2025 FILMGOOD Film & Wellness Festival

November 6 - November 9
The WalkGood Yard
4019 W Pico Blvd

FILMGOOD is the first film and wellness festival serving independent, underrepresented filmmakers, creators and artists of color.

Created by WALKGOOD LA.
PURCHASE PASSES

  • ALL-ACCESS PASS - $120

    Access to all programming 4 days of festival programming

    Includes Filmmaker Afterparty and ActGood Observer Seat

  • ALL-IN SHORTS FILM PASS - $60

    For the cinephile! Access to all shorts programs + filmmaker Q&A's

  • OPENING NIGHT FILMS PASS - $30

    Access to all programming on Thursday November 6th

  • FRIDAY NIGHT PASS - $30

    Access to Documentary Shorts and Episodic Programs + Filmmaker Q&A's

    Access to filmmaker afterparty (Sat 11.8)

  • SATURDAY PASS - $75

    Hone your craft!
    Access to all workshops, fireside chats, narrative shorts block + Filmmaker Q&A, Filmmaker Afterparty & Open Mic Pitch

  • SUNDAY PASS - $30

    Access to observe ActGood workshop and Special Feature Presentation of Ricky (2025)

  • 7PM - Still & Here: Meditation & Sound Bath
    Led by Marley Ralph and Ivy Coco

    Ease into the festival with a restorative meditation and sound bath led by Namaste Marley Rae and Ivy Maurice. Set the tone for a weekend of creativity, connection, and calm. This immersive experience invites guests to slow down, breathe deeply, and prepare to receive inspiration.

    7:30PM - Short Film Spotlight: “Hoops, Hopes, & Dreams”
    Directed by artist and filmmaker Glenn Kaino and produced by the late Michael Latt (Lead with Love), Hoops, Hopes & Dreams tells the inspiring story of how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a team of civil rights activists used basketball to engage young voters and build community through sport and purpose. A moving look at how activism, art, and athleticism intersect to shape history and the future.

    8PM - Opening Night Film: Love & Basketball 25 Years Later + Q&A
    Co-presented by AAFCA

    Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Love & Basketball, the beloved classic that redefined Black love and ambition on screen. Revisit the timeless story of Monica and Quincy—and explore how its legacy continues to inspire a new generation of filmmakers and dreamers. The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) actively reviews and spotlights cinema at-large, with a particular emphasis on film and TV highlighting the Black experience, especially that produced, written and/or directed by persons from the African Diaspora.

  • 6PM-8PM - Official Selection Documentary Shorts Block + Filmmaker Q&A

    A curated selection of thought-provoking documentaries exploring truth and the human spirit. Each short offers a window into real stories that move, challenge, and inspire. Followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

    8PM - “The Link” Community Gathering

    Take a breather and make connections during The Link, our community gathering and refresh break between screenings. Enjoy light refreshments, meaningful conversation, and a space to link creativity with community.

    8:30PM-10:30PM - Official Selection Episodic Block + Filmmaker Q&A

    Discover a wave of visionary storytellers shaping television and digital series at the grassroots level. This block highlights dynamic, diverse voices that are shifting the narrative, literally and figuratively. Stay for an engaging Q&A with creators.

  • 9:30AM - TV Writers Interactive Fireside Chat
    with Raamla Mohamed, moderated by Charles Hamilton

    Join acclaimed TV creator, showrunner, and writer, Raamla Mohamed (Reasonable Doubt) in an interactive conversation and fireside chat about the craft of storytelling, practical writing, pitching, and building sustainable creative careers. This session also features a visual text-to-screen inside look Moderated by Charles Ray Hamilton.

    11:30AM-12:30PM - Producers Workshop
    with Deniese Davis

    Hear the ABC’s of producing from Deniese Davis—co-founder of ColorCreative and Producer of INSECURE and ONE OF THEM DAYS. This session unpacks the fundamentals of producing, from grassroots beginnings to studio success, offering real-world insights for emerging producers and the tools to help produce any project from development to execution.

    1PM-2PM - The Re:start - A Wellness Workshop for Creatives 
    Facilitated by Chester Gregory

    Life rarely follows a straight line—and sometimes the most powerful move forward begins with a pause. In this interactive keynote session, actor and wellness guide Chester Gregory shares a story of growth and pivot for creatives. With grounded moments of breathwork and reflection integrated throughout the session, creatives are able to realign with purpose and begin again.

    2:30PM-4:15PM - Directors Masterclass
    With Morgan Stevenson Cooper (Creator, Bel-Air), presented by Blasé

    Step behind the lens with visionary filmmaker Morgan Stevenson Cooper (Bel-Air). In this in-depth workshop, Cooper breaks down his creative process using case studies from his acclaimed body of work, focusing on the fundamentals of scene construction, prep and execution. Drawing from his journey across television and short films, he offers a practical roadmap for filmmakers looking to refine their voice and bring their stories to life with clarity and confidence.

    4:30PM-5:30PM - Outside The Lines: A Playbook to Navigating Black Animation with DreamWorks Animations + “Wednesdays with Gramps” Screening

    Goal: empower creative professionals and students with the essential business acumen and strategic thinking required for long-term career sustainability, studio advancement, and successful intellectual property (IP) creation within the animation industry.

    Format: 45-Minute Rapid-Fire Workshop featuring DreamWorks Exec/Crew.

    Why This Session Matters: This is not a traditional "art skills" workshop; it's a talent development seminar. By directly addressing common career hurdles, we position DreamWorks as a studio that invests in the longevity and leadership potential of diverse talent. The session directly supports talent pipeline diversification and mitigates common causes of diverse talent attrition (burnout, lack of professional advocacy).

    Attendees will receive an actionable "playbook" for success, featuring studio-tested strategies for:

        1    Portfolio Strategy & Hiring: Understanding the business needs that drive major studio hiring decisions, allowing attendees to transform their portfolios from art samples into business solutions.

        2    Career Path Mapping: Gaining a dual-perspective on navigating the industry: the stability of the Studio Pipeline versus the creative freedom of the Creator-Owned Route.

        3    Authenticity and Advocacy: Learning professional, studio-approved methods for advocating for cultural authenticity and securing proper creative credit while navigating complex corporate structures.

    6:00PM - Official Selection Narrative Shorts Block + Filmmaker Q&A

    Experience a showcase of bold, fresh stories from emerging and established filmmakers. Stay afterward for an engaging Q&A with the filmmakers as they share insights on their process, inspiration, and how they challenge convention.


    8:00PM - Closing Night Ceremony & Awards Presentation

    Celebrate the best of the festival with our closing night ceremony and awards presentation–the 2025 Jury Awards per category and the 2025 Audience Award.


    8:30PM - Filmmaker Afterparty at Re/Creation Cafe

    Open Mic Pitch with Scene & Heard

    Wrap the day with our signature filmmaker afterparty—an evening of music, connection, and creativity. Co-presented with Scene & Heard, this party will also feature an informal open mic pitch session, inviting filmmakers to share new ideas in a vibrant, supportive space.

  • 10AM-2PM - ActGood workshop - with Myles Bullock Be, Felicia Joseph, William Stanford Davis and Brandee Evans

    Actor Myles Bullock Be leads this immersive performance workshop alongside industry guests, featuring performed scenes from Fish and Scripts community members. Participants will explore acting technique, collaboration, and the art of bringing words to life with presence and purpose.

    2:30PM-5PM - Special Feature Presentation of 2025 Sundance Official Selection "Ricky" + post Q&A

    Newly released after being locked up in his teens, 30-year-old Ricky navigates the challenging realities of life post-incarceration, and the complexity of gaining independence for the first time as an adult.


    7:00PM- Candlelight Yoga with The Don Brown Collective. $30 for All-Access Pass Holder or Sunday Pass Holder. Get your pass HERE.

    Wind down the festival with a candlelit yoga experience led by Namaste Marley Rae, featuring live jazz music from the Don Brown Collective. This restorative class blends movement, mindfulness, and music to help you reflect, release, and return to stillness after an inspiring weekend.

  • Directed by Radha Mehta and Saif Jaan

  • A revered small-town imam faces a crisis of faith when he must choose between upholding the values of his mosque or protecting the safety and spiritual belonging of a trans man congregant.

  • Radha Mehta (she/her):
    Radha Mehta is a Director/Writer with an MFA in Directing at AFI, a UnlockHer Potential Mentee with HeyDay Films, WIF Directing Fellow 2025, and Recording Academy Voting Member.  Her award-winning films include DOSH (Slamdance Spirit Award); Winds of Silence (16Days16Films w/ UN Women, Geena Davis Institute, Voices With Impact w/ VIFF); SŪNNA (CAPE Julia Gouw Winner); Standing With Moms (Women’s Voices Now “Best Short Documentary”); Being Gina (STARZ); and Evan Ever After.

    Saif Jaan (he/they):
    Saif Jaan (he/they) is a trans and queer screenwriter and artist who grew up in a Muslim-Yemini and Pakistani household in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He works with liberatory themes that transcend internal and geographic borderlands. His art is inspired by the power of the people and imagining alternative futures in the path towards true collective freedom. He won the Netflix/Tasveer Grant to help make “Witness”. The film “Witness” has gone on to win the Islamic Scholarship Fund, and InsideOut RE:Focus Grant.

  • Directed by Kerry Coddett

  • Set in a lively Brooklyn barbershop, Zeke follows Vic, a loyal customer whose routine visit takes a sinister turn. After falling asleep in the chair, he wakes up to a disturbing realization—something deeply unsettling has happened, but he struggles to process it. As his trauma strains his marriage and leaves him searching for support, he finds himself met with dismissal and silence. When Zeke, the shop’s charismatic owner, announces plans to expand his business into a school for boys, Vic decides he can no longer stay quiet. His public confrontation triggers a wave of revelations, exposing years of abuse masked as routine barbershop mishaps. With sharp humor and social critique, Zeke examines power, trust, and the silence that enables abuse.

  • Kerry Coddett is a Brooklyn-born writer, actress, and comedian. She was Co-EP, Showrunner, and Head Writer on HBO’s Yvonne Orji: A Whole Me and recently served as a writer and co-producer on an upcoming Apple TV drama. A 2025 Rideback Rise fellow and WGA Showrunner Training Program graduate, Kerry also wrote for Showtime’s Flatbush Misdemeanors and appeared in Ramy, Desus & Mero, and Pause w/ Sam Jay. She graduated college cum laude at 19 and once styled Jay-Z.

  • Directed by Siddiq Saunderson

  • When Jamie stumbles upon a trombone case by the church on the night of the full moon he calls the homies, Che and Turq, to meet him for wontons at their favorite restaurant. As they navigate the allure of this mysterious find and the possible danger of it all, Jamie is forced to confront a deeper question: Is it his lucky night or does this blessing belong to someone else.

  • Siddiq Saunderson is a multi-hyphenate artist and filmmaker from Brooklyn, NY. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Acting, he moved to LA to start a career in film and television. Siddiq starred in WuTang: An American Saga (Hulu) as Ghostface Killah, Kemba (BET+), R#J (Sundance), Godfather of Harlem (MGM) and upcoming The Terror: Devil in Silver (AMC). Moonluck Wonton is his debut as a screenwriter and director. He is currently shopping his feature ¿cómo se dice? and aims to start production summer 2026.

  • Directed by Shayla Racquel

  • Constance McKinney, a quirky teenage girl living with Sickle Cell, shares her experiences of attending a high school in a small southern town that defies the usual coming-of-age movie tropes. Her school's social hierarchy consists of three groups: The Well-Knowns, The Floaters, and The Off-Brands. With encouragement from Jada, a "Floater," Constance tries double-dutch for the first time and realizes she is naturally good at it. This brings both positive and negative attention from a few "Well-Knowns," one being her suave high school crush, Jamel. Constance must decide whether she will allow the opinions of others to dictate her interests or face her insecurities by no longer playing it safe.

  • Shayla Racquel is an energetic creative with a passion for storytelling honed by her southern roots. She is no stranger to overcoming odds - diagnosed with Sickle Cell and a stroke at 12, her battle with this illness unlocked her love for storytelling and filmmaking. Shayla’s work has screened in over 40 film festivals and has received over 20 awards to date, including a Student Emmy. She has directed three series for Keke Palmer's KeyTV, garnering millions of views. She currently serves as the Executive Creative Director for Chosen Few Agency, leading the creation of several global brand campaigns. Her smile and appreciation for life brighten any room when she greets you with her infamous saying: "Smiles are sunshine for the Soul."

  • Directed by Sea Mahsati

  • Keur Simbara is an intimate, lyrical short documentary that follows a group of women community organizers in a rural Senegalese village as they build and sustain systems of health, finance, agriculture, and domestic infrastructure. Through intergenerational conversation and everyday observations, the film explores the deep relationships among mothers, daughters, and neighbors, highlighting the collective labor that upholds their community. Amid water scarcity and environmental challenges, they articulate their hopes for the future and the legacy they wish to leave behind. Keur Simbara is a tribute to communal wisdom and the power of local organizing.

  • Sea is an award-winning filmmaker and birth worker of Caribbean heritage. Their work blends myth and spirituality to tell stories of mourning, maternal inheritance, and self-possession, guided by Black feminist principles. Sea approaches filmmaking as ritual, shaping personal and ancestral memory into collective reflection. They are a 2024–2025 Baldwin for the Arts fellow and are currently developing their Howard University MFA thesis film, Bois Baby.

  • Directed by Bryce Savoy

  • After the death of his father and the birth of his son in the same year, Rapper Bryce Savoy finds himself navigating a transformative chapter in his life.

    Produced by Neighborhood Diamonds Media, BIG BRYCE SON is a raw, vulnerable documentary that shares a unique perspective of an artist's journey through the lens of a man dealing with the circumstances of life and death. Bryce embarks on a personal journey of self discovery as he navigates fatherhood, grief, legacy, and healing.

  • Bryce Savoy is an artist, rapper, and storyteller from Oakland, California, now based in Los Angeles. A 2014 graduate of Howard University, Bryce uses his platform to bridge culture, community, and creativity.  He is the founder of Neighborhood Diamonds, a creative company dedicated to representing “diamonds in the rough” worldwide through powerful storytelling, artistry, and community-centered initiatives.

  • Directed by Krystina Christiansen

  • At the end of his life and now paralyzed by MS, an avid outdoorsman reflects on his life's lessons in a letter that is left on a hiking trail in Utah. Finding it 3,000 miles away, a filmmaker befriends him and his newfound family of strangers that have brought his letter to peaks around the world.

  • Krystina Christiansen is a producer, director, and writer whose work bridges personal storytelling and social impact. Her films span documentary, narrative, and branded media, with support from The Redford Center, Sony Pictures TV, NYFA, and others. She is the producer-director of Dear Brandon, a documentary about connection, grief, and the unexpected journey of a single letter. Her next feature, The Death Boom, releases in 2026.

  • Directed by Osahon Tongo

  • History is crafted bead by bead, woven ever so delicately into the fabric of Superbowl lore. The day after Superbowl 58, while confetti was being swept up in Las Vegas, the NFL announced Queen Tahj Williams as the official designer of Super Bowl 59’s logo. Through the lens of Queen Tahj, NFL vet Tyrann Mathieu, and NFL Alumni Big Chief Dow Edwards we head to New Orleans, we learn about the hidden history behind the city’s Black Masking Indians and the legacy of resistance and community woven into the fabric of American culture.

  • Osahon Tongo is an Emmy Award–winning director, producer, and writer whose work explores identity, legacy, and transformation through cinematic storytelling. A director and producer on the acclaimed NFL360 series, his projects have earned two Sports Emmy wins and 10 nominations. He directed Second Unit on Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone and his short films have screened at Cannes, The Getty Museum, and festivals worldwide. Tongo brings a first-generation American perspective to stories that bridge culture and consciousness.

  • Creator/Showrunner: Nakia Stephens

  • A Korean-American girl, raised from birth by Southern Black parents, struggles to defend and redefine her identity after being accepted into a popular HBCU.

  • Nakia Stephens is an award-winning screenwriter, showrunner, and founder of Damn Write Originals, the first screenwriting label. Known for crafting character-driven narratives that blend heartache, humor, and controversy, she has 40+ produced works including Della Mae, Novella, and The Psychological Evolution of Fboys. Recognized by Forbes, Deadline, and the NAACP Image Awards, Nakia amplifies authentic, purpose-driven Black stories.

  • Directed by Tari Wariebi

  • A forgetful millennial, and his four best friends, navigate queer love, rocky careers, and the ups and downs of friendship, while realizing that his forgetfulness is more serious than imagined.

  • Tari Wariebi is a first-generation Liberian and Nigerian American filmmaker from Philadelphia, based in LA. An AFI Directing alum and BAFTA Special Jury Prize winner, his films have screened at over 60 festivals, including Sundance. He’s also won Grand Jury Prizes at Indy Shorts, Holly Shorts, and Martha’s Vineyard. Tari is developing his feature We Were Meant To, based on his Oscar-qualifying short.

  • Created by Alscott Worrell and Rodney Hawkins Jr.

    Directed by Carlton V. Bell II

  • After their 9-5’s become a thing of the past, two LA transplants, have to figure out, what’s next? Tapping into two things they love, cannabis and sex, they work to build a brand, focused on these taboo industries that bring in billions each year. Both beautifully flawed in their own ways, they’re tested as they balance the obstacles life throws at them while building a business from the ground up.

    Episode 3: Two LA transplants host a rent party to stay afloat—but when past loves and future desires crash the scene, the night erupts into chaos, confession, and unexpected connection.

  • Carlton V. Bell II (“CJ”) (they/them) is a Black, Southern, queer artist and cultural organizer. Their work in theatre and film investigates and documents the Black queer experience. As a cultural organizer, CJ has raised over $2.5 million for artists and organizations led by those living within the margins.

    A trained intimacy choreographer, director, and producer, CJ’s practice centers collaboration and consent. Their accolades include being named AL.com’s Entertainer of the Year (2019), a Finalist for the SDC Foundation's 2023 Barbara Whitman Award, and winner of the Sara Spencer Award for Child Drama and Sidewalk Film Festival’s 2023 Black Lens Filmmaker Award.

  • Creator/Showrunner: Cheyenne Ewulu

  • Facing the increasing dominance of digital media and the constant threat of eviction from their landlord (who wants to turn the space into a dispensary), the quirky crew of misfits resorts to ridiculous schemes and antics to keep the store from closing.

  • Cheyenne Ewulu is a Nigerian-American actress, writer, and showrunner based in Los Angeles. A multi-hyphenate creative, she is the founder of Awkward Virgo Productions and the creator of the indie workplace comedy The Comic Shop, which became one of Kickstarter’s top-funded TV projects, raising over $200K. Her work blends sharp comedy with heartfelt explorations of identity, community, often spotlighting underrepresented voices and underdogs.

FILMGOOD Festival 2024

FILMGOOD Festival 2023