THE MONTHLY GLEANER | JULY 6 - AUGUST 2, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 4 CHARLOTTE, NC: T HESE DAYS, you can self-entertain from the palm of your hand, thanks to the growth in the entertainment industry and the new order, as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. THAT ’ S WHERE Andre Porter is hoping to make his mark as a pur veyor of Afro-Caribbean culture. Bor n and r a i s e d i n Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, in the mid-70s, Porter, now an accomplished author and storyteller, has his vision set on Hollywood, the world’s best-known address for art and entertainment. And, he’s working his way there. Here’s how! In the late 1980s, a young Porter migrated to Camden, NJ, to finish law school. Without the proper financial backing, his dream was short-circuited and he opted to start writing. After self-publishing his first book, titled The Rise and Fall of a Jamaican Don, a fictional story based on a Jamaican mafia in 2002, he went on to ghostwrite and publish over 30 titles. With time and talent under his belt, life would take a dramatic and unfortunate turn for the worse. First, he was incarcerated for nine months before the case against him could be heard, and which was eventually thrown out. He was found not guilty before going to trial. A year later his mother died. Devastated and emotionally drained, he used his pain to fuel his passion, composing a compelling screenplay, Myal Uprising, now streaming on demand on a number of platforms, such as Tubi, Reveel, Discovered, Amazon Prime Video, and more. “Without giving away too much, the lead character must kill his enemy’s daughter or be killed, all for the noble cause of uniting the Caribbean community. So, the Emperor starts a secret organisation. First, he must eliminate anyone hindering progress, and by any means necessary,” offered Porter. Filmed in Philadelphia during the recent pandemic, Myal Uprising is directed by Porter, with RolandWilliams as cinematographer. The biopic stars Black Dinero, Shaelia Dawkins, Gawaine Michelin as Black Jesus, and Porter. Luann Jones also stars as Cleopatra, portrayed by Patricia Jones. Presented by Ghetto Pot Empire, LLC, Myal Uprising is executive produced by Dr Karren Dunkley, the immediate past representative of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, and Luann Jones, owner of Covenant Funeral Homes in Canada. Porter already has another movie in pre-production titled Tears From My Pen, a psychological thriller based on his second book. He believes that the Caribbean has intricate stories that must be told in film, and he’s on a mission to visually document its culture and global contributions. You can follow Porter now on Instagram @ AndrePorter 7. Jamaican strikes major film distribution deal! ANDRE PORTER From left: Andre Porter, director; Luann ‘Cleopatra’ Jones, and Gawaine ‘Black Jesus’ Mitchelin face off during a recent screening of the Indy pic ‘Myal Uprising’, now available on major streaming/sm platforms. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS ADVERTORIAL
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