Daily Inspiration: Meet Brinna Kelly

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brinna Kelly

Hi Brinna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a filmmaker.

I started out in the entertainment industry at the age of 11 as an actor. Playing various roles in television and film. I then went to film school at UCLA.

After graduating, I spent three years writing for an animated show before transitioning into writing feature screenplays. It was also at the time that I met my creative partner, DC Hamilton and we launched our production company, 501 Pictures.

Since then, I have produced, written, and starred in 4 feature films, and am currently in pre-production on my 5th one.

All of our films are available for streaming.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The truth is, it’s never a smooth road, whether in the entertainment industry or any other. There are a thousand challenges along the way.

Every film is its own unique beast. You solve problems on one film only for new and different ones to arise on the next. It has not been smooth-sailing but what I have learned now, having been a filmmaker for ten years and being on the precipice of my fifth feature film, is that nothing worthwhile is going to be easy.

People always say, if you’re passionate about what you do, then you never work a day in your life. That’s true, but it’s also a misnomer. It’s still work, it’s just work you can’t wait to do. The trick is to continue to be passionate about something once the fantasy is over and the reality sets in… to still want to do it every day for the rest of your life.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a filmmaker. I try to make films that I would like to see, that I hope others would as well.

I’m extremely proud of my filmography:

– The Midnight Man (2016, streaming everywhere)
– The Fare (2019, streaming everywhere)
– Forever Mine (2024, streaming everywhere)
– The Interrogation of Anna Goode (available April 8, 2025, streaming everywhere)

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as having something to work on every day that I care about and am deeply passionate about.

While I have found my share of commercial and financial success and I won’t downplay the significance of that by saying “It’s not about the money at all…” at the end of the day, I would be doing this anyway, even if there was no money in it for me. That really is what defines success in my mind.

I know a lot of young filmmakers who want to do this and have to hold down a day job in order to be able to pursue their careers. I actually think that’s the right way to go. Those people, in my humble opinion, are also the definition of success. They’re able to work on what they’re passionate about and still pay their bills. As long as you find that balance, you’re successful in my book.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://imdb.me/brinnakelly
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brinnakelly
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brinnakellywriter
• Twitter: https://x.com/BrinnaKelly
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShotforShotCinema