THE BLACK LEAGUE OF SUPERHEROES was the winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the April 2022 ACTION Film Festival.
1. What motivated you to make this film?
This film was inspired by the events that occurred during the social justice protests spawned by George Floyd’s execution by former Officer Derek Chauvin. My lifelong love of Superheroes and dream of being an Action/Superhero star led me to write this film which originally was only the final 15 minutes that featured all 5 characters in a room together. Upon completion of that scene, it inspired me to further film the scenes that showcased 3 of the hero’s whereabouts before entering that scene.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I wrote the first portion of the script in the summer of 2020 and began filming in October of that year with final filming wrapped in February of 2021. Post Production occurred throughout the filming process so completion was quicker than normal, we had the film ready to begin airing by March 2021 and it was released officially on April 30th, 2021.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Inspirational Action
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Time constraints. Since we were working with a very limited budget we only had one chance to complete each scene so it was imperative that everything happened according to schedule. Although challenging I believe it was responsible for everyone pulling out such amazing performances just knowing that there were no do-overs.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
To be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed. The reactions were the kinds of comments that I hoped for my film to inspire and it truly means the world to know that it received such incredible feedback.
Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
My career in entertainment started with professional wrestling, and my first production was shooting a pro wrestling TV pilot called Urban Empire Wrestling. I worked on a number of scripts that involved pro-wrestling-based stories and knew those films wouldn’t be made unless I was the one to make them. From there I knew that filmmaking was destined and I finally found myself at a position in my career to begin doing so.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
The Empire Strikes Back if I had to guess I’ve seen it at least 1000 times since I was a kid.
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
I think what your team is doing is something unique and special. I think the only thing more that can be asked is for a virtual screening to take place with the allowance of the filmmakers/cast to answer Q&As
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
It’s been great submitting through FilmFreeway, this was the first official film that I began submitting and it was easy to field each festival to ensure it was fitting of the quality of the festival and was interested in the type of film that I had to offer. I’ve received an incredible amount of wins and laurels over the last year and all thanks to using that platform.
10. What is your favorite meal?
I’ve always said that if I had one meal to choose before the end, it would be Prime Rib medium rare, loaded baked potato, lobster tail, and a tall light beer in a frosted glass.
11. What is next for you? A new film?
I have several projects on the table including two follow-up films to The Black League of Superheroes. One is a prequel that shows the origin of the Black Superman character from the film called Black Son of Krypton, and the other which I’m about to begin production on will expand on the Blade character who I had so much fun with, and introduce more Superheroes and a bigger showcase of the action elements found in The Black League of Superheroes. That one is called “Triggered” and will include Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, and Captain Marvel.
Marcus Nel-Jamal Hamm
Twitter: @UrbanRenaissan4
Instagram: @UrbanRenEntertainment
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanRenEntLLC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcushammactor
IMDB: https://www.imdb.me/marcusneljamalhamm
Watch Heaven’s Revenge: https://tubitv.com/movies/655791/heaven-s-revenge
Watch The Black League of Superheroes: http://www.blackleagueofsuperheroes.com
Matthew Toffolo's Summary 