the fairytale about yourself. 

Because who doesn't enjoy fairytales, right? Except (and get this), this is not the romantic comedy that ends in your traditional fairytale: boy meets girl, girl becomes a woman - not! (At least not through him she does)! It follows Charley, a young woman still struggling with heartbreak following a recent breakup only to learn that her newfound love interest has been holding on to a date-shattering secret. Because, what's life without a few people turning it upside down? 

The idea came from the mind of Writer, Producer, and Lead actress, Tamara S. Hall, who is somewhat, kind of, actually the complete opposite of Charley (in her imagination). But in reality - Tamara wanted to create a story that was reflective of the dating life she actually experiences as well as the dating lives of the many young women around her. It's a story that depicts modern-day dating and the anxieties surrounding it in a real light and underlines the effects that dating has on the psyche of the millennial woman.

a day in the life of a mother who's lost her child.

ANATT is a thriller about a mother, Sherry, who goes about her day-to-day life preparing food for a seemingly normal family night dinner while dealing with the pain of recently losing a child. As the conversation between her and her kids grow peculiar, tension mounts between the three, unveiling a lurking threat at the table.

This idea also came from the mind of Tamara S. Hall, who was the Writer/Director, and starred as Sherry's daughter, Sherell, one of three lead characters. 

WATCH THE TEASERS BELOW!

Underrepresented stories, storytellers, & characters are important. 

It goes without saying how significant movies are and can be when it comes to the influence of our culture. It also goes without saying that, though significant, there are still too many stones left unturned and important topics left unaddressed.

That's where the heart of both of these stories lie.  Both APPETIZER and A NIGHT AT THE TABLE are deeply personal as well as necessary for our culture. Aside from showcasing black women in extremely vulnerable, yet delicate lights, both of these projects have uplifted, empowered, and provided a platform to and for other women storytellers. I can prove it. APPETIZER alone was produced by an ALL WOMEN CREW. 

With A NIGHT AT THE TABLE, I would love to continue the extremely important dialogue happening around black women and their pain. How black women are often ignored as it relates to their experience with pain - be it in an ER preparing to give birth or after experiencing a loss of any kind - it is so timely and something that we are not talking about enough.

With APPETIZER, I want other young women to realize that themselves, in this moment, are enough. Millennial dating can be a lot. We put the pressure on ourselves to be successful entrepreneurs while also feeling the pressure of the generations before us to be in monogamous unions with hopes of starting families. This story emphasizes that the time we take in between dating is necessary and important to the finding of oneself, the healing of oneself, and the fulfillment of oneself.

I hope you’ll help me to bring these films to life, so that we can continue these dialogues together. 

As a supporter, you’ll help to make sure both projects get the post-production treatment they deserve, as well as reach a broader audience. 

Tamara S. Hall - Writer/Director/Producer/Actor

Tamara is a NY-based actress, writer, and filmmaker from Philadelphia, PA whose artistry spans theatre, poetry, short fiction, and business writing.  A 2017 graduate of The William Esper Studio, which was listed as one of “The 25 Best Drama Schools in 2015” in the Hollywood Reporter, Tamara completed her studies in acting, movement, and voice & speech. Before becoming a filmmaker, Tamara has also worked in the TV business at renowned networks such as NBCUniversal, BET, and currently - HBO.

Also a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, Tamara wrote, produced, and directed a number of award-winning shows and performances throughout her tenure as a student, such as Behind Their Lips, a monologue show created to raise domestic violence awareness.

Ty Stone - Director of Photography - ANATT

Ty has been in the film business for 10 years. A self-taught cinematographer whose motivation has been guided by his fascination with lighting black skin, he’s worked on critically-acclaimed shows, films, and documentaries such as Hulu’s Fyre Fraud and Jay-Z’s executive produced documentaries, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story and TIME: The Kalief Browder Story.

Ayanda Chisholm - Director - Appetizer

Ayanda is a filmmaker with roots in Toronto, Ontario. While growing up, she experimented in the arts and fell in love with social justice work, often marrying those two passions for political protest and expression. Ayanda made her directorial debut at 16 with Black Beauty in the White Gaze, which earned her the Adobe Youth Voices Scholarship and was screened at The Future Is Feminist Film Festival, among others. 

Nakia Scott - Director of Photography - Appetizer

Nakia, a Manhattan native, is a film editor and camera operator who is a graduate from Digital Film Academy in New York and has learned all aspects of digital filmmaking from script to screen. She has worked on numerous sets as Assistant Camera and Director of Photography. She also currently is working freelance as an Assistant editor who has created and overseen numerous projects for digital media.

Jhé Ferguson - Assist. Director/Camera - ANATT

Jhe, also known as Moon, is a NY-based screenwriter and filmmaker from South Florida. Moon creates complex, yet admirable characters and compelling plots; her ethnic Caribbean (Chinese Jamaican) background attributes to the stories she tells. No genre is untouched; though her heart belongs to fantasy. She began to write herself in stories where she was a heroine, a warrior, even a knight (because who said girls couldn't be knights, too) and eventually attended the Miami Dade College for Film Production and the Southern New Hampshire University for Screenwriting. Her first independent project, Mental, focused on the stigma of mental health in the West Indian community.

Dierdra McDowell - Actor - A Night at the Table

Dierdra was born in Brooklyn, NY with Panamanian roots. Being the first American born in her family, they often joked about her "celebrity status." Dierdra studied acting at acclaimed establishments such as the Susan Batson Studio (formerly Black Nexxus), the T. Schreiber Studio, and the Marishka Phillips Theatrical Preparatory (MPTP). Dierdra has had guest star appearances in current television shows such as POWER, Odd Mom Out, and Mr. Robot. She has also worked with Susan Lucci (Erica Kane), on the former hit soap opera “ALL MY CHILDREN”.

David Alan Madrick - Actor - A Night at the Table

David was raised in Queens, NY. He studied at Humanity Studios and Primary Stages where he trained with Shae Dylan and Geoffrey Owens. He's starred in The Jump-off, a short film by award-winning Director Jovan James, the award-winning web series Mistakes, the Lifetime movie, High School Lover, Pretenders, directed by James Franco, and Tough Love web series, which was nominated for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series at the 2017 Daytime Emmy's.

Latresa Baker - Actor - Appetizer

Latresa Baker graduated from the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts where she received intensive film and television acting training. She is a certified TV producer at MNN. Throughout her professional career, Latresa has received a Best Performance Award for her leading role as Marley, an aspiring MMA fighter with a family dispute to settle in "Arm Bar" and her leading role in the 1960's short film, "Sanctuary."  She has also co-produced and stars in “MrJayV” Comedy Series, "Ms. Monologue," and "Pounds New York" online series. 

A Special Shoutout to Our Kid Actors!

Sarah Freeman, Jaden Antonelli, Kimi Freeman, Bryce Byrd, & Christian Booker

So many great stories go untold

because they don't have the money and resources. So many voices. So many opportunities for others that could have been provided. I couldn't see that happen - which is why i've invested all of my money into producing these projects. Thousands of dollars have been spent to get these projects this far and, to be completely honest, I am tapped out.

I have minimized the risks for you all by getting a lot of the work done in production. Now it’s time for post!

Your investment will go towards production completion. Here’s who we are continuing to work with in order to finish the film--and who needs to get paid:

• Video Editors
• VFX Artist 
• Sound Mixers & Designers
• Composer 
• Colorists
• Film festival fee submissions and deliverables
• Marketing and PR

And as you can see above, the creative team has tons of know-how and experience on their side and we won’t let any potential setbacks stand in the way of completing the films, getting them into festivals, and reaching the audiences that they deserve.

We're offering amazing perks (see perks and packages on the right!)

such as Exclusive Screening Tickets, Interactive Film Experiences, E-books (recipes and NYC restaurant guides), Signed Posters, Marketing Consultations, Digital Downloads and MORE! 

Here are the ways that you can help!

• DONATE by selecting an amazing PERK PACKAGE to the right and officially join our team and journey with us! You can also select "Back" on the top right if perks are not your thing!

• SPREAD THE WORD about the APPETIZER + A NIGHT AT THE TABLE campaign through social media and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Please tell everyone you know, including Bloggers and Press! 

• PRAY OR MEDITATE to help bring our films to the finish line by making our funding goal! We need as much support as we can get! 

• Please SHARE this link by using the Indiegogo tools on the top right of this page. They make it easy to share our campaign with your friends and family!                                                                

See, subscribe, and learn more about the CAST and CREW on our website: www.afifproductions.com

THANK YOU!!!!

We could not do this without you. We are so humbled and grateful for your support and donations.  xoxo