Lately, entertainment has seen a surge of successful Black filmmakers, writers and producers and Will Thompson is undeniably one of the brightest stars emerging. The multitalented producer, director and actor has set the odds by taking a risk and betting on his personal vision with his production company Urban Visionary Films. Thompson was recently an award recipient for the script “Illuminati” at the Los Angeles Movie Award Film Festival.
Rolling out talked with Thompson about current success and how Black Hollywood has embraced the concept of building our own table.
There has been a surge of BIPOC projects in Hollywood over the last few years. What inspired you to create your own lane with Urban Visionary Films?
I wanna tell stories that are more true to the way we feel and interact with one another. I wanted to see characters I could relate to on the big screen and I also wanted to be in control of the opportunities coming my way. I was tired of waiting for roles to be created that I thought were dope.
What challenges have you had to overcome in launching your company to receive funding and support from the industry?
I haven’t had to overcome anything as of yet. I’m 100 percent self-financed, I provide everything for my company and all the films we release. I look forward to the day I can create with a studio budget. The only industry support I’ve received comes from other creatives and the people I’ve worked with.
Do you believe the pandemic was a catalyst for creativity for writers, producers, etcetera?
I believe the pandemic was a good thing for all real indie filmmakers because we were the only people willing to work during that time and the restrictions weren’t that bad with a nice size crew and cast.
What made your current project, Talk to Me such a priority that you decided to put up the money yourself?
As I previously mentioned, I self-finance all my films. Good Intentions was released at the end of last year. So it was a no-brainer to finance Talk to Me. I knew no one else was gonna tell a real story about mental health. I was advised that mental health wasn’t “sexy” and no one would want to see that kind of movie, however, I think differently so I took the chance and I’m happy I did.
Are there any actors or actresses, producers or writers you want to work with in the near future?
My dreams are my reality so those that I want to work with, I know I’ll have the opportunity at some point to work with them. The story just has to be right. I don’t wait for the stars to align, I just align them myself.
