A letter from a parent of a young lady I cast in a nationwide search for real teenage basketball players for a commercial for the Balmain x Puma collaboration. I have been thinking of this letter as I embark on 2024 with casting 2 fully financed featured films. In both films, it is deeply ingrained in my heart and the hearts of the directors I am working with to discover and give opportunities to those that have never thought they were worthy enough to be featured and celebrated on the big screen or historically in American media. When I was a college freshmen, my queer mentor asked me what I wanted to do in life. I told her that I wanted to help tell stories via images and videos in a new way. I don’t know what that meant then, but I knew I was going to fucking do it. In my unusual journey from street photographer to where I am now, I never imagined the work that I would do could now and then bring the soulful medicine of hope to so many people who feel invisible, unseen, not enough, and blocked by gatekeepers. I am honored to be a part of anyone’s journey at reaching their dreams because without dreams, what is left with life? If you want to act, I dare you to dream and make a self tape and audition. It’s free to audition. You have nothing to lose. The worst that will happen is that we won’t follow up because you didn’t move to the next round. The best that can happen if you auditioned and won the part is a lot of excitement to be written… #casting