Atlanta native, Christine Lakin spent most of her formative years on a set, having been a professional actor in over 200 episodes of television. In the three decades since, she has transitioned her career titles to include director, writer, choreographer and producer. Christine has directed episodes of television for ABC, Apple and Disney+ on such titles as “The Goldbergs” and “High School Musical, The Musical, The Series”. In addition to “Who Am I”, she recently directed the musical ad spoof “Interracial Couple In A Cheerios Ad” which won Best Musical at the London Comedy shorts and Independent Shorts Awards in Los Angeles.
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival. I had a great time at the Hip Hop Film Festival! It was my first time and both myself and the film’s writer, Alex Ellis, were honored to be included this year. We saw some great films, met some wonderful and interesting people and participated in a workshop about representation. It was well organized and I was honored to speak afterwards on stage with the other filmmakers, all of whom happed to be women that day.
Why are “stories from the culture” worthy of a platform? Stories from the culture deserve a platform because they collectively feature important voices, imagery, and representations in time and culture for where we’ve been historically and where we’re going. These are stories meant to entertain, yes, but to also educate and be amplified in the larger picture of cinema.
Why do you think the Harlem Film House and Hip Hop Film Festival are important? This is a festival where artists can share in their experiences in black culture through music, cinema and the personal stories that influence their work. For myself, I was honored to bring forth a story of one man's journey seeking therapy to the screen, and hopefully, the larger conversation about mental health stigmas and historical roadblocks in receiving treatment that still exist.
What projects are you working on now? I just finished teaching a directing class at UCLA this summer. I’m currently in development on a comedy feature, a short film and I'm directing a musical that opens in October in Los Angeles.