We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Madison Brielle Hudson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Madison Brielle below.

Alright, Madison Brielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I still very much consider myself a student in my creative journey. I’m not in a hurry to be an “expert” or “master” of anything, and I don’t believe that diminishes my talent or potential. What pushes me forward is the constant desire to learn and integrate new knowledge into my filmmaking and other creative passions. Now more than ever, I value research, reading academic essays, and listening to lectures on a wide range of subjects. I believe one of the most beneficial things a filmmaker can do is to learn about topics entirely outside of film. While film school has its bonuses, I’ve found that my taste and craft have been most refined by watching international films and immersing myself in diverse subjects. This interdisciplinary approach broadens my perspective and enriches my storytelling in ways that focusing solely on being a cinephile cannot.

Madison Brielle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a filmmaker, graphic designer, and amateur archivist. Fashion was my first love and, as a teenager, I spent summers at the Fashion Institute of Technology studying color theory, marketing, photography, and video production. I don’t think I saw myself as a filmmaker then. I wanted to make cutting-edge music videos and fashion films. With that in mind, I took my talents in photography and fiction prose writing to film school, aspiring to be a blend of Hype Williams and Orson Welles. I did end up doing Art Direction for short films that graced Sundance Film Festival, The Chicago Feminist Film Festival, The Baltimore Women and Minorities Film Festival, but post-grad life in suburban New Jersey brought a halt to my momentum. That period took a significant toll on my health and creative self-esteem.

For a time, I found it difficult to build my portfolio or even reconcile with the hiatus from filmmaking, feeling like my career had ended before it began. However, it became a period of introspection that ultimately gave me a new perspective on life that’s unique to my experience. I started learning how to DJ about 8 months ago and it’s a hobby that is high-pressure and requires a lot of quick decisions, but I’ve noticed there are also moments of repetition and even stillness that are necessary to make your choices as audibly seamless as possible. What I’ve been taught from my past experience, and am now able to bring to my creative outlets, is that self-compassion and time is usually all I need to proceed sharper than ever. I believe creative people sometimes shy away from discussing the realities of our mental well-being, perhaps fearing it might diminish our edge. Yet, for me, embracing this journey has actually fine-tuned my taste and mission as an artist. Had my life turned out differently, I probably wouldn’t be doing what I am now, so I think I must be doing something right.

I’ve since found myself enchanted by the quaint charm of my new Philadelphian home. Compared to the industrialized New Jersey, parts of Pennsylvania are basically Europe. A global pandemic didn’t make for the warmest welcome. When I toured my first apartment, the streets were almost completely empty and, on move-in day, roads throughout the city were blocked due to protests against widespread police brutality. Determined to find my place and connect with the community, this led me to establish the Philly Historical & Arts Society earlier this year. It’s a passion project aimed at supporting preservation efforts for local artists, as well as fostering a space for those who are invested in building their own legacies. We focus on the accessibility and safety of information, resources, and history within various arts industries. My ultimate goal for the club is to launch workshops for small artists and create a collaborative environment where members can freely share skills and learn from one another. Eventually, I hope to bring in experts in preservation and archives from across the area to share their knowledge with our group. While my curiosity about preservation and archives began with a more intimate subject, learning more about the work that goes into actually creating a legacy has truly been a full-circle moment for me and it’s now something I hold very close to my heart.

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

Someone I knew once said that life is bound to mess and it’s our responsibility to handle it as gently as we can. At the end of the day, I’m a Jersey girl who loves aesthetics that are campy and gaudy, but I want to tell narratives that are grounded in reality and that’s where a lot of my love for industrial and brutalist art styles come in. I want my stories to be a testament to personal and intergenerational evolution—especially for ordinary Black women. Over the past year, it seems as though the stars have aligned just right for me.

I’ve been in Philadelphia for a while now and, having only been here once on a school field trip, I felt completely out of the loop. Feeling stuck in my bedroom, I took an interest in discovering my family’s genealogy using online resources. The experience compelled me to take control over my artistic journey, in the midst of our country’s social climate. I’ve always been deeply invested in the power of filmmaking as a tool to challenge societal norms and it felt like the perfect time to amplify the untold stories of Black women, as well as confront the systems that perpetuate harm against them. The turning point came when I started working at a creative studio right in the heart of the city. That’s where I met the majority of my incredible film crew for my upcoming debut, Defining Destiny: A Documentary Short. This project is a direct manifestation of my mission to bring these stories to the forefront.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

This experience has reinforced my belief that the most profound rewards in life come from connecting with others who share your vision and passion, and working together to bring meaning to the world. After such a big creative career gap and moving to a new city, I’ve faced the challenge of rebuilding my film industry network from scratch and securing funding for my debut project. It hasn’t been easy, but the incredible support of my crew has been truly invaluable. We’re working on a project that resonates deeply with our shared identities, and the opportunity to collaborate with them on this particular project means the world to me. Through this process, I’ve also had the opportunity to be a lot more plugged in with this city, and I’m incredibly grateful to be a 2025 grantee of the The Philadelphia Independent Media Fund. Our collective goal is centered on honoring the truth of Black women, and we’re so excited to bring this story to life and spark important conversations for BIPOC audiences everywhere, hopefully by Summer 2026. We’re also looking forward to continuing to partner with more organizations that align with our mission. My next dream, with fashion always holding a place in my heart, is to collaborate with designers on films in the near future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://definingdestinythefilm.com
• Instagram: @definingdestinythefilm
• Other: Philly Historical & Arts Society
  phlhistoricalarts.tumblr.com

Image Credits

Self-Portraits by Madison Brielle Hudson