Actress Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe is ready to take her onscreen talents behind-the-scenes as she gears for her directorial debut in the upcoming psychological thriller Pale Horse.
Pale Horse is set in the Pacific Northwest and follows Naia, an esteemed, yet reclusive African American YA book author who is living with multiple sclerosis. When Naia decides to shelter the man who escaped captivity with her long-missing brother, she finds herself caught up in a diabolical mystery.
The film is scheduled to begin shooting this fall, according to Deadline.
Effie T. Brown, a producer of “Dear White People” and Wellington Love, a producer of The United States vs. Billie Holiday, are producing Pale Horse on behalf of Gamechanger Films. The production company and development fund dedicated to multi-platform projects by and about women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities, developed and co-financed the picture.
“I’m super excited to work with Gamechanger on my first feature! This project is a true stand-out and the character of ‘Naia’ is a Bad A–! Effie and Wellington are powerhouse visionaries and I’m so excited to be able to work with them to create this gripping thriller with complex characters,” the Precious star told Deadline.
Sidibe is also launching a new mental health campaign called “Getting Better Together” to encourage kids to ask for help and has teamed up with Child Mind Institute for its Mental health awareness campaign during Mental Health Awareness month.
“When I was around 19 or 20, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and an eating disorder,” she posted on Instagram. “I remember having almost no one, really, to turn to. I couldn’t talk about it with my parents, or my friends or my friend’s parents. Everyone would tell me I was too young, too young to feel sad all the time or too young to feel stressed out.”
The Oscar nominated actress and former “Empire” star was able to bounce back through her own resilience but knows everyone isn’t that capable.
Continue reading about Sidibe’s triumph on the following page.
