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 really cost. What they earn, and how they negotiate. The tools they can't work without. And the advice they'd give their younger selves.This trailer features the voices of Erika Green Swafford, Felicia D. Henderson, Effie T. Brown, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Rraine Hanson, Tre'vell Anderson, Gina Yashere, Isis King, Luchina Fisher, and Georgia Fort.Every listen helps us build the largest living archive of stories you won't hear anywhere else.New episodes every Tuesday.Watch and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@TruJuLoMediaFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/sistabrunchpodcastJoin the community on Patreon: patreon.com/sistabrunchLearn more: sistabrunch.comSista Brunch is a TruJuLo Productions show.

Show NotesHow 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 page to the screen to the front lines.Luchina is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, educator, and 2026 North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame inductee. She's the director behind the new feature documentary The Dads—a follow-up to her Emmy-winning 2023 Netflix short of the same name, executive produced by Dwyane Wade—which follows fathers of trans and gender-expansive kids deciding whether to stay and fight or leave the country.If you make things, fund things, or care about stories that move people toward action, this one's for you. Luchina shares the three questions every filmmaker should ask before any project, why "everything starts with the word" no matter how the technology changes, how an 11-minute short sparked a movement and a foundation, and an honest look at the money—including why the starving-artist myth has to go and what it actually took to pay her team.Pull up a chair. Don't cry. Eat your chicken biscuit. (You'll understand by the end.)In This Episode[00:00] – Big news: Sista Brunch joins the 2026 AIR New Voices AMPLIFY cohort (supported by Apple Podcasts), plus shout-outs to cohort shows worth your follow[02:30] – Welcome to the brunch table: meet Luchina Fisher[04:00] – Her Journey: growing up an army brat, the '70s–'80s golden age of screen, and a big brother directing the neighborhood kids in backyard Star Trek[06:00] – Childhood in Germany, learning the language, and watching reel after reel on the military base[08:00] – UNC Chapel Hill, journalism, the Miami Herald, a lifelong friendship with Tananarive Due, and the leap to study film at the University of Bristol[12:00] – The three questions every filmmaker must ask: Why this? Why now? Why me? On bias, ethics, and "can I sleep at night?"[14:00] – Her brother's charge to "do something," her mother's story, and seeing firsthand the power and urgency of story[16:00] – Becoming a mother, parenting a trans child, and how Gloria Allen became Mama Gloria[18:00] – Why The Dads: the fathers who show up, and the narrative we don't hear enough[19:30] – Let's Talk Tech: from journalist to documentarian, shooting on everything from 16mm to digital, and why the story—not the gear—is the thing[24:30] – The short as poetry: getting it under 12 minutes, designing for middle America, and the Netflix call the day after the SXSW premiere[28:00] – Filmmaking is relationships: how the retreat itself grew out of Luchina's idea to film these dads[31:30] – Financials: paying your team a livable wage, the post–George Floyd commission wave, her 2024 Daytime Emmy, the lean stretch after, and teaching at Yale and Fairfield[36:30] – Building the feature: Stephen Chukumba's "let's keep filming," house-party fundraising, Dwyane Wade, and Elevate Studios[42:00] – Support Sista Brunch + a peek at this summer's Sista Sessions[42:50] – Where and how to see The Dads: festival run, Pride Month screenings, and community screenings you can bring to your own town[44:30] – Sista Brunch: Luchina sits down with her 19-year-old self in Chapel Hill—a chicken biscuit, and the words she needed to hear[46:30] – Closing love and gratitudeResource StackLuchina Fisher & her workDirector's site: luchinafisher.comProduction company: Little Light ProductionsThe Dads (feature): thedadsfilm.comThe Dads Foundation: thedadsfoundation.orgThe Dads (2023 Emmy-winning short) — on NetflixMama Gloria — Luchina's documentary on Black trans elder activist Gloria AllenTeam Dream — short documentaryPeople & partners mentionedDwyane Wade (executive producer) and Elevate StudiosStephen Chukumba, producer and Dads Foundation co-founderTananarive Due, novelist, screenwriter, and directorHuman Rights Campaign / Parents for Transgender Equality CouncilAIR New Voices AMPLIFY cohort shows mentioned (links in the episode description)Consider This For Comfort — Eteng EttahReality Blurred — Andy Dehnart (President, Television Critics Association)Femme and Furious — Julia Rose PortelaSuper Sorry — Amber JankeOut of the Ashes — Vince Comegys-DavisWith thanks to AIR (Association of Independents in Radio), Captain TK Dutes, and Lynn CasperSupport Sista BrunchDonate: givebutter.com/SistaBrunchPatreon (including this summer's Sista Sessions): patreon.com/SistaBrunch

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 of Sista Brunch, Effie delivers one of the most transparent and unfiltered conversations we've ever had: -- Growing up as a latchkey kid in New Jersey and seeing Alien as a child -- the moment she realized women can save themselves and storytelling can bring everyone together -- Getting into the LMU film school on sheer audacity: "I'm gonna be bigger than Jerry Bruckheimer and Oprah Winfrey" -- The first class of Film Independent's Project Involve -- The full Project Greenlight story: what happened at the premiere, reading Matt Damon's microexpressions, and learning that she'd never hear from them again -- How that moment led directly to the Inclusion Rider and now state-level inclusion policy through the California Film Commission -- Real producer pay: $75K on Real Women Have Curves, underpaying herself on Dear White People, and doing Project Greenlight because her house was about to be foreclosed on -- Why producers should never defer their 5%: "You know who doesn't put their fee back? The director. The actors. The writers." -- Producers United and the fight for development fees and commencement fees -- Her quilting practice, Conjure Quilts: putting disparate pieces together to make something whole -- What verticals are and why they're the future: "Candy Crush with a narrative" -- Her vision for a collective fund where multiple companies pool resources and replenish the pot -- 18 years sober, gumbo, and the advice to her younger self: have a lot of sex and learn about distribution because they eat first and eat the most Effie was born at Fort Dix, New Jersey, attended Loyola Marymount University on a theater scholarship, and has spent her career making sure overlooked voices get heard, seen, paid, and credited.Keywords: Effie Brown, Sista Brunch Podcast, Game Changer Films, Project Greenlight, Inclusion Rider, Real Women Have Curves, Dear White People, producer salary, film producer, Academy Governor, micro drama, verticals, AKUNA, Idris Elba, Conjure Quilts, Film Independent, Project Involve, Producers United, independent film, Black women in Hollywood, distribution, entertainment business, HBO, diversity inclusion, California Film Commission, LMU, circular leadership

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, infrastructure, and ownership. Asha breaks down how financial literacy, accessibility, and self-investment create real leverage, not just opportunity. Asha Chai-Chang didn’t enter the industry through one door, she built several. From political science at Yale to finance and supplier diversity work, to directing award-winning projects and advocating for disabled filmmakers, her journey reframes what a “creative career” actually requires. This conversation connects the dots between art, money, and access and why knowing how systems work can be as powerful as talent. Oscar Festival Win to LA Career Leap (00:16:14) Funding the Creative Life Strategy Blueprint (00:21:05) Access and Advocacy for Disabled Filmmakers Everywhere (00:24:10) 48-Hour Writer’s Room Reality Check Experience (00:09:28) Invest in Yourself First Always (00:32:13) A real blueprint for funding your creative work without waiting for permission (00:21:32) How community partnerships and local businesses can sustain productions (00:10:18) A reframing of “failure” as a leadership and directing tool (00:12:21) Accessibility as a creative and production standard not an afterthought (00:24:38) Practical editing and captioning insights filmmakers can use immediately (00:30:23) A reminder to prioritize yourself while building a career that serves others (00:34:49) Asha Chai-Chang is a filmmaker, director, and accessibility advocate whose work blends storytelling, financial strategy, and industry equity. With a background in political science and finance, she has produced and directed projects that have screened at major festivals, including Oscar-qualifying platforms. She is the founder of Funding Your Foundation, a framework helping creatives understand credit and financial pathways to fund their work, and a leading advocate for disabled filmmakers expanding accessibility across production and exhibition. Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Watch the full episode on YouTube @TruJuLoMedia. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a creative who needs to hear it. Follow @SistaBrunchPodcast for clips, community, and resources. Support the show and help keep these conversations accessible at Patreon.com/SistaBrunch or GiveButter.com/SistaBrunch.

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 showrunning into directing, Felicia shares what she’s learned — and what she wishes more creatives were told earlier. We talk about her directorial debut, The Rebel Girls, a short film that has screened and won at festivals across the country, and the significance of being honored with the Best Live Action Shor Award by the African American Film Critics Association. But this conversation goes deeper than accolades. It’s about creative agency, timing, and trusting yourself when the path forward isn’t linear. This episode is for Black women and Black gender expansive creatives building careers in film and television — especially those thinking about expansion, reinvention, or simply staying in the game long enough to tell the stories that matter. If you’ve ever asked how to grow without shrinking, how to pivot without starting over, or how to claim authority on your own terms, this one’s for you. Save this episode. Sit with it. And come back to it when you need clarity.

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 shares a brilliant tech tip, brunch stories, and advice for her younger self. 🎧 Listen + follow us on Spotify, Apple & everywhere you get podcasts. 📲 More on Instagram, YouTube + TikTok: @trujulomedia | @sistabrunchpodcast #BeyondTheGates #SheilaDucksworth #SistaBrunch #BlackWomenInEntertainment #TruJuLoMedia

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 host Fanshen Cox and co-host Shirlyn A. Cesar (Emmy-winning producer and HiveMind Unified Director of Programs) as they explore the power of storytelling, the realities of independent filmmaking, and what it means to make timeless work—especially in the face of systemic exclusion. Plus, Ekwa shares what she’d tell her younger self at a real-deal Sista Brunch. 🖤 This episode is dedicated to the resilience, creativity, and brilliance of Black filmmakers everywhere. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Welcome by Fanshen Cox & Shirlyn A. Cesar 03:00 - Introducing Ekwa Msangi & Farewell Amor 06:00 - What inspired the story 08:30 - Navigating Sundance, investors & indie financing 13:00 - Budgeting the film and sacrifices made 16:00 - Distribution journey & pandemic impact 17:30 - Advice to her younger self 19:00 - Five years later: why this film still resonates 20:00 - Immigrant narratives in the age of Trump 21:00 - Favorite creative resources & staying inspired 📍 Recorded at Vidiots and in partnership with The HiveMind Unified, an organization supporting underrepresented early-career creatives in entertainment. 🔗 Follow, Subscribe, and Watch More: Instagram: @sistabrunchpodcast YouTube: @trujulomedia TikTok: @trujulomedia Website: www.sistabrunch.com #Juneteenth #BlackFilmmakers #FarewellAmor #EkwaMsangi #SistaBrunch #BlackWomenInFilm #CriterionCollection #IndependentFilm #TheHiveMindUnified #TruJuLoMedia #FilmTalk #SundanceFilmFestival