We were lucky to catch up with Yasmin Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yasmin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Around 2024, after creating my first short film since graduating from undergrad, I had an idea. My idea started as an array of images: brown girls conjuring spells, furniture engulfed by moss, silhouettes, and clotheslines. I didn’t know it at the time, but I told my soon-to-be Executive Producer, Destiny Macon, the title before I knew the story. “I think I’m creating my own story trilogy called the ‘Talk Series.’ This next one is going to be “Spirits Talk.” “Spirits Talk” is my most meaningful short film to date because this film is the culmination of what I’ve learned as a writer-director while serving as a living record of the lessons I’ve learned about matriarchal grief and internal healing.

My previous films, “Giant Momma Talk” and “Girl Talks to God”, explore the connections we rely on during life’s unexpected challenges. “Spirits Talk” is one of three stand-alone yet spiritually connected films about Black women navigating heartbreak and the supernatural. I challenged myself to write a short film script that juxtaposes life after death and what the beginning of rebirth looks like. While writing the script, I found myself evolving how I wrote characters. Draft after draft, I became more comfortable with letting go of what didn’t serve the story and its intended impact. During production, I learned it’s important to be a generous and transparent director. Generous, meaning I know I couldn’t have made this project by myself. People volunteered their time, space, energy, and equipment, so the best way to honor that is by creating an environment that uplifts them. It was meaningful to see the diversity of my crew members on set. The amount of knowledge that flowed between the industry professionals and emerging talent throughout production gave me so much joy. Even as the writer-director, I sometimes felt like a student throughout the creation of “Spirits Talk.” My mentors and film family gave me the space I needed to lead while being curious about the nuances that arose as the story evolved. I’m grateful to the mentors who sent me revision notes, to the people who donated their time and services to the project, and to the South Carolina Arts Commission for the Emerging Artist Grant. This grant gave me the peace of mind and the exposure I needed.

Now that “Spirits Talk” is nearly finished, my community has been rallying around my story and awaiting its release. This experience has taught me that you must be exactly who you are, and the right people will find you and lift you. There were moments when I wasn’t sure how I would make the film happen, but someone would ask how it’s coming along, and then I’d find a way to make it work.

Yasmin, 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?

As a writer-director, I am most interested in showing what happens after survival: what happens when a woman is still alive, but has to learn how to live her life? I use surrealism, spirituality, and horror to answer that question. My short films, feature scripts, installation sculptures, and photo collages create a space for my audiences to see Black joy and queer aesthetics as normal. In all my movies and artwork, I intentionally present my subjects—whether people of color or those with different intersections of identity—through a humanized lens to attract viewers who will connect with my subjects and see themselves in my characters and depictions of my diverse world. Across mediums, my work blends modern folklore with romanticized visuals centered on women of color navigating identity, intimacy, and power.

I’m a Wofford College alum who’s completed Yale University’s 2023 Summer Session Drama Program and was named Best South Carolina Filmmaker at the 2024 South Carolina Underground Film Festival. My recent work, including “Girl Talks to God” and “Giant Momma Talk,” has screened at the Tryon International and Reedy Reels film festivals. Recently, I’ve won the South Carolina Arts Commission’s 2025 Emerging Artist Grant, and I’m in the final stages of post-production for my latest short film, “Spirits Talk.”

I’m also the sole proprietor of Snowy Cactus Entertainment. Snowy Cactus is a creative production, writing, and talent service. Snowy Cactus Entertainment’s mission is to amplify stories that explore duality and life’s contradictions. At its core, Snowy Cactus exists to support grassroots storytelling, aiming to connect authentically with audiences while sparking thoughtful conversations and emotional resonance. Snowy Cactus offers a range of services, including: Directorial Services – crafting and guiding visual storytelling with intention and depth, Screenwriting Services – developing scripts that are emotionally honest and socially reflective, Marketing Services – promoting projects with strategies tailored to meaningful audience engagement, and Talent Scouting – discovering and nurturing diverse voices and emerging talent. This year, I’m partnering with Salt Run Entertainment and the Wofford College Department of English to host the first Film Gallery Carolina event.

Film Gallery Carolina (FGC) provides a space for students to cultivate sincere connections among peers and industry professionals. The gallery encourages students to breathe, observe, and interpret their work alongside fellow emerging filmmakers in a meaningful way.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society can support creatives and the arts ecosystem by advocating for legislation and union rights that compensate artists for their likeness and creative work in artificial intelligence-generated content. Artists across mediums need artificial intelligence guardrails that offer clear consent, fair compensation, and control over performances.

Fine arts advocacy organizations and groups can offer more funding and accessible paid internships that provide equitable opportunities to creatives throughout the Carolinas. And of course, anytime the local community can attend grass-root art events such as Film Night in North Carolina, JET Show hosted by Tam the Viiibe, Thrift Street in Columbia, South Carolina, Film Gallery Carolina, etc., this supports the overall arts ecosystem significantly and typically directly contributes to a creative’s career.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

On social media, I built an audience on the @snowycactusent Instagram page, the @snowycactusent on TikTok, and the @spiritstalk.film Instagram page by allowing my page to reflect my creative direction and personality. People don’t want to follow a page; they want to follow a journey. The more you connect with your audience, the more likely they are to tune in and engage with your page.

For example, I’ve been doing a couple of recap video series. In this series, I show my followers (shoutout to the tumbleweeds) what my day off as a filmmaker looks like and what my set experiences are like. My followers have told me that this series inspires them because they didn’t realize how accessible filmmaking is, and it gives them insight into how to connect with their local film industry and its community. I often end up highlighting local artists and local shows because that’s what I do on my days off. This is great because I end up using my platform to foster community amongst collaborators.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yasminmp4.online/spirits-talk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snowycactus.ent/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@snowycactusent
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39290514/

  https://youtu.be/gMaDVCw3SHs?si=3VtggsulPoE0LXCn

Image Credits

Yasmin J. Lee of Snowy Cactus Entertainment
Ty Lakes of Limituro Photography
Jon Fang
Rizwan Shebani of Cloud Media
Frank Rehak
Eugene Rocco of Excelleto Films