5 Questions with Rashad Frett ("K.I.N.G")

1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

I'm a Caribbean American filmmaker pursuing my MFA at NYU Tisch with concentrations in directing, cinematography, and editing. My interests in filmmaking derived from my army days as a combat medic during 9/11. Witnessing the aftermath of the twin tower attacks propelled me to speak out on social issues entirely. The political route wasn’t my forte and when realizing the immense impact of media on the masses, I decided to pursue filmmaking. The seed was planted. In undergrad at Central Connecticut State University pursuing a film major, I watered this seed by honing my filmmaking skills and creating visuals that would spark much needed dialogue about social issues affecting our communities such as documentaries on Children of Incarcerated Parents and how their parent’s absence deeply affected them.

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

Growing up with an absent father motivated my film “K.I.N.G.” an acronym for "Kid In Need of Guidance”. I wrote this film during my 2nd year film at NYU as an assignment with the intent of shedding light on not not only Caribbean culture but also fatherless children, though that is rampant in black and brown communities, this issue is universal. Shortly after writing the script, I hopped on a plane to the Virgin Islands where my family resides to location scout and to find cast and crew.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

The first challenge I faced while making K.I.N.G. was with casting a lead actor. Authenticity was very important and although the actors auditioning were trained and amazing professionals, they lacked the genuine, natural, and authentic Caribbean vibe needed for the characters in the film.

I decided to take the risk of seeking non actors instead and with help from family in St. Thomas, I found the lead actor while he was bouncing a basketball carelessly walking up the street towards me. He hadn't said a word but I instantly knew he was the one for the role. Another challenge I faced was convincing him and his mother that I wasn’t crazy for wanting to cast him for the role without an audition or even hearing him read a line from the script. My intuition rarely fails and when he finally agreed to read the lines the next day, he embodied the lead role.

The absolute biggest challenge of all was Mother Nature herself in 2017. I intended on filming in St. Thomas, V.I. but that same summer I lost all of my locations due to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. On top of that, my lead actor along with his family went through both hurricanes and I lost complete contact with him for months. We had to film within the allotted time slot given from NYU, and I couldn’t locate him at all. I prayed that everyone down there was fine despite hearing how devastating the island was. I didn’t want to make K.I.N.G. without the lead that I had found so, with a few weeks left until my deadline, I forced myself to write another script which was much more simple. Then by the grace of God within a couple weeks of having to film, the lead actor contacted me saying that they made it safely off the island and informed me that they were forced to move since losing everything in the hurricanes. He was still interested in the lead role and permanently settled in the United States! My Producer and I started brainstorming immediately and he convinced me that we could film the same story in Hartford, Connecticut where I grew up since it’s highly populated with Caribbeans. We flew the lead actor from Atlanta, Georgia up to Connecticut, introducing him to snow for the first time in his life.

Though we only had one professional actor on set and the rest non-actors, the easiest part started on day 1 of filming once the cast and crew got into the flow of things organically.

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

Steve McQueen’s "Small Axe" struck me to the core because it not only shed light authentically on the Caribbean community but it also educates its viewers on the real lives and social issues Caribbeans dealt with in foreign land that was emotionally gripping. For years I’ve grown tired of the Caribbean islands being referenced to as just vacation spots with disregard to the people from there that have had great influence in our society as a whole. Steve McQueen masterfully planted this mini series into the world pulling from his Caribbean background and experiences that in my opinion has been put in a class of its own. Watching this series motivated me with hopes of more Caribbean stories being brought to the forefront.

5) What’s next for you?

I’m currently writing my feature length screenplay based on my award winning short film “K.I.N.G.” and seeking potential Co-Producers to assist in bringing this unique feature to life. I’m also in pre-production for my thesis film “Ricky”, which calls attention to the social issue of recidivism. Last but not least, a documentary about overcoming PTSD my Caribbean American U.S. Army peer battled with after her time in Iraq 2005, where her unit responded to the death of PFC LeVana Johnson.

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IG: @Cinerebel860 | Twitter: @DirectaShad_860 | https://www.facebook.com/rashad.frett1