Mo’Nique and Isaiah Washington make a new film together

Reported by Liku Zelleke

The first and last time we saw Mo’Nique on the big screen was when she debuted in the 2009 drama “Precious“. After almost 5 years she is back, and this time, she is on both sides of the camera.

Mo’Nique stars in a new indie drama “Blackbird“, of which she is also (with her husband, Sidney Hicks) the executive producer. The co-star of the Oscar-winning actress is veteran actor Isaiah Washington.

“Blackbird” is a coming of age movie that centers on a talented teenage musician from a small Baptist town who faces a tough time with religion, sexuality, troubles at home and problems in his high school. The storyline follows him as he goes on to discover and finally love and accept who he is.

Washington, who is also a co-producer of the movie, plays the role of the boy’s sympathetic father, while Mo’Nique plays that of his judgmental and religious mother.

The film’s writer and director, Patrik-Ian Polk, said, “Washington was always my first choice to play the father. I reached out to him and he said yes. He and Mo’Nique share an attorney. So, it was Isaiah’s idea to cast Mo’Nique.”

Mo’Nique’s husband also said that they were both impressed by the script and that once they had read it, there was no turning back. “Since Mo’Nique won the Oscar, we have received numerous scripts, but nothing captured our attention until Isaiah, who we have a high level of respect for, sent us ‘Blackbird‘. We became instant fans of Patrik-Ian Polk and knew we had to get behind this important film,” Hicks said.

The producers are still seeking out theatrical distribution even after it was screened at ABFF in New York.

The ABFF founder, Jeff Friday, says that it is his hope to get films that are screened at ABBF acquired by major networks and Hollywood studios – something akin to what happened to the 2013 movie, “Fruitvale Station“.