Interview conducted by Nicole Duncan-Smith
Next week will definitely be one for the books, as we’ll officially be kicking off our 6th annual SOURCE360 Festival. From a block party honoring deceased rap legend The Notorious B.I.G. to an awards dinner honoring living legends Rakim and DJ Kool Herc amongst others, we’re working overtime to make sure you all have the best time ever at our four-day event.
The festivities begin next Thursday (August 15), where we’ll host a panel of film & TV industry vets titled ‘Lights, Camera, Action!’ Hosted by Africa Miranda, the lineup of panelist will include actors Joseph Sikora (Power), Rob Morgan (Mudbound) and Antonique Smith (Notorious), as well as a powerful voice straight from the director’s chair, Stefon Bristol.
We recently got a chance to catch up with Stef fresh off the universal praise and success of his hit Netflix movie See You Yesterday. We kept it brief in order to get the real conversation going during SOURCE360, but check out our quick chat with the future-ready filmmaker as we talk winning, time-travel and bringing proper justice to his critically-acclaimed sci-fi epic.
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The Source: How long have you been working on See You Yesterday? It must feel like yesterday!
Stefon Bristol: [I’ve] been trying to get See You Yesterday off the ground for five years — five! It definitely does not feel like yesterday [Laughs].
If you could go back in time, who would you introduce to today’s culture and why?
Malcolm X, right before he got murdered, as well as James Baldwin. We strongly need their leadership right now. Things [in today’s society] are going haywire.
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What other director do you think could have done justice to your film?
None; This is my baby. I lived with [See You Yesterday] for years. I had something very strong and specific to say with that film, and I was also representing [for] the West Indian community with every scene. I don’t think any other director would respect that [culture] the way I did.
Name your top three-time travel movies.
Here we go: Back to the Future Part II, Run Lola Run and Edge of Tomorrow: Live. Die. Repeat.
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Who had a reaction to the film that you’d say was the most shocking? Give us a runner-up, too.
It wasn’t just one person, article or whatever review we got for [See You Yesterday]. The combined plethora of people coming to me via Instagram, e-mail, in-person or after a screening simply to tell me what they took away from the film [was unforgettable]. Everyone has their own interpretation of the film, and it without a doubt sparked dialogue. That’s what made me the most happy and proud.
Come see Stefon Briston in-person as a panelist on our SOURCE360 ‘Lights, Camera, Action!’ Panel next week by reserving your tickets right now online. See you all at Brooklyn Borough Hall!
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