Exclusive: Producer Lena Waithe and director A. V. Rockwell talk A Thousand and One and her Gotham Awards win
At the 2023 Gotham Awards, director A.V. Rockwell won won the Breakthrough Director Award, becoming the 5th Black talent to do so. She follows Leslie Harris (Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.), Dee Rees (Pariah), Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), and Jordan Peele (Get Out).
Written and directed by A.V. Rockwell in her feature-length directorial debut, the film follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps six-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
The cast also includes Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Terri Abney, Amelia Workman, and Delissa Reynolds.
The film was the Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at 2023 The Sundance Film Festival.
Produced by Focus Features in partnership with Sight Unseen, Makeready and Hillman Grad Productions, the film was released in theaters on March 31, 2023.
A THOUSAND AND ONE is produced by Sight Unseen’s Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev, Hillman Grad’s Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani and Makeready’s Brad Weston. Sight Unseen’s Oren Moverman is executive producing alongside Rachel Jacobs.
Blackfilmandtv.com's Wilson Morales spoke with producer Lena Waithe and director A V Rockwell about A Thousand and One and her Gotham Awards win