Today we’d like to introduce you to Che Grant.
Hi Che, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in the leafy suburbs of London, England. As a child, I dreamed of moving to Hollywood and becoming an actor and musician. And to kick start my career as early as possible I enrolled in a theatre school and worked as a child actor on films such as Evita starring Madonna. After spending years as a working theatre and tv actor in the UK, I became captivated by the work of the acclaimed directors and producers I had worked with and so turned to my passion for directing, producing, and writing. When I turned 30, I enrolled at the Met Film School in London and graduated 2 years later with a BA in filmmaking.
I was lucky enough to have my short documentary exhibited at the Tate Modern (London), which at the time was the biggest success that had happed to me as a filmmaker. My second short film One Night Only (2014) was screened at over 70 film festivals worldwide and won me awards for best film, best script and best director. I then went on to direct and produce the daytime talk show Ladies Talk on Sky TV UK hosted by the British comedian, Angie Le Mar, which was my first foray into television. My passion had always been film and so I pivoted away from tv to narrative storytelling. Along with my friend from film school, Michael Boccalini, we co-wrote, directed, and produced our debut feature, the multi-award-winning rom-com mockumentary Love Possibly (2018), which received multiple accolades including Awards for Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Director and has now been distributed worldwide.
I am currently producing and directing my second feature, the indie comedy ‘How to Make Her Cheat’ Starring John Cleese, Eric Roberts, Megan McKenna, and Steve Hodgetts.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Before becoming a filmmaker, I worked as an actor for 10 years without the success I was looking for. And it was one of the toughest decisions I have ever made when I finally let go of that dream and chose a new career behind the camera.
I believe nothing that is worthwhile is ever without hardship and tough choices. As Oprah Winfrey once said, “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” Every difficult decision I’ve made throughout my life and career has only made me a stronger person and a better filmmaker.
If there is one lesson I have learned throughout my career, it’s that there is no shame in admitting that you are on the wrong path, and changing to one that is better suited to you is not a failure. The right path may even bring you the success you’ve been striving for but have yet to attain.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Anna Barbara Films LLC?
Our goal at Anna Barbara Films is to produce commercially-driven movies and television that will entertain, educate, surprise, and refresh the spirit of true independent filmmaking through provocative storytelling.
The team at Anna Barbara Films has over 30 years of experience, and expertise in the film industry, and that is the talent we are bringing to our next comedy feature film ‘How to Make Her Cheat’, Starring John Cleese, Megan Mckenna, and Steve Hodgetts. And also includes the star Eric Roberts in a small role.
Our debut independent comedy mockumentary – Love Possibly (2018) – won critical acclaim both stateside and internationally, with over 60 festival awards worldwide. It can be found on: Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Paramount +, Vudu, Tubi TV, and many more.
We are currently providing online comedy content for O2 & NBC Universal, and are in preproduction on our second comedy film featuring John Cleese (A Fish Called Wanda), Megan Mckenna (The Only Way is Essex) Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) and Steve Hodgetts (Love Possibly), due to be released later this year.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I believe that luck has its part to play in any success story. I know it has with me. But it goes hand in hand with hard work and putting yourself out there. Too many of my most talented friends have missed out on the success their talent should have provided them purely because they think that success will come to them. Every success story I have read about or seen was down to three things: Hard work, risk, and luck. The more you put yourself and your work out there the more chances that ‘good luck’ will happen, and the better the chances of success.
I don’t believe in running from your mistakes or your bad luck either. I truly believe that it is those mistakes that help you to grow the most and become the best filmmaker and person you can be. Every mistake I have made I reflect on and true to learn from.
One other thing I have come to realize is that no man is an island. Creating the best team around you and fostering those talents and friendships will exponentially increase all your chances of success. And once the success comes it will be so much more rewarding. Sharing the wins I’ve had, with the people that have gone on this journey with me, has been the best part my filmmaking journey.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.anabarbarafilm.com
- Instagram: @annabarbarafilms
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabarbarafilms
- Twitter: @CheGrant
- Youtube: Anna Barbara Films
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/che-grant-1
- Other: https://vimeo.com/568649904
Image Credits
Earl Gibson III
Everett Collection
