The reality of white supremacy in the United States has long been anchored by an obsessive fixation on the control, containment, and ultimate destruction of the Black body. In academic discourse, the deliberate use of the term “Black body”—pioneered by thinkers from Ida B. Wells to Ta-Nehisi Coates and philosopher George Yancy—is not a mere rhetorical device; it is a precise diagnostic tool. It illuminates how racist ideology systematically strips Black individuals of their human agency, intellect, and interiority, reducing them to mere physical tissue that must be monitored, mastered, and erased. For centuries, this fixation has manifested as a pathological paradox: the dominant white imagination projects onto the Black body an inherent, monstrous physical threat—rendering it hyper-strong, inherently criminal, or pathologically “insolent”—while simultaneously keeping that body uniquely vulnerable to systemic violence.

What does it take to make a film when you don't have Hollywood behind you?

For the 5th anniversary of the Below the Line Film Festival, TREMG News in Progress goes behind the films and into the realities of independent filmmaking.

TREMG has covered Below the Line for the past three years, and this year we're asking a bigger question:

What happens when you stop believing that filmmaking is only for people who already have access?

Tahyira Savanna sits down with festival creatives to talk about the nerves of releasing a film, finding your genre and audience, the moment they almost quit, production challenges, and why audiences showing up matters.

We also look at the independent film ecosystem—including affordable submission and discovery platforms such as FilmFreeway—that help connect filmmakers with festivals and audiences.

And this message is especially for the person listening who has been thinking:

"I want to make a film… but I don't know where to start."

You don't have to know everything.

You can be a student at any age.

You can be a first-time filmmaker.

You can start with what you have and learn along the way.

Every filmmaker has a first film.

🎬 Below the Line Film Festival
📅 October 2–3, 2026

🎟️ Get festival tickets:
FilmFreeway — Below the Line Film Festival Tickets

🎤 Interview by Tahyira Savanna
📰 TREMG News in Progress

Listen. Get inspired. Then go see the films.

#TREMG #NewsInProgress #BelowTheLineFilmFestival #IndieFilm #IndependentFilm #Filmmaker #FilmFestival #IndieFilmmaker #FilmCommunity #StudentFilmmaker #IndependentCinema

While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families.Some of these figures will become friends, some foes. Joined by well-meaning-but- hapless weredog Raww (Dave Franco) and a small-but-mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must face The Dreaded Manananggal (Tony winning icon Lea Salonga), the most feared creature on the island. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.GenresAnimated AdventureStarringH.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng and Lea SalongaDirected ByJoel Crawford and Januel MercadoProduced By#HER #FORGOTTENISLAND #JOKOY #lizasoberano #davefranco #leasalonga