FELICIA PRIDE - TV/Film Writer; Founder, Felix & Annie
Working in a writer’s room by day and writing independent and studio features on the side, Felicia has worked on shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Queen Sugar and Really Love—to name a few—and has started dipping her toes in directing. She recently wrote, directed and released her first short film, tender, through which she explores the story of Black women loving themselves and each other fully. Felicia uses her voice, heart, truth and vision to tell incredible stories, believing that “it’s usually the things we’re most scared of that we need to write.”
The Basics:
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current city: Los Angeles, CA
Alma mater: Towson University; Emerson College
Degree: B.S.,Business/Marketing; M.A., Writing, Literature, and Publishing
Very first job: Telemarketer for a dating service
Hustle: Film/TV Writer; Founder, Felix & Annie
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
Michaela Coel. She’s a fierce storyteller and creative. She’s leaned in to her personal experience and poured herself onto screens, and in doing so, has helped us to confront our own issues around sexuality, religion, consent, assault, and lots in-between. I’m really inspired by her growth and evolution as a business woman and creative who is taking charge of her career.
What’s your favorite way to start (or end) your weekend?
Hiking. Quarantine has impacted that, but it’s a great way to start and end the weekend.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
Hawaii
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
I am a film and TV writer. I’m currently in a writer’s room—that’s my day job. I also write independent and studio features on the side. Additionally, I’ve started to direct, so I’m preparing for my next directing opportunity. When I’m not in a writer’s room, I develop my ideas for television shows.
Tell us about tender. Where did the inspiration for the short film come from, and what message do you strive to convey with it?
tender is a short film that I wrote and directed about two women, at very different stages of their lives, who, after an unexpected one night stand, share an even more intimate morning after. It’s also about Black women loving ourselves and each other fully: our scars, joy, queerness, desire, and vulnerability. The inspiration came from the bonds I have with Black women in my life. I wanted to try to capture the level of emotional intimacy that I share with them.
What’s your approach to bringing more diverse stories to the screen? How can we help?
My approach is doing it. My stories center Black people, and more often than not, Black women. People can help by watching, supporting creators of color (through investments and financing), letting people of color tell their own stories, and no longer positioning the White experience as the universal experience.
What components make for a good story? How have you learned to better express your visions and ideas with that in mind?
Voice. Heart. Truth. Vision. I’ve learned to go inward and confront the fear and pour the remains on the page. It’s usually the things we’re most scared of that we need to write. On the practical side, I still take a lot of classes, and am in two writers groups to constantly improve my craft.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
I got my degree in marketing and have worked as an impact producer for social justice media projects. I’ve also worked in independent film distribution, run my own consultancy, and worked as a journalist. Combined, these skills have helped me understand the business side of Hollywood. Managing a business has helped me weather the ups and downs, while also being strategic about keeping business in the pipeline. My journalism work has helped me when developing projects based on real life. My work in film distribution and impact producing has helped me to think about and develop marketing plans for my projects.
What’s one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve made in your career?
I invest in a lot of classes. I’ve taken four classes over quarantine alone. I also invest in help—through an assistant and others—who I can delegate things to that are outside of my “zone of genius.”
How has being a woman—and specifically a woman of color—impacted your professional experiences? What can we do to create more supportive and inclusive work environments inside and outside of your industry?
As a Black woman, I experience both sexism and racism, often at the same time. My entire professional career, nearly twenty years, has been impacted by this reality—from near daily micro-aggressions to inequitable pay to toxicity to being overlooked and not promoted. It’s exhausting, and infuriating, and yet I’m expected to outperform my White peers. So, what can we do? We can listen to Black women, and let them lead. We can hire more WOC in leadership roles—not just as tokens—but as fully empowered colleagues, and pay them equitably. We can actually value diversity in thought and experience. White people can acknowledge their privilege, de-center themselves, and proactively use it to support WOC.
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
I’ve recently directed my first short film, tender. I’m incredibly proud of this accomplishment because not very long ago, I told myself I couldn’t direct; that I didn’t see like a director, and didn’t have the skill for it. Thankfully, I began the process to unpack that fear and took a bunch of classes that emboldened me to try it. Last summer, we crowdfunded and shot tender. And thus far, the film has been selected to screen at Outfest Fusion, BlackStar Film Festival, American Black Film Festival and more. I’m also proud because I had the opportunity to collaborate with such talented craftspeople committed to helping me bring this vision to life.
What is one of the biggest obstacles you’ve faced in your work? How’d you overcome it?
I stopped writing for about seven years. I needed to get a job, and I did, but I should have kept writing. Instead I stopped, and it took everything out of me to get back to my creative self. To overcome, I had to rekindle my relationship with writing, remove the baggage that I had projected onto it, and get very practical by dedicating a daily practice.
Are you involved with any other careers, side projects or organizations? How do you balance this alongside your day-to-day responsibilities?
Yes, I also run The Create Daily, a curated service for underrepresented creators that I started in 2012. I don’t have balance down yet, but I do have help, and am looking to bring on someone who can concentrate solely on managing and growing the service and community.
How do you rest, recharge and find inspiration?
Pre-pandemic, I’d rest and recharge through yoga, meditation, therapy, hiking, and going to the beach. I’m doing less things outdoors during quarantine, but have been expanding my yoga practice. I find a lot of inspiration from my life and the people around me, as well from other artists of all types, from painters to musicians.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Focus on the work. The work is from where everything springs: joy, freedom, success, and doing the work is the only thing we can control.
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