We recently had the chance to connect with Honesty Taszhé and have shared our conversation below.
Honesty, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Lately, I’ve been organizing Black and Brown filmmakers/actors meet-ups in Brooklyn, NY. It’s a great opportunity for black and brown creatives to gather, lean on one another, learn from others, and more. Being in fellowship with many of the filmmakers and actors who attend is nourishing.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Well, I’m a filmmaker. Over the last few years, I’ve had the honor of crafting award-winning projects that amplify the love, loss, and joy within various communities that are often underrepresented. Realizing that my personal and my peers’ experiences could be universal, I developed several projects. Among them was the 2024 Denton Black Film Festival official selection web series Kickback Chronicles. This web series centers on following the chaotic nightlife experiences of a trio of Black friends at college kickbacks. My short film JEN tells the story of a thirteen-year-old Black girl struggling to connect with the places and people around her after the death of her grandmother and the sudden move to suburbia. This film earned me the 2024 Best Short award at the International Black & Diversity Film Festival in Ontario and the Best Heartland Narrative Short award at the Kansas City FilmFest International in 2024.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
As a child, I was raised by a family of artists who chose to pursue practical careers yet still carried that passion for the arts. My mother was an occasional writer who transitioned to various forms of customer service professions to provide for four daughters. When I was younger, she returned to school to attain her Bachelor’s, where she was required to attend evening and weekend classes. My mother often enlisted my sisters and me to join her for her college courses. One of those courses was film studies. That was when I discovered the film Imitation of Life, a 1950s film that was a remake of a 1930s black and white film about two mothers and daughters struggling to maintain their relationship in a racially complex world. One black and one white. That class and that film are what gave me the encouragement to pursue my passion for being a filmmaker.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of the unknown has always been a big one for me. Whether it’s the big question, like where do we go when we pass on, or whether or not I’ll succeed when starting a new project. It’s something I’ve struggled with since childhood, and I often have to remind myself that it’s better to try and see what happens than to never try at all.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That being a filmmaker is easy. That you can pick up a camera or “you can shoot stuff with your phone,” if you want to be a filmmaker. I haven’t been a fan of that commentary for a while because it’s not truly honest. Yes, could you make a film on your phone? Sure, but what most seasoned filmmakers fail to tell the emerging ones is that there is still so much more work and resources required for even that. The quality matters, and if the quality isn’t hitting the mark because you shot on a phone, then it’s difficult to get placement at a film festival. If you fail to get placement, you’ll more than likely fail to secure distribution for your project. If you’re finding filmmakers who are having success simply shooting on their phones, they’re spending thousands on lighting and other gear to make up for the quality. It’s okay for us to admit that the film industry is tough, it’s okay to acknowledge that filmmaking is an expensive practice, and it’s also okay to recognize that even when a filmmaker has everything in order, it can still be difficult for their project to gain wider recognition.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Jeez! What a heavy question. I would primarily focus on just writing and directing. No more full-time nine-to-five, that is not me directing or writing scripts and novels. My stories will be my legacy that remains long after I’m gone, so if I’m facing only another ten years, then tending to the passions God gave me wholeheartedly makes sense.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.honestytaszhe.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honestytaszhe/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/honesty-taszhe-gant
Image Credits
The headshot is by Canelle Vanderford.
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