Her debut film The 40-Year-Old Version, which made history earlier this year by winning the U.S. dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival, is being produced by Lena Waithe and was acquired by Netflix.

Blank’s movie follows Radha, a newly single poet who’s reconciling with turning 40 and rejection until she ignites her first just so happy to finally get to share, um, the story that I wrote and created with us in mind as Black women, where we’re centered and we’re complex,” said Blank.

She had been trying to showcase a more nuanced version of Black women for six years when Lena Waithe came on board to produce her project.

And this to me is about putting a Black story in the context and the canon of classic New York films,” Blank continued.

TOPICS: Entertainment Essence Festival 2020 film 2020efvirtual eaafest2020 essence festival essence festival of culture Lena Waithe Netflix Radha Black