Chocolate & Chai

Art talks Kanye West presidential run; Lester talks new show “Out On The Front Lines” and his new movie “Your America, My America; New television shows/movies to watch; Plus taking a summer break

Jermaine Smith opens up about losing 20 co-workers to Covid-19; Raising two Sons in this crazy time; Losing his father to cancer as a child; Ups and downs with his mother; Parenting; His project A Piece of Me; Protesting/Looting/Rioting; Politics and Voting; His new project TRAFFIC LANE; The wave of new streaming platforms; Shows to watch; etc. Jermaine Smith is a NYC Transit Worker/Proud Father/Filmmaker/Writer/Director/Producer. Some of his works include A Piece of Me, Vish Merrick, Prepare Your Table, The Needs, Touched, and Traffic Lane (filming now). To learn more about Jermaine Smith please visit: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8025530/

J. Nance talks being a Police Officer for 13 years; Black vs Blue; Police Brutality; Dealing with Racism/Sexism; Protesting Today vs Yesterday; Completing her 30331 drama web series Pilot; Finding Peace in writing during Covid-19; Her new streaming channel On My Time TV; Pursuing her Masters in TV/Film, etc - J. Nance is TV Showrunner/writer/producer/director/former police officer/ - To learn more about J. Nance and her new streaming platform On My Time TV please visit: https://omttv.com/

Topics of discussion: Staying Consistent in the Business; Doubting and Redefining Yourself; Taking Risks and Trusting your Gut Instincts; Diversity through a Specific Lens; Casting for Black People/Black Roles; Jimmy’s Lead Role in Bwoy alongside Rent’s Anthony Rapp; Telling Good Stories for Black Men; the Stories that Film and Television have on Shaping our Perception; Change isn’t Perfect and when to Take a Break...etc. Jimmy Brooks is an actor/model/tennis player/skater/guitar player. He is a NYC based actor known for Off-Broadway: A Clockwork Orange (Billy Boy, F-Me Pumps, Governor), Safeword (Xavier),  NBT Bayano: My Odisea (DIKE) and Dial N’ for Negress (Doodlebug). He delivered a charming, standout performance in the film Bwoy opposite Anthony Rapp.  On TV he’s known for “Madam Secretary” (Recurring), “Elementary,” “Power” and “Blue Bloods.” Before moving to NYC, Jimmy earned a BFA in Drama, and a BA in Mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis. For more information on Jimmy Brooks, please visit his website: http://www.jimmybrooksjr.com

Art Shrian and Lester Greene talk with special guest actress-writer-filmmaker-storyteller Laura Poindexter about the ongoing movement, idea of "Superior" race, Divide and Conquer mentality; Growing up in Harlem; Black & White - The Human Race; “White Whine”/White Superiority; Racism; Equality versus Revenge; Black Power; Black Pride; “The Next Assignment” Laura Poindexter is an Award-Winning screenwriter/actress/producer/director/showrunner/filmmaker/ - To learn more about Laura please visit: https://filmfreeway.com/laurapoindexter https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/one_page_resume.cfm?custom_link=LauraPoindexter

Art and Lester talk with writer-filmmaker Alisa Diane about ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, systemic racism, being a Black mother and the burden of a hoodie. Alisa is a filmmaker/writer/director/producer/author. She is the creator of the award-winning web series Saved In The City, and she created and directed her own short film, My First Love: https://www.amazon.com/My-First-Love-Cindy-Jefferson/dp/B07S64X39F Her book The Lies We Tell is on Amazon right now: https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Tell-Alisa-Diane-Anderson/dp/1792319444 For more information on Alisa, please visit: https://www.alisadiane.com/

Art & Lester share their frustration and discuss the ongoing protests about George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. Lester shares his experience with Police Brutality and Racial Profiling. Art talks about why this hurts him and how he feels connected to this as an Indian immigrant.                                                For donations and more information: https://blacklivesmatter.com https://www.naacpldf.org https://www.blackvisionsmn.org https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-floyd-protests-bail-funds-police-brutality-black-lives-matter-1008259/ https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-matters-ep-4-black-lives-matters-south-bend-members-community-organizers/

Art and Lester talk about their friendship and how valuable such partnerships are especially during these trying times. Lester discusses getting back to work as a bus driver during Covid19. They both watched The Lovebirds on Netflix and share their appreciation for the film along with the stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani. Art talks about his experience meeting Kumail and Issa. Spotlight guest: Richard Lovejoy - Richard Lovejoy is an award winning writer who has penned several acclaimed plays and screenplays. He is currenty writing and developing two new feature film screenplays as well as a television series. For more information on Richard, please visit: thewidowers.com -

Professional filmmaking for A&B (Amateurs & Beginners) - Part 4 (Financing and Fundraising) by Art Shrian Tiwari and Lester Greene, with special guest Emelyn Stuart - *First Black Latina to own a movie theater in NYC* Emelyn Stuart shares her expertise on Film Investors/Pitching, Financing and Fundraising, Distribution, Product Placement, and Film Grants. She has successfully received film grants; successfully raised money for several films; invested in several films that reached national television, etc. Emelyn is the founder of her very own movie theater: Stuart Cinema & Cafe, and she founded the Ocktober Film Festival. For more information on Emelyn Stuart, please click here: www.stuartfilmgroup.com https://www.stuartcinema.com https://www.ocktoberfilmfest.com

Professional filmmaking for A&B (Amateurs & Beginners) - Part 3 (Producing), by Art Shrian Tiwari and Lester Greene, with special guests Tom Wardach and Thelma C. Brown - Tom Wardach studied at The Lee Strasberg Institute and The Beverly Hills Playhouse. Tom has written plays, short films, and feature films for himself as well as others. Through his production company, Tilted Barn Entertainment, Tom successfully began producing and directing his own screenplays. His films have screened at countless film festivals in the U.S. and Internationally, many winning a variety of awards including Best Short, Best Writer, and Best Director. To follow Tom Wardach, please visit: http://tiltedbarn.com Thelma C. Brown worked as co-producer on projects with Johnny Blayz and C. Nathaniel Brown before producing her own project “The Disgruntled.” Thelma took a media class in high school, and was hooked immediately after watching Phylicia Rashad in a live taping. She is an actress, director and producer known for The Disgruntled, The Scholar, The Unsung the Movie, For Ellis, Dementia and so much more. She is a combat veteran of the United States Army with over 25 years of military service. Thelma also served as a mentor for female veterans suffering with PTSD. She is currently working on her first screenplay.

Professional filmmaking for A&B (Amateurs & Beginners) - Part 2 (Screenwriting), by Art Shrian Tiwari and Lester Greene, with special guest Jackie Gamber. Jackie is the author of genre-bending novels and screenplays, earning her such accolades as the Mary Shelley Award for Imaginative Fiction, and honorable mention in L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future. As an award winning writer/director, she has screened in film festivals across the country, and is currently in post production on her first feature film, The Mark. To Follow Jackie and everything that she is doing, please visit her website: http://bigimagine.com/ - Thank you.

Professional Filmmaking for A&B (Amateurs & Beginners) - Part 1 (Basics), by Art Shrian Tiwari (Writer-Director-Actor) and Lester Greene (Actor-Producer): We break down the process of bringing your film to life with some practical and useful tips and insights along with detailing the step by step process. The part-1 of the series covers basics from writing, planning, preparing to filming. More to come soon!

We discuss staying creative; Covid19-The New Normal; Zoom meetings; Working & ordering food from home; Reaching out less and networking more in your own backyard, etc.

Art & Lester on hiatus; Lester in Sundance movie; Art in India filming; Lester works with Barry Jenkins; Art & Lester post production on Red is My Color plus teaser project; Art directs first movie

Atlanta Creators Conference, Chocolate & Chai NEW Production Company; Van Miller International; Lester Greene Billboard for Why Did I Become a Model

Casting and auditioning; self-taping; pay for play; finding the right actor for the job; talent isn’t everything; auditioning is performing; our first production Red is My Color; Art in Atlanta

Oscars 2020 surprises, Eminem’s new look, Common versus Eminem, Rap versus Oscars, Parasite kills, Steve Martin and Chris Rock chemistry, Colored people seen not heard, Oscar acceptance speeches, Brad Pitt’s new lease on life, Renee Zellweger thanks agents, Laura Dern’s heroes, 50 Cent’s Hollywood Walk of Fame, Power

Art and Lester discuss Joaquin Phoenix and his shocking speech; Living Single vs Friends; systemic racism; Gabrielle Union being fired on America’s Got Talent; Gabrielle Union vs Terry Crews vs Nick Cannon; The Masked Singer; racial discrimination; token casting; Married With Children, Everybody Loves Raymond; The Big Bang Theory; Frazier; How I Met Your Mother

Get up close and personal with Art and Lester. Hear about there week and year so far. Lester is on a billboard; Art shares about his experience with pitching to Hollywood execs/stars; Storytelling; Following your dreams and goals; The sudden demise of Kobe; Art and Lester talk about their personal struggles; Art left his job making six figures; Art filming in India; Art and Lester introduce their collaborators: Daniel Guillaro, Miles Neiman (The Georgia Hollywood Review), Juan Londono, Zach Sheram - If you’re interested in collaborating with us, please reach out on social media @artshrian & @greene_lester or email us at chocolateandchai11@gmail.com

Remembering Martin Luther King; Art’s incredible experiences talking to David Oyelowo, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Deniro, Art’s “MyNewYorkEye” and Tribeca Film Festival; Lester collaborates with Miles Neiman of the Georgia Hollywood Review; Lester and Art discuss current state of diversity in Hollywood.

We talk about the top 11 television shows of 2019, Art’s awkward interaction with Hollywood star Rami Malek, and the Oscar nominations/snubs!

Art and Lester recap the Golden Globes and they discuss the 19 must watch movies of 2019: Avengers: Endgame, Black and Blue, Bombshell, Dolemite Is My Name, Gemini Man, Late Night, Little Women, Marriage Story, Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood, Parasite, Pain And Glory, Queen & Slim, Shazam!, Sorry To Bother You, Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Irishman, Uncut Gems, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, and Werewolf Ninja Philosopher.

Introducing podcast hosts Art Shrian and Lester Greene discussing their backgrounds, what the podcast is about, New Year plans/resolutions, etc.