We had the good fortune of connecting with Phyllis Toben Bancroft and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Phyllis, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is community. Nurturing supportive friendships and alliances have been extremely beneficial when it comes to reaching my goals. My latest project “…with salt.” (www.withsaltthemovie.com), is a powerful short film that deals with the self-silencing that occurs in the aftermath of a traumatic assault. When I was crowdfunding for the film’s campaign, I was able to call on experienced friends who helped me organize and strategize. Soliciting money is a full-time job, an art form in itself. Without their help, it would have been very difficult for me to reach my goal.

Currently, “…with salt.” is on the festival circuit. The Los Angeles premiere, sponsored by Sandra Evers-Manly’s organization African American Film Marketplace & the S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase, brought a substantial audience to view the film. After a challenging time producing the project, it was great to experience a room filled with people who came out to hold a torch for me and the project. Having a solo premiere for a short film is very special. The enthusiastic feedback and positive energy that filled the space helped to confirm that I’m on the right track. They reminded me that I am not making films in a vacuum.

One of the people who came out to that screening was a childhood friend from Hartford, Connecticut named Treda Collier-Dickenman, CEO of Sweet Sanctuary. Treda flew across the country to be there with me and was so inspired by what she saw that she went back home, and with the help another longtime friend, Recina Reynolds, CEO of InaScents, organized a premiere screening at Trinity College’s Cinestudios. Like the LA premiere, this well-received event brought in a substantial audience including a local producer who is committed to bring more film projects to Hartford. We are now in talks to expand the scope of my future productions and bring them to the East Coast. It amazes me how one community event can ignite another. That’s really powerful.

Locally, I’ve created the Workshop of Creativity, Joy, and Spirit. It is a small community of women who come together once a season to share our aspirations, goals, and challenges. We hold each other up and provide a space for our creativity to flourish. We share stories, ask for advice, and give our trust to a higher power. It is a collective where these women can show up with their dreams and projects and know they will not be judged, shamed, or analyzed. We’ve cultivated this nurturing environment since 2015 and it has elevated all of us.

In 2022 alone, these various communities have provided me with a plethora of support, expertise, friendship, passion, purpose, connection, and expansion. That’s what keep this train running and on the tracks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was a latch key kid who, on several occasions, almost got caught snooping for the little red Samsonite suitcase where my mom kept her important files. I was seeking the papers that might explain my identity as an adoptee. What I eventually found in my search started me on my path to discovering family roots that are still unraveling.

Given my history, I am inspired to tell stories that empower women who feel isolated, alone and/or just different.

I’m interested in the relationship that women have with themselves and the masks that they must wear to survive in the world, particularly women of color. I am a creative collaborator who conjures up emotional images and arranges and rearranges them to tell complex, multilayered, compelling stories that humanize our vulnerabilities.

As an African American female filmmaker, I am dispirited to see the statistics of women who are actually working as TV and film directors. My approach to overcoming this inbalance is to stick to my vision and continue to develop meaningful stories one project at a time. With consistency, I believe these steps will amount to a change.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite spots in Los Angeles are 1.) The bench at the top of Runyon Canyon. I love sitting there looking at this massive city and dreaming about the unlimited possibilities that exist within it, especially at sunrise. It’s phenomenal. 2.) Any beach in Malibu – the ability to have access to the beach year round, even if it’s an hour away, feels like a gift, particularly at sunset. 3.) Bike riding from Manhattan Beach to Santa Monica and back – delightful! 4.) Dune Restaurant in Atwater Village has the best Chicken Shawarma Sandwich in town. (Fried or Grilled). Also, shoutout to the Village Cafe and Bakery – everything is good, but the strawberry donut – WOW!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Bradford Bancroft (bradfordbancroft.com) for the love and encouragement.

Kim Bancroft for reminding me that the Universe was testing me and that “I passed Big Time!”

Sandra Evers-Manly for supporting the vision I had for …with salt. and your ongoing support of African American Filmmakers.

Treda Collier Dickenman (sweetsanctuary.org) for reminding me that my voice matters and taking steps for it to be heard.

Recina Reynolds (@inascentsbyre) for organizing and gathering the troupes to come together to support my filmmaking efforts for years.

Pam Warner who nudged me when I thought I had failed, only to learn that I was gifted with an expedited Master Class.

Roxanne Gay for writing “Hunger,” which unleashed the flames to ignite the telling of my story.

All the people who continue to rally behind my creative pursuits by giving their time, money, and efforts.

Website: www.phyllisbancroft.com, www.withsaltthemovie.com

Instagram: @hollywoodflowonthego, @withsaltthemovie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllis-toben-bancroft-9b28896/

Twitter: @ptoben

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phyllis.t.bancroft/

Image Credits
Amina Touray and Craig Stanley

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