May 8 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
In Partnership with Wondaland Pictures
Written by Lori Webster Fore
Directed by Denzel Whitaker
In Attendance: Jocko Sims, Giovanni Christoff, Natalie Atherton, Kristen Adele, Lyla Brooks Roberts, Liana La Rosa, Kent Faulcon, Peter Katona, Sheryl McCallum, Juan Mendoza Solis, Raleigh Cain, Washington Kirk and Sam Gilstrap.
For this year’s Storyteller’s Initiative, SeriesFest has partnered with Janelle Monáe and Wondaland Pictures to discover episodic content featuring radical and rebellious stories. This cycle’s winning script is “Soul City”, written by Lori Webster Fore, an epic hour long drama that starts when a hurricane slams into a small town, the mysterious disappearances of a little girl and escaped convict unearth a hidden Black utopia, long thought to be lost. Actor, director, producer, Jocko Sims (“New Amsterdam”) will star as Detective Bill Booker.
Written By
From humble beginnings in rural Eastern North Carolina to a career that has spanned five continents, Lori Webster Fore for over a decade has created high impact content for television, leading tech companies, universities, and nonprofits. Lori is an alumnus of the Gotham TV Series Lab, SeriesFest Writer’s Room, SFFILM Kenneth Rainin grant, and Guy Hanks & Marvin Miller Screenwriting fellowship. She also was an AFI Directing Workshop for Women semifinalist. Lori earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and M.F.A. from the University of Southern California. Currently, she is Executive Creative Director at Hush Harbor Media and Adjunct Associate Professor at USC School of Cinematic Arts. Lori’s passion for filmmaking centers on hidden gem stories in the black experience.
Directed By
Born in Torrance, California, Denzel Whitaker is best known for his award-winning role in THE GREAT DEBATERS, performing opposite of his two namesakes, Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker. Numerous film and television shows list Denzel’s name including fan favorites: BLACK PANTHER, CUT THROAT CITY, THE PURGE TV series, WARRIOR, U SHOOT VIDEOS?, ALL THAT and TRAINING DAY.
In 2011, Denzel simultaneously began developing his skillset behind the camera as a filmmaker. His latest film ‘5150’, has received two Audience Awards from SeriesFest and the FilmGood Festival, alongside being selected for Tribeca’s Creators Market. Co-written and directed by Denzel, starring Jovan Adepo and executive produced by David Oyelowo, the film is currently being developed into a TV series.
