Jillian Bullock is the CEO/President of Jillian Bullock Enterprises, LLC, an entertainment and film production company based in Pennsylvania.
Jillian took off from filmmaking for a number of years in order to focus on writing her memoir, “HERE I STAND,” which was published in 2012. The story tells of Jillian’s upbringing with her African-American mother and her white stepfather, who was a member of the Philadelphia Italian Mafia. Jillian’s life story is in development as a feature film. Today, her new psychological thriller, “A Cup Full of Crazy” is gaining attention. The film deals with mental illness and the path to recovery and healing. It centers on a woman named Angela Rodriquez, MMA champion and an award-winning screenwriter, who suffered a nervous breakdown a year ago.
FWM: You started out working as an Intern on Spike Lee’s movie, Malcom X. What did you take away from that experience?
As an intern, you don’t get paid, but you get lots of experience to see how a feature film is produced. It was a difficult production because Spike ran out of money and the studio was threatening to take the movie away from him. He had to get additional funding from his celebrity friends. So it was stressful at times. I saw things I would do as a director and some things I wouldn’t. Each director is different and what I took away from the experience is we all have to find what works for us, set the kind of tone we want on the set with cast and crew.
FWM: How has your extensive background in boxing and martial arts helped your career?
I hold two black belts, one in Tae Kwon Do and the other in Wing Chun. I also train in MMA and boxing. So I combine all my skills and add fight choreographer to my other titles – writer, director, actor, and producer.
FWM: Tell us about Jillian Bullock Enterprises and your films. What films are you most proud of?
My company Jillian Bullock Enterprises, LLC focuses on creating content that is empowering, educational and entertaining. We tackle tough subject matters – sexual assault, homelessness, drug addiction, mental illness, racism, domestic violence, police brutality, etc., because it’s important for me to shape stories that will get audiences talking and thinking once they’re finished watching what I’ve produced. In this way, I want to help change the world.
FWM: Recently you completed “A Sense of Purpose: Fighting For Our Lives,” a feature film that focuses on veterans, PTSD, and military sexual assault which has won several awards. What led you to this film? What do you want people to know?
When I first started writing A Sense of Purpose it focused on how veterans who have PTSD used mixed martial arts as a way to help them heal and cope. However, when I started interviewing veterans, the narrative was different than what I thought it would. I learned that so many of the veterans suffered from PTSD because they had been sexually assaulted or rape while they served. I thought that was a better story to focus on, so I changed the script.
What I want people to know is that unfortunately, thousands of men and women who serve in the military will be sexually assaulted each year. And if that victim tries to report what happened to him/her, they will most likely be met with either demotion in rank, hostility from their commanding officer, violence from the other military members in their platoon, or a dishonorable discharge.
I want people to know that sexual assault in the military, all branches, is an epidemic. If someone is thinking about enlisting, they should be aware of what goes on.
FWM: You are in pre-production on your movie “A Cup Full of Crazy,” a psychological thriller. Tell us more.
My next movie is a psychological thriller that deals with mental illness and the path to recovery and healing. It centers on a woman named Angela Rodriquez, MMA champion and an award-winning screenwriter, who suffered a nervous breakdown a year ago. Now she is seeing a therapist and taking medication for depression. She is working on healing as she starts to write a new script that involves a serial killer in Philadelphia. However, while she writes the script things in her story start happening to her in real life. So the audience will have to figure out if she is being terrorized by a man or is she having another nervous breakdown. A Cup Full of Crazy will have a lot of twists and turns, so the audience will have to pay close attention or they’ll miss something.
FWM How have you evolved your craft?
As a director, I was trying to find my style for a long time. I realized all the great directors have this, like Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Bay, John Woo, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino. If you look at their films, you don’t even have to put on the screen who directed the movie. You know by the way the film is shot and they have signature looks in each movie. As I have evolved, I believe I found my style. Every film or TV show I write, direct and produce has either martial arts or boxing in it, fight scenes of some kind. So audiences who go see my movies or watch on TV will already know what to expect. Now, I’m working on having a signature shot in each film that will also identify it as a Jillian Bullock film.
FWM: You were recently hired by a Hollywood production company, Orinda Entertainment, to direct a $5 million movie entitled “22.” Production begins in fall 2021. How excited are you?
I’m really excited about this because I didn’t go seeking this position. I was contacted by Steven Taylor and Ryland Rafferty from Orinda Entertainment. The movie they are producing is “22,” a story that deals with the military during war time and how one solider, the main character, returns home and struggles to assimilate back into society. They were seeking a female director, because they felt the story would be better told through the eyes of a woman. They said they hit the jackpot when they found out I was a veteran, too. They watched my movie “A Sense of Purpose: Fighting For Our Lives,” loved it and they contacted me. We jumped on a zoom call, I read the script, suggested a few changes to strengthen it. They signed me on as the director. To me, it’s great when people watch your work and your talent speaks for itself.
FWM: What are you looking forward to in 2021?
Even though I’m busy with two movies this year, I’m also in development on other projects, like HERE I STAND, which is about my life story growing up with my African-American mother and white stepfather, who was a member of the Philadelphia Italian Mafia. The screenplay is written from my memoir. I also have a book coming out in October entitled “From Victim to Victor: How to Achieve Happiness, Success and Greatness Despite the Hardships, Challenges or Obstacles Against You.”
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