My mother enjoyed few things more than investing in the underdogs and showing them that they were special and could achieve their dreams.

Characters who experience great trauma will sometimes create an escape.

There are few films where you have women really driving the plot.

My M.F.A was in directing, and all the films I've made, for film school and after, I've written, directed and shot.

You only get one world premiere of your directorial debut.

I don't think there's enough breadth to the stories told about African-Americans.

I'm interested in how innocence fares when it collides with hard reality.