VisAbleBlackwoman

Last week, I had the honor of speaking with Dark Matter Actor Amanda Brugel, who plays the physicist Blair Caplan at the Dark Matter zoom press junket. Blair is intelligent, pragmatic, and resilient. She navigates complex emotional landscapes, often grappling with her past traumas while demonstrating a strong desire for community and connection. Amanda Brugel’s portrayal of Blair in Dark Matter hi...

The African American Film Critics Association held its sixth annual awards ceremony Monday, October 12, 2026, at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in Manhattan, NYC. Legacy Award- André De Shields Beacon Award - Cheryl Wills Horizon Award- Jasmine Cephas Jones Salute to Excellence Award - Brandon J. Dirden. Please forgive some of the camera work; I did the best with what my iPhone camera could...

Welcome to VisAbleBlackWoman, the podcast. My name is Jeanine T. Abraham, and I am your host. I was recently invited to an event from MS NOW — and it was a good one. As part of their new membership program*, they launched something called “Refresh Your Perspective,” which brings mindfulness to how you experience current events. Basically, tools to help people stay informed without letting the news...

Welcome back to VisAbleblackwoman the podcast. Today’s episode comes in two parts. First up, I’m sitting down with actor Dayo Okeniyi. You know him as Leighton Vance, the sharp, high-stakes tech CEO in Apple TV+’s Dark Matter . ( CLICK HERE for Dark Matter) He’s also known for playing Thresh in The Hunger Games , and for roles in Fresh, Rise, and Shades of Blue . We’re getting into the character a...

Welcome to VisAbleBlackwoman the Podcast. My name is Jeanine T. Abraham, and I’m your host. Today’s guest is Rosie Knight, a prolific entertainment journalist with bylines at outlets like Esquire, The Hollywood Reporter, IGN, and Den of Geek. Rosie is a published graphic novel writer. Her work includes Godzilla Rivals: vs. Battra and Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp. She’s also the co-host of...

My guest this week is my friend Tara Stiles — founder of Strala Yoga, a studio she grew from a single space in SoHo, New York City, into a successful yoga teacher training business with over 1,000 facilitators, so influential that Harvard did a case study on it. She’s written multiple bestselling books, including Yoga Cures and Strala Yoga . I’ve known her not just as a teacher, but as a friend. T...

Ari Gold is truly a gem. His film Brother Verses Brother is just lovely. This week, Ari and I talk about the process of shooting a one-shot film without permits on the streets of SanFrancisco, the challenges of working with family, and how creating stories about caregiving brought him joy. This is a great interview! Enjoy CLICK HERE to Follow Ari Gold on his Substack, Cinema Verses Enjoyed this in...

Chef Devin Phillips’ food is made with love. I met him after hearing about his pop-up restaurant on Instagram. I kept walking by at the wrong time, but finally picked the right time, and he was there. I ordered some food and struck up a conversation as one does in NYC, and it was slow enough for Chef to cook and chat. But soon folks started stopping and ordering, and before I knew it I was chattin...

This week’s podcast is a special treat. My guest is filmmaker Vinchu Nchogu, who wrote and directed the award-winning film One Woman One Bra. ( Narrative First Place Audience Award at the 2026 Tribeca Fi l m Festival and the Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival). I cannot tell you how much I LOVED this film. Actually, I can. Please CLICK HERE to read my spoi...

Welcome to VisAbleBlackwoman the Podcast. This week, I’m spotlighting Off-Broadway theater in New York City — where fantastic artists tell stories that draw you in, make you think, and bring people together in community to embrace the power of storytelling. My guest today is Kimberlee Walker, a New York-based actor with a BFA degree in Acting from Ithaca College. She’s been in leading roles off-Br...

So excited to be back! The Addiction of Hope is a fantastic film told by master storytellers that is a must-see experience. I had the pleasure of interviewing the star of The Addiction of Hope, Anne Marie Johnson. She is truly incredible. No paywall here — this Film deserves to be talked about widely, and if you love what you read, a subscription helps me keep writing pieces just like this. Please...

Tribecca X Panel Discussion: Fade: Culture, Legacy, and the Stories we Carry Carl Lamarre - Executive Editor of R&B/Hip-Hop, Billboard Raymond Smith - Artist Marketing, Director, ROC Nation Emory Jones- Founder, Bet On Yourself Eric “PTAH” Herbert-Director, ArtruGroup Chief Johnson -Lead of Global Entertainment, Puma This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

Podcasting has taken over the talk show genre and has become super easy for anyone to create. This panel discussion gives some clear guidance on how to grow a podcast into a thriving business. Apologies for the background sound. This is recorded live on iPhone :) Hosted by VP of Sales for Crooked Media, Giancarlo Bizzaro Rachael KingCEO Pod People (ig@podppl) Gary ClichyFounder & CEO Pod Digital M...

Tribeca X: How Brands Can Become Platforms for Culture Abby Phillip CNN Anchor, “NewsNight with Abby Phillip” Cedric The Entertainer Partner, AC Barbecue & Founder, Setta Wines - This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visableblackwoman.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to VisAbleBlackwoman, the podcast. My Name is Jeanine T. Abraham, and I’m your host. It feels good to be back, and I’m happy to share my podcast with you on Substack, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. Today I’ve got an interview with Adjani Salmon, the co-creator, writer, and star of Dreaming Whilst Black . Season two premiered globally on Paramount+ on Friday, February 20, 2026. In the season...

A pre- and post screening conversation with the director of Rental Family HIKARI and Brendan Fraiser at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival Stay Safe J9 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit visableblackwoman.substack.com/subscribe

On Friday, September 6th, the remake of the 1980s hockey film Youngblood had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. This is video footage of the intro with the cast and the talkback afterwards. Stay tuned because I ask a question near the end of the video. Stay Safe J9 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epis...

From the Steve TIFF50 film website , “Oscar winner Cillian Murphy anchors this gripping adaptation of a bestselling novella from 2023. Faced with ever-increasing pressures, the head of a crumbling reform school for boys navigates a pivotal, fraught day while clinging to a fading sense of hope.” Please CLICK HERE to read my review on Medium. Stay Safe J9 This is a public episode. If you'd like to d...

(From The Eyes of Ghana TIFF website ) “In this love letter to cinema, we witness Ghanaian cameraman Chris Hesse, now in his 90s, pass on his legacy to the younger filmmaker Anita Afonu, captured by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot.” Please check out the film intro interview of The Eyes of Ghana’s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. CLICK HERE to read my review. Stay Safe...

I covered my first Toronto International Film Festival, IRL, on September 5-15,2024. This podcast episode recaps my experience of this fantastic festival. It includes a roundtable interview with Enrique Miguel Baniqued , producer of my favorite TIFF film, Village Keeper, written and directed by Karen Chapman. Subscribe to VisAbleBlackwoman on Patreon for an exclusive: The Piano Lesson world premie...

Day one of the Tribeca Film festival I met filmmakers Sharae Nikai and David Lassiter co directors of the feature film, The Other, Gold. Sharae co directed produced wrote and stars in the film which is about grief, pandemic isolation and friendship. Info on the film go to www.tribecafilm.com/films/other-gold-2024 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get...

DREAMING WHILST BLACK is a new dramedy coming to Paramount+ and Showtime this weekend.  This week my special guest Koby Adom directed Episode two, The Reality and my personal favorite episode of the series three, The Friends   Koby Adom is a Ghanaian-British director, writer, and executive producer. Best known for his work on Netflix’s British drama Top Boy and Knoughts and Crosses which is set in...

This week, I spoke with one of my favorite thought leaders, Baratunde Thurston. His show America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston premiered last year and blew my mind.  I interviewed Baratunde for Black Girl Nerds last year and this year attended a press briefing PBS held about season two of this outstanding series. I reached out to his team to schedule a one-on-one, and they wholeheartedly said y...

I Wasn't Going to see Oppenheimer, but a press briefing and a conversation with an atomic scientist changed my mind. The briefing, hosted by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, and Win Without War, focused on giving journalists context on the history behind the film. The panelists Tina Cordova, Co-Founder of Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, Mari Fain...

This weeks guest is Shea William Vanderpoort director of 2 episodes of Prime Video’s Harlem and Disney + Saturdays. We chat about how he started off on the iconic Issa Rae web-series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and how important community and collaboration are to his creative process. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus...