HOOVER MOM’S BIG MOMENT: Her debut screenplay just earned four nominations at the nation’s biggest Black film festival

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) -A Hoover mother who spent years dreaming of writing movies has seen that dream reach a major milestone. Her debut feature film screenplay has earned four nominations at the American Black Film Festival.

Je’Don Holloway-Talley, an award-winning journalist turned publicist, wrote the film “Funny Feelings,” starring Tristan Mack Wilds, Vena “Pretty Vee” Excell and also includes Birmingham’s Pastor Mike Jr. The film had its world premiere at the 30th American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach in late May 2026, where it received four nominations, including one for screenwriting.

“Completely blown away,” Holloway-Talley said. “ABFF is the biggest Black film festival in the country.”

“Funny Feelings” received the following nominations at the 30th American Black Film Festival:

• Grand Jury Prize – U.S. Narrative Feature
• Directing Award – U.S. Narrative Feature: Rhonda Baraka
• Performance Award – U.S. Narrative Feature: Vena “Pretty Vee” Excell
• Screenwriting Award – U.S. Narrative Feature: Je’Don Holloway-Talley

The path to the screenplay began with a newspaper interview that connected Holloway-Talley to Birmingham native and filmmaker Roderick McClure of Rodfather Productions. She told McClure she wanted to write movies. He needed a script overhauled.

“He brought this project to me and he said, my wife and I have had this concept for quite some time, but we’ve had the film written maybe two times over and it’s not what we’re looking for,” Holloway-Talley said. “So, I’d be curious to know what you could do with the story.”

Holloway-Talley drew on her love of romantic comedies to shape the script.

“I love pop culture from the 90s and the early 2000s and the Black rom-coms,” she said. “I’m like, let’s take a Black rom-com.”

Holloway-Talley said her love of writing began in grade school, where a teacher recognized her potential.

“I would write for pages and pages,” she said. “She told me, Je’Don, you are going to write movies one day and books and everything.”

Reflecting on the journey, Holloway-Talley said perseverance kept her moving forward.

“I’m proud that I didn’t give up even in seasons where it seemed my dreams may have taken a backseat or it seemed like, where even are they right now?” she said. “Finding the spark again, having self agency to put one foot in front of the other, to actually try and bring that dream to life.”

Holloway-Talley said she is working on additional projects and pursuing producing. She also plans to write a biopic about her family — she is one of seven siblings, her mother was one of seven, and her grandmother was one of seven.

“Funny Feelings” is currently on its festival run and is expected to be available to the public later this year. Holloway-Talley said she hopes the film will screen at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema in Birmingham.

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