By Jody Wong

On May 25, 2022, the 2022 Reel Works ChangeMakers Gala was a night to celebrate future filmmakers and to honor Film Producer, Charles D. King and Actress, Regina Hall as changemakers in the industry this past Wednesday. The Gala took place at New York City’s Tribeca 360°and was hosted by Actor, Bryan Terrell Clark.

Reel Works, a non-profit organization founded in 2001, was created to provide opportunities to youth who are passionate about media. The organization offers mentorship annually from middle school to high school. Through this program, teens are paired 1:1 with professional filmmaker mentors.

Previous honorees have included Issa Rae, Eddie Huang, Ryan Coogler, Danai Gurira, Phoebe Robinson, Gabourey Sidibe, Jeffrey Wright, and more.

The ChangeMakers Gala serves as a space to celebrate the young student filmmakers who are forging their own stories, but also pay homage to artists in the industry who have paved a way for the new generation.

Film Producer, Charles D. King received the Reel Works 2022 ChangeMaker Award. I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. King to discuss how he utilizes his position as a form of advocacy in the industry. “I'm excited to be here; always loved being in New York. But being in New York with a purpose, to be here for this incredible organization, Reel Works. I’m just really very impressed by the work that they're doing, to help really create opportunity for this next generation of future leaders in our industry and storytellers. I’m inspired by that.”

King also expressed that “It was a long journey. But I would just say that I use my interest in both entertainment and media and business, as well as activism to have a nice career trajectory and the talent agency space for years. And ultimately, to go launch the media company MACRO that I'm the CEO of now. And within this company that we're building with my partners and colleagues, we're able to have the best of both worlds. Advocate, support, finance, produce projects with the most amazing innovative filmmakers and writers and artists, but also at the same time creating purposeful content that is being a part of shaping culture, helping to like authentically show our stories, putting us on a global platform, showing the excellence of who we are. And at the same time doing good business too. We also do a lot to open up doors through our internship program and create opportunities for young filmmakers and producers that want to be in the business. So we're able to do all of those things from our platform in our company.”

Actress, Regina Hall also received the VARIETY's Voice of Inspiration Award. I was able to speak with Ms. Hall about the impact upcoming filmmakers can have on today’s storytelling. Ms. Hall stated, “It’s uplifting and inspiring that in the midst of all the other chaos, there are people who still want to plant seeds of inspiration and tell stories that are diversified and include all of us, showing connections between humanity.”

In expressing her role as a producer, Hall stated “It’s interesting. I’m learning a lot. It’s another part of the business. There’s so much I’ve learned already. To help a project come together and share that with an audience. It’s daunting but also very exciting.

The Gala started with a red carpet and interactive exhibits all while having access to tasty cocktails and hors d’oeuvers. Laughter and enjoyment filled the room among the guests, and students of the reel works organization captured the moments on film. The evening then shifted into award presentations where students were recognized for their individual works and the honorees of the night dropped gems of their ongoing journey in the industry. There were also auctions throughout the night to raise money for Reel Works and their youth. The night then ended on a high note with an after-party where DJ Remarkable kept the dance floor hyped.

In all, the 2022 ChangeMakers Gala was a beautiful event where passion for the arts was displayed throughout the room.