For
Immediate Release
KALI HAWK, DARRIN DEWITT HENSON, TERRI J. VAUGHN,
THOMAS MIKAL FORD, DAVID MANN, TAMELA
MANN,
RODNEY PERRY AND GRAMMY©-NOMINATED ARTIST
MUSIQ SOULCHILD IN HIS ACTING DEBUT
STAR IN THE ROMANTIC COMEDY
IN THE MEANTIME
AN UP ORIGINAL MOVIE AND
THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF THE UP & ABFF
FAITH AND FAMILY SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
PREMIERES SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 AT 7, 9 AND 11 P.M. EDT EXCLUSIVELY ON UP
ATLANTA – August 8, 2013 – UP, America’s favorite channel for uplifting
entertainment, presents the UP Original Movie In The Meantime (#InTheMeantime), starring
Kali Hawk (Bridesmaids, Couples Retreat), Darrin Dewitt Henson (The
Express, “Soul Food”), Terri J. Vaughn (Friday, “The Steve
Harvey Show,” “Sugar Mommas”) and Grammy©-nominated artist Musiq
Soulchild in his film debut. A romantic comedy with heart, In
The Meantime will premiere exclusively on UP on Saturday,
August 17, and Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. EDT.
Directed and produced by former Tyler Perry
Studios executive Roger M. Bobb of (“Raising Izzie,” For Colored
Girls, “The Rickey Smiley Show”) and based on Nzinga Kadalie Kemp
award-winning screenplay from the 2012 UP Faith and Family Screenplay
Competition presented at the American Black Film Festival. In
The Meantime also stars Thomas Mikal Ford (“Martin”), Rodney
Perry (Madea’s Big Happy Family), David Mann (Madea’s Big Happy
Family, “Meet the Browns”), and Tamela Mann (Sparkle, Madea’s Big
Happy Family, “Meet the Browns”) and Demetria McKinney (“House of
Payne”).
In the Meantime is the story of Jazmin “Jazz” Welles (Kali Hawk) a confident,
educated woman who thought her path in life was all laid out in front of her.
When she loses her job and her longtime aspiring artist
fiancé Blac (Musiq Soulchild) decides they need to take a six-month
break from each other before getting married, Jazz loses direction. With Blac gone,
Jazz is forced to move in with her very pregnant sister Nina (Terri J. Vaughn)
and her husband Reverend Clay (Thomas Mikal Ford) and throws herself
into endless activities in an attempt to find herself. So when
Nina recruits Jazz to teach an adult literacy program at a local community
center run by the committed Sister Fay (Elisabeth Omilami) and her
antagonistic daughter Felicia (Demetria McKinney), Jazz reluctantly
agrees. There, she is paired with Kwame Davis (Darrin Dewitt
Henson), an attorney focused on career advancement, also reluctantly
volunteering his Saturdays in an effort to please his boss. Jazz and Kwame work
together to find new and creative ways to engage their students including,
Minnie (Tamela Mann), a grandmother who yearns to read her Bible and be able to
read the karaoke screen with her grandchildren; BJ (Rodney Perry), a
West-African who is working to obtain his US citizenship; and Frankie
(David Mann), a former R&B artist who wants to stop relying on his
children to get him through his daily tasks, like reading a menu. As
the two teachers guide each student toward individual success, they find
themselves personally inspired and drawn into an unlikely friendship that
surprisingly blossoms. What started out as a chore becomes an uplifting journey
for both. With Jazz’s relationship break set to expire and Kwame’s
partnership at the firm speeding forward, both Jazz and Kwame find their lives
changing in unforeseen ways.
“We were very excited to introduce this smart,
funny, well-acted film at this year’s ABFF in Miami, since it was the winner of
last year’s UP Faith and Family Screenplay Competition” said Brad Siegel, vice
chairman, UP. “The overwhelmingly positive audience response at the
ABFF world premiere screening was thrilling for those of us attending,
particularly winning writer Nzinga Kadalie Kemp, director Roger M. Bobb and
cast members Kali Hawk and Darrin
Dewitt Henson. In The Meantime represents
the depth of talent and kind of entertaining, contemporary and faith-friendly
stories that we develop and share with our viewers. We are
continuously inspired by the quality of writing and storytelling we are getting
from the young, up-and-coming writers that are entering scripts in the
competition.”
“In The Meantime is a simple
story that mirrors everyday life in so many ways, and, that’s a significant
part of what drew me to this script,” said Roger Bobb. “Jazz thinks
she knows true love. However when she expands her definition of what love truly
is, through helping others and rekindling her love of community, family, and
her faith, she discovers the strength and the foundation needed to change her
life. Telling stories like this never gets old, and I feel blessed to be a part
of the creative team and to be once again working with UP to bring this
wonderful story to life.”
In the Meantime is the second UP Original film to trace its roots to a grand
prize-winning script at UP’s annual Faith and Family Screenplay
Competition at ABFF in Miami. In 2012, UP’s World Premiere
Movie Raising Izzie was the first film to win the
competition. Based on David Martyn Conley’s screenplay, the film
premiered one year after its win at ABFF and set ratings milestones for the
network, ranking number one in its time period among African-American adults
18-49 and women 18-49 among all ad-supported cable
networks. UP’s Somebody’s Child, from screenwriter
Siddeeqah Powell, won honorable mention that year and also boasted strong
ratings, ranking second in its time period among all ad-supported cable networks
in the key African-American demos of W25-54 and W18-49.
Bobb’s directorial debut film, Raising
Izzie received two NAACP nominations. He formerly served as executive
vice president of Tyler Perry Studios where he produced the acclaimed feature
drama For Colored Girls as well as the hit comedy Madea’s
Big Happy Family. His numerous feature co-producing credits
include Why Did I Get Married Too?, I Can Do Bad All By
Myself, Why Did I Get Married? and Madea’s Family
Reunion. On the small screen, he serves as executive producer and
director of “The Rickey Smiley Show,” he executive produced and directed
numerous episodes of the hit television series “Meet the Browns” and served as
supervising producer and director of select episodes of the long-running sitcom
“Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.” Bobb has won six NAACP Image Awards and he is
the only two-time winner of the Best Film Award at Film Life’s American Black
Film Festival.
The film’s soundtrack features the original song “In The
Meantime” by Billboard Music Award winner and
Grammy ® Award-nominated KEM, and also includes the song, “Here I Am”
by the Stellar Award-winning Tamela Mann as well as a duet, “Still Believe in
Love” by Grammy ® Award-nominated Musiq Soulchild and
Demetria McKinney.
UP presents a BobbCat Films production. In The
Meantime, starring Kali Hawk, Darrin Dewitt Henson,
Terri J. Vaughn, Thomas Mikal Ford, Elisabeth Omilami, David Mann, Tamela Mann,
Rodney Perry, Demetria McKinney and Musiq Soulchild. Directed and
executive produced by Roger M. Bobb and produced by Angi
Bones. Casting by George Pierre. Director of Photography
is Ross Sebek. Screenplay by Nzinga Kadalie Kemp.
Follow our cast and music soundtrack artists
online at:
UP, (www.UPtv.com)
based in Atlanta, is America’s favorite network for uplifting family
entertainment. The network presents original and acquired movies, series, stage
plays and music specials along with gMovies, the first faith-friendly streaming
movie service. The UP brand is reflected in “Uplift Someone,” the
network’s successful pro-social initiative. UP can be seen in more
than 61 million homes on major cable systems including Comcast, Time Warner
Cable, Cox Communications and Charter Communications, as well as DIRECTV on
channel 338, DISH Network on channel 188, and Verizon FiOS on channel
224.
#
# #
MEDIA
CONTACTS
Chelsye J.
Burrows David
Gardner Jackie
Bazan-Ross Evelyn Santana
770.692.4559 770.692.9939 212.643.4664
X704 212.643.4664 X702
cburrows@gmctv.tv dgardner@uptv.com jbazan@bazanpr.com evelyn_santana@bazanpr.com
