All Politics Is Local
All Politics Is Local
Transforming Lives Through Faith-Based Cinema
A Good News Episode!
Moriel Randolph, founder of Art for Growth, shares how her journey from youth arts programs to filmmaking led to the award-winning screenplay A Stroke of Genius. Through her nonprofit model, she’s proving that faith-based films can be powerful, relatable, and transformative without being preachy.
Learn more at artforgrowth.org
Hi, welcome back to another episode of All Politics is Local with me, your host, tamara Davis-Brown.
Tamara Davis Brown:I am delighted today because I have part of my Good News segment where I like to feature local community members who are doing great things in the community.
Tamara Davis Brown:I have with me my guest, ms Moriel Randolph. She actually lives here in Clinton, just like I do, and I had the opportunity to meet her during National Night Out this year on Tuesday, august 5th at the Baden Volunteer Fire Department in Baden, maryland, where she had a table and she was talking to people about a feature film that she is producing or has produced and is promoting, and so I got really excited about the film. It's called A Stroke of Genius and we're going to talk a lot more about the film itself. But she also is the founder of Art for Growth and she has this community flicks organization associated with that, and so I thought it would be great to hear about Ms Randolph, learn a little bit more about her, learn more about the company that she founded, art for Growth, and, of course, learn about the feature film A Stroke of Genius. And so welcome, ms Randolph. Thank you for joining us on All Politics is Local with Tamara Davis Brown, I'm so glad you joined us today.
Moriel Randolph:Good morning, Tamara. Thank you so much for the opportunity.
Tamara Davis Brown:Absolutely, Absolutely Well. We're going to dive right on in and just first of all, just tell us a little bit about yourself who you are, how you got started, how you got started and interested in filmmaking, why you decided to create Art for Growth. Just dive right in and tell the listeners who you are, Okay.
Moriel Randolph:All right. Well, as far as what I do, I'm a writer, film producer and director. I've written a few books, including what to Do when people get on your nerves which is the most?
Moriel Randolph:popular and but my main or primary passion is writing entertainment. I started out as a playwright and and then eventually I became an award winning screenwriter and so, yeah, so I'm. You know, I get real excited. So I get real excited. I really love writing for audio visual content or stories, or what we know is television and movies, and so that's what I do. But I think the most important thing to know about me is as far as who or what I am, is that I'm a follower of Christ, and that's really the center of my, of my life. That's the good news. Yeah, that's the good news. That's the good news.
Tamara Davis Brown:Well, how did you, you know, become interested in filmmaking, screenwriting, writing? Were you as a child? Did you like to write? Write, you know. Tell us a little bit more.
Moriel Randolph:It's interesting, um, and I'm an only child, but growing up I was also a lash key child. I spent a great deal of time alone because my mom was a single mom most of the time and she worked a lot, and so television and music became my closest companion. So I'm going to age myself a little bit. My mom didn't have to worry about the type of content I was exposed to or what I watched on television, because in during that time they had the Hays Code that was the rating system for television, which was highly censored, so she didn't have to worry about me coming across R-rated content et cetera. Pretty much all of it was family friendly and anyway I grew up on it. I probably spent more time with it than I did with my mother as a child, and I grew to love it. It was kind of like, like I said, my companion, my best friend, and so I. And then it turned out that I actually had a natural talent for many of the things that would qualify me as a performing artist, and so I went that direction. This was, I call this, bc.
Moriel Randolph:Before Christ, I spent, you know, the first part of my life pursuing well, I should say up until about age 18, 20. I actually pursued performing as an actress. I mean, you know, I could sing and I could act, and then that was the focus. And then I actually ended up joining a pinpoints. It was a traveling theatrical company, and that's when I fell in love with playwriting, and so that was a path that I was on until I was called by Christ and then, after answering that call, that's when I was led to use my natural talents to actually teach and enhance others, especially young people, to use the performing arts to teach them life skills based on the Almighty's word and wisdom. But then, like I said, fun. We've produced. I've written like over 16 plays and about 27 short films, and I've heard about three or four feature films, one of which became an award winner and that's Stroke of Genius, the film that you mentioned earlier.
Tamara Davis Brown:Okay, absolutely Great, great, great. So did you grow up in the area? How did you get to Clinton, or were you born and raised in this area?
Moriel Randolph:Well, I was born in Bethesda, bethesda Hospital, only because my dad was in the military, because I was taken straight from Bethesda right to DC, and so I spent the early part of my childhood in DC, but then around junior high, because we had junior high back there in our middle school. But around junior high we moved to Maryland and I've been living in Prince George's County ever since, and then, when I got married, we moved to Clinton.
Tamara Davis Brown:Okay, gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. Okay, very good, very good. So you also mentioned I heard you say that you were teaching film and those artistic pursuits to other young people. So were you actually teaching in Prince George's County public schools or where were you actually doing that teaching, or was that like an afterschool program, summer program?
Moriel Randolph:Well, Art for Growth has been around for a little over 20, 25 years now. We had our 25th anniversary last year, in fact.
Moriel Randolph:And for the first yeah, and for the first, thank you. For the first 20 years our focus was direct services, direct youth services, and that, and the heart of our organization will always be, for you know, for younger generations to teach and enhance, you know, their lives. They are our primary focus, even though we've served entire families, but that's our focus, even with what we're doing now. So, even though we don't provide direct services anymore, we're actually endeavoring to reach across the country now through our content. So we started out where the youth, everything that we produced up until this point, the stories have always been strong and good, but we've always had to produce them basically using I don't really like the word amateur, but I can't think of a better one amateurs, I mean people in the community and the youth. The youth were involved and in fact, the way I got started is I decided we did have after school programs, so it was always direct services the first. What was it? I think the first eight years. Yeah, over the first eight years we partnered with other organizations or other establishments. We did provide programs through Prince George's public schools, also Montgomery were serving, but then, but then I think it was 2008,. Actually, we were led to actually start a direct service program where we had our own babies, you know, and, opposed to serving others, we had our own and and we, and we did that until up until, actually, until COVID 2020. And when we had to shut down our direct services to youth as all anybody involved, but we've had to, and we were a licensed program in the States, so it was an afterschool program and so, yeah, that's what we did until COVID. And then, when you know, after COVID, I really kind of felt like a fish out of water because, again, that's what we did until COVID. And then, when you know, after COVID, I really kind of felt like a fish out of water because, again, that's what we had always done. We have always served the youth.
Moriel Randolph:But when I prayed about it, I, you know, asking you know the Almighty, whether or not we should continue that path, you know, should we reopen the program, et cetera, he reminded me, he allowed me to remember that when I first started the most recent program that we had, the program that we had when COVID hit, it was kind of pressed upon me that it would only be for about seven years. It would only be seven years, actually, that's what came to me. So when I prayed about whether or not it should be reopened, what I was led to do was look at the calendar I was reminded of that and to look at the calendar, and it was seven years Exactly. So I took that as a sign that we weren't supposed to go back to direct youth services. But then I didn't know what to do.
Moriel Randolph:Well, it turned out that, even though I didn't know what to do, the Almighty had been leading us along you know, all along, and um, and actually had us in a position where we could pursue a feature film and we could do it on it on our film industry level. And I, you know, I had made all types of contacts, you know, within the industry, and um, and we were all set. And uh, he had opened the door for us to have a, you know, a, a, a, a beautiful office space and um, everything was set, uh, and so now we um, so we realized that we were supposed to continue again to reach youth, because the protagonist, the main character of our feature film is Gen Z, and we've been serving Gen Z since they were preschoolers. So, yes, so, so we're supposed to continue to serve young people, but on a much wider scale and because we know how how much influence the entertainment or you know, movies and series have. It's a very, very powerful medium.
Moriel Randolph:And yeah yeah, and so our goal now is to through producing Stroke of Genius, which again is an award-winning screenplay, we've got. We've got Joanne Hawk, who's an Emmy award winner, and Brian Ball. We've got. I mean, we've got it's. It's no longer an amateur hour, you know. Now it's about showing the industry that we know what we're doing and that we have a formula that works.
Moriel Randolph:Part of the of the content creators who are focused on creating family, friends excuse me family friendly and faith-based content, but not the cheesy, preachy kind. You know we. You know, in fact, that's our formula, you know we. You know we. We know how to write stories that people can relate to. You know that. You know that's. You know, realistic, that's not too neat, you know, and definitely not preachy, you know we appreciate, like I said, growing up, basically growing up with television you know what I mean. It's being such a big part of my life. You know. I know that when you watch a television show, you don't watch it to be preached to, you want to be entertained, and so we're endeavoring to fill that void. I mean, there's just not that many as far as good content creators out there when it comes to family content and we've done a survey. I mean, people want better stories, they want more wholesome stories, but again, they need to be realistic, they need to be well-written and that's where it starts.
Moriel Randolph:So, in answer to your question, which I kind of went a long way around, in answer to your question, what we're capable of, and then we want to take that recognition and that accomplishment and actually teach upcoming or would be screenwriters who are dedicated or want to dedicate themselves to writing family-friendly content or faith-based content, and teach them our formula and take them from, you know, from their feature film, I mean their feature screenplay to the point where they're ready to raise money for that project. So you know, we're calling it our screenwriter to producer transition initiative. It's a part of, can you mention, community Flix? Community Flix is actually a program, you a program, one of Art for Growth's programs, under which there's several different initiatives and that's one of them and that's one of our most important ones. We call it SPT, and so you know. So we want to continue, of course, to produce feature films, but our primary focus because, again, our heart has always been the younger generation is to develop new writer-producers.
Moriel Randolph:The producer or director of many of the Mission Impossible films he wrote in an article. He said that the future is writer-producers, especially with the onslaught of AI. And so you know, if that's true and we believe that his foresight or prediction, then you know, then that's what we need. We need more individuals. And it's kind of hard for creatives. You know they really want to focus on the art, but you really need to know the business side and that's where the producing comes in.
Tamara Davis Brown:Absolutely so. The word that came to me when you were describing what exactly you do with Art for Growth is lab as in laboratory. The extent that you take this thought of, idea of a screenplay and you produce it all the way to the end to feature film and actually produce it. You write it and then you produce it, and that's the word that came to me. That is so awesome. That is so awesome, I like that.
Moriel Randolph:But that's exactly what the initiative is called. It's SPT, but it's Screenwriter to Producer Transition Lab. That's exactly what it is. It's a lab, it's a process.
Moriel Randolph:And what's really going to be different about this program because again, stroke of Genius is you know is the beginning. You know you can't really help people unless you're you know, unless you're able to help yourself and show others that you're you know, that you know. You know I have. My bachelor's is in cinematographer, my master's is in creative writing, and one of the things that I know is that you know, even when you go to college or film school or what have you, you don't get the hands-on experience that you're going to. You know that you need in order to, you know, in order to be good or seasoned or developed. You know in the craft, so you know. So our program is not going to be one you know.
Moriel Randolph:There's a great program out there called Act One for people who are interested in writing faith-based content, but it's still a classroom setting. Ours won't be. First of all, you have to have a completed feature film, feature screenplay, in order to even qualify, to even apply for the program, and we look at it and we help you develop it, but you have to be serious enough about the path or the opportunity to actually have a screenplay written. But we take you, so we basically take you and just you go through, you do everything, you're doing, everything you would have to do in order to get that script to the point where you can actually start going after funding. And then Art for Growth being a 501c3, we actually can serve as fiscal sponsors for our participants so that they can get donations for their projects as well as raise money from investors. So it's hands-on, you know it's doing the work, and it's an 18-month program because it takes about that long to get through development, which is the first stage of production.
Tamara Davis Brown:Okay, well, before we talk about your feature film Stroke of Genius, what you just said kind of prompted me a little bit more to ask, like you said that already have a screenplay written or and you bring them into the program with Art for Growth, or can they start as someone that's interested in writing and get your assistance in writing a screenplay and then take it to the final production?
Moriel Randolph:Well, there's two initiatives under Community Flix and one is SPT, and in order to become, to be an applicant for that program, you actually the participants, or along with participants of SPT, along with industry experts or whatever. We actually mentor individuals who want to become screenwriters who haven't written, you know, a screenplay yet and you know and, and. So there, you know, and, and so we, we provide them with resources as well as contact and we mentor them. But with SPT, again, in order to be a part of that program, you have to be serious. The other, you know the other difference between what we're, what we're doing, and Act One, for example, is that you know most of the resources that are out there. There's, there's loads of resources out there for secular writers, but for anybody who wants to write faith basedbased content especially, there's not much. And what's out there is very, very expensive. You know our program will be very affordable. We haven't determined exactly what that fee is going to be yet, but, um, but it's going to be. It's going to be under $500, you know so it's. You know so it's going to be. It's going to be. It's going to be under five hundred dollars. You know so it's going to be. It's going to be very affordable.
Moriel Randolph:And so you know, we're only we're only going to be so, we're only going to be looking for individuals who are absolutely committed. This is what they want to do and they're willing. You know they're because, again, they're not just going, it's not sitting in a classroom. You know, this is not something where you take certain courses and then you graduate. No, you are actually from the time you enter our program. You are not just a writer, you're a producer. You know your goal is to produce your script and if you and if you were accepted, then it means that your script is good enough.
Moriel Randolph:Yeah, exactly, you know that. You know that we believe it. Can you know it can it can work. You know that we believe it. Can you know it can it can work, you know, with some help or what have you. So, yeah, so, so we have two initiatives, so one and and it's not just for, it's not just for younger generations, it's, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's for anyone, it's it's just that generally, you know, when you get a certain age, you kind of lose that teachability thing that you need. So, more than likely, I'm expecting that most of our participants, or those who apply will probably be from either Gen Z or millennials, because they have to, or I'm not sure what the age range is for the alphas, but yeah, but I'm thinking that they're probably going to be younger generations compared to mine. Right, they're going to be younger than boomers.
Tamara Davis Brown:We definitely have that in common, because when I started this podcast, it was actually at the recommendation of my daughter, and I send out a lot of emails about you know what's going on politically, civically, you know, and the whole purpose of doing the podcast was to reach a younger generation. Because my daughter says, mom, we're not reading those emails, she says we don't, we don't read emails anymore, you know hey, exactly, it's hard on the eyes she says you know we listen to podcasts.
Tamara Davis Brown:You know we, you know we want short snippets of information and then if it's a podcast, we can pause it. It come back to it. Those kind of things You'll hear me say. You know, in my intros and outros, where we reach a younger generation of voters to move beyond the ballot box, because the goal is to educate you and equip you to not just, you know, go and vote.
Tamara Davis Brown:Yes, that's important, but then after that you've got to hold people accountable and so yeah, I totally get it, I totally get it, I totally get it so we've been skirting around and talking about A Stroke of Genius, your feature film, your award-winning screenplay, and so we want to now kind of talk a little bit more about A Stroke of Genius. I originally had some of the questions down. I was like who wrote it this, that and the other? And I'm talking to the actual writer and author.
Tamara Davis Brown:So, yeah, so tell us a little bit more about A Stro gene. When I read your the information that you shared with me at national night out beautiful um pam pamphlet put together that you did- and I love the, the artwork you have. You have it there behind you um and everything, but I was um really intrigued just by the, the description that you had there. I was like this sounds like this is going to be really good.
Tamara Davis Brown:So let's tell our listeners about Stroke of Genius what the film is about not to give too much away.
Moriel Randolph:But whatever you want to share.
Tamara Davis Brown:And then let's talk about how we can help you get this mass produced, or whatever your goal is for production.
Moriel Randolph:Right, okay, okay, okay, well, it's, it's a. It's a beautiful film, you know it's, it's um, it's a type of, it's a type of story that's um, that is is really um, what's the best way to put it? I guess heart grabbing it's going to, it's going to make you laugh and cry and actually you'll be doing both at the same time on certain parts. He's mysteriously healed of chronic disabilities from childhood abuse, after living 18 years as a subject of a scientific study. You know, he's mysteriously healed. And when it's discovered that the phenomenon also left him with a genius IQ, he wants to, you know, he wants to give the credit to God. He, you know he, you know he, he wants to, you know, claim that it's a miracle.
Moriel Randolph:But the head of the study, okay, that he's been, you know, under for 18 years, you know, and it's a cognitive restoration study. So the whole point of the study, because he wasn't born with the disabilities that he had, you know he was a prime candidate for, you know, for this study. You know he, of course, opposes him, you know, because he's seeing dollar signs, you know, big opportunity. And so he, he becomes a threat to the young man's future, and then there's a subplot involved, but it's a, it's a very, it's a very powerful story and although you know it's based, it's based on of the character is not a real. It's not based on a real life story as far as the character. It's kind of a combination of real life stories. In fact, at the end of the film we show images or pictures of people and in captions regarding how the Almighty has miraculously and incredibly transformed these people's lives or healed them in ways that just that, just was you know, would be considered phenomenal. So, even though the story is based on a, you know, a fictitious character, the Almighty's ability, you know, to heal or transform lives is not, yes, so that's. But it's a very. It's a very powerful, very powerful film. There's a very innocent love story involved and there's a very powerful redemption story, child abuse and mental health issues and also how amazing you know those of us who do live with disabilities, just how amazing, you know, you know we are. You know I mean it's um.
Moriel Randolph:So it's, it's, it's a, it's a, it's a movie that should really, really touch, touch hearts, and the whole thing about it is that it's the reason that it's an award winning screenplay and it has and not just, I mean it's won accolades not just in faith-based competitions but also secular competitions, because, as I was sharing earlier, it does have that. It is relatable and it's really up to the audience or the viewer to decide. You know it's everybody gets to decide who or what you know. Was it God, you know, or was it science, or was it a combination of the two? You know. So it's really up to you know, it's really up to the, to the audience, so it's not slapping in the face. I mean, the main character believes it's a miracle, you know, and he has to fight for that belief. But you know. But there's, you know, many you know, and you know who are part of the story, who do not, and so it's really up to the viewer, you know, to decide which way they want to go.
Moriel Randolph:Yeah, so it's. It's a really, it's a really powerful story and as much times as I had to share the log line, it really should have flowed out of me a lot better than that. But I was thinking about I guess I wanted to just provide you with a little bit more information than the little short log line that I normally give. But, yeah, so one of the things that really makes Art for Growth different? Because we're a non-profit film production company and what makes us different is that most non-profits that are involved in filmmaking, their focus is documentaries, but our focus is narrative content. What we most know is movies and series and what have you. And so the thing, so the thing that really makes stroke of genius difference is that we're not seeking investors, you know, for this project, we're seeking donors, you know, and what we, what we're planning on doing with the money. You know, because you know when stroke of genius is successful, because I just can't accept failure as an option here.
Moriel Randolph:We have a powerful product, you know, and again, the story is very powerful and you know it's. You know we have a great, like I said, we have a seasoned industry professional team, you know, working on the project. Yeah, I have a co-director as well as myself, um, because even though I've, you know I've had to work with, you know with, with novice or amateurs, you know, for, for most of my um career, um, you know I've at our, at the content or the stories that we've done, what we've accomplished or what we've been able to accomplish, working with individuals who had absolutely no experience, you know is is a reflection of, of of the ability the Almighty has given me as far as directing is concerned. So you know. And then the fact that I wrote the story, you know, and you know it's, you know it's a part of me and so it's easier always to direct your own content. But but yeah, so it's, you know.
Moriel Randolph:So we're, we're planning on taking the success of the film and not only doing what we were talking earlier as far as community flicks is concerned and its initiatives, but also we're bringing in community partners, other nonprofits, especially those whose missions relate somehow to the film or either align with the organization's mission, and instead of giving, you know, a part of the proceeds to Back to the Wealthy, we want to share it with our community partners. You know, we want to be able, you know, to give, you know to give them, you know, to be able to donate to their organizations, so that you know, so that them, you know to, you know to be able to donate to their organizations, so that you know, so that the money's used for God's work. You know it's used for, you know what he's. So organizations that are supporting those, you know, who are living with childhood. You know childhood abuse, you know the trauma of childhood abuse or work. You know serving young people. I mean children who are, you know, who are just coming out. You know like, especially those maybe serving the foster care system, those who are serving the. You know those who are living with disabilities, those who are serving those. You know with mental health, those who are endeavoring, you know, to serve as ministers for the Almighty.
Moriel Randolph:You know, because of the redemptive side of the story, um, you know we, you know we're across the country. We're seeking community partners, people and basically our community partners are just those who basically just help us spread the word, you know, help us get, get people into the theaters, because it will be a theatrical release first. You know we're, you know we're, we're our. Our goal is to work, you know, be able to become a phantom event. You know we're, we're doing, endeavoring to do everything that we need to do in order to be, you know, accepted and appreciated by, you know, by that establishment and because we, it, we have to start there in order for the project to be successful. You know, by that establishment and um, and because we it, we have to start there in order for the project to be successful.
Moriel Randolph:You know, when you go to a distributor, you know if you don't have, if you don't give them a reason to value what you have, you know the nine times out of 10, you you might get distribution, but you're not going to see a dime of the money. Yeah, so, um. So we have to be in a position, once we go to distributors and our executive producer, brian Ball, he's connected with all of them, everything from Netflix to Pure Flix, sony, affirm, et cetera, so he's in a position to get us in front of major distributors. But when we go, we don't want to have to go with hat in hand. So we have to have a successful theatrical and that's where our community partners can be very, very, very helpful.
Moriel Randolph:But let me mention this because I don't want to forget, and then I'll tell you a little bit more about Stroker Genius is that we're actually launching a community. We call it the we community. It's women for wholesome entertainment. You know, because you know, even though you know the word says is the man, is the head of the household. Women are the managers. You know what I mean. You know they're. They're the ones that you know that basically select the content that the family watches. And you know, they're the ones that you know that determine what you eat in the house and what you wear and et cetera, especially where the children are concerned.
Moriel Randolph:And so most of the people that I've talked to who are really having a difficult time with the way, you know, with the condition of entertainment today, are women, you know, because they don't want their children, they don't want their teens. You know they don't want their children, they don't want that, they don't want their teens. They, you know, they don't, they, you know they want, they want better content, um and so, so we're, you know, we're, building a community, you know. We're basically, you know, saying to, you know, to these women, you know, let's, let's come together as strong contributor, you know of, you know, wholesome content that you can appreciate.
Moriel Randolph:But but as far as Stroke of Genius is concerned, again, it's, it's, it's a, it's a powerful film. It's, you know, I can guarantee anybody who watches it it'll be one of those films that you don't, just don't forget, you know. And it's, you know it's, it's, uh, we don't get too many of those, you know. You know that that touch, that you know that grip the heart, you know, in a way that you just don't, you know it's just becomes kind of a part of you emotionally because of all you know, all that you gain from it, all that you learned from it, all that you know, all that it gave you to think about. You know it's, you know it's going to be a very, very emotional, emotional experience and memorable experience, absolutely Okay.
Moriel Randolph:So for the listeners, just one more time, give us that log, because I thought the log was very gripping itself of what the film is about was very gripping itself of what the film is about, and then in that way Okay, so I'll just give you the short straight version. I won't try to improvise. Okay, so again, it's about a young man who was mysteriously healed after 18 years as the subject of a cognitive restoration study, and when it's discovered that the phenomenon also left him with a genius IQ, he wants to give God the credit. But the head of the study opposes him and becomes a threat to his future.
Tamara Davis Brown:Okay, so, stroke of genius, that's what we are talking about, and we are with Ms Moriel Randolph again, who is the writer, screenplay writer. She has won numerous awards and accolades for this feature film. Has it actually already been? The film already has been filmed itself, meaning you've got actors in it, or where are you in that stage in terms of production?
Moriel Randolph:Yeah, well, there's five stays to film production, Okay, and the first stage is development. We're actually at the tail end of that stage. We've done all of our ducks are in a row. We do have one actress attached, Karen, and let me say her last name correctly, because I always stumble across. I mean stumble on it Karen Abercrombie.
Tamara Davis Brown:I knew I was going to do that.
Moriel Randolph:Abercrombie. There, I get it, I get it. And we've got other actors and actresses in mind. And again we have a great you know a great production crew. Joanne Hock is the co-director and cinematographer. Again, she's an award winner herself. He's basically serving as the executive producer. And then we have, you know, heather Let me make sure I get her last name right. I think it's pronounced Gibson, or, I'm sorry, her last name. She's a newer member, but these are the heads. Basically, you, you get, you put the heads of the production, your production team together, and then they bring in the other professionals. So, you know, so we're set to go as far as. But anyway, heather is our line producer. So we're all, we're all set to go. At this point, the only things left to do is to raise the funds. Stroke of Genius will be a union project. It'll be a SAG union project and will be a signatory of SAG. So again, it's a, you know it's. We have everything that we need to make sure that this project will be a beautiful work of art.
Moriel Randolph:I have a, I have a, a taste for perfection. You would not believe it. I mean, you know it's. It's a blessing and a curse, but so I can't settle for less, I mean, even when I, you know, would do my, you know, amateur projects et cetera, my, you know, amateur projects, et cetera. You know, I, we always, we've always, as an organization, done as much as we could with what we've had, the best we could with what we've had. And we've always been a small organization. We preferred it that way, you know. And so when the, when the Almighty led us to take this step, I was terrified at first. I really was, you know, because I mean, I was in my comfort zone you know what I mean.
Moriel Randolph:We were small and we were focused mainly on programming, et cetera. We've never even gone after funding. One grant we applied for, you know, years ago, and we got it. But you know one grant you know we applied for, but we've always all of our support has always come through our productions, and you know community support and et cetera, and we've never needed much.
Moriel Randolph:You know, I've never taken a salary, you know it's, you know it's my, my husband, thank you know, thank God for him. He always placed me in a position where I could focus on the nonprofit. And you know, because I really believe that if a person, if a person, your life shouldn't be driven by money, it should be driven by purpose, you know, and so you know. So my focus, and I've just always kind of resented, you know, you know, even the idea of being put in a position where I can't follow that passion, I can't do what I believe my purpose is, you know, because money's in the way, so I'm, you know, is, you know, because money's in the way, so I'm, you know, so I'm really trusting the Almighty and those who he plans to use, you know, to, you know, to make it, you know, to make sure that that doesn't get in the way of this particular project, this particular opportunity as far as Stroke of Genius is concerned, because right now we're seeking donors.
Tamara Davis Brown:You.
Moriel Randolph:Okay, you know we have a platinum status or rating with Candid. You know, again, we've been around for 25 years and this is a, we've got a. You know, we've got a pretty. I won't mention the budget because I don't want anybody to hear the budget and say, wow, I can't even get close to that.
Moriel Randolph:But we are seeking donors because every little bit helps, but we're really focusing on philanthropers. We don't need investors, but we do need investors who are also givers, and we are going after grants for the first time in our history. You know we're going, we're really going hard after grants, but but yeah, we're. So that's where we are right now as far as the process, and as soon as we raise the money, we're ready to move into the second phase, which is pre-production, and again, we've got everything we need. As far as that's concerned, All we've got to do is raise the funds, but that's always the hardest part of this process anyway, and we're just, we're trusting, we're trusting in the almighty. I mean, I don't do anything, especially anything that's going to require a great deal of my time and effort, unless I believe that he's behind it, Because otherwise it's a waste.
Moriel Randolph:It's just a waste of time. Exactly so I really like I said, and the fact that when, when I felt called to do it, for us to go in this direction, that I was terrified. I mean anything that a person wants to do or have or has thought up of themselves, they're not afraid to do it. You know what I mean. They don't have to necessarily convince themselves to do it. I mean, I've come up with all types of ideas through my lifetime and I've never had any fear about it and it's always been. You know whether or not I should or not, but no fear. You know no anxiousness. I went through so much. He had such a hard time. You know convincing me. You know that I needed to break out of my comfort zone and take the organization me.
Tamara Davis Brown:You know that I needed to break out of my comfort zone and take the organization, you know, in this direction. My wheels are turning in my mind and I'm thinking so I, you know, I belong to a church and I attend From the Heart Church Ministries and we are big on not attending and participating in giving money to the movie and film industry. Oh really.
Moriel Randolph:Yes.
Tamara Davis Brown:You know, if you know anything about our current pastor, he talks about one of the first things that God instructed him to do was to stop going to movies. That God instructed him to do was to stop going to movies, but the thing was, is that the messages that were coming out of that, and so to hear you talk about how God is using you to have wholesome, family-oriented, family-featured films that really still deal with issues of the day, like you said, mental health, child abuse, all of those things that can really bring you in and still give you that message of hope. I'm just so elated to hear that, and we'll have to talk offline about some other organizations that could help partner with you. I sit on the board, gateway Second Chance Foundation, and the name says it all it's a second chance organization for young men.
Tamara Davis Brown:But so my wheels are turning.
Moriel Randolph:in my mind I was like okay, I need to introduce her to this person, and this person, and this person. So we're excited.
Tamara Davis Brown:So tell us how donors can give to Art for Growth and you know what's your website, how we can do that, I'm assuming because it is a nonprofit organization, Of course all the donations would be tax deductible. You know tell us a little bit about actually donating and we'll put that in the notes for the show, notes for this episode, so that you can click on those links, but yeah tell us that information.
Moriel Randolph:Yeah, okay, great, yeah, and I definitely will share that. I wanted to just touch base on what you were saying regarding your pastor and the movies and whatever. And you're absolutely right. If we really think about it, there's a reason why they used to call television programming okay Because it programs the culture, it programs society. You know, it tells us what, you know what type of cars to buy and what you know how we should dress.
Moriel Randolph:I mean, it's the one of the most powerful mediums in the world and the influence Walt Disney, you know, I I don't want to misquote him, but he said that he's, he said that you know, television or movies have a powerful ability to influence and shape young minds. And I, you know television or movies have a powerful ability to influence and shape young minds. And I, you know, I, just you know, I just wonder what, how Walt would feel today. You know to see, you know as far as what his organization that he built, you know to do that you know in a positive way, and you know how he would feel about what, what's happening today. But it's a powerful medium and if you don't have enough people contributing to it so that people have, you know, choices and what have you then? You know it's, it's not, it's not. I call it entertainment for good, right? So it's, you know. So it's, it's a really, it's really important. And it's taken me a long time to really appreciate the fact that. You know we should, because I've always felt guilty as far as going after grants because there's so many ills in the world, right, you know what I mean. And so it's like, oh well, we'll get our money, you know. But I realize now, you know, you know for so many reasons, but just how important and how big a contribution. You know what we're, you know what we're doing and what we hope others will do.
Moriel Randolph:So you can visit us at artforgrowthorg, and that's art singular, and you know when you go on there, you know you'll see the tabs. You know one we'll talk. We'll talk about, you know, supporting the film. And when you go to that site, you know there'll be a link where you can just link on and make a donation right there on, you know, online. And if you want to make a larger, you know a very large donation and you want more information, you know, please feel free, you know to. You know to reach out to me, director at artforgrowthorg and we can set up a meeting, you know, to discuss if you're interested in becoming a community partner. We can do the same.
Moriel Randolph:There's also information, you know, on the website generally with community partners, because we have to limit the number of community partners we bring in because we don't want to dilute the money that they're going to receive from the proceeds from the film. So we're really limiting our community partners to 100,. You know organizations, you know 10 from each of the states that we're targeting. There's 10 states that we're targeting and, of course, all of the DMV is involved in that. So we don't have a public link for that, but we do mention where you can.
Moriel Randolph:If you're interested, you can get information and we send private invitations to potential community partners. But you're, you know, free to contact our organization if you're interested in doing that. But yeah, you can go right on our website, gain more information. In fact, if you don't mind the spoiler, you actually find an audio synopsis of the film which will give you a lot more information. As far as the film, like I said, it's definitely going to be a spoiler in many areas. We don't cover, of course, everything, but if you're one of those people like me, I want to know very little about the films we're going to watch other than I can usually discern from the title and the log line. So but yeah, there's lots of information online. Go right to our website to donate, okay very good.
Tamara Davis Brown:So that again for our listeners, that's artforgrowthorg A-R-T-F-O-R-G-R-O-W-T-Horg, F-O-R-G-R-O-W-T-H dot org, and I'm assuming you can also go to Art for Growth if you want to be a participant of what we were talking about earlier the programs that you have and how to sign up, and if you have a feature film. You go down this category if you want to start off and actually learn um that information is also on that same website.
Moriel Randolph:Yes, you can actually become either um a viewer or an insider, and you can do that under community flicks. You can actually join community flicks and become a viewer or an insider, and both of them, as as both you could actually be a part of the production. That's the reason why we were holding auditions at National.
Moriel Randolph:Night Out. Yeah, because we really want to get. I mean, most of the extras will be volunteers on the project and we need over 300 of them. Oh, wow, years on the on the project and we need over 300 of them. But, um, yeah, but uh, but yeah, you can be, you could be an extra, you could, um, you know, could actually be involved in other ways as as well. So if you sign up as a viewer or an insider, the difference between a viewer and an insider, that an insider does have a few more benefits, but the main thing is that the insider does donate to the organization. You know, yeah, to the organization. So that's, that's the major, major difference. Everybody, you know everybody can sign up as a viewer. It's, there's no charge. It's free to be a part of Community Flicks and receive updates and have the opportunity to be a part of the, a part of the project. But, but an insider, you know again, has insider. Again, they have several additional benefits and in order to be an insider, it does require a donation.
Tamara Davis Brown:Okay, sounds good, sounds good. Well, I am so delighted to have run into you. I know it's not a happenstance, I know that God orchestrates everything and it was so nice to meet you at National Night Out Definitely nice. I'm glad that we connected and we are having this conversation, because I've learned so much about art for growth. I've learned so much about the film, the film industry, and didn't know that know a neighbor in my own backyard, that's doing this great work.
Tamara Davis Brown:So this is awesome and again, we will put the website and all the other information on the show notes for this episode so that you can reach out to our guest, ms Moriel Randolph, who is the founder of Art for Growth and is the screenwriter for Stroke of Genius, and we're really looking forward to that film getting through that five-step process and we can see it on the big screen, and so we're excited to support you. I'm going to reach out to you separately after this about some potential partnerships and what have you. Thank you.
Moriel Randolph:Tamara, we appreciate that we appreciate that this is so exciting. Yeah Well, like I said, if you don't mind the spoiler thing, everybody that's listened to it. They wanted this film made Right, they want to see the film Right, so, yeah, so if you really want to get excited about it and you don't mind the spoiler thing, then definitely check out the audio synopsis.
Tamara Davis Brown:Okay Well, we're going to leave it right there, and so I certainly appreciate you coming on. I appreciate our listeners listening. Please do go to the website to find out more information about Art for Growth, about the feature film Stroke of Genius, and learn more information and stay informed about what Ms Randolph is doing and how you can be a community partner, how you can be a listener, how you can be an insider all those great things and let's get this film out to the public because we need it and we need this wholesome entertainment in our community. I always say and the reason that I did have the quote-unquote good news segment, I call it the GNN, it's supposed to CNN a good news segment.
Moriel Randolph:Clever.
Tamara Davis Brown:You know, you listen to the news and it's always one tragic story after the other, and I always want to highlight some of the good things that are happening and some of the positive things that are happening, and so I so appreciate meeting you, I so appreciate you taking the time to come on to this podcast to discuss not only the film but what you do in the film industry, in the screenwriting industry, all of that, the whole process of production of a film. I think it's so exciting, and so we're going to have to have you back, because as we get further down in that five-step process, we want to know what else you have going on. What's the next project? I see you've got some other films or something in the back. I see something about impressions and we can talk a little bit more.
Moriel Randolph:Actually, that was our first short film in which we used a professional crew Because, like I said in the past, it was it was the youth and myself, you know, and and staff and et cetera. But this was the first short film and it was actually a community project. We worked together with the First Baptist of Marshall Heights. You know, the pastor allows us to use the church and the members were were extras on the project and we packed the house. We premiered it along with other short films at the Regal and Old Town and we packed the room. So that's what we're hoping. You know, like we community, they served as a community partner. That's what we're hoping we'll be able to accomplish with other community partners across the country.
Tamara Davis Brown:Okay, yep, so I got it. I got it. Once again, thank you. Thank you, listeners, for listening to this good news. Segment of All Politics is Local, with me, your host, tamara Davis-Brown. We will next be focusing on the education system in here in Prince George's County, specifically talking with one of our teachers. It's part of our teachers union, so be sure to tune back in to this podcast, share it like it, help us get the word out about Art for Growth and the future film Stroke of Genius with my guest, ms Morielle Randolph. Thank you again so much for joining us today.
Moriel Randolph:Thank you so much for the opportunity, Tamara. I really appreciate you.
