Judge Mathis, Tonesa Welch, and the cast of ‘First Lady of BMF’ discuss making an authentic Detroit biopic and receiving NAACP Image Award nominations.



JUDGE MATHIS, TONESA WELCH, AND MICHELLE MITCHENOR SAT DOWN WITH ROLLING OUT TO TALK ABOUT MAKING AN AUTHENTIC DETROIT BIOPIC
MITCHENOR AND MATHIS RANT ABOUT MISSING FILM RED CARPET PREMIERES
BIPOC Media, led By Rolling Out, Launch Awards Season, FYC, Conversation Series
ROLLING OUT | BXC EXCLUSIVE ROLLING OUT | BXC EXCLUSIVE

Speaking exclusively to Rolling Out and BIPOC media via the BIPOCXChange.com, and for very first time, stars Michelle Mitchenor (“First Wives Club”),and Tobias Truvillions (“City On A Hill”) joined executive producers Tonesa Welch and Judge Greg Mathis to talk about the twice NAACP Image Awards’ nominated television movie, First Lady Of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story, keeping it real by comparison to what’s in the marketplace,
returning to communities you once corrupted, the importance Black creatives, and representing “The D.”
Voting for the NAACP Image Awards’ closes this Saturday, February 24. Cast your vote now at vote.naacpimageawards.net.
In an FYC conversation hosted by Rolling Out, to kick off Plume | The Nominees Are…, a new content series created exclusively by and for BIPOC media, moderator D’Essene
Smiley engaged the film’s stars and co-creators in wide ranging conversation covering everything from how Welch and Mathis learned about being nominated for the NAACP Image Awards’, to Mitchenor and Truvillion having to embody living people and working with a first time director, who just happens to be an iconic film star, Vivica A. Fox.
In this clip, the Smiley asks about getting Detroit right, from the walk to the wardrobe. Clearly, from this part of the conversation that Judge Mathis played a big role in helping keep the film real and giving authentic Detroit. “What Up Doe. it’s our anthem, you gotta say, What Up Doe,” says Welch starts before Mathis quickly chimes in:
“It’s the flash, whether it was at the clubs or wherever it might
be…Detroit is known to have flashy guys and their attire, the
sisters are sexier, super sexy,” said Mathis.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW: HERE
Mitchenor and Mathis, both clearly still smarting from not being allowed to attend the Detroit, Washington D.C. or Los Angeles, premieres for First Lady Of BMF share a fun moment lamenting their restriction from attending for the SAG/AFTRA strike.
“Do feel you are alone, I didn’t get to go either and I financed it,” said Mathis in a funny exchange. First Lady Of BMF is nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special and Outstanding Directing In A Television Movie. Fox earned this nomination in her feature film directorial debut.
Voting for the NAACP Image Awards’ closes this Saturday, February 24. Cast your vote now at vote.naacpimageawards.net.
#JudgeMathis #TonesaWelch #FirstLadyOfBMF #NAACPImageAwards #DetroitBiopic