FWM: When did your love for the Arts begin?
I began working in this industry as a lifestyle model about 5-6 years ago, however, my love for the entertainment world was several years prior when I had this obsession with 90’s supermodels. I never pursued a career in this industry until later in life when I was approached by a talent scout, however, I did always have this invisible pull to that lifestyle. From modeling, I began acting. Onset, I watched the crew members, directors, producers and everyone I could because I started to feel my love for modeling and acting quickly dissipate and a full-blown passion to being the one to make the movies. I wanted to go home and learn any and everything I could about how making films worked. I’d go home and research and I began working crew for short films and web series.
I wanted the power of being in the position of hiring, casting, making all the moving parts work. I love breaking down scripts, I love the hustle and I love the overwhelming feeling of the fact that I have found my purpose. I am one of the fortunate few who can say that and watching a film being made from beginning to end has got to be one of the biggest highs for me. I will say that my love for modeling and acting have never fully gone away, on the contrary, my love for producing and making movies only heightened those experiences for me.
FWM: Did your upbringing influence your decision to become an Actress?
I grew up playing sports and was never in high school drama classes. I was always obsessed with the modeling industry and had modeled for local agencies in my hometown, but ultimately sports always consumed my time so I was never able to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. While in college, I took classes in theater and acting to help cure some anxiety I had acquired by self-affliction, but I never took it seriously until about 4 years ago after I modeled for Click Models of Atlanta. Their sister company, Jpervis Talent agency told me to take acting and workshop classes. I reached out to Darla Briganti and Ann Marie Crouch in Destin, FL and worked with them in developing the necessary skills to hone my natural talent. They were an absolute dream and whom I credit to helping me to truly making a start in the acting world. Shortly, Jpervis signed me and I landed a huge role on the CW pilot “Paranormal Project” with famed director David Nutter. He chose me out of thousands to play the role of Vivian. I got to audition in front of him which was a thrilling experience and was one of the biggest highlights of my career. I am currently repped by BMG Talent in Atlanta, Hutson Talent Agency in VA, Barefoot Models and Talent, and Elysium Talent Management Group.
“I wanted the power of being in the position of hiring, casting, making all the moving parts work. I love breaking down scripts, I love the hustle and I love the overwhelming feeling of the fact that I have found my purpose.”
FWM: You are the co-owner of the Ohio based film company, i71Movies. Share some of your monumental moments.
i71Movies is a dream to work with. Co-owners Jose W. Byers and Derek Talib are the other two owners and we create this powerful trifecta. We had a lot of success with the Columbus 48hr Film Festival with winning Best Actress, myself, and Best Supporting Actress, Marylee Osborne for CODE 207. We released our first feature film, DARK IRIS, 2 Years ago and have been featured in several podcasts, newspapers, and other media publications. We have also have spoken at several events as guests on panels discussing our company and all our achievements.
i71Movies produced the award-winning internationally distributed feature film, Dark Iris, which can be seen on VUDU, Amazon Prime US & UK, rented through Family Video, and purchased through Walmart and Amazon Prime. The movie I produced and starred in, Dark Iris, has won several awards at the Idyllwild Festival of Cinema for Women in Producing a Feature Film, Best Actress in a Feature Film and Best Scored Feature Film. I accepted the awards for Best Actress and Women in Producing so I had an integral part of making this film from pre-production to post- production. This is quite a successful film in the indie world and for i71Movie’s first film.
Most recently, i71Movies has a new web series, ST. GABRIEL, which was picked up by Satan Media in India and will be featured on the brand new TV network VIGIL in India in 2020.
FWM: Tell us about your film, “Dark Iris.” What was it about this project that was important to you?
I produced and starred in i71Movie’s first feature film, Dark Iris. The movie has done exceptionally well in the Indie world and for our first film which was released in 2018. The continued success with the movie proves that i71Movies can take an indie budget and turn it into a movie that looks like it was made for a lot more. Co-owner Derek Talib wrote and directed the movie.
Dark Iris is centered around Iris who is haunted by a mysterious stalker and her own dreams. FBI agents surround Iris while bodies stack up around her. It’s a modern-day Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde, Iris tries to survive as she is hunted by the very agency that created her.
“Iris’s quiet life as a barista abruptly changes when she finds herself the target of a stalker. A stalker who is a trained black ops assassin that escaped from an experiment called, The Hyde Project. Bodies begin to pile up as Iris finds herself caught between the FBI, her stalker, and a cleaner team from the Hyde project. Iris’s sanity slowly slips away as she discovers the dark secret she has hidden, even from herself.”
FWM: What film are you most proud of?
I am most proud of DARK IRIS and my second feature, STRINGS, with my Indie Film Company, RKHFILMS. DI will always have a special place in my heart as it was my first feature film I had ever made. Strings will always be dear to me because it is a film I made through my production company along with my good friend and his company, E.P. Media. Both films I produced and starred in.
FWM: What should we know about your horror film, A WICKED BREED?
A WICKED BREED is a horror film by i71Movies which is set to begin production in mid-2020. The film combines action and horror with a Reservoir Dogs meets Shining meets Dusk to Dawn feel. I will be producing and starring in this film as the lead, Dani Bond, and we will be casting soon so be sure to follow i71Movies Social media to keep up to date on casting and crew calls.
WICKED BREED is about a secluded gas station is in an out of the way place owned by two brothers who use it as their hunting grounds for unsuspecting travelers. The oldest brother’s girlfriend experiences an erotic euphoria from the pain she inflicts upon others. It is business as usual until a married couple with secrets of their own come across their path. The twisted trio finds themselves challenged when the mysterious married couple turns out to be as dangerous as the three of them. It goes from bad to worse, when their confrontation takes them to the doorstep of a house of horrors. They quickly discover themselves trapped in a house built in the 1800s, known for the perversions and experiments inflicted upon the women of the house of Dr. Emil Rose.
FWM: You are the owner of RKHFFILMS, and are currently producing the highly anticipated feature film, “STRINGS.” What is special about this film?
My company RKHFFILMS, which is currently producing the highly anticipated feature film STRINGS with E.P. MACALAMA MEDIA, owned by E.P. Macalma. The film has finished its principal photography and is set to be released in early 2020. Strings post-production team consists of major professionals in the industry, TBA and indie star cinematographer, Pascal Payant.
The film is unlike any love story you have ever seen with nods to the late poetry great, Poe, and famed feminist writer, Jane Austin, which is one of my favorites. The Strings feature film is a morbid and romantic story that will capture the hearts and pull the strings of today’s modern audience by implementing old fashion values and unique storytelling that will result in a cathartic release. Rebekah and E.P Macalma together wrote, produced, directed and starred in Strings which is expected to be a breakout film in the indie film world. A brief synopsis over Strings: Two fated lovers who meet at the wrong time struggles to maintain their friendship due to their secret, slowly-erupting love for each other. However, their traditional views of love along with their mutual moral beliefs prevent them from acting upon their hidden desires. Strings tracks how both main characters deal with forbidden love and will provoke difficult conversations around complex issues in marriage, commitment and timing.
FWM: Tell us about your YouTube Channel, LETTABIRD.
I also own, manage and produce LETTABIRD, a Youtube channel starring my two young daughters Voletta and Bernadette. The show is a family-friendly channel that focuses on the girls testing out toys, slime, and other cool stuff. Lettabird is a combination of their nicknames – Letta from Voletta and Birdie or Bird from Bernadette.
Along with my business partner E.P. Macalma, we focus on the marketing side of Lettabird as well as, web site, social media campaign and commercials for several other businesses to develop their brand.
Lettabird has done quite well with its start and we currently paused the channel to finish the Strings production, however, I will begin the process of hiring a team to work on the channel full time in 2020.
FWM: Share your upcoming projects.
In addition to the continued success with Dark Iris, i71Movies has a new web series that was picked up by Satan Media in India and will be featured on the brand new TV network VIGIL in India. Co-owners Jose W. Byers, Derek Talib and I are focusing on our next project A WICKED BREED, a horror film that is set to begin production in mid- 2020. The company is also focusing on a football documentary over the Ohio State Buckeyes called LUCKY 13 which is currently in production with executive producer, Bobby Carpenter. I will also make a few other movies under my film company RKHFilms with E.P. Macalma, TBA. It will be a busy 2020 and I look forward to it all.
STRINGS FEATURE FILM
DARK IRIS TRAILER
DARK IRIS IMDB
A WICKED BREED TRAILER
A WICKED BREED IMDB
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WHAT WE USE TO BE
LETTABIRD
