Frustration in the lack of good roles for black actors may have led Jerry LaMothe to create his own. “There are roles from pimps and criminals, sure, but I didn’t want these types of roles,” says LaMothe. “So I stopped going to auditions, and started writing the roles I wanted to play.”  But his curiosity about humanity and circumstance, led LaMothe to write and direct a new film called Blackout, that has already garnered critical acclaim. Centered around the New York City blackout on Aug. 14, 2003, the film stars an impressive cast: Jeffrey Wright, LaTonya Richardson-Jackson, Zoe Saldana, Melvin Van Peebles, Anthony Chisolm, Sean Blakemore, Saul Rubinek, and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. “I think we got almost everyone we wanted for the cast,” says LaMothe. The film is an ensemble piece, focusing on events that unfold in a Brooklyn neighborhood during the blackout. “It is about a part of Brooklyn the city forgot,” says the Brooklyn-born and reared LaMothe. “It’s sort of a tale of two cities, and how the various characters react to the situation and how things can change in an instant.”
 
LaMothe’s life changed when he dived head first into independent filmmaking. “I was always an actor, director, writer,” he notes. But after a lack of suitable roles, he crafted the type of films he wanted to see as a black actor and creative. His first film was Amour Infinity, that made the film festival rounds in 2001. His second, Nora’s Hair Salon starring Jenifer Lewis, Tatyana Ali, Bobby Brown went straight to DVD. And, LaMothe, who has also directed projects for others as well, was developing another film when he landed funding for Blackout. “I was actually hoping to make a film called, From The Outside Looking In, a coming-of-age story about a boy from Brooklyn that spans 20 years,” he says. But after shopping the script for Blackout with manager and producing partner Dedra N. Tate of Unlimited Contacts, Inc., private investor Judith Aidoo read it over one weekend and funded it that Monday. LaMothe shot Blackout in 20 days. Now, the film is seeking a distributor and LaMothe hopes to have Blackout in theaters by early next year.
 
LaMothe now has four films under his belt. But it wasn’t easy. “I always said to myself if I could make it past two films, then it would keep me in the mix,” says LaMothe. “But every day is a struggle for black filmmakers, no matter how many movies you have, no matter how great those films are. It’s just one obstacle after another. It’s always an uphill battle.”
 
So what keeps LaMothe in the business? “this is what I want to do. I feel most comfortable on the set. It was what was written for me, for my life,” says LaMothe as he sets off to work on another project.

Melvin Van Peeples with Saul Rubinek

Jeffrey Wright with cast members including Zoe Saldana and Sean Blakemore.

LaTonya Richardson-Jackson