JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 From the silent films of Norman Studios to a new generation of storytellers, Jacksonville\u2019s Black independent film scene is undergoing a quiet resurgence.<\/p>\n
During Black History Month, News4JAX is taking a look back at Black filmmakers who have made their mark in Jacksonville and meet a few of the new wave of creators who are making movies while honoring the past. <\/p>\n
Norman Studios – A home for Black actors<\/p>\n
Norman Studios, founded in 1916 as Eagle Film City and later bought by Richard C. Norman in the early 1920s, is remembered as one of the nation\u2019s earliest production houses to cast Black actors<\/a> in leading, positive roles. According to the studio\u2019s website<\/a>, Northeast Florida was once called the \u201cWinter Film Capital of the World,\u201d in part because Henry Flagler\u2019s Florida East Coast Railway created a direct route from New York to the region.<\/p>\n Norman produced silent films starring Black actors between 1920 and 1928. His son, retired Air Force Capt. Richard Norman II, said his father wanted to \u201cgive Black people a stronger place in the growing movie industry.\u201d The studio\u2019s film The Flying Ace was added to the Library of Congress\u2019 National Film Registry in 2021, underscoring its cultural significance.<\/p>\n Samuel Hunter – Separating rejection from self<\/p>\n A century later, local filmmakers said advances in technology and a supportive local ecosystem are helping reanimate Jacksonville\u2019s film culture. At the same time, the city\u2019s creators said the road to wider recognition remains steep.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get like five \u2018no\u2019s\u2019 a day, whether you\u2019re trying to make your own film and you\u2019re pitching to people for product placement or you\u2019re trying to get funding or you\u2019re doing two or three auditions a week,\u201d said Samuel Hunter, a Jacksonville native who began acting at age 2.<\/p>\n He said that it\u2019s important not to let that rejection affect how he sees himself.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be so entrenched in the idea that I\u2019m an actor, so if I get rejected as an actor, that\u2019s me getting rejected as a human being,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to separate the two is really important.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter, who appeared in a commercial that was filmed in Ocala and sometimes speaks during the public comment period at city hall, blends artistry and activism in his projects. He said the films that resonate most with him explore human rights and community advocacy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been easy to weave the two because I grew up with social anxiety and now you\u2019re in these realms where you have to stick up for yourself. You have to be able to take up space in rooms,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Hunter is directing a feature called A Meaningful Night<\/a>, which follows a young Black vlogger who accidentally captures a murder on camera, is abducted by those responsible and must confront what he is willing to do to survive. He was one of 10 filmmakers spotlighted by a national film lab for a theme of racial healing and was featured on The Jennifer Hudson Show. Hunter said the film is now in a crowdfunding stage and will be shot entirely in Jacksonville.<\/p>\n He said that Jacksonville has the potential to be a \u201clittle Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve always had the potential for the film industry to be booming here \u2014 Norman Studios and things like that \u2014 and you have amazing actors like Woody [McClain], Patrick Walker, Tyriq [Withers], there\u2019s so many people coming up,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cNow is the time to really invest in those up-and-coming faces and filmmakers, and it\u2019s going to pour back into the city long term.\u201d<\/p>\n Click here to donate to A Meaningful Night<\/a>.<\/p>\n See the full interview with Hunter below.<\/p>\n Monique Madrid – Retaining talent, building community with LOL JAX<\/p>\n Community festivals and timed competitions are playing a large role in that investment, offering exposure, mentorship and practical experience. Monique Madrid founded the LOL JAX Film Festival<\/a> in 2016; LOL stands for \u201cLove Our Locals While Laughing Out Loud.\u201d The festival mixes stand-up, films, music and showcases of local businesses, and this year marks its 10th anniversary.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s this ecosystem of everybody collaborating with one another and showcasing their talents, and then also giving them a platform where the community can actually fund them,\u201d Madrid said. <\/p>\n She noted the festival is scheduled for Aug. 1-2, with submissions due April 1 and a final deadline at the end of June.<\/p>\n Madrid also helps coordinate the Jacksonville edition of the 48-Hour Film Project<\/a>, an international competition in which teams write, shoot and edit a short film in two days. City winners advance to compete with other cities and the top 12 films are screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Madrid said the intense deadline builds skills and camaraderie.<\/p>\n \u201cYou hate it, you love it, but you\u2019re remembering you always come back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n See the full interview below.<\/p>\n Carlos Smith II – Self-taught 20-year veteran filmmaker on a mission<\/p>\n For many filmmakers, the path into the craft did not start with film school but with trial and error. Carlos Smith II bought his first camera on his 18th birthday and began making experimental projects with friends. He said challenges he faced included juggling schedules and limited access to equipment.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t have much to work with, but I still made something out of it so now I\u2019m going from that to what I have now, fully equipped and I got a good team to help,\u201d Smith said. <\/p>\n One of his recent short films, Summertime in Duval<\/a>, premiered last August as a response to a marketing survey that had ranked Jacksonville the most boring city in the country<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a great place to be and I wanted to do my part for that,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom what I\u2019ve captured, I probably call maybe a 10th or maybe a 20th of what\u2019s happening in Jacksonville.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith is preparing a sequel to his 2024 film The Future Soul II; the first installment is streaming on Tubi<\/a>. The sequel marks his 20th anniversary as a filmmaker and his first project since receiving a city filmmaker grant. After years of doing most roles himself, he said he is learning to lean on collaborators.<\/p>\n \u201cMy team was like, \u2018Oh, stop trying to do everything.\u2019 That had to stop. I had to learn really quick that they\u2019re here to help me because I\u2019m used to doing a lot of things by myself. It\u2019s refreshing to have a team that does those things for you,\u201d Smith said. <\/p>\n The film is scheduled to premiere in September.<\/p>\n See the full interview with Smith.<\/p>\n Alja \u201cKaMillion\u201d Jackson – Keeping projects in Jacksonville<\/p>\n Not all artists face the same roadblocks. Alja \u201cKaMillion\u201d Jackson \u2014 a rapper, actress, producer, singer and songwriter \u2014 said the biggest hurdles for her generation are fewer roles and unstable funding. She had a co-lead role on Issa Rae\u2019s Rap Sh!t on HBO<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like right when I got my opportunity, things started to fall apart. The strikes, the defunding of certain films, Black programming getting cut. The audition process now, there\u2019s fewer roles than there\u2019s ever been so everybody that looks like myself, we\u2019re primed for the same role,\u201d KaMillion said.<\/p>\n She is developing \u201cDeon,\u201d a film she describes as a love letter to Jacksonville and Black women. The story follows a young girl in foster care fighting to survive, protect her family and build a future against long odds. <\/p>\n Producer Zee Jackson, a Raines High School graduate with producing credits on Netflix and Hulu, said the city itself is a character in the film.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re highlighting things like the foster care system, systemic racism, the injustices and how you are your own savior,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a perfect film wrapped up in one to dedicate to our city, but also to ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Unexpectedly, an investor pulled funding for Deon, and KaMillion launched a GoFundMe to help bridge the gap<\/a>. Even so, she insisted on filming in Jacksonville rather than moving production to a larger market.<\/p>\n \u201cI could be anywhere in the world right now, but I want to share my opportunities with the city and be that representation,\u201d she said. \u201cWe got the infrastructure, we got the talent, and I just think it\u2019s time again for us to turn it up.\u201d<\/p>\n See the full interview with KaMillion and Jackson.<\/p>\n How aspiring creators can get involved<\/p>\n