EXCLUSIVE: BET Her has greenlit Black Girl, Erupted from director and star, Vanessa Bell Calloway (This Is Us), and executive producer, Tressa Azarel Smallwood of MegaMind Media. The project is the first feature film under the BET Her Presents: The Couch franchise.
Written by Tiffany Yancey, Black Girl, Erupted follows Reina (Khalilah Joi), a woman paying her dues at a law firm while facing microaggressions from co-workers and her boss Mr. Horowitz (Eric Roberts). Reina’s parents, Cassandra (Vanessa E. Williams), and Donald (Rodney Van Johnson), favor their younger daughter, Reilly, (Janeva Stoute), and consistently remind Reina not to be the “angry black woman” at the firm. The pressure to be perfect and uphold the family’s image wreaks havoc on Reina’s mental state.
B.J. Britt, Kareem Grimes, Brely Evans and Asia’h Epperson also star.
The film reunites Calloway with Smallwood, who has overseen the production of all the short films produced for The Couch franchise. Black Girl, Erupted is part of The Couch, a series of short films about Black women managing mental health issues, following their journeys as they navigate the ups and downs of their diagnoses.
“It has been my honor to work with BET Her to tell stories that matter, written, produced, and directed by Black women for all women,” Smallwood said in a statement. “Reuniting with Vanessa Bell Calloway to produce the first feature for The Couch franchise speaks to the BET Her commitment: to change the narrative by cultivating Black women creatives and showcasing their work.”
Launched in 2019, BET Her Presents: The Couch spotlights women-centered short films and highlight the next generation of Black women filmmakers. Previous directors include Meagan Good, Naturi Tichina Arnold, and LisaRaye Mccoy.
“BET Her is dedicated to telling stories that support and celebrate Black women in front of and behind the camera while bringing awareness to important issues directly affecting the Black community,” said Lorisa Bates, VP, Content Strategy, Co-Productions & Multiplatform at BET. “We are honored to be working with the amazing Vanessa Bell Calloway again on this powerful story filled with passion, grace and humanity.”
Deshawn Plair, Sade Oyinade, and Kristin Iris Johnson also serve as producers on Black Girl, Erupted; production is currently underway in Los Angeles.