHRISTMAS STORY IS ONE OF THE CLASSIC STORIES I WATCH, I STILL WATCH, I'LL CATCH A LITTLE BIT.

I AGREE, WITH MICHAEL, NOT ANY BLACK PEOPLE IN THIS FILM, THAT'S KIND OF WHY THIS DISCUSSION IS IMPORTANT RIGHT?

WHEN YOU ARE RAISED SEEING STORIES THAT YOU'RE NOT INCLUDED IN IT DOES HAVE A PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT.

THAT MOVIE IS BRILLIANT AND HILARIOUS AND I THINK THE BEAUTY OF IT TOO IS WE AS BLACK PEOPLE FOLKS OF COLOR, WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES BECAUSE WE ARE HUMANS TOO.

YOU KNOW LIKE I THINK -- AND I THINK THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, FOR US TO HAVE MORE STORIES ABOUT US.

BECAUSE WE'RE DENYING PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH US THROUGH SEEING OUR STORIES AND SEEING OUR COMMUNITY.

SO CHRISTMAS STORY WAS DEFINITELY ONE FOR ME.

>> Simmons: GREAT AND ANDREA WHAT ABOUT YOU?

>> I ALWAYS LIKED THE PREACHER'S WIFE.

AS LONG AS YOU HAVE SOME SINGING IN IT, I'M GOING TO LOVE IT.

BUT GROWING UP THERE WERE NONE.

A MIRACLE ON 34th STREET.

BUT I RECENTLY WAS AT A CRIMMINS ZOOM PARTY WITH IT WAS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO WAS NAME YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE.

AND I LOOKED, AND I WAS ONE OF THE ONLY BLACK PEOPLE AT THE EVENT AND I'M THE ONLY PERSON THAT NAMED A FILM THAT HAD ANY, ANY, ANY BLACK PEOPLE IN IT AT ALL.

AND IT WAS LIKE WOW!

I BET PEOPLE DON'T EVEN NOTICE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S NOTHING THERE, LIKE NO ONE IN ANY OF THEM.

SO -- AND I GOT TO SAY EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SAYING HALLMARK, NETFLIX IS WHERE I'M FINDING ALL OF THE HOLIDAY MOVIES WITH BLACK FOLKS.

AND NOW ALSO THE WAY THAT I CAN FIND MOVIES LIKE ON DIFFERENT CHANNELS, LIFETIME, HALLMARK WHATEVER, IS IT SHOWS YOU THE PICTURE AHEAD OF TIME SO I ALREADY KNOW IF IT'S A BLACK STORY OR NOT.

SO I CAN SAY I NEED TO SEE THAT BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME PLOT.

I DON'T NEED TO SEE THAT IF PEOPLE DON'T LOOK LIKE ME.

>> Simmons: THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.

NOW YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AND SEE.

THERE'S SO MUCH CONTENT OUT THERE, SO MANY -- WHETHER IT'S HALLMARK WHETHER IT'S MACBETH, WHETHER IT'S PASSING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND OPTIONS.

IT IS GREAT WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THAT MOVIE IS GOING TO BE, SEE WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE DOING OR WATCHING, AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.

SO IT'S JUST -- IT'S INCREDIBLE.

SO THAT IS THE END OF OUR BROADCAST AND THE END OF OUR SHOW.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND NOW STAY WITH US AS WE CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ON OUR DIGITAL PLATFORMS, FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN.

♪ ♪ Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org ♪ ♪ ♪