When I went out to shoot for the first time, I thought this was going to be about the prison industrial complex, purely about prison for profit and the ways in which there's an industry making money and profiting off punishment.

Be passionate and move forward with gusto every single hour of every single day until you reach your goal.

Those [old] days are gone... accept the reality and do it.

Because my mom always told me that I could. From a very early age, I felt comfortable leading.

True change is a long game, and it remains to be seen if this is change. We've had years before where there have been great years for filmmakers and performers of color, LGBTQ filmmakers and performers, women.

I tell the stories that are of interest to me.

I'm not to say that my male counterparts do, but certainly, it feels very special to me because I know that so few women have had the opportunity to do what I'm doing, so I'm thrilled by it every day.