Delano Allen

“I spent a lot of last year being so on edge. Some people just have so much hate in their hearts and it was truly terrifying. Now it feels like things have settled down a little and we’re on our way to some sort of peace, but we have to keep talking about the things that make us uncomfortable. There are so many things that we need to work on, and I felt like it was time for me to make this film I had always wanted to do, but had never really gone for it. I wanted to focus on dark-skinned black women, because I feel like that’s a pretty taboo topic in our society. I wanted to show the struggles that a lot of black women face by showing the split between two best friends, one who has lots of self identity issues and the other who is unapologetic about her blackness. A lot of my black female friends have told me that they always felt like they had to change their hair or didn’t like their name, and so I’m calling my film “apologetically black'' because I think that’s how a lot of people feel even though they would never admit it. There are some times where even I wish I had different hair, or that my skin was different. There are always just all these little things we try to fix about ourselves in order to keep up with what society wants but that’s so tiring. I’ve always been a big dreamer, but this film is turning into something even bigger than I expected. We’re looking into film festivals, and I would love to qualify for an Oscar if it’s done well enough. It sounds crazy, but they say it’s the people who sound the craziest who change the world. And I’m not saying I’m going to change the world, but I definitely want to make my voice heard and start some conversations. I feel like it’s about time we start talking about the things we’re all scared to talk about.” (March 2021)

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July 2024 Update from March 2021 Interview​

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“We had our premiere showing on July 14, 2023. It was bigger than I had ever imagined and it was such a fulfilling moment. Friends, family, and people I hadn’t seen since high school came. It was an amazing reunion. That’s one of the things I love most: bringing people together. I think true artistry is coming together for the greater good, even if there isn’t direct profit involved. This whole process really taught me that. There were some people along the way that wanted to take advantage of my youth and naiveness. They really didn’t have the best interests and just wanted to make money, but I followed my instincts and put my foot down as the director, telling them ‘I just don’t think you and I are seeing eye to eye.’ Now, I’m trying to build myself as a young, independent artist. I struggle with imposter syndrome a lot–sometimes I don’t know if I’m just kidding myself, but ultimately I have to just tell myself that, even if I don’t know how or when, I will make it. I’m planning to do some YouTube releases and more screenings. I’m doing a lot of writing for upcoming projects and trying out for competitions–I’m trying to be as proactive as possible, and hopefully someday achieve my goals of writing and producing for TV & film.”