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There's nothing like a good story whether the purpose is to educate, enlighten or simply entertain the audience. And one thing about the enigmatic Maurice Jamal that is uncontestable - he has a penchant for coming up with some fascinating tales, then finding a venue by which he can share them with a diverse group of viewers.
It's amazing when one considers what this brother has accomplished -particularly given the fact that he is just 34 years of age, African American and gay. For some this demographic information might be considered a hindrance, but not for Jamal. He says he's used to obstacles - in fact he relishes them. And in his young life he has quickly learned how to get over, under, or around them, when necessary. |
Just in case you need a refresher, Jamal is the creator of the highly successful film The Ski Trip (seen in heavy rotation on MTV's LOGO), which he followed up with the poignant comedy Dirty Laundry - a movie that swept festival awards across the country and has the distinction of being the first Black, gay-themed mainstream film to receive national distribution. He is also the director and writer of the critically acclaimed film and TV series Friends and Lovers.
Now he's teamed up with bestselling author James Earl Hardy in a film adaptation of Hardy's groundbreaking novel B-Boy Blues. And that, as they say, is just the tip of the iceberg.
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"When I was a kid we didn't have a lot of money and then during my teen years I was a really awkward child," he said. "I felt there were all kinds of roadblocks in front of me but my family was always incredibly supportive. I couldn't do what I do now with the access I have and not help other brothers and sisters. That's part of my mission: to create opportunities. I feel it's important to make a way for new talent and LGBT individuals and train them because the opportunities for us just aren't there."
Like most creative people, Jamal was a dreamer when he was a child and as the product of a network of hardworking, loving grandparents and his favorite fan, his mother, he knew early on that they had high standards and he would have to live up to them.
Still, he was reluctant to take a chance and go after his life's passion until a tragedy turned his world upside down.
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| "I was friends with someone who was on Aaliyah's plane that crashed and after his sudden death it caused me to reevaluate my life," he said. "My friend [Anthony] had always talked about moving to LA and getting in the business. I realized that life is short and firmly believed that God wants us to be happy and the universe wants us to utilize our gifts and talents. So I got off the pot - I bought a one-way ticket to New York City and pursued acting and directing full time. Even more, I did it without a Plan B because to me having a Plan B means you are considering the possibility of failing."
Recently named by OUT Magazine as one of 2008's most influential gay Americans, Jamal has become known as a filmmaker who routinely pushes boundaries in regards to gender, sexuality and race - similar to Spike Lee who made his mark a generation before. But Jamal bears the distinction of being the first openly gay Black actor/writer to be profiled and referred to as gay in the mainstream urban media
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including BET, Black Enterprise, Ebony and JET making him a true trailblazer. With his growing success, Jamal has moved to the filmmaking capital of the US - Los Angeles - where he is, surprisingly, a relative homebody - reading, writing, watching old classic films and hosting a lot of small dinner parties. [Back in the day, Jamal worked as a chef to support himself]. But he says moving to LA-LA land has had its share of surprises.
"Since I'm single right now I tend to spend a lot of time with my close friends, sometimes traveling with them, sometimes having them by my place and preparing meals," he said. "I like to cook and try to do something every Sunday with a few bottles of some good wine. Good conversation and good food feeds your spirit.
And while I am comfortable being a gay Black man, I find that a lot of our people still suffer from internalized homophobia. I have a lot of Black friends who are not out and therefore do not want the spotlight on them.
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| "I remember my mom attending a family reunion and showing the article about me that ran in Ebony and JET and it was pretty exciting," he said. "Actually, I would call it empowering both for me and a lot of other people. We are so often faced with a list of NO's: you can't be out, you can't be successful, you can't be gay.
I have so many young people hit me up on Facebook and MySpace and because of me they believe that they too can do some of the things they have dreamed about. I have walked through some doors and others now feel they can do the same thing."
That's tough for me because being Black and gay is who I am and what I do is an issue of self-love. That carries over into my work. It's not enough to say I have a movie that has a few Black gay folks in it or that I have produced a film about the life of a Black gay man. I should be telling stories that reflect our lives but I don't want people to support me, or oppose me because of my color or sexual orientation. I want them to support my work because it's good."
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| Since landing his first New York assignment as a production assistant on the film Spider Man to a host of gigs as an assistant director on film and television projects including Chappelle's Show, Third Watch and The Boys, Jamal's passion for learning every aspect of the filmmaking industry has been evident. But that doesn't mean that the road has been all peaches and cream. He talked about the initial difficulties he encountered when he first began to seek distributors for what some, particularly in the gay community, now view as his signature film, Dirty Laundry.
"From the very beginning, that movie got more No's than any other film in history, in and out of the community," he said. "I was told that it wouldn't win any festival awards, it wouldn't make it on domestic US television, that I would never get Loretta Devine to star in it. But it happened and it did work, even with a gay theme - it was the kind of story that had never been told. I've gotten used to people thinking I'm a little crazy and I kept telling reluctant distributors that Black mothers and grandmothers would love it. I knew it would play well in the South.
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That's where our best numbers have proven to be. In fact, Southern folks have hosted dinner parties and shown the movie. The Black community isn't so much homophobic as we are generally conservative. But when people see Dirty Laundry they can relate to the characters - they know someone like Rockmond [Dunbar] or Loretta and they have embraced it like I knew they would. But what really means the most to me are the number of young men who have communicated with me and told me that they used my film to come out to their families. That's incredible."
There has been a real buzz about Jamal teaming up with the legendary author Hardy to bring his bestselling novel B-Boy Blues to the silver screen. From this writer's perspective, along with James Baldwin and Marlon Riggs, it was Hardy, who turned heads, opened minds and put the face of humanity on the struggles of the gay Black man through his B-Boy Blues trilogy. Jamal says he realizes the challenge of representing the down low phenomenon and the interest that it continues to garner. And he remains committed to doing it right. |
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"Working with James has been great and I must admit - his was one of the first Black gay books I ever read that I always wanted to make into a film," he said. "We met several years ago and got into a deep discussion about Black gay images in media. Initially we were talking about Sky Trip and then he asked me if I would be interested in directing B-Boy Blues. Of course I said yes. Remember that millions have read the book, so we wanted to remain true to the text while at the same time updating the story and making it more edgy for a 2009 audience. We continue to go back and forth with the script and have already done a bunch of casting."
With that being said, one is led to ask, "So when is the film coming out?" But as Jamal points out, nothing is that simple in the filmmaking industry.
"Deals in Hollywood always take awhile - things are never done until they're done," he remarked. We have both been busy with our own projects too. James is working on an erotic anthology [The Freak Filez, no word was available on a release date] and I've been working on filming a new season of Friends and Lovers.
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| We still bear the burden of proving that gay projects that deal with sex are viable and have a credible audience. Distributors are fine when the story is about a clean-cut gay man or if it buys into the typical stereotypes associated with gay men. But a love story where the guys walk in two worlds is a more difficult sell.
They [distributors] use the recession as an excuse and I say excuse because DVD sales are up; so are movie ticket sales and TV ratings. James and I are looking at other options right now and I suppose it's a great problem to have. I believe it has been put in the divine time line and so I'm okay with reshaping it because I know it will happen when the time is right."
Of course, the reality behind putting together such a huge undertaking as B-Boy Blues is the cost. Jamal knows firsthand how challenging that can be and hopes investors will come to
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the forefront.
"Initially, James and I thought it would be amazing to have our community finance our story," he said. "But it's been slow and we have to deal with mainstream production companies and distributors - that's a whole other ballgame. And while the black gay community has been excited about wanting to see the project, they've been slow to raise funds, give or really assist with that process. I still have hopes because that's what we really need - to be able to take ownership and control of our images, our stories and our legacy."
Jamal took some time for himself this summer - taking a break from the Pride circuit and watching his favorite kinds of films - screwball 60s comedies, classic black and white dramas from the 40s and 50s and the bright Technicolor musicals and epics. He says he realized that he needed some down time.
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| Jamal says one thing that would accentuate his life would be having a partner but at this point he remains single and "optimistic."
"I hope to have a boy friend one day - sure," he said. "And I have been in love before. Right now I guess I am in serious "like." You have to first love yourself before you can be in a positive relationship with someone else.
"This was the first time in ten years that I didn't attend any of the pride celebrations," he said. "I've been going to them since I was around 20 - first as an onlooker and then as a producer/director to show my support. I realized I was tired and needed to take a rest. I ran myself ragged last year and just wasn't feeling well. I am learning that I need more balance in my life. That means focusing on my personal life sometimes and not just the career.
"For me right now it's all about service - serving God, the universe and my community. Making a difference and having an impact. I've grown weary of red carpet moments that are solely self-serving and give nothing back to the audience that's supporting the project. This year I've dedicated myself to political action, youth mentorship and health advocacy in the gay community.
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| I'm blessed to be Black, out, proud and with a supportive family. So being in the position I am, I really want to give back and work on lifting our community to a higher place. I've just started a group with some outstanding brothers here in LA and it has made me just as proud as any movie or TV show I've been involved in."
We have all been hurt but if you want to be with someone you have to be willing to do the self work first. It's not just about what they did and where they were lacking - I have to look at me. Then for me there's the added challenge of living in Los Angeles - dating here as a director is tough.
I have one rule - don't date in the industry. But it seems that everyone out here is an actor. My job keeps me on the road a lot and there are many brothers that throw themselves at me. So I would need a man that is secure."
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Jamal can sometimes be a big kid by his own admission - going to amusement parks and stuffing himself with cotton candy while running as fast as he can to the next roller coaster [sounds like my kind of man]. And he is particularly close to his mother who he says is his biggest supporter.
"My mom is my best friend, hands down," he said. "She is probably the most unconditional, loving person I have ever known. It took me years to realize that but it made a real difference when I was coming out. I was so into myself that I didn't see the world or the larger picture. But as I got older I realized how incredibly accepting and open she is.
Maybe that's why I tend to want to be involved with people, building relationships and making connections. I could be aloof as a director and as a man but you know what? I get to make movies and tell stories. That's what I dreamed about ever since I was a little boy. And now, my dream has come true."
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