Private Project

THE PILL

An African-American family indulges in the use of a secret pill that helps them cope with their day-to-day stressors of racism outside of their home.

  • Franco Clarke
    Director
  • Franco Clarke
    Writer
  • Franco Clarke
    Producer
  • Kamel Goffin
    Key Cast
    "Shiek"
  • Steven Pierre
    Key Cast
    "Stanley Burden "
  • Nefertiti Warren
    Key Cast
    "Monica Burden "
  • Drew Jordan
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Turk"
  • Aria Celeste
    Key Cast
    "Meridith"
  • Kevin Frederick
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Fantasy
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 20 minutes 26 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    17:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Indie Memphis Film Festival 2021

    Best Screenplay
Director Biography - Franco Clarke

Growing up in the East New York section of Brooklyn, New York, Franco showed a great passion for sports, primarily basketball. However, upon attending St. John's University, he discovered a different passion--Filmmaking.
After earning a degree in Film & TV, he began interning for the Entertainer's Basketball Classic (EBC) at Rucker Park. While filming and editing footage of celebrities and NBA stars such as Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Lebron James, Stephon Marbury, Rafer Alston (Skip-To-My-Lou) and Chris Brown, he became an editor at NBATV for several years.
Following that, he began to hone his craft as a filmmaker: writing, directing and editing a variety of films that have screened at film festivals across the country, as well as music videos for several musicians.

Franco is an award winning filmmaker whose recent feature film, "THE PILL", was awarded Best Screenplay at the 2021 Indie Memphis Film Festival.

​

​

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Traveling abroad has opened my eyes to various cultures and understanding their idiosyncrasies. Whether it be learning the language or remembering to remove your shoes before entering, I accepted it and adjusted. However, upon returning from a trip as such, I realized that being a Black man in America wasn't much different.

Being an African American citizen in the United States can sometimes, actually most of the time, feel synonymous with that of a foreigner adjusting to a new environment except for the fact that the adjustment is a never-ending experience. The frustration of constantly readjusting or simply complying to societal norms that aren't beneficial to you, can take its toll on one's psyche.

So, as I now enter into my fourth decade, I've developed a variety of coping mechanisms, some are effective but most are flawed. It wasn't until an abnormal frustrating day at work where I began to fantasize about an immediate fix to my plight. Immediately, an idea struck me..."Man! If only there were a pill or something I could take to relieve me of this day-to-day bullshit!" And so, during my lunch break--ok, well...at my desk, while on the clock, I began writing THE PILL. I wrote so much that by the end of day, I'd completed the first act. That was the beginning of a long journey that eventually morphed into this feature film and I figured the best way to go about such an issue is with a gentle hand filled with satire. Ultimately, I hope this is something that we can all learn from and truly enjoy, as we continue on our quest for equality.