OnWednesday, December 13th at 7:00 PM ET, join us for the last edition of The Downloadfor 2023!
We’ve invited a few incredible guests – from actors to directors to costume designers – to take a seat at the virtual table to discuss the making of holiday movie magic!
Meet Our Moderator
Okema T. Moore – Actress, Producer, Director
“So Fly Christmas” BET+ – Actress (2023) Okema T. Moore is an Emmy Nominated, PGA producer and rising director. She has created content for Lifetime, Netflix, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, FOX, and Disney/Marvel. Some of that content includes Kenya Barris’ Klutch Academy, for BET, Beat Bobby Flay and The Kitchen on Food Network, Oprah’s Color of Care, Founding In Color Season 2 on Peacock and Nomad with Carlton McCoy on CNN. She has been a semi-finalist for The Blackhouse Producer’s Lab and Sundance’s Producer’s Track 2022 and in 2023 became a fellow for the Stowe Story Producer’s Lab and the Black Magic Collective Producer’s Lab. Most recently, she developed and produced a new docu series for STARZ, premiering in 2024, directed a host of fall campaigns for ULTA Beauty and as an actor can be seen on Season 2 of both Amazon Prime’s Harlem, and allblk’s Makeup x Breakup, as well as the upcoming BET holiday film, So Fly Christmas starring Tichina Arnold and Tammy Roman. Okema serves on the board of NY Women in Film & TV and the Black TV & Film Collective and is a member of the NY Television Academy NY, SAG-AFTRA and AEA. She is committed to continuing to lift while she climbs, building up womxn, queer, Indigenous, POC and Black creatives, as she simultaneously strives continued success in her own creative career.
Meet Our Panelists
Terri J. Vaughn – Actress, Director, Producer
“So Fly Christmas” – Director (2023) Terri J. Vaughn first stole America’s heart as the lovable Lovita Alizay Jenkins on The Steve Harvey Show. She continued to star in projects for Will Smith, Tyler Perry, Ava DuVernay, OWN, HBO and more. She touts three NAACP Image Awards and scores of accolades for her work as an actress. However, in 2015 Terri’s directorial debut, which she also produced, was the indie comedy #DigitaLivesMatter, now on Tubi and Amazon. Notable names under her direction include John Amos, Kim Fields, Janet Hubert and Victoria Rowell, in projects for TVOne, MarVista, Asylum, Viacom and Reuben Cannon Entertainment. Terri directed the first comedic episode of BET’s TALES in the show’s final season and a host of other TV shows including BET’s Kingdom Business She also ushered in the Mahogany division of Hallmark films in 2022, directing Girlfriend’s Getaway. Most recently she directed the holiday romantic comedy So Fly Christmas, now streaming on BET+.Her company Nina Holiday Entertainment was featured in Ebony Magazine as one of Atlanta’s top production companies and she continues to uplift and motivate women in front of and behind the camera. Terri is represented by Buchwald Agency and Kronicle Media.
Lenore Adediran – Writer, Producer, Actress
OWN’s “A Christmas Serenade” – Writer (2023) Lenore Adediran is an African—American writer that specializes in sports dramas, romantic comedies and holiday “feel-good” stories. She attended Sewanee: The University of the South and earned a B.A. in Spanish Literature and screenwriting at The New School and got her start creating the 3 time Daytime Emmy pre-nominated web series STEPFORD SIDECHIX. Her pilot, SPIKES, sold to Netflix with Marsai Martin’s production company, Genius, producing. Her features A CHRISTMAS SERENADE sold to Mar Vista Entertainment/Harpo Films, premiering Dec 2nd on OWN, and her romantic comedy 3RD TIME’S A CHARM to Crowne Media Group.
Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd – CSA Casting Director, Executive Producer, Director
Kirk Franklin’s “A Gospel Christmas” – EP and Casting Director (2022) Tracy Twinkie Byrd is a 30+year entertainment industry veteran. Known for casting films such as Stomp the Yard, Notorious, Fruitvale Station, Sparkle, The Clark Sisters, and BEATS on Netflix. Now Twinkie is making her PIVOT to Directing & Producing. She is the Executive Producer of Kirk Franklins “A Gospel Christmas” and “The Night Before Christmas.” Twinkie is the Director of Award Winning Short Films The Counter:1960, NARC and IG Series NOT S.W.A.T. She is also the Exec Producer of USC feature Film Voodoo Macbeth. Voodoo Macbeth, the story of the 1936 Federal Theater Production and the All-Black Cast of Macbeth. The story centers around distinguished actress Rose McClendon mounting Shakespeare’s Macbeth while employing a young Orson Wells to Direct. Tracy Twinkie Byrds’ second act is one to watch.
Provi Fulp – Emmy Nominated Costume Designer
Dolly Parton “Magic Mountain Christmas” – Costume Designer (2023) Provi Fulp is a costume designer based in Atlanta who is also bi-coastal. Her passion is storytelling through costume design “It’s in the details of design that speak to the audience.” She specializes in contemporary as well as period design. She draws her inspiration from growing up as a “military brat” , born in Frankfurt Germany and attending German school, she had the opportunity to live in several different countries which exposed her to a melting pot of different cultures from around the world. She has 12 plus years of experience in TV and Film and 20 years total in the fashion industry. She is a proud member of the Diversity Committee of her Costume Designers Guild 892. You can find a variety of range in Provi’s costume design; from Dolly Parton’s Emmy Award winning “Christmas on The Square ” on Netflix to the CW’s DC Comics Black Lightning. You will find that she is published for her costume design work in vogue, la times, popsugar, refinery 29 and deadline.
Leland B. Martin – Actor, Producer
“Taken Before Christmas” BET+ – Actor (2023) Leland Martin was born and raised in New Jersey. He came from humble beginnings, and didn’t even realize a career in the arts was possible until the ripe age of 24. Since then Leland has starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials. His latest film Sworn Justice: Taken Before Christmas is currently airing on BET Plus where he stars alongside Emmy Winner Mishael Morgan and mega star Vivica A. Fox. Leland is a walking testimony that it’s never too late for God to do the impossible in your life.
Pierre Romain – Executive ProducerSo Fly Christmas BET+ – EP
Pierre Romain has produced Award-winning Documentaries and feature Films including: Mind The Gap (Alan King, Elizabeth Reaser, Kim Raver, and Eric Schaffer), Coleman Family Legacy (Jazz Legend George Coleman, Sr. and his family), Fractured (Eric Roberts and Jake Busey), All You Can Eat (Randy Quaid, Ashley Johnson, Kathy Najimy), The Pack (Lucie Arnaz, Carlos Leon, Elisabeth Moss) Bayou Caviar (Cuba Gooding Jr, Richard Dreyfuss, Fake Jansen), Son of The South(Spike Lee (ep), Barry Brown (dir.), Lucas Till, Lucy Hale, Cedric The Entertainer and Brian Dennehy), North of The 10 (George Lopez, Terrence Jenkins, Mykelti Williamson, Jaleel White, and LaRoyce Hawkins), Fresh kills-Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival (Jennifer Esposito (dir) Emily Bader, O’dessa A’Zion,Domenick Ombardozzi). His latest film “So Fly Christmas” can be seen on BET Plus starring Tichina Arnold, Tami Roman, Laurissa Romain, Robert Christopher Riley, Jackee Harry, Tommy Davidson and Michael Colyar. So Fly Christmas was directed by the legendary Terri Vaughn. “One Night Stay”, a thriller starring Stephen Bishop, LeToya Luckett, Iyana Halley, Laurissa Romain, Robert Christopher Riley, Mc Lyte and Essence Atkins will premiere in January.
If you have dreams of making movie magic, you do not want to miss this event!
Join us at this year’s edition of The Download Holiday Panel and get the information and inspiration you need to #MakeYourWork! RSVP today!
Interested in becoming a member? Join BTFC HERE and become a MAKER today! Get access to exclusive programming like the Download and more!
This event will be recorded, but access is for paid members only.
What is THE DOWNLOAD EVENT SERIES.
Offered multiple times a year, The Download is a virtual guest conversation series hosted by the Black TV & Film Collective. It features impactful writers, producers and other creators who provide insider knowledge to help Black creatives do their work. Recent guests on The Download have included Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Charlene Polite Corley, Latasha Mercer, the editing team of A Black Lady Sketch Show Janine Sherman Barrois, Pete Chatmon and more.
Questions? Contact [email protected].
