For filmmaker Freddy Long, limited resources are merely a challenge to get creative. A music producer turned composer, writer/director and producers, Long brought his feature, Feel the Burn to life with only $20,000. Being able to create a film by balancing genre ambition with the practival realities of independed production. I sat with him and talked about his beginnings, providing opportunities for his colleagues and why Black filmmakers should feel free to explore different kinds of stories.

Stacey Yvonne: Where are you from, and how did you first get into filmmaking?

Freddy Long: I was born and raised in Miami. I lived in different neighborhoods, but where I became who I am was Carol City.