Well guys, our world premiere at the Texas Black Film Festival was a huge success!
Even before the film screened, I was approached a bunch of times by either festival staff who had already viewed “Thugs” and loved it, or by filmmakers and festival attendees who had heard of the film and couldn’t wait to see it! It was a humbling, awesome, and surreal feeling all at once.
Thugs, The Musical made its premiere on Friday night along with the Bernie Mac documentary I Ain’t Scared of You. As a comedian, it was an incredible honor to have our movie screened alongside a film that paid tribute to such a comedy titan. It was even more mind-blowing to sit in a theater full of people laughing at what we put on the screen, including things I didn’t even realize were funny (a comic’s dream).
And as if all that wasn’t cray enough, Thugs, The Musical was nominated for Best Short Film! And as if that wasn’t cray-cray enough, I got to meet not 1 but 2 of my film/acting heroes: Robert Townsend writer/director of Hollywood Shuffle and – one of my favorite movies of all time – The Five Heartbeats, and Law & Order‘s S. Epatha Merkerson, both of whom had films making their premieres in the festival, as well.
Not to worry, everybody; I resisted the urge to address Ms. Merkerson as "Lu", even after we'd all been drinking.
Big thanks go out to David Smalls and everyone at the Texas Black Film Festival for inviting us and making it such a great time. And, again, thanks to all of you who made the film possible with your generosity and belief in me.
Finally a special thank you goes out to all of the cast and crew of Thugs, The Musical for birthin’ this baby! I can’t believe how lucky I was in getting to work with such a cool, super-talented, and simply awesome group of people. The whole experience was amazing, and the ride for “Thugs” is just beginning. Thank you!
Richmond, VA, we’ll see you very soon!
– Kevin Avery