Don-Dimitri Joseph gets it. I don’t remember when I met him. Truthfully, my memory of the ATLFF’24 is a blur. But I’m fairly sure it was the first night. I was stalking. My eyes were staring at the badges hanging around everyone’s neck. Looking specifically for one’s reading “Filmmaker.”

The ATLFF Marketing Team, which I’m a proud member of, had a mission: Find filmmakers and talk to them about their film on camera. And when I met a fella named Don, I don’t even think I finished my question before Don replied, “Absolutely!”

Now, despite not remembering when I met Don, I do remember not being able to conduct the interview at that moment. So I told him I would catch up with him. He flashed that smile that graced movie and television screens worldwide, and we parted ways.

For the next few days, I was scrambling from the Plaza Theatre to the Tara Theatre and all the parties and hangouts in between. And every time I saw Don, he threw me a grin and asked if it was a good time to talk. I told him to give me a beat, and I would as soon as possible. Finally, when the tides went in a bit, I finally did something I should have done sooner, but was glad I waited to give it the proper time he deserved. I spoke with the Director, Producer, and star of the ATLFF’24 Episodic Short, Last Option.

Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago. The Marketing Team had a new mission: Talk to ATLFF alums and find out what they were up to.

I knew who I needed to talk to. Here is a transcript from my interview with Don-Dimitri Joseph. It happened the night that his latest acting release, the Apple TV show…Well, you’ll see.

Keith Hannigan

Hi, everybody. I am Keith Hannigan, the Community Engagement Lead for the Atlanta Film Society and the Atlanta Film Festival. Tonight, I have the privilege and honor of speaking with Atlanta Film Festival 24 #ATLFF24 alum Don-Dimitri Joseph, whose film Last Option was shown during our Episodic Showcase at this year's festival. Don. Welcome. Thank you for your time.

Don-Dimitri Joseph

No, thank you. Thank you for having me, bro.

It's an absolute pleasure. I loved your film. It was great. Or I'm sorry. I loved your pilot. And you tell me now, Don, you're an actor, producer and director.

DDJ

Yes. Yes. I am an actor, producer, and Director. I started off as an actor and then transitioned into producing because we were like others who made our own projects. After that, it was my first foray into directing last year.

Okay. Well, we'll talk about your acting quickly because, folks, tonight at midnight, something huge is happening for Don. Don, I give it to you.

DDJ

Yeah. Lady in the Lake comes out on Apple TV, directed by Alma Har’el. She is a visionary director. She directed Honey Boy as a feature, and this is her first foray into showwriting a TV show. She's, you know, phenomenal working with on set. I play a character named Johnny in the first two episodes. Byron Bowers who plays Slappy Johnson, his crew. And we had a really good time on set in our first episode. A lot of it was just doing a lot of improv, which was interesting and fun. The second episode was just us having a good time together. Yeah.

Well, Don, you didn't mention the star of the show.

DDJ

Natalie Portman.

An Academy Award-winning actress. Natalie Portman, correct?

DDJ

Yes. Yes.

Did you have any scenes with her?

DDJ

I didn't have any scenes with her, but I had scenes with Moses Ingram, and she's a phenomenal actress.

Now, I did some extensive research on you, which means I went to your IMDB page. You've acted in 32 pieces, correct?

DDJ

I mean, I don't remember the number.

It’s 32, trust me, I counted. What was the most popular thing you've done?

DDJ

Probably Lady in the Lake, the one that's coming out now. I mean, I've done Gotham Knights, Gotham Knights was pretty cool. Opposite Misha (Collins) from Supernatural. That was a great little time. And then, yeah, I'm not sure, really. I guess BMF. People are familiar with that show. I was in an episode, and it was fun as well. But also, at the same time, the projects that we've made, you know, I love those projects, and those are some of my most favorite projects that I've ever done.

Well, that's a beautiful segue, my friend, because we'll discuss Last Option. I love it. My wife loved it. You not only acted in it, you not only produced it, but you also directed it. Now, tell me what that was like.

DDJ

Yeah. It's so awesome when you get to make projects with your friends. My friend, A.J. Fitzgerald, wrote the script. We've known each other for close to a decade, and we've been making movies for close to that amount of time together. And I remember there was a movie I was able to be a part of. He got inspired, and we knew that we wanted to make a fun movie. And he wrote Last Option in 15 minutes. He had the script written down in 15 minutes! The guy is brilliant to me. I always say he has a brilliant mind, and I just love working with him. And even more than that, I love our friendship. The funny thing with this project (Last Option) is that he wrote it years ago. I want to say about like 2018, 2019 around that time. But we basically shelved it because we were working on other stuff. And then we were like, yo, we're going to shoot a project that I ended up writing, which was Bonnie. It's like a project about a foster care kid, and I was trying to raise money for that, but the money didn’t come through because I actually ended up booking Lady in the Lake. So, I had to fly out to Baltimore, and the traction for the money that I was raising fell apart. So we're like,” What can we do for a little bit of money and that we can just, you know, make it happen?” And we brought up Last Option. We shot that for $1200 in three days.

And yeah, we were able to put that together in a fun way. We brought together some of our friends, Candice Marie Singleton. I have been friends with her for close to a decade, and she moved up here to Atlanta from Miami. And that's where we all met. And it's just been awesome. Just, you know, making projects with your friends and the friendships that we're able to build on set, too.

And like with my DP Cam Nails, he is going to be DP for the next project that I'm shooting next month, which is called Heart To See. It is just beautiful to see how we can enjoy these working relationships and friendships. You know what I mean? I think it's always fun when you get to work with people who bring their A-game, but are also excellent at what they do.

I do. And I'm glad you brought up Heart To See. We’ll get to that shortly because my friend here is doing a crowdfunding campaign on Seed & Spark. I want you to donate to his film because he's a brilliant filmmaker. And for those who haven't seen Last Option, well, what is it about?

DDJ

Yeah, it's about a guy named Daniel who can see into the future, and he uses those abilities to commit burglaries. It’s a sci-fi buddy comedy. It's an adventure film, you know. It's a film that wanted to tackle the platonic relationship between him (Daniel) and the lead, Josie. Josie’s like this eccentric homeless person, and she's breaking into the same house he's breaking into.

But it's a fun project, and we're looking to expand it. We're trying to shop around and get the funds to make that project as well.

DDJ

Well, I have to ask you. I mean, I work for the Atlanta Film Festival. So what did you think? You were a part of the festival this year, and it was huge. What were your impressions?

DDJ

Yo! I love the Atlanta Film Festival! Atlanta Film Festival is the best film festival. Do you know what I mean? From the way everything was curated to the way they treated the filmmakers, to the parties, to the get-togethers, to the way every single aspect of the film festival was run, it was top-notch. The people that I was able to meet were amazing, the food was great, you know, every aspect of the film festival was phenomenal, and connecting with you was great. Do you know what I'm saying? So it was just pretty cool meeting great people throughout the festival from day one to literally the end and even at the launch party. The Launch Party was phenomenal. You know? So I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it! The hope is that we get the actual green light for Last Option, that that would be like the premiere, you know, for us, you know what I'm saying? So, yeah.

Well, it's awesome too, because we celebrate independent film. We support and celebrate independent film. And independent filmmakers are a community. And one thing that we try to do at the festival is bring everybody together. I'm a writer, you know, I want to be around other writers. I want to be around other visionaries. I want to be around other filmmakers. We all, at one point or another, got that chill moment, that goosebumps moment while watching a film, whether we were little kids or adults or all the space in between. And sharing that common bond, whether you're an actor, a producer, a director, a writer, whatever the case may be, because they're all their folks. You go to the Atlanta Film Festival, and you're surrounded by them, like at the Launch Party, which was off the hook. It kind of took us back. My God, this is way bigger than we thought it would be. But it was awesome, too, because it was just like, wow! This is really showing you that the independent film industry is just bursting at the seams with these amazingly talented, gifted, passionate, and driven folks such as you.

So I say that to ask you something. What was it that grabbed you? What film just grabbed you, whether you were an eight-year-old at the theater or watching a TV show, and you were like, my God, I need to do this?

DDJ

You know, I think it's interesting, right? Because it's like growing up, I wasn't necessarily ever thinking that I'd ever be in this industry, I'd ever be in this world of filmmaking. But I remember there was one time, even as a kid, just watching Blade, I was like, wow! A black man is on screen as a vampire. That's pretty cool, you know? And I was really young just seeing it and just enjoying it. And then fast forward to seeing all the different films such as Remember the Titans and, you know, seeing these performances that were just so alive and rich was just like, wow, this is pretty cool. And then there was one day I was in middle school. I was getting ready for school. I looked in the mirror and wondered if I wanted to be an actor. It was just a thought, but I remember I had that one thought, and then it was just like, I don't know.

But it was later, I was in high school just doing my thing, and my guidance counselor ended up putting me in Drama 2 randomly. And my mind is just like, I've never taken a drama class in my life. And the funny thing is, literally, we're in class, and we're doing all the exercises, and one of them, they're like lay down on the floor, close your eyes. Imagine this scene is happening. But next thing I know, I'm falling asleep, and I'm just like, yeah, this isn’t for me. So I'm not even doing the exercise. I'm just sleeping in class because I didn't really know what this was.

But later on, around my freshman year of college, my friend and I went to an audition at church, and it was for a play called Jesus of Nazareth. And he was like, do I want to audition? And I was like, sure, I guess. I really have nothing to do. And then, I went to the audition, and I got the role that I auditioned for. Ever since then, I have been doing theater, being alive in front of people, and just experiencing the project and the play and just everything with the audience. It was so powerful it created the acting bug in me and the passion to just keep going with this art of creating films and being a part of moving stories.

So that’s the first time you smoked the drug, for lack of a better phrase. I know for actors in particular, if you ask them what world they would love to live in, I think the majority of them say stage because there's such a rush that comes from performing in front of a live audience every night. So, what got you into film?

DDJ

Let's make movies, you know? Let's make our own projects. Let's shoot stories that we want to tell. Because there were times when I wanted to do plays… But at the same time, I saw the opportunity with film and TV to reach even more people with stories that can change lives.

And I feel like I'm in this world to change lives, to impact lives, to help somebody have a better day, you know? But if somebody was dealing with something and they felt bad and they came in and watched a movie that I was part of or helped make, and then their days uplifted, that right there makes me feel like, wow! That right there is amazing; you know what I'm saying?

I love that answer. I know you were saying it means so much to you to have a community. You know, a lot of people say you've got to be a part of a community. You have to start your own community, find people around you, find others, work with writers, find writers' groups, etc. I mean, if you ever see the Steven Spielberg documentary, you find out who his friends were when he was first making films, and it's like, he was friends with Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, and George Lucas.

You're like, okay, well, I saw his clique of people. How do I find my clique? How did you find your community? How do you find your clique?

DDJ

I will say Facebook.

Really, how?

DDJ

For example, AJ is one of the first people to come to mind. I met him at a church event, and we just connected there, and then we added each other on Facebook. But fast-forward one day, and I was like, “Hey, I'm setting up a writer's group. Does anybody want to join?” He responded to it, and then a couple of other people responded.

And then, from those people who responded to it, we started going to Starbucks weekly and reading up and, you know, working on different prompts and creating different short stories and scripts and all that. And then there were certain friends I also met at auditions. I met Candice at an audition. I met a friend of mine named Adebiyi at a Home Depot audition.

So, another friend, Isaac, and I met him at an audition. So, like actors, I've met at auditions. Writers, I've met at different places and Facebook, and then just knowing that, like, I feel like I'm a vision-filled person, and I have a lot of vision in terms of like, what is possible and what can be accomplished in the projects that we can tell and the stories that we can create to change people's lives.

Certain people definitely draw to it, and I'm drawn to it, and then I'm drawn to their vision as well. And I think, you know, we gravitate towards one another, and we know that we want to just make fun and impactful stories. And we're not in it to be famous or anything.

We're in it to change people's lives. We're in it to make an impact. We're in it just because we love it. There's this love for this craft. This is love for film, love for acting, love for storytelling. And I feel like I gravitate towards those people who know that they're doing this, you know, for purpose, and then are enjoying it, have fun with it.

That’s beautiful. It's funny; you made me think of the movie America Fiction. Have you seen it?

DDJ

No, no. With Jeffrey Wright?

Yeah, it's sensational. And I watched it, and as soon as I'm done watching it, I'm telling everybody, I'm telling my wife, I'm like, I will watch it again right now with you if you watch this with me. That night, I'm reading the script because you're like, I got to see how this all started.

And the reason why—and I don't know if you feel this way—is that there is no medium on Earth that gets you, moves you, speaks to you, and sings to your soul like cinematic storytelling. So, I have to ask you, since you’re attracted to visionaries, what do you see for the future of cinematic storytelling?

DDJ

Future of cinematic storytelling…

Is it shorter films? Is it in the world of TikTok, where my 17-year-old has an attention span of less than 45 seconds?

DDJ

Yeah, Yeah. No, that's a great question, man. Honestly, I think it's independent storytellers and independent filmmakers. You know, so many articles came out literally specifying how there's been a 40% drop in productions that are being made and people who have lost their jobs and now have to do other work outside of the industry because of the lack of productions being shot.

Meanwhile, independent filmmakers are rising up. I think I even saw something about Netflix saying that now they will be branching out towards independent filmmakers and considering their projects to be brought onto their platform. And I think that's a beautiful thing because, as an independent filmmaker, if I can shoot a feature film for $25,000, I will make the best movie that we can possibly make as a team.

And honestly, even with TikTok, I've seen some cool things happen. But I will say, though, I think they tried to test a three-minute service that was out for a while and shut down because people still want to go to movies. People actually enjoy a cinematic masterpiece. People want to be able to go to the cinemas. I think the future is independent filmmakers telling stories at a budget level that isn't necessarily a blockbuster, you know?

Great answer. And I want to point out something you mentioned earlier about how you found your community on Facebook. One of the classes that we offer at the Atlanta Film Society is Genre Feature Screenwriting, and we have one coming up.

Ruckus and Lane Skye, two accomplished filmmakers and screenwriters, teach the class. After you finish the class, you have a page devoted just to all the people who attended it.

Another community builder is using the Atlanta Film Society. Every third Tuesday of the month, shameless plugging right now, every third Tuesday of the month at Manuel's Tavern, we have Eat, Drink, and B-Indie, which we always have a theme for the night, but immediately thereafter words, we have about an hour for everybody to network.

And there are people like Don who go there. So whether you’re an actor, producer, director, or writer, it doesn't matter. They're all there. Anybody watching (or reading) this right now, use us. Use the Atlanta Film Society, use the Atlanta Film Festival, and let us help you achieve your dream.

At least we can put you in front of people who are like you. And speaking of people like you, I have to ask you something. Given where you are now, what would you say to you ten years ago? Would you want to speed up the process if you could give yourself a piece of advice that would possibly get you further along in the process at a faster rate?

Or would you be like, you know what, kid, take your time? You need to experience some things.

DDJ

Yeah, I definitely would allow myself to still take that time. But at the same time, experience life at a rate where you’re taking in everything around you. And I say that because I know there are moments where I wanted to learn how to play an instrument, and I didn't do it when I should have. And I think that would have benefited me. Not to say, I still can't do it, which I still can't. But I think I would have told myself, “Hey, Don, you know, yo, learn as much as you can, get better at the craft in your life that you love, but at the same time, don't necessarily let the acting be everything.”

You know what I mean? Because everything else around you helps develop the acting. And if I'm a better musician, I'll be a better actor. I can take that into the acting. I can take on a character who knows how to, you know, play the piano. La La Land is one of my favorite movies. Ryan Gosling kills it as a pianist and jazz musician. You know what I'm saying?

So, I think I just experience life and learn as much as I possibly can, enjoy every single moment, and enjoy the people around me. I lost my grandma a couple of years ago; I just wish I had spent more time with her, you know?

So spend more time with the people around you, learn from them, and hear their stories. And I think, yeah, it wouldn’t even necessarily be about the acting, but it'd be about the people that you love and the experiences that you are able to experience.

Beautiful. I was chatting with the writer, not the writer of the book Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk), but the writer of the screenplay Fight Club (Jim Uhls). And I asked what one thing in your life helped you become a better writer. And he goes, I took acting classes, and I was like, no kidding. Aaron Sorkin, who is usually everybody's screenwriting’s favorite writer, was an actor who started out as an actor. So, just be well-rounded.

But I have to ask you, whether it be a kid watching or an adult who has stories to tell, what would be a piece of advice you can give them to help them get to where you're at today?

DDJ

Don't be afraid to tell those stories. You know, I'm the type of person that I really need to make it happen. If you can implement that in your life to make it happen, that will help you get further than you would have thought. Because I think about it like this, with Last Option, that was a film that we made, but if we didn't make it, I wouldn't be in this interview with you. You know what I mean? I wouldn't be sitting here right now having this conversation with you. I wouldn't have been able to be at that film festival and have that on my resumé now, and not only for me, but every single person who worked on that film wouldn’t have had it on their resumé.

For example, I know AJ's life has benefited from being a part of that festival. The people that he's been able to meet, especially as a writer, and the connections that he's been able to make as a writer have been a blessing because we decided to make that movie. So it's like for anybody who's watching and is afraid. Hey, if you have to do it afraid, do it afraid. But know that you’re taking that first step; that's what matters.

That’s all that matters. Like the crowd watching your film, right? And speaking of crowds, let’s talk about the film you're crowdfunding for, which is Heart to See. Now, you're not playing one role because God forbid you only play one role in a film you're making or being a part of. Usually, you're wearing multiple hats. So, what roles are you playing in the film?

DDJ

I ended up writing the script, and I'll also be producing, directing, and starring in the film.

Look at you. Now, this is your first time writing.

DDJ

First official time. I'd say that we're actually getting a project out that I really put some time into writing. Yeah.

You told me something earlier. Tell everybody what you did. You kind of experimented with storytelling to get to where you are now with your TikTok, right?

DDJ

Yes. Yes. So it's very funny because it was before I wanted to test something out and build an audience. And I was like, I was seeing what was happening on TikTok, how people were, you know, just building crowds at such an audience at such a fast rate. I was like, I wonder if I could do that with the project, you know?

So I wrote a one-minute episode series. I was doing some funny videos and some creative and talking videos, encouraging videos, I ended up gaining a good amount of followers in a little bit of time. And then I just lost traction.

But then for that series, I started building a little bit too, but then the part that did suck, though, was that at the time, I didn't really know how to edit as well, so I was paying for an editor, and I was like I don't have $750 to pay for the rest of this stuff.

So, only a couple of episodes are up. I just wanted to test it out and see if I could build the audience. But at the same time, I learned how storytelling on social media platforms can go as well. And I'm proud to say I did it. You know what I'm saying? It wasn't the greatest writing. But I'm proud of the fact that I was able to do it, put myself out there, and do that.

But now, with this project, Heart to See, I believe with some of my best writing. I've grown as a writer and I've grown as an artist since then till now. And I'm just thankful that I’m doing it. I was afraid but I did it. And I'm proud of the fact that we are here now.

And a lot of people have read the script for Heart to See so far. They're really digging it. There are some things that we're still tightening up, but for the most part, it's a pretty solid story.

What is the story about?

DDJ

Iit's about this guy named Zack on his 30th birthday. And his aunt shares with his mom how he looks like his dad. So that opens up Pandora's box for him. But the only thing is he's never met his dad. And he wants he wants to meet him for the very first time before he goes blind. So it's a heartfelt family drama.

And yeah, I think it's a proof of concept for a feature as well. We have an amazing cast and crew. Markuann Smith and Christina Horn are involved in the project. Christine, she's an amazing actress. She leads Hollywood Bound Actors. She's been in BMF. So many amazing projects as well. Snowfall. She's great. When I say she's one of the best actresses I've ever seen, I'm super thankful that she decided to be a part of this.

And Markuann Smith, he's he actually created this one show called Godfather of Harlem that’s on Epix and stars Forest Whitaker. So he's part of this project, and I'm thankful that he's a part of it, too.

And we just got some really cool people because, of course, they’re Korstiaan Vandiver, Dario Harris, and the homie Corwin Tuggles. So it's just some amazing friends as well because I love working with the same people, too, you know. And people I know are going to put in great work.

Well, you have a Seed & Spark campaign going right now?

DDJ

Right now.

Where can people get more information?

DDJ

Yeah, if you go to our Instagram page, HeartToSeeFilm, and click the link in the bio, the link, and it'll take you directly to the page. On that page, you can choose whichever incentive you want, whether that be $10, so you know, $1,000, or even if you want to give $5.

But there are many incentives that you can get with the giving towards the project. And yeah, man, so we are aiming to raise this film by the end of August, and going into production next month.

Awesome. Congratulations. Thank you. Not only for being who you are, which is a hell of a man, but also for being an Atlanta Film Festival ‘24 Alumnus, for being a working actor, and for trying to inspire people via your stories. So, if they want to keep up with what you're up to, how can people follow you on your social handles?

DDJ

Yeah, thank you, bro. Don- Dimitri Joseph and that's on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X).

More than anything, I want to say thank you for your time. And before we go, we all have to say congratulations to you, by the way, on being a newly married man.

Welcome to the world of Till Death Us Party. I have one last question: Is she a fan of your work?

DDJ

She is, man. When I say she is, she's amazing. I mean, this. This woman is amazing, as is the case with Last Option. I will tell you this, she watched that movie with me at least a thousand times when I was editing, and I was like, does that sound good? Is that cut too quickly? Like, does that work? Does that flow good? Like, I just fixed the audio, can you hear the white in the background?

She literally sat and watched the whole film from beginning to end in my editing. And man, just her support. I love that woman so, so much. And yeah, I'm thankful that she chose to marry me because, man, she. She's amazingly beautiful.

Well, thank you again, my friend. I appreciate you.

DDJ

Thank you.

And for any filmmaker watching, whether it be the Atlanta Film Festival ‘24 or any years prior, and you would like to be part of this series, which we will be doing with our alums, you can email me at keith@atlantafilmfestival.com. You can check out everything we're doing at the Atlanta Film Society by going to atlfs.org. And, of course, the 49th Atlanta Film Festival is coming next April.

You can check that out on atlantafilmfestival.com. On those pages, you'll find all of our social handles if you want to follow us, see what's going on, and see what classes we're offering. As I mentioned, we have these free networking events every month, EDBI. I really suggest people, you go to them. You'll not only learn things, but you'll meet people.

Wonderful people like my friend. So again, thank you. And take care, everyone.

So, what does Don-Dimitri Joseph “get”? I’ll pull this quote for you again:

“We're in it to change people's lives. We're in it to make an impact.”

He gets why he’s doing what he’s doing. He gets that it’s not about him; it’s about the people who come and spend their money and, more importantly, their time watching him do what he does. It’s about making them think, laugh, cry, whatever takes their minds off their bills, their kids' grades, the job they hate… He gets it.

And he gets that he’s not done, not by damn sight.

Written by Keith Hannigan

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