We were lucky to catch up with Malik Myers recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Malik, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

For Lila is by far the most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on. The story follows a Mexican-American immigration officer who is relieved of duty and goes on a vigilante mission to save a migrant girl from her captors. The script was written by my business partner and close friend, Kaitron Bryant, under the pen name ‘Tron’s Madness.’ He’s the founder of Croatan Productions and we’ve been working together since we met at New York Film Academy in 2023. Kaitron produced my first film which was The Guild and he was an associate producer on my second, Don’t Read My Diary. The Guild was a very ambitious John Wick-inspired action thriller. Don’t Read My Diary was a much more intimate psychological thriller. After building a strong working relationship with Kaitron, he presented me with the script for For Lila.

What struck me immediately was the tone and subject matter. It’s a very bold and topical narrative. Kaitron informed me not only would we be adapting his script as a proof-of-concept short film, but he also wanted me to be the casting director and editor on the project. Due to shifts in production, I became the director of the project as well. This was my first time working on casting, editing, and directing a film that I didn’t write. That alone was incredibly exciting. Kaitron heavily researched and reached out to many Hispanics to read and critique his script as he was developing it. By the time I read it, the script had already won quite a few awards. So we had a great foundation to work with.

It’s a ballsy thing to tell a story about a unique and distinct diaspora that is not your own. That’s what made this project meaningful to me and why I wanted to be a part of it. So much of the conversation around “representation” in Hollywood has gotten myopic. And from what I see, the push for “diversity and inclusion” seems to largely be fostering narcissism and tribalism instead. The general attitude seems to be that we’re all supposed to stay in these boxes as filmmakers. Only female directors should be telling stories centered on women, only LGBT should tell stories about LGBT, only black directors should be the ones to tell stories about black people, etc. That’s not a paradigm I’m interested in playing into. I’m expected to be making the same trite and stereotypical black trauma stories. Kaitron and I want to tell stories that dare to step outside the realm of our own culture and experiences. As an artist, I’d rather tell stories about all kinds of people as opposed to self-segregating.

We made For Lila for the Hispanic community. There’s real risk in that. If we failed to represent them in an authentic and respectful way, they would not be shy about letting us know. Kaitron and I are both the main creative force behind the film and we’re both black men who aren’t Hispanic and don’t speak Spanish. While Kaitron’s script is the product of years of research, I knew that not being of Hispanic heritage myself significantly limits my ability to help bring the story to life while maintaining authenticity. Which is why I brought in someone that’s actually an immigrant from Mexico to be our script editor and dialect coach. Our cast had a lot of input as well so certain lines were adjusted accordingly. We also had Indiana Pagan, my producer on Don’t Read My Diary, step in to help with post production. She’s the founder of Pagan Productions and she’s also Hispanic. I brought in Hispanic consultants as well to give us feedback on the film for the entirety of post-production. Obviously we’re not going to make everyone happy, but at the very least, our goal is that the Hispanic community feels seen and heard by our film. The weight of our story is important, now more than ever.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

From my earliest memories as a kid I’ve been obsessed with movies. Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man was my first time seeing a movie in theaters. Michal Bay’s 2007 Transformers Making Of Documentary was my first time being exposed to how movies were actually made. The day I saw that, I knew I wanted to make movies. Making music videos out of my favorite films and shows started out as a hobby but turned into developing and specializing in editing. A craft that’s been especially beneficial since I started directing my own proof-of-concept short films. After serving six years in the U.S. Navy, I started pursuing a career in film and haven’t looked back.

I’ve accomplished quite a lot since I started pursuing film, but I would say the projects I’m most proud of are my Banshee video, my first short film, The Guild, and my third short film, For Lila. Banshee is a raw and brutal crime drama about an ex-con who assumes the identity of a small town sheriff to get closer to his lost love and continue his criminal activities with the ironic advantage of being the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in town. It’s one of my all-time favorite shows and it’s currently streaming on Max. I made a tribute video for the show. On top of winning 2 Telly Awards, the lead actor, Antony Starr, signed one of my awards and told me I “have what it takes to be a professional in the business”. So that video holds special sentimental value for me because it’s the first time my work as an editor was recognized professionally. Antony Starr is one of my favorite actors, so for him to champion my work meant the world to me.

The Guild was my directorial debut. Initially I was intimated by the notion of directing, but as I was developing the project I knew the level of ambition I wanted to achieve was far beyond that of an average film student. The passion I had for this endeavor was all-encompassing. I wasn’t making a student film. I was making a proof-of-concept action short that I submitted for a grade while attending New York Film Academy. This was also the birth of what will undoubtedly be a lifelong partnership and friendship with Kaitron Bryant as both of us were first-time filmmakers.

He never produced before and I had never directed before. And our first collaboration has resulted in 22 awards, 18 nominations and counting. My lead actress Yasmin Pascall was phenomenal and performed all of her own stunts. Speaking of stunts, my entire stunt team did an amazing job with the fight choreography. I had composers Andrew Torossian and Allison Tartalia crafting original score for the film, and I’ve enjoyed collaborating with them. I took out a loan to fund The Guild. A loan that I’m still paying off to this day and it’s worth every penny.

Lastly, I’m extremely proud of For Lila, my third creative venture with Kaitron. It was definitely the most challenging and ambitious project we’ve done so far and that’s exactly why I was so excited to work on it. Casting, editing, and directing for a Hispanic crime drama was so much fun and creatively fulfilling! I look forward to seeing the film in a theater with an audience. Last year I got to see my first film in a theater with a crowd in the middle of Times Square for the Urban Action Film Festival and it was so surreal. I can’t even put the feeling into words but it’s something I wish for all my fellow filmmakers to have when they finally get to see their work with an audience.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Don’t Read My Diary is my second directorial project and that film only exists because I had to pivot rather quickly. Originally, my second short film was supposed to be a horror film about vampires. The things I wanted to attempt for that project are so insane that it ballooned the budget to nearly twice that of my first short. I simply didn’t have the money. I encourage any aspiring filmmaker reading this to not let that be a barrier. I’m still going to make that horror film when I’m in a position to fund it myself or find an investor. But I needed a new idea for my second film and that’s how Don’t Read My Diary came about.

It was crucial that the narrative was much more intimate and smaller in scope than my first film so that I could get it done with a quarter of the budget. I co-wrote the script with my good friend David Hazan. The story follows an unhinged aspiring actress seeking affirmation from a stranger in the hopes of becoming a star. It was my goal that whoever stepped into the role of “Allison” would walk away from the project as a multi-award winning actress. I achieved that with Maria Karolina. She’s an incredible artist and she understood my vision and the character immediately. By design, the film is all about her performance, so it’s been great to watch her shine and be recognized for her work.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I just want to make movies for a living. I want to wake up everyday excited to tell stories that entertain people, move people, and resonate with people. Making movies that people will love and share with their family and friends long after I’m gone. Providing people with joy and entertainment that will last into the next generation. That’s ultimately why I do what I do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myersmalik689/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daddylonglegs8712