Sista Brunch

Pull up a chair. This is Sista Brunch. Sista Brunch is a weekly podcast sharing the stories of Black women and Black gender-expansive people thriving in film, TV, and media. Hosted by Fanshen Cox (she/they), co-author of the Inclusion Rider, the show is seven seasons and 140+ episodes deep — and still growing. Every week, our guests pull back the curtain. How they broke in. What their projects rea...

Four years running, the most-watched films on streaming have been led by Women of Color. So why is Hollywood still treating diverse stories as a risk? On this bonus episode of Sista Brunch, we sit down with Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón and Jade Abston, two of the researchers behind UCLA's Hollywood Diversity Report, to break down what the 2026 data actually shows about who gets to lead, direct, write,...

Show Notes How does an "army brat" with no Hollywood connections become an Emmy-winning documentarian whose work sits at the center of one of the most urgent conversations in America? In this bonus brunch, filmmaker Luchina Fisher pulls up a chair to talk about the long, unexpected road from journalism to the director's chair—and the craft, ethics, and relationships that carry a story from the pag...

What's Greeking? What's a Frankenbite? What does it mean to "package" a project? And why does a Hollywood producer call a sewing machine her most important piece of technology? In this Sista Brunch Season 7 bonus episode, every guest shares the tool, term, or technology from their craft that an outsider would never understand. From set dressing to composing, from location management to unscripted...

While working as one of Sista Brunch's season seven associate producers, Charlie T. Savage was quietly making a feature film. Voices the Musical is a 1967 period piece with nine original songs, shot in nine days in Inglewood, now nominated for Best US Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay at the 30th Annual ABFF. In this bonus episode, Charlie shares the full journey -- co-writing the script in on...

Effie T. Brown is an award-winning producer, CEO of Game Changer Films, and a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her producing credits include Real Women Have Curves and Dear White People, and she made history when she challenged the lack of diversity on HBO's Project Greenlight -- a moment that helped spark the creation of the Inclusion Rider. In this season seven finale...

Diana Williams is the CEO and co-founder of Kinetic Energy Entertainment, a multi-platform venture studio building franchise IP across film, TV, video games, and immersive experiences. She is the former Creative Development and Franchise Producer for Star Wars at Lucasfilm, where she co-founded ILM Immersive -- the lab behind Vader Immortal and the Academy Award-winning Carne y Arena. In this conv...

Ashlee Hypolite is the Executive Director of Hollywood CPR, the nonprofit workforce development program that provides free, union-track training for below-the-line careers in film, TV, and live events. In this conversation, Ashlee shares her journey from Trinidadian roots in Boston to Brandeis to CAA to leading one of the most impactful pipeline programs in the industry. She breaks down how Hollyw...

Aaliyah Williams is an Emmy Award-winning producer and founder of Just a Rebel. She produced Netflix's Black Barbie, which earned two Daytime Emmys and an NAACP Image Award through Shondaland. In this conversation, Aaliyah shares her full journey -- from Harvard to finance to moving to LA without a film degree, from assisting for Effie Brown to producing a first short on 35mm that ended at Sundanc...

Kamala Avila-Salmon is a producer, studio executive, and inclusion strategist who has been at the center of how stories get developed and greenlit at major studios. She is the founder of Kas Kas Productions and previously led inclusive content strategy at Lionsgate, where she was embedded in creative development, marketing, and the greenlight committee. In this episode, Kamala breaks down the real...

Journalist and media innovator Georgia Fort joins Fanshen and Shawn for a powerful conversation about her journey from radio intern to Emmy-nominated independent journalist — and why she's dedicating her career to building the next generation of storytellers. Georgia takes us inside the Derek Chauvin trial courtroom, talks about her transition from radio to TV news, and shares the deeply personal...

Guest: Marie Douglas Titles: Composer; arranger; educator; musical director; conductor; freelance creative Episode Theme: What it takes to build a career as a Black woman composer and why preparation, musical range, and real relationships matter in film, TV, and beyond. Why this matters right now: Composers shape how stories feel, but they are still one of the least visible roles in entertainment....

Guest: Kai Bowe Titles:Titles: Director of Current Programming, Unscripted, at OWN; showrunner; story producer; documentarian; screenwriter; former attorney Episode Theme: How a nonlinear path through law, writing, and unscripted television can turn into real creative authority and why career longevity requires both craft and inner work. Why this matters right now: At a time when so many creatives...

Guest: April Reign Titles: Creator of #OscarsSoWhite; media futurist; strategist; speaker; consultant; former attorney Episode Theme: What happens when sharp cultural critique becomes industry impact and why real equity requires more than optics. Why this matters right now: As awards season keeps asking who gets recognized, April Reign reminds us that representation is not a trend, it is infrastru...

Rraine Hanson is a Jamaican transdisciplinary artist and experimental filmmaker exploring queer identity, mixed media storytelling, and worldbuilding across film and art department craft. In this Season 7 conversation, we discuss growing up in Kingston, studying film at Emerson College, working in production design and art department, and creating Transcend — a short film about a Jamaican father r...

Guest: Kelly Harris Titles: Supervising Location Manager; Locations & Production Logistics Leader Episode Theme: Locations aren’t just “where you shoot”—they’re how production actually happens. Kelly breaks down the creative + logistical power of the locations department, from scouting to permits to managing entire neighborhoods. Why this matters right now: With tighter budgets, shorter season...

Guest: Asha Chai-Chang Titles: Filmmaker; Director; Producer; Accessibility Advocate; Founder, Funding Your Foundation Episode Theme: What happens when a filmmaker learns to fund their own path using finance, community, and strategy as creative tools. Why this matters right now: As traditional pathways shrink and industry access tightens, creatives are being forced to understand money, infrastruct...

What does it really take to survive — and shape — Hollywood as a Black woman executive? In this intimate, mentorship-driven conversation, Karen Horne reflects on motherhood, leadership, money, and the invisible labor Black women carry while building entire ecosystems inside the film and television industry. From running major studio diversity and talent pipelines to being laid off during industry...

Felicia D. Henderson has built a career most writers only dream of — and she’s still expanding. In this episode of Sista Brunch , the Emmy-nominated writer, director, and showrunner joins us for a grounded, honest conversation about what it really takes to build longevity in television without letting the industry box you in. From navigating power rooms as a Black woman to making the leap from sho...

In this Season 7 pre-launch bonus episode, we sit with filmmaker Praise Odigie Paige, whose short film Birdie is playing at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, to talk about quiet storytelling, risk, faith, and what it takes to make the work you believe in — even when the odds feel stacked. This conversation is a reminder that there is power in patience, in subtlety, and in choosing yourself as an ar...

TV history in the making! Sheila Ducksworth, executive producer of Beyond the Gates —the first one-hour soap with a predominantly Black cast—joins us to share how she brought her lifelong vision to life. We talk about how the CBS/NAACP partnership came to be, Sheila's career journey from economics major to entertainment exec, and what it means to build with purpose and impact in TV. She also share...

In this intimate post-screening conversation, The HiveMind Unified founder and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kareema Bee sits down with acclaimed director Ekwa Msangi ( Farewell Amor ) to unpack the powerful themes in both of their films: The Self Love Act and Farewell Amor . This special Q&A was part of the Sista Brunch x HiveMind Unified celebration held at Vidiots, featuring a community-centered...

In this special Juneteenth bonus episode of Sista Brunch , co-hosted by The HiveMind Unified , we sit down with award-winning writer/director Ekwa Msangi ( Farewell Amor , Saint X , Three Women ) to talk about the deeply personal story behind her debut feature film, navigating the industry as a Black woman filmmaker, and the long journey to recognition—from Sundance to Criterion Collection. Join h...

How do Black creatives in entertainment actually get the job done? In this end-of-season bonus episode of Sista Brunch, our guests and Black Girls Film Camp co-hosts break down the tech, tools, and behind-the-scenes knowledge they rely on—from LED screens to Avid, Scriptation, and color theory. Whether you're an aspiring director, editor, actor, or producer, you’ll get the real tea on what it take...

What would you tell your younger self if you could sit down together for a real Sista Brunch? 🥂 In our Season 6 finale, our brilliant guests — from award-winning writers to groundbreaking producers and directors — share heartfelt advice they wish they had heard when they were just starting out. 💛 From trusting your journey, to embracing your light, to building your dreams without fear — this com...