On February 18th, 2024, I moderated the Second Behind the Scenes Series at West Newton Cinema (click on the hyperlink to watch 39 minutes of the hour long discussion), a discussion on the Oscar nominated “American Fiction” (2023), which showed before and after the panel. Thanks to the West Newton Cinema Foundation and Newton Community Pride for the invitation and panelists were Massachusetts icon Callie Crossley, host of “Under the Radar with Callie Crossley,” Dr. Keith Maddox, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Tufts University Social Cognition Lab, and Narissa William Scott, CEO/Lead Creative Producer of That Child Got Talent Entertainment. The event reservations were at capacity with 250 people!

I had a terrific time meeting so many new people, especially the panelists! We had a couple of spontaneous Easter Eggs in the audience for eagle-eyed audience members: Robert T. Freeman, a painter whose work appeared in the movie, and Andrea Lyman, President of SAG-AFTRA New England Local and actor who appeared in the film. At the end of the panel, President Lyman shared her first-hand experience of the on-set warmth and camaraderie, secrets ingredients which made the film work.

If you are interested in perusing more details about the event, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/behind-the-screen-american-fiction-tickets-824136633857