We caught up with the brilliant and insightful A’Noelle Jackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi A’Noelle, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is a documentary called Badass Women Doing Kick Ass Shit: Politics. This project is the most impactful project I’ve worked on because the film is centered on Mona Das, 7 BIPOC women in the realm of politics. Each candidate, including Mona, answers a series of questions that enlighten viewers about their daily lives as well as the struggles they faced during their campaign trail.

As a filmmaker, highlighting marginalized voices is my greatest desire. When I was offered the opportunity to work as a producer alongside my friend and producer, Abie Ekenezar, I did not hesitate.

We interviewed former Senator of Washington, Mona Das, Annessa Hartman who ran for Oregon State Representative D-40, Leesa Manion who ran for Prosecutor King County, WA State, Julianne Gale Running for WA State Senate 35th Legislative District, Dr. Chantel Raghu, Oxford – Ohio City Council, Natasha Hill who ran for WA 5th Congressional District, Francesca Hong for Wisconsin State Assembly D-76, and Kima Kulkarni who ran for Kentucky State Representative.

We also interviewed young women of color who’ve made an immense impact on their communities as well. Avanti Bryant, Ona Johnson, and Yael Hensen are incredible women who shared their stories about the personal and professional impact that politics have on their lives.

What I’ve learned throughout the creation of this project is the power of the journey. Some of the women we interviewed won their respective seats in office. I feel as if we were witnessing their dreams coming true in real-time. I am forever honored to be part of such an incredible project. It also doesn’t hurt that we walked away with 2 Telly Awards, an Impact DOCS award, and The Accolade Award for our work. The awards are the cherry on top for the hard work we’ve put in.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For those that don’t know me, I’m A’Noelle Jackson, a multi-hyphenate originally from Tacoma, Washington. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 5 years now and I am extremely passionate about sharing stories centered on dope Black women and women of color.

My company, The Fearless Actress Company, is my baby. I created my production company in order to serve marginalized voices. As a producer, actress, and screenwriter, I have a firm grasp of the creative process and I do my best to build teams and create meaningful films that resonate with young, aspiring filmmakers that look like me.

I am grateful to be fully operating in California and in Washington State and always look forward to the next project that can change the world.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Overall, my love for creative expression drives my creative journey. I started out in Theatre Arts but knew I wanted to branch out into film and television. Throughout my journey, I’ve noticed there weren’t many production assistants that looked like me. Because of the lack of representation, I started to speak in schools and in my community in WA state to share my expertise in hopes to inspire the next generation of artists.

My biggest hope is to help young filmmakers reach their full potential. I may not know everything, but I do my best to share my experience. I feel like there is a lack of transparency as to how the entertainment business operates. I hope that sharing my journey gives some insight to the young girl who desires to create from their heart.

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

In my opinion, artistry forms culture, and without art, there is no culture. The best way to support artists is to fully pay them and to understand that art takes time to cultivate. We take art for granted because it’s readily accessible. We have social media apps that can alter our photos, we have AI that can mimic voices and can create just about anything we want.

With that said, artistry is cultivated with love, care, and time. In this technological era, everything seems rushed and our attention spans are short. However, true artistry takes time and intention. I wish there were stronger art programs across the United States so artists are fully supported for their contribution to society.

While there are many ways to support art, I do believe that respecting artists and creatives by fully paying them for their work and having programs accessible to artists are a couple of ways to support a thriving creative ecosystem.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bethefearlessactress.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoellejackson/
• Twitter: twitter.com/tfactress

Image Credits
Hudson Michaels Abie Ekenezar