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The film A THOUSAND AND ONE has been described as “a love letter to mothers, sons, and hustlers of NYC,” and it will more than likely leave you in tears. This is the new film written and directed by A.V. Rockwell, starring the beautifully talented Teyana Taylor.

On Tuesday, March 21st, Sheen had the pleasure of attending an exclusive advance screening of the film, before it hit theaters on March 31st. The invite-only event took place at WACO Theater Center, on behalf of the Youtube Shorts community.

The film itself runs for two hours, highlighting the reality of families struggling to survive within the environment present in inner city New York. Teyana Taylor plays the role of Inez, a bold and unapologetic mother who kidnaps her son Terry from the foster care system.

A special Q&A followed the screening, with Beyonce’s mom Ms. Knowles-Lawson moderating as A.V. Rockwell proudly answered her questions about her beautiful work of art.The film as a whole took four years to create, and is certainly not an easy feat for a black woman in the industry. 

With Rockwell being a New York native, she really wanted to showcase the tremendous impact of gentrification on the black neighborhoods in New York. Her work is best known for addressing issues such as racism, identity, family, and more. 

She states, “We wanna be loved, not just needed.”

A THOUSAND AND ONE took home the trophy for Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Photo Credits: Vivien Killilea