Mr. Good Guy is an open letter to all the men that deserved better and got the chance. Jasmine Johnson, the director of the film, is the founder/writer/producer at Trinity J Productions. Johnson's love for the arts began at a young age when she wrote a poem for her dad for his church appreciation program. Johnson's poetry has been published in various books and her performing arts expertise has allowed her to be apart of the cast of the "No Shells" Stage Play in multiple cities across the U.S. over the past 3 years. Johnson has produced diversity awards shows and she won a local radio contest for her perspective on the famous "I have a dream" speech by MLK, Jr.
Some of her credits include: Trinity Barren Land Documentary won first place in the American Heart Association Competition powered by the Run&Shoot Filmworks Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival
Project Love Us won Best poetic film at the LA sunfilm fest and finalist in the Tokyo International Short film fest.
Her most humbling experience was when she was given the opportunity to create a community mandala and have tea with a Buddhist Tibetan monk. Johnson holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Project Management and a minor in Performing Arts from the University of Texas at Dallas.
How did you start making films and what was the first film project you worked on?
I have always had a love for the theatre and performing arts but I first started making films as a way to shed light on the injustices I saw in my communities. I wanted to start having conversations about marginalized communities and I did a documentary called, "Hope was meant for me too". It was the day in the life of 3 African American millennial male leaders that were trying to give hope to the next generation of leaders by overcoming the obstacles in front of them. Whether the obstacle was being different, not disabled, police brutality victimization, or growing to be the #1 African American to a tutoring company entrepreneur from a holistic perspective.
What genre of filmmaking are you looking to work on and why?
Drama/Documentary work is my passion. Social Justice is my focus of all my films. I love to stand up for communities that get silenced for being diverse and being themselves.
What is the most challenging aspect of being an independent filmmaker?
Finding funding and sitting on my work because I know I am my own worst critic at times. I want to make sure I reach my target audience, but you need the right resources to do that.
How challenging is it to fund indie films?
Very challenging indeed. As I mentioned earlier, this aspect of filming defers a lot of dreams and stories because of financial constraints.
Please name three of your most favorite directors. How have they been influential in your work?
Spike Lee-Do the right thing was very touching to me. I love his style of storytelling and way of making people see the truth right up in your face without sugar-coating it.
Jordan Peele-Get Out was so political and beautifully done. I loved his way of bringing you into the sunken place. He made me pay attention to the details.
Ava Duvernay- Selma and 13th were amazing. She gives me courage as a black woman director to push the envelope with real facts and tell a good story.
What is your next film project and what are you currently working on? "Tired" is the next film project that I am currently working on and I am enjoying the process. What was the inspiration behind your latest film project?
Just want to bring light to another social stigma that I feel needed to be addressed more. My inspiration is rooted in my self-love journey and creating more platforms for constructive dialogue where healing can occur. How did you find the cast and the crew of the film? My creative director, Derrick Johnson helped me find my cast, and my Assistant Director, Kristoddie Woods as well as my producer, Charles W. Bush was instrumental in helping me identify crew members and locations. Special thanks to Nicole Simmons, James Duhon, and Jason Ray. What is the distribution plan of the film and did the film receive any screenings or was it featured in festivals? It has been featured in a few festivals and we look forward to it being a part of more coming soon. We will have a personal screening later this year. Why do you make films and what kind of impact would your work have on the world?
I make films to start conversations about love, healing, and communication. I just want the world to be a better place and change starts with me doing the best I can. My impact is to live on purpose and have a great work ethic. My films are to uplift, empower and motivate others.
Trailer: