The BTFC Presents its annual Holiday Film Panel and we’ve invited a few incredible guests – from casting to financing execs – to join us!

RSVP HERE – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/btfc-presents-the-download-the-business-of-holiday-movies-tickets-1100684570179

On Tuesday, December 10th at 7pm EST/4pm PST, we will have one of TWO virtual holiday events this Season!

Holiday Movies have become a year-round business in the film and television industry. Once upon a time, there was only a sprinkle of Black and Brown in this genre, but today, the diaspora is represented across cable and streaming, as well as in the theaters. We are here to help you understand the aspects of pitching, casting, writing, directing, producing and financing these films.

Moderated by the amazing Chanelle Angelique and BTFC Programming Chair, Okema T. Moore this will be a wonderful panel to learn and get ready to make your own holiday movie magic!

Meet Our Panelists:

Noelle Broussard – Senior Coordinator of Content Strategy and Multiplatform at BET Media Group

Noelle Broussard is the Senior Coordinator of Content Strategy and Multiplatform at BET Media Group. Since joining BET in 2021, she has overseen the production of more than 40 original movies, including 15 beloved holiday titles, across BET, BET+, and BET HER. Noelle’s day today includes content licensing, production oversight, and leveraging data-driven insights to align programming strategies with audience expectations. Her role involves ensuring that every project is delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of quality. Noelle has had the unique opportunity to work across sports (Big Ten Network), news (MSNBC), and entertainment media (BET), but her heart belongs to storytelling through film and television, where she finds the greatest joy in bringing compelling narratives to life.

Pierre Romain – Producer Too Many Christmases, Queens of Christmas

For More Than 30 Years Pierre Romain has embodied innovative creativity by standing on the front lines of the entertainment industry where all segments of the American and international population can meet under an umbrella of quality feel good, thought provoking entertainment.

Pierre Romain has produced and financed Award-winning Documentaries and feature Films including: Mind The Gap (Alan King, Elizabeth Reaser, Kim Raver, and Eric Schaeffer), Coleman Family Legacy (Jazz Legend George Coleman, Sr. and his family), Fractured (Eric Roberts and Jake Busey), All You Can Eat (Randy Quaid, Ashley Johnson, Kathy Najimy), Bayou Caviar (Cuba Gooding Jr, Richard Dreyfuss, Famke Janssen), and Son of The South (Spike Lee (ep), Barry Brown (dir.), Lucas Till, Lucy Hale, Cedric The Entertainer and Brian Dennehy), North of the 10 (George Lopez,Terrence J) One Night Stay (Stephen Bishop, LeToya Luckett, Mc Lyte, Iyana Halley, Laurissa Romain, Robert Christopher Riley) Fresh Kills- which premiered at Tribeca ’23 (Jennifer Esposito, Emily Bader, Odessa A’zion) Switch Up – which premiered at SXSW ’24 (Cristian de la Fuente, Julieth Restrepo, and Jeff Fahey. Pierre Romain currently has five new films in post, two that are scheduled to be released this year! Pierre Romain has lectured on film finance at Montclair State University and the New School as well as speaking on a panel for the Motion Picture Association on how to fund your film.

Pierre Romain began his career working with his longtime mentor Chiz Schultz (A Soldier’s Story, Seize The Day, Ordinary People). Together they produced ABC After School Specials.

Julie Solinger-Romain – Producer / Music Supervisor (Too Many Christmases, Queens of Christmas)

Julie is a Film Producer, Music Producer/Supervisor, and Entrepreneur. As a Producer, she not only uses her creative and business skills to bring films to life but also incorporates her musical background to create original music for films. Her Entrepreneurial background has provided her many opportunities and skill sets to create other business ventures. She started writing poems and lyrics at the age of 12 but it wasn’t until much later in life that those words would translate into songs. She has created music with MC Lyte, Tichina Arnold, and Anthony Evans to name a few.

Tressa Azarell Smallwood – EP (Style Me for Christmas)

Tressa Azarel Smallwood, founder and CEO of MegaMind Media, is an award-winning television and film producer; earning nominations in 2024 for the NAACP Image Awards’ for Outstanding Television Movie and the NAMIC Awards’ in 2023 for Best Original Picture.

Smallwood’s production company specializes in creating compelling original content for female audiences. In seven years, under her leadership, MegaMind Media has produced over 27 projects including the two-time NAACP Image Awards nominated feature for Outstanding Television Movie and Outstanding Directing In A Television Movie, First Lady Of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story, Secrets, “Wicked City” (renewed for a third season), Holiday Heartbreak, Trophy Wife, The Sound of Christmas, Sinners Wanted, The Available Wife, Dear Best Friend, and the NAMIC Awards’ nominated film, A Rich Christmas. Smallwood is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy.

Tamala Baldwin – Writer/ Director (Blended Christmas)

Tamala Baldwin is an award-winning writer and director whose debut feature film, Blended Christmas, premieres on BET+ this Christmas Day. With credits on HBO, Disney/ABC, and Hulu, her work spans episodic TV, branded content, and digital series like Bubbly Brown Sugar on Tubi. Her acclaimed films have screened globally.

Lynette Blackwell – Casting Director/ Writer (Style Me for Christmas)

Lynette J. Blackwell is a Writer, Casting Director, and Playwright, with a significant presence in both the Film and Theatre industries. She graduated from SUNY Old Westbury and has since achieved notable success in her career.

Her short film “Twelve” has garnered her recognition as an Award Winning Writer and Director after being accepted into multiple film festivals, and procuring several awards. Additionally, Blackwell has achieved success in Theater with her Stage Play “Who’s This Sleeping in My Bed,” which she’s produced over 25 times alongside her partner, Legendary Hip-Hop Artist Rob Base. This play has been staged in various locations including NYC, Alabama, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, PA.

In 2020, Lynette J. Blackwell transitioned to become a full-time filmmaker. She earned her first writer’s credit with a major network by being selected as one of seven writers for BETher’s Health Initiatives. Since then, Blackwell has added over 20 film credits to her film resume, while working as a Casting Director, Production Coordinator and Production Manager.

November 2024, a Christmas film co-written by Blackwell Premiered on BET+ and in 2025 a Horror film Blackwell co-wrote and Produced is set to premiere, solidifying her journey as a storyteller across multiple mediums.

Meet our Moderators:

Chanelle Angelique is an award-winning filmmaker, host, and mental wellness advocate from Brooklyn, NY who developed a deep love for art of many forms at an early age.

She finds comfort in knowing she can express her thoughts and innermost feelings through entertainment. Using her personal trials as motivation, Chanelle sees creating and sharing her stories as a method of therapy.

Okema T. Moore
Okema T. Moore is an Emmy Nominated, PGA producer, writer, actor and rising director/showrunner. She has created content for Lifetime, Netflix, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, FOX, and Disney/Marvel. Her unscripted content includes Kenya Barris’ Klutch Academy, for BET, Beat Bobby Flay and The Kitchen on Food Network, Oprah’s Color of Care on OWN and the Smithsonian Channel, Founding In Color Season 2 on Peacock and Nomad with Carlton McCoy on CNN. Her scripted work has premiered at TRIBECA, ABFF, Outfest and “Moore!”

Most recently Okema developed and produced the docuseries Down in the Valley starring P-Valley’s Nicco Annan for STARZ and won a Silver Telly Award for her commercial with Mastercard. She also produced this year’s HBO Short film winner at ABFF – her second win at the festival – which makes the project Oscar Qualified. She received an Honorable Mention for PANO’s Producing micro-grant, a writing fellowship for Women Going Places and did a live staged reading at the 2024 ESSENCE Fest for the short film version of her comedic script Purses & Floors. She is also a Fellow of the C5 Entertainment Showrunner’s Academy 2023. As an actor, Okema can be seen on Season 2 of both Amazon Prime’s Harlem, and allblk’s Makeup x Breakup, as well as the 2023 BET holiday film, So Fly Christmas starring Tichina Arnold and Tami Roman.

If you have dreams of making movie magic, you do not want to miss this event!

Join us at this year’s edition of The Download Holiday Panel and get the information and inspiration you need to #MakeYourWork! RSVP today!

RSVP HERE – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/btfc-presents-the-download-the-business-of-holiday-movies-tickets-1100684570179

This event will be recorded.

What is THE DOWNLOAD EVENT SERIES.

Offered multiple times a year, The Download is a virtual guest conversation series hosted by the Black TV & Film Collective. It features impactful writers, producers and other creators who provide insider knowledge to help Black creatives do their work. Recent guests on The Download have included Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Charlene Polite Corley, Latasha Mercer, the editing team of A Black Lady Sketch Show Janine Sherman Barrois, Pete Chatmon and more.

Questions? Contact [email protected].